Showing posts with label soap making. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soap making. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Soapmaking Success!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010


Here are eight bars of soap! Not too bad for a first timer. They have to dry out for six weeks before I can use them. I will turn them over every day or so until then.

The big chunk in the margarine container will be grated down to use as laundry soap, dish washing soap and liquid hand soap.

I will purchase some more soap molds for the next time. Also, I realized that I had the caustic soda at too high of a temp. I should have put the bowl in the sink that was filled with ice to cool it down to the same temp as the oils. That is why the mixture rose in the molds and then deflated and looked an awful mess.

I am very happy with the results! I didn't have to throw anything out & there were no trips to hospital. I can't wait to actually use it!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Soapmaking at the Cottage

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Today, I thought I would finally make my own soap. I am using the recipe from the 'Down to Earth' blog: Soap Making

Olive oil, rice bran oil &
coconut oil (Copha) melting together
I have had the ingredients for ages, but I have been quite terrified of using caustic soda. Today I faced my fear! My husband helped me with the caustic soda: I asked him to pour the caustic soda into the water and the caustic mixture into the oils. LOL! I don't know what I was afraid of besides a foamy, hissy cloud of dangerous chemicals that was going to shorten my life by being near the stuff. Well, that didn't happen, thank goodness. The only mishap that happened was I didn't have enough molds! I do have a proper soap mold that makes 8 bars, but also had on stand-by a deli container that holds six cupcakes. Needless to say, the deli container did not work. LOL! The soap mixture was too hot for it! It was slowly melting and I had no other molds to transfer the mixture to quickly. So, I found an empty and clean margarine container and luckily, it all fit into that.

In the molds. What a mess!
One question I do have: is the soap mixture suppose to be rising in the molds, like a cake baking? I did not read about that happening anywhere and I am getting a bit frightened. LOL!

Left is the soap in the molds. The mixture has quit rising and this is what it looks like now. It doesn't look pretty! I will be able to take the soap out of the molds after 15 hours. Fingers crossed that it all stays together. Did I mention this is my first time making soap? LOL!

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