Making your own soap?

Discussion in 'Hobbies and Crafts' started by aprilconnett, Mar 10, 2008.

  1. aprilconnett

    aprilconnett Seedling

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    Anyone here make your own soap? Just wondering how easy/difficult it is to do or find the materials? How economical is it?
     
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  3. Wrennie

    Wrennie In Flower

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    I've heard it isnt too diffficult. If youre in the US stores like Michaels Crafts, & AC Moore have supplies.
     
  4. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    April, with the melt and pour soap bases all you need is a bowl, microwave, a mold and some fragrance.

    I buy Goats Milk soap base from Bramble Berry.com, for molds I use small bread pans or some small round containers. I have soap fragrances that I bought from Bramble Berry and I also use a variety of Essential Oils,especially Tea Tree for it's antiseptic properties for my daughters acne. I use sprigs of Chocolate Mint for my grandsons and Rosemary for my oldest daughter.
    I don't add colors, just see no reason for them. Some of the fragrances will add their own color, the Chocolate fragrance turns the soap brown, Mint sprigs will turn it green as they steep.

    I have also been making glycerine soap too. It's a little different process but is fun too.

    Economical? It will be in the long run, buying the supplies at first, as for any craft, will cost but it will pay for itself in time. Basically, I like doing it because I don't like all the chemicals in store bought soap, I can make fragrances according to the season, personal tastes of family or as special hand made gifts.

    You can get a beginners kit to see if you will enjoy it then add to your supplies after that.
    Craft stores do carry the supplies, but you are limited to what they have shelf space for when it comes to soap bases and fragrances. They also carry only small sizes of those items and buying several small sizes of something is always more expensive than buying one large size. I usually buy fragrances in the 4 ounce or 8 ounce size depending on how much I like it and I buy the soap base in larger sizes too.

    I have wanted to make soap since the days when the only soap making process available was the way it was done 'in the old days' using lye, wood forms and heavy plastic gloves for safety. The melt and pour is so much easier and fun.
     
  5. Droopy

    Droopy Slug Slaughterer Plants Contributor

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    I've never made any myself, it's on my "want-to"-list. Toni's post moved it up some pegs. Lots of people I know make soap for presents, for fun or just to use themselves. I'm after a recipe for "gardener's soap", but the lady who makes it also sells it so she won't give it to me.
     



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  6. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Droopy, gardeners soap is basically any soap with cornmeal or poppy seeds added. You can use the Goat's Milk base which is very soothing to the skin.
    And some healing Essential Oil like Tea Tree, Propolis/Myrrh and optionally some Lavender, Chamomile, Sage or whatever EO is your favorite.
     
  7. Droopy

    Droopy Slug Slaughterer Plants Contributor

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    As easy as that, is it? :D Thank you, toni! Hers is green, with strong, green stripes in it. Wonder if she coloured the corn meal before putting it in the base?

    I have to be very careful with oils and smells of any kind. My husband is allergic to lots of things, and we don't know everything yet.
     
  8. LilyPlanter77351

    LilyPlanter77351 Seedling

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    Oh I'm so glad to hear how easy this is to do, since I moved from the city getting the soaps I need for my daughter's and my sensitive skin requires a 1 & 1/2 hour drive, usually a visit to the in-laws, and then a raging battle with the "mall people" just to pay way to much and get way too little. Thanks for the tips!
     
  9. Primsong

    Primsong Young Pine

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    You can make up a quick batch of 'gardener's soap' to scrub with whenever you come in the house with dirt-caked hands. Just squirt in as much of your regular hand soap as you might use for a couple hand-washings in a bowl, add a spoonful of cornmeal and squish it together. Check for grittiness and maybe add more. Wash.

    Not fancy, but it gets the job done!
     
  10. Droopy

    Droopy Slug Slaughterer Plants Contributor

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    I'm getting lots of good tips here. :D
     
  11. trudy

    trudy In Flower

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    I've made the lye soap (cold process) an the melt an pour years ago an still have a good bit of the lye soap left. Its not hard to make, but the curing time is about 2-3 weeks best I remember. Yawl should try it at least once.

    As far as molds, you will get to seeing all kinds of molds. I used Pringles Cans, those round fish food cans, then once the soap is set an cured you can slice it to the size you want. Also I have used those liners cookies come in that have dividers. Your not limited at all an your recycling to. I found a heart shaped doll thingy at a yard sale an used that. I didn't have the wooden box form, I used those cardboard flats that can drinks come in an line it with wax paper or freezer paper I think it was. It really is fun to make. Just don't do like I did an over make. I still have tubs of it out in the craft room.

    Then btw lye was easy to come by, but with all the meth users abusing its gotten hard to come by now a days, here anyway.
     
  12. Palm Tree

    Palm Tree Young Pine

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    Gosh this sounds like fun.
    I suppose one could also make use of the essential oils and goodies that one uses when making candles in soap too.
    I should maybe try my hand at soap making. You stewbies are so creative - the ideas coming from you are like a non-stop river and I find myself at odds for not having enough time for all the wonderful things that can be made.
     
  13. Palm Tree

    Palm Tree Young Pine

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    Oops
    I will heed your warning too Droopy. All herbs regardless of how natural can be dangerous especially when an allergy is experienced.
    And Primsong - that gardeners soap sounds like all of us should have that.
     
  14. aprilconnett

    aprilconnett Seedling

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    Thanks, ya'll!! I read about it in passing somewhere and thought: That sounds neat! I am thinking more along the lines of CP soapmaking, IF I can get my hands on the lye. I have decided there is a special seat in H#ll for those drug chemists. They are making it so difficult to get everything. I take Mucinex-D every day for my allergies as it is less expensive than a nasal spray(I asked my Dr. first), but I feel like my hubby and I should just give a DNA test everytime we try to get it. And now something as innocuous as lye!! Grrr.

    april
     
  15. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Palm,
    I don't use EO's in candles, too expensive for the amount you need to make good smelling candles. If you have regular candle fragrances check before using them in soaps, some are not safe for use on skin. The cinnamon, for example and we found this out from personal experience :eek: is not skin safe.


    April, have you tried the Mucinex nasal spray? It works wonders on nasal congestion where the tables work more on chest congestion.

    You can also buy a 2 pound package of Lye from Brambleberry.com for $10....you do have to download, fill out and return a HazMat Waiver form before you can buy it tho.
     
  16. aprilconnett

    aprilconnett Seedling

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    Strangely enough, the Flonase contols chest congestion. If I go without a few days, I get a "rattle". Same thing with the Mucinex. So, I figured if the one cost less, why not?

    I will check out that site for the lye.
     

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