Homemade Soap

[Shadowgirlau]

Hi BJ, Just read your reply over on the gardening Gardening, you really should have a go at making your own soap. DD was working out the cost of the soap we are going to make this week as we bought all the oils yesterday.
Calculating all the requirements the soap will come out at $1.05 a bar (regular sized one) and we will make 10 bars to a batch.

This cost would be cheaper if we had bought the oils in bulk but we didn't, instead we have bought smaller amounts of the oils which is not really the way to do it for cheapness. Even so we will know what is in our soap. I also bought the ingredients needed to make laundry soap and this will work out to be 18cents a wash which suits me fine. I usually get 16 washes from my usual 2litre bottle of laundry liquid and this normally costs me 37c a wash. This same soap has decreased in size to 1.5 litre for the same cost as 2 litre which will increase the cost of each wash. I could be wrong but I think it will increase my washing cost to $1.66 a wash. This is the cheapest washing soap I can buy (which I find also cleans well) although I admit from time to time I have to soak all my whites in Sard to stop them going that grey colour the whites go when the soap isn't giving a good enough clean. I used to make lip balm, moisturizer, shampoo and hand creams as well so according to my DD they are also going back on the agenda. Looks like I am going to become very busy for awhile. Thank goodness she is wanting me to teach her how to do it as this means she can help out or take over the deed.

Kathleen

[childoftheearth]

Hi Kathleen & BJ

I have just started to use my first batch of soap which I made about 8 weeks ago. It seems a bit "gritty" and barely lathers, but it seems to move dirt and grease (I'm using a bar in the kitchen for hand washing).

I was loathe to spend too much money until I knew if it would work so I made the first two batches with a block of "Frytol" each, probably not ideal! I turned one batch into bars (which I am now using) and the other into a (1 litre milk carton) block to grate and make into laundry mix. I haven't done that yet.

If you have any tips or recipes I would be very keen to hear them.

BJ you should definitely have a go, it was really easy and I think with the proper ingredients the outcome would be excellent.

Regards
Elaine

[BJTJ]

I definitely will - just when. We are leaving on a trip around Australia for 12 weeks in 4 weeks time so so many things are on hold until we get back. Our housesitters can't wait to get to my vege garden and orchard!! I will have time to read the soapmaking book and be "full bottle" when I get back and make it. BJ

[Shadowgirlau]

Well done Elaine, I remember my first batch and how pleased I was with it. One soon gets hooked

What would you like to know?

What ingredients did you use and which process? I use cold process when making mine, never did like the hot process so am not going to be a lot of help on the latter.

Kathleen

[childoftheearth]

HI Kathleen,

As with so many things in my life, I just jumped in and had a go, I have no idea what the process is called!

I just melted a block of "Frytol" (which is labeled "blended animal fats") and dissolved the appropriate amount of caustic soda, heated/cooled them to the same temperature and then stirred them together until it "traced".

That being the case, anything you care to pass on will be of value to me, titles of good books on soapmaking, recipes, techniques, hints etc.

At this stage I am mainly interested in making basic, economical soap, laundry powder/liquid, and maybe a liquid body wash. My emphasis is definitely on cheap rather than fancy.

Bye for now,
Elaine

[Shadowgirlau]

Okay, I have a basic soap making recipe, it is the first recipe I ever used. Like you I just hopped right in and got on with it (after reading quite a bit about it on the internet)
If you can get to a library go in and see what books they have. Otherwise do a search on google and you will doubtless come across several soapmaking tutourials. I have several soap books myself but at this time couldn't tell you what they are called, would remember if i had it from a picture though

I also have a good soap recipe for laundry, it works well and is the one I always (used to use) and which I really must start making again as buying it is becoming expensive again. The laundry soap is actually a gel more than a liquid which was a surprise to me at first. now it is just normal.

Unfortunately I am on my sisterinlaws computer at the moment but as soon as I am on my own again I shall be happy to pass on the recipes. As for what I used for making the soap, well I preferred a combination of oils and used mainly this - olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and a little castor oil.
While the other oils do lather adding castor oil was found to give the soap a silkiness and nicer lather. (my opinion only) I have used animal fats such as you mention but on the whole stick to vegetable based ones as I found the animal fat ones to be "grainy" Saying this they do make a great "mechanics" soap and my hubby loves the one that I make for him to clean his hands with after he has been working outside.

Cheers
Kathleen

[BJTJ]

wow never realised soap could be made out of vegetable oils - WILL have to do some research. I would be most interested in your recipe. Haven't had a chance to read the book I have, but I suppose it would have similiar to what you are talking about. The more and more info you find out about what goes into your body, or what you don't know what goes into your body, the more I want to know exactly what I am using. Does that make sense?? BJ

[BJTJ]

HI all
well here I am back again after over a year or so and now make and sell my own soaps ranging from Organic olive oil soap to sheep milk soap. On reading my previous posts I can't believe my lack of knowledge and how much I have learnt in the last 18 months. I have left my stressful job and now enjoy being creative and productive. My vege garden is doing pretty well and my fruit trees are great. My business name is County Belle Soaps so if you come across them it is me. BJ

[Shadowgirlau]

Hi BJ,
Unless you start selling your soaps over here in the West then I am unlikely to come across them however, congratulations on taking this new direction in your life. Very brave of you to give up your regular employment for self employment and in particular in such an area as this.

Kathleen

[BJTJ]

HI Kathleen
I am in the west, I live in Brookton WA.
Bel

[minnie]

Hi Kathleen,

It's me should be saying if you don't sell them here in the East.

That friend sells to some shops in Margaret River, he goes over there every blue moon... he also do Hemp products (lipstick etc) and Hemp seed.

Vicki

[BJTJ]

The amazing part about giving up work was that i had more time to grow fruit and veg and hardly do much shopping at all now and also don't buy soap!! I still do one day per week doing bookkeeping but I am loving the freedom to "follow my heart". Setting up my soapmaking business has been gradual and I will start attending markets again on 21st Jan at Byford. One day I will get a website up and running but one day at a time. I will never stress myself like I did before and am appreciating the important things in life much more than when I was working. I absolutely love making soap, creating different types and fragrances and I am totally hooked on it. The internet is such a fantastic source of information and I love having the time to do research. The more you read about commercial soap, the more reason never to use it again! Hair shampoo bars are my next project!!
Bel

[minnie]

I think of the internet as the biggest library in the world with the easiest searching for information ever.

Vicki

[BJTJ]

agree for sure

Bel

[Shadowgirlau]

HI Kathleen
I am in the west, I live in Brookton WA. Bel

Ah yes, I remember that now. Sorry. I think there was someone up in York making Olive Oil Soap a few years ago as I used to see her and her husband at the various markets I attended selling my crafts, preserves and soap at myself.
About the same time there was also another couple selling emu oil soaps. Soaps were all the go back then so competition was quite rife (if you were the competitive type). Not me I gave it all away, mainly because at the time it was a hobby, something I did because I enjoyed doing it and I didn't want it to become a "chore".

I am considering getting back into the thick of things and resurrecting my license to make and sell again.

Good luck

Kathleen

[BJTJ]

Thats one of the things that gripe me a bit as I want to do the right thing and have registered, list all my ingredients, have Public Liability but I continually see soap being sold that is obviously not "home made" had no easily assessible list of ingredients for the public and when I have bought this to the attention of the sellers - its like I am the worse person in the world but what if a person has a nut allergy and the soaps you are selling have almond oil, or macadamia oil or just peanut oil. I do believe that soap selling should be more structured and there should be guildelines that all sellers/makers adhere to. While "cottage" industries need to be promoted and not have to many rules and regulations, I think the basic ones that are in place should be monitored occasionly.
Bel

[Shadowgirlau]

Couldn't agree more. I can't believe that people would go out there and sell things that do not have ingredients listed. Sad as it is we live in such a litigious society that I would not want to put my home at risk. Nor would I want to be the cause of someone becoming incapacitated for any reason.

Kathleen

[BJTJ]

Just made another batch of Sheep Milk Soap and it turned out beautifully. I still have about 3 litres of sheep milk in the freezer but hubby wants some to make cheese. Can you believe it we just about fight over our sheep milk LOL. We are bringing in the ewes as there is about a dozen new lambs that need marking and tailing (horrible job) so will get a few more litres of milk then. People say sheep are dumb but you know it only took two goes of pushing the ewes into the crush to then find a bucket of feed and we then milk them, now the dorsets quite happily go in - they are not dumb!! Bel

[minnie]

Hi Bel,

They certainly aren't dumb, I know a woman who was in charge of sheep at UNSW trained her sheep to make her job easier after she had a back accident.

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Our sheep will follow us everywhere. They are well trained to come when we call and so we find it easy to move then into anywhere that they are needed to be. Of course when it comes to doing anything such as giving them their vaccinations, tailing and such that is another story. Where is that crush when we nned it? Doesn't take them long to learn either.

Kathleen