Hobby & Craft Forums

I don't suppose any of you wonderfully clever soap makers would be kind enough to give us a simple and easy-to-get-hold-of-the-ingredients type starter recipe for cold process soap. I want to have a go and think I could do it now after much reading, but apart from the recipe on Kirsties homemade Christmas (which if you look on the website leaves you hanging as to how much essential oil to put in), finding a simple ingredients one is not easy. Most have lots of different oil types in.

Not asking for trade secrets, just throw us a crumb if you will, a really basic one.

I would reccommend this video - and search for others in the series (or click on the links within the article...

http://video.about.com/candleandsoap/Homemade-Soap-From-Scratch.htm

David Fisher is a bit of Guru and I found watching a video was the best way to learn....There is a simple recipe on the page too...

Hope this helps

Good luck

I can recommend Melinda Coss - the Handmade Soap Book, which inspired us - she is a lovely lady who has run courses with us.

Her book is down to earth and easy to understand.

I heard of that book before but wasn't sure if it was for cold process or melt and pour. Will go find one.

Thanks for the link Judi - will check it out.

I can second the videos on about.com - i watched a few the other night, the one about felting soap was interesting, i didnt know you could do that!!

Will also have a look for that book, i blame kirsty for making it look so easy! lol! (and i have even been playing with the m&p today too!)

I can't find in that tutorial how much lye for that recipe, is it me? Is it time for new glasses?

makeitbig wrote:I can't find in that tutorial how much lye for that recipe, is it me? Is it time for new glasses?

You're right, he doesn't seem to say....

You'll need to put the oils and butters into a soap Calculator - this page explains about them and gives links to some http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/lyecalculators/tp/toplyecalcs.htm

Basically the Sodium Hydroxide saponifies the butters and oils and this is what turns them into soap...

http://www.soapguild.org/industry/lyecalculator.php this looks like a good one...

Aha, the plot thickens. I had heard of the lye calculator but presumed you put the lye into it lol.

Thanks Judi - will have a look.