Teach Soap

I have decided to give the HP method a try this weekend. I really want to make an oatmeal soap.

With this method I am a little confused on when to add things like Oatmeal, Dried Herbs - stuff like that.

Do I do it at trace or after the cooking?

Thanks for always helping the newbies!

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Pamper Pantry
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I usually add mine at trace as it tends to incorporate better.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks SoapBuddy! That was what I was thinking, but wasn't sure if I should 'cook' the oatmeal or not. I will give it a go and let you know how it turns out.

Jan

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Pamper Pantry
www.pamperpantry.com
sales@pamperpantry.com

Just don't use instant oatmeal. It will make porridge instead.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Go to a grocery store that sells cereal, nuts and dried fruit in bulk (i.e. Nob Hill/Raley's). I just don't like the idea of using Quaker Oatmeal.

Whole oats will be extra scratchy...so use sparingly if you don't like that feeling. Also, you can toast them and grind them up. I like my oatmeal to be ground up--love the feeling and look.

Adding at thick trace is more suitable for the oatmeal so that it "floats" and is distributed evenly. My 2nd batch of soap, I added the whole oatmeal at mild trace and the oats all sank to the bottom of my mold. That didn't look pretty...and it certainly didn't FEEL right.

Can you tell I'm not a fan of the scratchies? I think I might have loofah nightmares tonight.

Goodluck with your HP!

I hate to admit it but even with all the enthusiastic talk about oatmeal soaps... I've never made one... though I did make a dog soap once and used a little finely ground oatmeal in it.

I've read that colloidal oatmeal is just regular oatmeal very very finely ground.
So if I want to make a nice oatmeal soap will the oatmeal act as an exfoliant no matter what? Or can I make a smooth and silky oatmeal soap by adjusting the amount and finely grinding it? I guess the big chunky oatmeal flakes I see in some bars do not appeal to me but maybe I'm missing out on something?

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- Mickey!

Trader Joe's has a great Oatmeal Exfoliant bar called "Savon de France" fragranced with Ginger Almond. This big white bar has a small amount of the big flakes, which I can tolerate just fine.

If I need super scratchy soap I'd use finely ground apricot kernels or even softer seeds.

You should try this soap from LUSH: http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/ba ... p/porridge

While the smell is great, the oats used in this soap are relatively SOFT. Dunno why... but this soap is like 90% exfoliating and 10% soap.

I can however tolerate the high amount of oats in this bar. Probably because they are ROUND and not flat...

I think I just had an epiphany:

oatmeal flakes = flat scratchy feel (sometimes uneven)
Uncut oats = softer "kernels", almost feel like tiny beads

A coarsely ground mixture might be a best bet if you're looking for an evenly distributed exfoliant.