Teach Soap

Hi. I'm relatively new to soap making. I've made some practice bars of M&P and 2 batches of CP so far. I've gotten my supplies so far from WSP. I was wondering who some of your favorite suppliers are? Also, what are the must haves to really get going. I know I'm no where ready to start selling, but I want to move in that direction. Any tips and suggestions are very appreciated. Thanks so much!

Necia

It has really helped me to make soaps that make me happy... then give them to my friends and family as gifts. Then ask them for feedback. That has really helped me.

Welcome. I support our list owners, BrambleBerry. So that's where I would go for supplies.

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

Thanks! Most of the soap I've made has gone to family. The oatmeal has by far been the favorite. I will keep on "playing" to see what works.

I stumbled upon Brambleberry's website. I've got to dig around there a little further Anything I shouldn't live without?

Necia

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

Necia,
I would start off with 1 oz. fragrances. Spicy, fruity, herbal or bakery types is up to you. I would also get the smallest size micas in about 5 or 6 colors. Then go to town and experiment to see what you like.

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

Welcome to the wonderful world of soapmaking!
My favorite distributor hands down is Brambleberry (especially for their fragrances- they are really top-quality). Another place that I like? Whole Supplies (http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/) is pretty good too. Especially their bulk soap bases. Their colorants seem a little on the pricy side, so I'd probably buy Bramble berry's Mica Sampler pack.

Here's a list, in case you get confused. As a newbie, I purchased (and loved):
Mica Sampler pack, has like 6-7 different colors
The Color Oxide sample (same about 6 colors)
a Fragrance sample.. I believe they have Spring, Summer and Fall and their all-time best sellers... if you are getting started, those will go a long way.

Good luck, let us know how you do!
-Janice

www.soapkitten.blogspot.com
www.bayridgesoaps.etsy.com

I have found Majestic Mountain Sage and Therapy Garden to be a must for M&P recipes as well as lots of other recipes. They also carry all the supplies you need however I find Brambleberry FO'S to be the best of the best! Try ORGANIC CREATIONS if you want a truley pure M&P base they even have CASTILLE LIQUID SOAP PASTE and all you do is reconstitute it according to the directions and you don't have to fuss around with LYE.

I got the Best of Brambleberry fragrance sampler, the M&P Base sampler, and the Brights and Pastel Micas Sampler Pack. (Also got the honey bee kit, and some Dragon's Blood FO)

So far I made some Oatmeal, Milk and Honey from the kit. Also made a batch of Energy FO from the sample (So far quite popular with my family) Also just last night I did a batch of Relaxing (also in the sampler and I like it).

Hi, mnhutson,

Welcome to the forum and soapmaking!

You've already got lots of good advice here, but I'll throw in my own two cents' worth, too.

I'm a M&P soaper, and I, too, have found Bramble Berry to be a great supplier. Quality bases, fragrance oils, colorants, and other fun stuff. I like that it's pretty much one-stop shopping, and I know I'm getting the good stuff.

The sampler packs are a good idea. You can get samplers of glitter, micas, oxides. I've bought the glitter and mica samples, and plan to get the oxide sampler next time around. The fragrance sampler packs are a good idea, too, if you're doing small batches of each.

As far as the minimum to get started, in my first order, I bought a couple of pounds of clear soap base, a couple of pounds of white, a couple of 1 oz. fragrances that sounded yummy, liquid colorants in red, blue, and yellow, and a couple of basic shapes molds. Also, a couple of 4-cup measuring glasses, a cutting board and a knife or cutter, some mixing spoons, and a set of measuring spoons. Plastic wrap for covering the glass cups while microwaving (so the moisture doesn't evaporate) and some wax paper to protect my work area. Oh, and a spritzer bottle of rubbing alcohol to spritz away bubbles after pouring and to make layers and embeds adhere better. That got me started in the right direction. Soon, I was checking out the baking section of my nearby crafts store and finding fondant cutters (they're like mini cookie cutters) and candy molds to make embeds.

Things I can't live without? A scale of some sort to measure ounces of cut up soap before melting is absolutely necessary for me. And I love my loaf mold and crinkle cutter!

Hope this helps. Have fun soaping!

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- Jenny -
My soapy blog:
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I agree. Whether you do MP or CP, it's always a good idea to get a scale. That way you can achieve the same results each time.

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

Thank you for all the great advice. I'm putting together an order for Bramble Berry. I could easily get carried away! My hubby bought a set of scales at Wal-Mart. I'm sure they aren't the best out there, but they will work for now. I really appreciate everyone's responses! Thanks so much.

Necia