Teach Soap

I am not sure which one I need to use to....heatproof glass container or a stainless steel pot to make my first batch of soap.

Also how long do I have to let the lye cool?

Thanks

It would be best to use a stainless steal pot or you could use a plastic container as long as the plastic is PP5 or HDPE 2. You would do best to cool your lye to around 110 and mix with your oils being at approximately the same temp. (They can be within 10 degrees of eachother.)

Where can I get heatproof plastic mixing containers?

Sorry for asking so many questions


Thanks
Lovealways

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

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

A lot of my plastic containers come from Walmart and a few from Menards. It's better to be deeper than really wide. Just look on the bottom of the container. The bottom will either say HDPE 2 with a triangle around the 2 or PP 5 with with a triangle around the 5. Also, a great plastic container to use is the large size buckets of Papa Murphy's Italian Beef. We eat a lot of Italian Beef and when we have empty containers I thoroughly wash them and the sanitize and sterilize them. (My dishwasher has a sterilize setting.) The big size of Papa Murphy's work good for as large as about 4lb batches (total weight, not weight of oils) and the smaller size of Papa Murphy's works great for 1lb batches. They are PP5 plastic.

I buy heavy duty PP5 plastic mixing buckets at Lowe's. They even have measurement markings on them. Super cheap. Located with the rest of their plastic buckets, near the paint aisle in the one I go to...

Everything I used to make the batch was purchased at Bramble Berry including the battery operated scale. When I cut the soap each piece crumbled.

I guess I will count the first batch as a lost and a learning experience.
I would like to try this recipe but add shea butter to the recipe. How do I know how much shea butter to use. Also what size mold do I use for this soap recipe.

Thanks for all your help.

6.5 oz Palm oil
6.5 oz Coconut oil
7.5 oz Olive oil
1.3 oz Castor oil
8 oz Water
3.1 oz lye
1 oz Fragrance or essential oil

see your other thread where you asked this
Also, depending what EO you use, you may not be able to use an ounce of it. You cannot automatically equate an ounce of FO with an ounce of EO. While this works out to be roughly .8 oz ppo, which is a typical use rate for fragrance, You still need to consider which eo/fo you are using and check the safe usage amount for that particular fragrance. [For instance, I would not use .8 oz ppo of cassia .]

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Why is it wrong to use glass for soapmaking? the Soap Queen does. Does it react with the lye? I was using a heavy pyrex bowl besides a plasticc bowl that I have.

Please help! Thanks!

Shawna

Sorry, just noticed the extra link on your post. Why does Anne-Marie use glass then? Are some kinds ok?

I have soaped with glass as that's what my mom used to do, till one day when the pyrex glass WITH lye water in it shattered all over my sink. Yes, lye will etch glass and create microscopic tears. Over time this weakens the glass and one day BOOM! Glass AND lye water all over. It's scary and dangerous. So please don't use glass.

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

Soapbuddy, I have to say what I've learned on this forum made me toss two very old plastic measuring cups a couple of weeks ago. One was likely from my grandmother, the other I probably bought myself when I moved out on my own. What's dawning in me is that I moved out on my own 26 years ago!

One was difficult to read, and they both had what I can only call stress marks that I couldn't feel, but must've been inside the plastic. I figured better toss them and invest in new (and hope they last as long) before I'm measuring hot water for soup and they break.