Teach Soap

Hi all, im very new to soap making and never really thought about it until we had a whole bunch of sheep tallow and I was told I can make soap out of it. I tried one batch but it came out looking really powdery. I must have done something wrong, but what I have no idea. Now by trying to find answers online, ive come across new ideas, like laundry soap and liquid soaps and shampoo. Im quite interested in learning more but I dont know where to start. I think at first I need to get the simple soap bar right first. Can anyone give me a recipe for sheep tallow fir a simple bar of soap. I do have macadamia nut oil too that I would like to include. Any helpers? Thanks in advance.

For laundry, I would do just the tallow with 0% superfat. It won't make for a good soap for hand or body washing though. Soap needs to be superfatted for hand or body washing. http://www.brambleberry.com/pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx

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

Thank you soap buddy. So do I do a liquid soap for the laundry or is it for a solid soap?
Can you please explain the superfat to me, what does it mean and the difference between 0% and 5%. And what does the superfat got to do with the tallow?
Is there a recipe I can use for the sheep tallow to make a soft latterey soap for hands at least, or is there no point because I would have to use more of other oils anyway?

Thank you

What do you mean by 'powdery'? Could it be ash?

Here are some great beginner links for you. I would watch/read these to get the hang of the basics and the soap lingo. =)

Written tutorial;
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... d-process/

Videos;
Episode 1 Lye Safety and Ingredients;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6ttCSr ... KH_b98Kpni

Episode 2 Basic Terms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP7mvbAd ... re=related

Episode 3 Using Fragrances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvuWaCl ... re=related

Episode 4 Using Colorants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3NQMzeD ... re=related

Superfat means some of the oil will not react with lye. This makes a milder bar that's suitable for washing the body. You have to superfat. Without superfatting, the soap would be harsh and drying. This is fine for laundry, since you need the high cleansing action to get dirt out of the clothes.

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

I watched the vids, thank you. Yes all good. The "powdery" is what looks like ash, now after watching the vids im pretty sure its ash.

So im thinking now that I want to use the tallow and I can superfat it yes? Does it mean that a higher percent of superfat the milder the soap?

Sounds quite easy, thank you for all the helpful advice I will give the calculator a try and let you know how i go.

Let the lye calc calculate the superfat for you. Add all your oil(s) (and/or butters) right up front. I normally superfat at 7% as that's what my skin prefers.
Superfat is also called lye discount. What that means is that the lower amount of lye you use, the higher the superfat.

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