Teach Soap

Hi!
I'm going to make the M&P oatmeal soap today with the 2 different bases. I would like to add
Cocoa butter and Castor oil to make it lather and moisturize.
How much of each of these should I add?

Also, I am adding ground oatmeal. I would like to have whole oatmeal pieces on the top of the soap in addition to the ground or powdered oatmmeal suspended in the soap base.
I'm using the 12 individual soaps silicon mold. Do I put the whole pieces of oatmeal on the bottom of the mold first and then spritz with
alcohol and then pour my soap into the molds?

Do I need to spray the silicon mold with Pam before I put the oatmeal down?

Is it better to just add the oatmeal pices after I pour the base into the molds, spritzing with alcohol first?

One more question - When a recipe states 2 oz, is that 2 ounces by weight or a liquid measure by volume? This always confuses me! In candlemaking, I always go by weight, not volume.

Thanks, everyone for your help!

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"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"

Castor oil needs to saponify in order to add bubbles to soap. Since MP soap is already made, this won't happen. You can add up to 1 TBS. of oil/butter to each lb. of MP base. In order for the oatmeal to stay suspended you need to pour when it's almost too thick to pour. Yes you can add oatmeal on top; no spritzing is needed. Add it when the base has a thin skin on top, but not so thick that the oatmeal would fall off. You should not need to spritz the bottom of the mold. 2 ozs. should always be by weight, not volume.

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

Hi Soapbuddy, so Castor oil is never used in M&P?
Again, thank you for your help.

_________________
"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"

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

Thank you, Soapbuddy

_________________
"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"

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

Hey einnoc!! I tried to make Oatmeal soap once and it took me a lot of tries in order to realize that the oatmeal was not going to stay suspended until I beat the MP almost to death in order for it to thicken!!! SoapBuddy is always on point, wait until the soap is thick enough to suspend the oatmeal on its own. You don't ever need to spray a soap mold with Pam or alcohol; only spray the alcohol on the mold unless you have a piece of soap inside the mold that you are trying to embed. If I am wrong, please someone follow.

Sonya

Hi Punk Angel,
Thanks for your help!
I love your site on ETSY PunkAngelInc! You are so creative and talented!

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"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"

here's a trick I was told to suspend oatmeal in soap..... it works...

let your base cool a little then add the oatmeal - put saran wrap over whatever you have the base in a let it set. Every few minutes take the wrap off & stir.

eventually you'll notice the oatmela suspending.....

Thank you TeriM.

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"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"

I often make oatmeal, milk & honey massage bar soaps with whole pieces of oatmeal on the bottom, people love them! I sprinkle them on right after I pour and they stay afloat. Hope you had fun with your soaping today!

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AubreyEApothecary.com
facebook.com/AubreyEApothecary

Thank you, Aubrey

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"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"

I need a bit of help when it comes to putting in oils. I've heard 1 tbsp per pound of soap, and I was doing that with my M&P with adding coconut oil. But now I'd like to add in some Palm Oil for lather -- I need lather!! Do I still keep this at 1 tbsp TOTAL per pound or can I add 1 tbsp of each oil I'd like?

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

Thank you soap buddy. So the general rule is 1tbsp total per 1 pound of soap. Got it! As for lather - what is you number one addition for adding lather to your base? My soaps just don't lather enough.