Teach Soap

Ok, I'm new to soap making and have been reading a lot of receipes but still have some questions. I made my first batch this weekend and was semi satisfied. I'm using the melt and pour method.
1) What is a good base to use to make more lather? My soap didn't lather much without a lot of effort. I used a gycerin/olive oil base. I only added vitamin E & a fragrance oil.
2) What is goats milk soap base and its purpose?
3) I'm seeing a lot of different ingredients but not sure what the purpose of each. For example what does olive oil, honey, oatmeal, aloe, Almond oil, palm oil, coconut oil and canola oil do?
4) What is a good ratio of oils to use in your soap? I'm not good with percent so can you please break it down in teaspoons, tablespoons, or cups...anything but percents...lol
5) Where do you buy all of these different oils? I know where to get the fragrance oils, I have a website I like.
6) Do you buy the olive and canola oil from the grocery store? Do they mean cooking oils when I see these in receipes?
7) What is the difference between the clear soap and the white soap besides the color? Does the coloring or oils act differently?
Please help, I know it's a lot of questions but I really enjoyed making the soap and just want to understand more. I'd to make gifts but atleast want the soap to lather.
Thank you all in advance for your advice. I can really use it.

1)If you want more lather in a melt and pour soap base, look for ones that have surfactants in them. That's what makes the thick lather.

2)Goats milk is put in soap because of the fatty acids and vitamins that are contained in goat milk. But don't put goat milk in already made soap base because it can get moldy.

For question 3, it sounds like you're talking about a recipe for Cold Process Soap, not Melt and Pour soap.

4) If we're still talking about Melt and Pour soap, adding too much over 1 oz of oils per lb of soap base can greatly decrease lather & create a very soft soap that sweats out the oils.

5) You can get some oils at the grocery store or check out http://www.brambleberry.com

6) You can buy olive oil & canola oil in the grocery store.

7) If you're talking about melt and pour soap, then usually the only difference is that Titatanium Dioxide was added to create a white base.

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Genny

Thank you. Can you give me a good receipe for melt & pour and just any good tips.

What soaping books have you bought so far? Have you watched all the Soap Queen YouTube videos? Sounds like you need to take a step back and read up on melt and pour first, then look at recipe's second. Some of your questions relate more to CP soaping, which is completely different and should not be done until you have a full understanding of the safety precautions and such.

Melt and pour is just that - you melt, you pour. Done. There is no need to add other oils and such. Fragrance and colour yes, but not the oils you have commented on as those can compromise your base. Never measure in teaspoons or cups, always in grams for accuracy.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

Hello!

There are some great MP videos here;

Episode 1; Fragrance and Essential Oils
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ouJZfluMY

Episode 2; Herbs and Colorants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3VbeNl1Nqg

Episode 3; Swirling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jcf9l5Wc44

Episode 4; Embedding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMYygHyUrzY

As far as a recipe goes, with MP you really just add colorant and fragrance (if you want them) sometimes you can add exfoliants as well. If you add oils or butters they can make your soap soft and decrease the lather. We don't recommend adding them, but if you do then just stay at (or under) 1tbs of additives per pound of MP base.

General tips would be to make sure you do not overheat your base, keep it covered when melting, have a spritzer of alcohol to pop bubbles, patience when it comes to unmolding. Let me know if you have any other questions, we are here to help! Welcome to soaping.

Oh! Once you make a few plain bars and get the hang of it there are some super fun tutorials here as well;

thannk you all forn the advice

Hi kysmoothy and welcome! Bramble Momma gave you some very generous and helpful advice! I think you are asking questions that everyone has wondered, and might have been afraid to ask about when they first started making MP so don't worry, we are here to help! Anywhere you can purchase the oils that you are interested in, as there are some that do add oils to their MP soap, can be found in any grocery store, Walmart, some health food stores, etc.

1.) The soap might not have lathered because of the amount of FO and/or Vitamin E that you added, the ratio for oils to amount of MP can be Googled if your not sure or you don't know.
2.) A lot of people use Goat's milk because of it's moisturizing properties, vegans won't use it because it is a by product of an animal. But for MP you would buy a Goat's milk base. People that make CP would add Goat's Milk, please do not add it to MP!
3.) The ingredients that you have mentioned have been used in MP, I have seen it mentioned on here and in other forums and have seen these as ingredients in soaps that are melt and pour. It is a matter of opinion though, some people add small amounts to MP soaps, but in general these ingredients are mainly used in CP. Cold Process soap is a soap that is basically made from scratch that requires oils, lye, water and optional ingredients.
4.) Soap Queen has a calculator on her Bramble Berry website regarding the amounts of FO's and in what applications to use it in. If you need to know about another oil, I will PM you the info.
5.) Any grocery store or soaping supply web site.
6.) Already answered!
7.) The difference between the white and the clear is pretty much how you want to decorate or design your soap and how it will look when you are finished.


To those of us that have been a little outspoken as of late:
People come on forums to look for help, advice, tips, show off their wares, etc., not to be talked down to or discouraged or belittled. I think there are those who should take a step back and remember how green, curious, without knowledge and inexperienced they were when they first started. I love this forum and have since the 1st day I joined it because there were adults on here who have helped, been helped, swapped product, formed friendships and have just been kind and generous with their nature in general. lately I have seen people be condescending, form clique type behavior and just be downright mean to people, I guess just because they can or because they possess more knowledge or experience or just because they feel that they are in charge.

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Genny

That was directed to whoever the guilty party(s) is. I have been on this forum since 2010 and things have changed slowly but surely. I am speaking in general to anyone who isn't able to kindly assist those that come here looking for help without having to speak to someone in anything other than a positive manner. Before anyone starts to say who appointed me the moral checker, I have seen other forums where people are downright mean and don't hesitate to bring people down, and I don't want Teach Soap to become like that. I love this forum and have helped, and been helped. With that said, I am in no way calling any specific people out, that wouldn't be correct either, especially on a public forum. Thank you.

Sonya

It's alright Genny, noni2009 was clearly looking my direction when they felt the need to attack. As it was put to me by someone everyone knows, this forum is about unicorns farting rainbows and unless you can duplicate that, you are not welcome to share your opinion.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

Ha, this coming from the same person who usually throws the 1st arrow! You've been on here since December of 2011 and have contributed to some of the negativity on here. I can show posts to anyone who asks how much help and assistance that I have received when I first became a member, not the banter, condescending tone or God complex because of one's knowledge or experience, nothing but positivity and guidance which is what we should do for each other. Now, since you directed your post at me using my name personally I guess it's now fair for me to say publicly that, yes, it was you that I was directing that post towards. That is not the 1st time that you have talked down to someone. How dare you try to make someone second guess themselves or be discouraged with something that no one is born knowing the knowledge of, they come here for help and advice, not a negative or condescending tone and this is not the 1st time that you have done this and frankly I am sick of it. Know that you don't stand alone, but you make a habit of it, especially lately. Since you and others feel that way, maybe you and whoever "everyone knows" shouldn't be members here, but on the other soaping forums that fart negativity instead of rainbows! If you and, how did you put it, "everyone knows"? only knew that others share my opinion, but for fear of being banned, frowned upon by others, or attacked they don't say anything publicly or they have been suffering in silence! I don't know if you write but don't read your own posts, but your tone is terrible, you act like YOUR the Soap Queen. Don't believe me? Go back into this one post, just this one; although there are others, and look at your reply and everyone else's reply. See the difference? Just recently, out of all the members on here, you were the only one that publicly tried to insult me for wishing everyone a Happy Holiday on each thread that I made, in case certain people that may visit only particular threads didn't read my wishes. Who does that? I tried to keep it private and not point direct fingers but you opened up that can of worms when you mentioned my name on here, whether I was referring to you or not. On that note, I don't have anything else to say regardless of what you or anyone posts after this, I refuse to go back and forth with you or anyone else for that matter. I wish everyone a good night and happy soaping!

Sonya

I'm officially done. How come this wasn't said on the forum? Hmmmmmm. Exactly.

Here is the "Private Message" that I received from dear forum member Coolah!

Dear forum police
Next time you have a problem with me, be an adult and tell me to my face. Don't make a scene on the forum and then claim you weren't speaking about anyone in particular for fear of backlash.

No, I don't fart rainbows with every post. I put in the hours LEARNING and reading up, and I expect others to do the same. This forum is not a silver platter for people who can't be assed doing any work themselves to make a batch of melt and pour soap, without actually buying books or reading up on it, then come and post questions that are answered in the first chapter of a "Soaping 101" book.

The only thing that has changed with this forum is the people with knowledge are sick of posting here.

Here is my reply..................................THEN DON"T POST!!!!!!!

*shakes head* I tried to speak to you as a fellow adult via PM, you post that publicly to what? Further prove what a horrible person I am?

Since so many people feel I shouldn't post here anymore, I will leave. Thank you for showing me how unwanted I am here Sonya. As per your demand, I will no longer post here.

Thank you to all the friends I have made here. To the OP, my post was to the point, not malicious. And I stand by what I said.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

nonni2009

Thank you for the tips.They are greatly appreciated.