ktgrok Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I want to make soap for gifts this year. I made them a few years ago and it went over well, but I can't find the site I used. Soapmakers or something like that.... Anyway, I made a mild olive oil one, with just a touch of coconut oil, and I made another that was a blend of oils with peppermint oil, and another that had coffee in it for kitchen use to remove smells from hands. I would like to do maybe the peppermint one again,and swirl some color into it, and do something else too. But I can't spend tons of money on fancy oils/colors/etc. Any thoughts or great easy no fail recipes? I will mold it in a bit of downspout gutter again I think, that worked well. Open to other ideas. Thanks! I'm going to have my son make soap dishes to give with them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Are you talking about "real" soap or craft soap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I made one that was 90% olive oil and 10% coconut oil. It is a very nice bar, but I had to add less liquid, and cure longer because olive oil soap can take a long time to cure. I made a peppermint rosemary soap yesterday that I swirled with red clay. When I cut it today, I'll see if the swirls stayed or if the clay just incorporated into the entire bar. Try plugging oils into this soap calculator to make up your own recipe. http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 um, real soap I guess. Cold process soap, made with oils and lye and water. Melting down premade soap to add colorings doesn't satisfy me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 I made one that was 90% olive oil and 10% coconut oil. It is a very nice bar, but I had to add less liquid, and cure longer because olive oil soap can take a long time to cure. I made a peppermint rosemary soap yesterday that I swirled with red clay. When I cut it today, I'll see if the swirls stayed or if the clay just incorporated into the entire bar. Try plugging oils into this soap calculator to make up your own recipe. http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php Thanks! And the olive oil one I made was the same, 10% coconut and yes, it took forever to cure. I'm still using it 2 years later though, lol. Let me know how the clay works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 If I'm using milk or cream for my liquid, I super fat at 5%. Otherwise I super fat 8%. When I get home, I'll take a picture of the soap and post it. The red clay sometimes look like blood in the bath, but we love it, and just refer to them as vampire bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 um, real soap I guess. Cold process soap, made with oils and lye and water. Melting down premade soap to add colorings doesn't satisfy me. I am always impressed by real soap makers. I have only done craft soaps with dc (scared of lye), so I have no advice. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Wow those pictures are huge! The swirl mostly incorporated, but it still looks nice, and smells fantastic. I was trying to show that I also bought some pottery from a local college student who is a single mom. I'm putting soap in the pottery to give as gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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