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It is not advisable to use blended oils in soapmaking. The main fact is because it is very important to know the SAP, or Saponification value for the given oil which tells exactly how much lye (in milligrams) is needed to saponify 1 gram of the given oil. Without paying attention to these SAP values, the soap could turn out lye-heavy (or caustic) and potentially dangerous. For this reason it is a good idea NOT to use blended oils in soapmaking.
I usually advocate beginners make a traditional castile soap for their first batch, using no scent or additives...just the basic unscented soap. This will ensure that you have a lot of time before trace, which will let you get a feel for the process and adding all of the ingredients. Here is an example of a good recipe to use:
* Olive Oil: 453.6 grams
* NaOH (lye): 57.56 grams
* H20 (water): 142.68 grams
Add the NaOH to the water slowly (use room temperature water, distilled water is preferable), This will be your lye solution. Pour your olive oil into your mixing bowl, and either heat it in the bowl (which is why I like using stainless steel) or use a double boiler to heat your oil to about 90-100 degrees. Next slowly pour your lye solution into your warmed oil (which should be in your mixing bowl...see "what do I need for soapmaking" above for an explanation of the needed supplies. The mixture will immediately turn opaque, mix with a stick blender or whisk until the mixture comes to trace ( you will notice this by taking your mixing tool and dribbling the soap batter across the top of the soap-when the drizzled line of soap stays on top of the mixture for a few seconds before sinking back down into the mixture, you have reached (and recognized) trace!!) With olive oils soaps it takes a little bit of time for this to occur, so don’t be discouraged if you have been stirring for 15 minutes and still have not seen any indication of trace... It will be there soon enough! Once you have reached trace, pour into your soap mold. Cover the top of the soap with saran wrap or parchment paper (not wax paper) and insulate it by draping a few towels over it. This will ensure that yours soap gels. Leave your soap to set for 18 to 24 hours, after which, if upon pressing a finger on to the top of the soap, a fingerprint is not left, you may unmold and cut your newly finished soap! It should yield about 5 bars of soap! It is a good idea not to use your soap yet, although you may...It is best to let it cure 4-6 weeks to (or max of 1 year) before using it. Through this process called "curing" water is evaporated out of the soap and thus it becomes much harder, as well as more mild. Happy Soaping!
Good oils and fats to have on hand for soapmaking are: Olive oil, Coconut oil, Lard, Palm oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Safflower Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Castor Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Aloe Butter and Mowrah Butter. But the list could be endless, these are just some good ones to get started with. You could make a wide variety of bath and body recipes using these oils not only restricted to soap.
You can use any oils you wish! That is the glory of making bath and body products, you can use whichever ingredients you desire. Much like cooking, where you get to create your own flavors in the foods; the principle can be applied to making bath and body products, except instead of taste as being the end achievement, you are concentrating on making a product that meets whichever need you intend it to fulfill. (Moisturizing, Astringent, Soap, etc...)
Oil properties are the specific qualities that each oil
will impart on the soap, lotion, or other product that it is included in,
for more information see these links:
The Code for handcrafts is 999999, and this is the one which is most commonly used for tax purposes.
Insurance is not required when you gift soaps, but it is certainly encouraged. It is important to remember that even when gifting anything to someone you are still held responsible and liable as the creator of said items. It is very important to have insurance if you plan on gifting it to individuals outside your family and social circle. Also, it is to be noted that if you would like to gift your products to a business, many businesses require you to carry insurance so both the business as well as you, the manufacturer are not held personally liable. It is both for your protection as well as the protection of those you decide to gift your products to.
Yes you can gift soap to people, but it is important to realize that when you gift soap, you are under the same legal area as if you were to have sold it... So if your product is faulty or hurts someone in any way, you are still able to be held liable for your products. For this reason I recommend that you only gift soaps to friends, and family and be sure to inform them of ingredients so if they have any allergies they know to avoid certain soaps and use others which will not cause an allergic reaction.
There are many ways to make a business successful. It is vitally important before starting a business that you develop a strong business and marketing plan. These tools will serve as guidelines for your business and help to develop a strong framework so that the business is highly organized. Not all businesses are successful, so it is important to make sure that your business is in a good niche market, has a good location (remember LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!). Customer service is one of the most important factors in business success, It is important to always strive to please your customers regardless of the circumstances. One dissatisfied customer could result in a significant loss of business should they decide to tell their friends, family and coworkers, who will tell their social circles and so on. The ripple effect is constantly working in the business world and it is up to you whether the waves you create are positive or negative. This fact is vitally important to remember.
The zap test, or zap tongue test is a quick little way to figure out if your soap has leftover unreacted lye in it. Simply lick your finger, rub your soap, and place said finger back on your tongue. If you feel a "zap" your soap is lye heavy and will need to be rebatched. It is vitally important that you check, double check, and triple check your recipes ingredients to make sure that you have enough lye to saponify only the amount of oils you are adding and not any extra. This could result in a soap that is caustic and could be potentially harmful to whoever uses it. For this reason we recommend you using a soap calculator, which makes it much easier to determine if your recipe is on the money, or needs to be restructured.
DOS is an abbreviation for Dreaded Orange Spots. This phenomenon happens when a soap goes rancid, small orange dots will become apparent throughout the soap, indicating that it has gone bad. These soaps are not usable as they contain bacteria which may or may not be potentially harmful. To prevent DOS, be sure to use oils that are not prone to go rancid, or when using these oils that they are not used in a high percentage. Adding Rosemary Oil Extract and/or Vitamin E will help the oils to keep from going rancid because they act as antioxidants; pulling free radicals out of the soap product and preventing them from further oxidizing and degrading the quality of your soap
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, It is a system devised so that no matter where you are in the world and what language is spoken there, it is possible to recognize the ingredients in a product. Use of INCI nomenclature is a requirement when making and labeling handmade goods.
No, you may not make therapeutic claims of your soap unless you have the credentials necessary to do so, or the claims have been proven by scientific study. Research has the benefit of allowing you to make these therapeutic claims, but they are misleading and illegal if these conditions are not met.
Business insurance is technically optional, but it is very strongly recommended. Why would you want to put your lifestyle at risk? If you do not have business insurance and are operating a business, individuals can sue you personally (which could result in a loss of your home, car, business etc...) It is really not worth it to go without insurance as most insurance plans for crafters range from about $100-$200 per year, a significantly lesser amount than the incurred damages would cost if you were to be sued. A lawyers defense alone would cost well over double this amount. Insurance bolsters a customers trust in a business as well, adds to credibility and the overall reputation of the business.
There are many different options to choose from when deciding on what type of scale to use. A triple beam balance is by far the best option; however they can be quite costly. It is important when choosing a scale that one takes into account the accuracy of the given scale and the units that it will measure in. You will want to work with a scale that measures increments in the units that you desire to work with. I prefer to be super-precise in my measurements so I use grams as a measurement unit whenever possible. Therefore, I use a digital scale that measures in grams, ounces, and pounds. It is accurate to .01 (+/-), or to the hundredth place meaning that it will tell me the weight of a given object with an accuracy of .01 plus or minus a hundredth.
It is a good idea to obtain an MSDS for products you are
working with; this way if anything occurs where you need the important
safety information written in these sheets it is close by and easily
accessible. Check here (MSDS Search, or here: Material Safety Data Sheets) to find an MSDS on the ingredient you are
using.
A cosmetic is any substance used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and gels, deodorants, baby products, bath oils, bubble baths, bath salts, butters, and make-up and many other types of products. Soap is not included as a cosmetic.
The easiest way to infuse an oil with the herb or herbal blend of your choice is to take about 1 liter of oil and place it into an airtight container along with 2-3 oz of the dried herb varietal or blend of your choice. Take this mixture and leave it on a windowsill in the sun, shaking it every day or so...for the span of 2 weeks. After the 2 week period is over, strain the herbs out of the oil with cheesecloth and boom! Infused oil!! A quicker way to do this would be with low heat in a double boiler, but the increased heat may denature (destroy) some of the healing molecules of the oils and herbs.
Yes it is possible to use infused oils in soapmaking and other bath and body products, it should be noted that because of the intense heat of the saponification reaction, sometimes the scent will not last through to the final soap. In non-soap applications, the benefits of infused oils are amplified due to the properties not being altered by heat.
No, Sugar cannot be used as a stand-alone preservative in bath and body products. It is true that sugar can be used as a preservative such as with jams and jellies, but it is important to remember that the potency behind its preservative nature in these applications is that in jams and jellies, the y are preserved in a vacuum; with no exposure to air. That is why it is vital to ensure thorough sterilization of everything used in making jams and jellies, it is also why a strong seal and vacuum sealing is used to preserve these products. However, in the bath and body application, products are not kept in a vacuum. They are exposed to the elements; Air, water, cross contamination from use. These are all factors that will bolster the growth of bacteria in your formulations, so a bactericidal is necessary.
No, Rosemary Oil Extract is an antioxidant, meaning that it will remove free radicals from your blend whether it is a lotion, soap, or oil. ROE is wonderful for adding life to oils and preventing them from going rancid, but it is not a preservative in the sense of bacterial inhibition. Bacteria can still grow in your products if ROE and water are both present.
No, vitamin E is an antioxidant, meaning that it will remove free radicals from your blend whether it is a lotion, soap, or oil. Vitamin E is wonderful for adding life to oils and preventing them from going rancid, but it is not a preservative in the sense of bacterial inhibition. Bacteria can still grow in your products if Vitamin E and water are both present.
If water is present in a formulation, or if the product is exposed to water, bacterial growth is imminent. It is important to protect such products from the possibility of bacterial growth since this will ruin the product (and make customers very angry at having wasted their money). A bactericidal preservative should be used in order to inhibit the growth of bacteria in your products. These agents will act to create an environment in which bacteria cannot grow.
Many things can be used to create exfoliating properties to soaps; seeds, coffee grounds, charcoal, ground herbs and flowers, citrus rinds, clays, and salts and sugars. The possibilities are limitless, one needs simply to use their imagination and be sure that whatever exfoliating agent you plan to use is safe to use on the skin.
This subject has been debated for years, and it is quite hard to postulate whether the therapeutic qualities of essential oils make it through to the final soaps. The saponification process is an exothermic reaction, meaning it gives off quite a bit of heat. Heat denatures, or breaks down molecules and changes their chemical composition and properties. No large scale studies have been conducted on this subject to date, but it is most definitely an implication of needed research.
I postulate that much of the chemical therapeutic properties that are in raw essential oils may get cooked off during the saponification process, however the therapeutic qualities derived from the scent of the essential oils acting on our olfactory nerve, and hence the brain and body as a whole are still preserved and last into the finished soap; (the olfactory nerve controls scent recognition and is a direct path of sense integration into our brain). Many have experienced this as a wonderful relaxing feeling when using a pungently scented lavender soap, or an uplifting and fresh feeling when using a soap scented with peppermint essential oils.
No, the only acceptable type of metal that can be used in association with soapmaking is Stainless steel, other metals such as aluminum have the potential to oxidize when in contact with raw soap or lye and produce hydrogen gas as a product of the chemical reaction that takes place from coming into contact with such elements. This could result in a potentially hazardous situation as hydrogen gas is extremely flammable.
No, the only acceptable type of metal that can be used in association with soapmaking is Stainless steel, other metals such as aluminum have the potential to oxidize when in contact with raw soap or lye and produce hydrogen gas as a product of the chemical reaction that takes place from coming into contact with such elements. This could result in a potentially hazardous situation as hydrogen gas is extremely flammable.
For soapmaking, you can use many different types of molds. Glass, Wood, Stainless steel, PVC piping, and silicone are the most frequently used options. You can also use things like empty Pringles cans, milk cartons, cardboard boxes and anything else you think would look cool to pour soap in... but beware, there are some that you shouldn’t use: Regular Metal, and aluminum! (read below)
Yes it is absolutely possible to use natural colorants in homemade products, but it should be noted that the saponification reaction tends to discolor most natural colorants that are used in soaps. See our guide on using natural colorants in soaps for more information.
All ingredients that make it into the final product need
to be on the label according to INCI guidelines. You must not make any false
claims on the labels of your products or you could be held accountable (and
sued). See (Cosmetic Labeling Claims,
FDA Guidelines for Cosmetic Labeling)
Organizing records is very important, especially if you
decide to start selling your products at some point; you always want to have
an informational source to refer back to where you can see your recipe
information and what you used for each respective recipe. I also like to
keep everything saved in terms of research. I will print out useful
documents such as forum posts, research tidbits, and recipes I might find
online that I think are nice as well as the recipes I create. I keep these
all in a binder for easy reference. Using this cataloguing method I am able
to make notes to each of the recipes I make and comment on how I think that
they can be improved.
You also want to ensure your safety as a business owner by keeping track of
each batch so if there are every any problems, you can refer to the given
batch and either rebuke the accusation, or determine that there was indeed
something wrong with the batch and make the necessary changes.
Important things to keep track of are:
* Batch Number
* Batch Ingredients (Recipes)
* Batch Creation Date
* Methods
Usually the best way to do this is on the computer in an
excel document. Some Software will do the work for you, such as Soapmaker
(found here: Soapmaker.)
What are some restrictions for making soap or bath/body etc products?
Yes! Absolutely!
Soaps: between .5 and .7 oz of FO/ lb of fats/oils
Candles: 3-9% per pound of wax
Bath Salts: 1/4 oz +/- (depending on the FO) per 1.5 cups of bath salts
Bath-Bomb's: about .2 to .4 oz depending on recipe and FO
Lotions: between .5 and 1% of total recipe weight
Massage Oils: between .5 and 1% of total recipe weight
Sprays: About 1% diluted in a carrier depending on FO
How do I make a fragrance or essential oil blend?
For essential oils, I highly recommend using the recipe blend calculator found at Rainbow Meadows:
Rainbow Meadows Blend Calculator
Also a good way to try to make your own blends is by dripping a few drops of the chosen EO's on a cotton ball and adjusting the ratio according to your tastes. It is good to leave these cotton balls out in the air to let the scent mature, and see what it smells like after an hour, or a day or so.
For Fragrance oils, the same cotton ball technique can be use.
In the...
I use EVOO because it has a higher proportion of unsaponifiables (which means they will last through to your finished soap) aka nutrient value.
I also use this because I would not put something on my body I wouldn't eat. and I wouldn't eat any but EVOO because it is not made with chemical extraction. I would either use this or Grade A.
Here is how it goes, at least to my understanding (which I may admit could be wrong but imp pretty sure it is accurate)....
EVOO: First pressed, the whole fruits
Grade A: pits are separated, second pressed, fruits are ground/pressed.
Grade B: The ground fruit is extracted with a solvent (hexane usually)
Grade C (Pomace?): the pits are ground and remaining oils extracted through solvents (again...hexane)
See this link for more explanation on grades of olive oil:
Fragrance oils are synthetic fragrances that have been placed into a carrier oil for use in scenting bath and body products. It is very important when choosing a fragrance oil that you check to be sure it is skin-safe as you do not want to have a bad reaction to it. Fragrance oils will be much more pungent than Essential oils but they are synthetic.
Be sure to read up on the oils which are safe to use on the skin, or whichever application you are going to include them in. You may also want to check the MSDS (material safety data sheet) which gives more insight into the chemical compounds that are found in the oils. Test the fragrance oil on a small area of your skin before using them in a batch of craftwork, to ensure that you will not get an allergic reaction.
Essential oils are the "life-blood" of plants. They are the plant essences that are made via some form of distillation by using a large amount of herbs and passing steam through them, vaporizing the essential oils out of the herb compounds, the steam is then passed through a condensing unit where it forms back into a liquid, which is then collected in a beaker. This liquid will contain both essential oils and hydrosol-the water and other plant nutrients that are also extracted during the distillation process. The oil floats on top and is siphoned out into another collection beaker to be stored for later use. Hydrosols can be useful as well (Witch Hazel is a very well known hydrosol)
To scent soap, one can use either fragrance oils or essential oils. Herbs may also be used , but only the subtlest of scent will make it into the final soap, this method is less cost effective so it is best advised to stick with essential or fragrance oils.
Depending on the application, herbs can be used in a variety of ways. For exfoliation; grinding up the herbs and adding them at trace in the soapmaking process is sufficient. Usually between .5 to 1 ounce is added per pound of oils. For using herbs as natural colorants, usage rates may vary (and will undoubtedly effect the color achieved). When using herbs as colorants it is important to remember to grind them up as finely as possible, alternatively one can make an infusion using some of the oils from the total calculated oil amount in the recipe, just remove a portion of your oil to be used in the recipe and infuse the herbs in the warmed oil for 30 minutes to 7 days (based on preference and varies person to person) this oil can then either be added with the rest of the oils, or at trace.
Yes! Herbs have many different applications in soaping, they can be used as exfoliants (scrubbies), coloring, and in large amounts subtle scenting (though it should be noted that usually not much scent makes it through to the end-soaps, unless one is using resinous herbs such as rosemary, or pine. The resin does not react completely with lye and thus some of the scent may carry through to the final soap). Lye has a tendency to discolor any herbs that are added to the solution, some turn brown or grayish but this may vary. Some herbs will turn a predictable color and thus are excellent in using for natural colorants in soaps.
The white ash found on soap is a bi-product of the saponification reaction, when raw soap comes into contact with the surrounding air. This results when raw soap has been left uncovered and exposed to air. It is a good idea to cover your soap mold with a lid, or if no lid is available, with saran wrap or parchment paper (not wax paper!). This will drastically minimize the possibility of ash occurring on your soaps! Always be sure to let your soaps stay in the mold for at least 24 hours to ensure the soap is finished reacting. If ash occurs on your soap, an easy fix is to put some alcohol in a spray bottle and lightly spritz the bars wherever the ash is present. It will dissolve the ash. Alternatively, you could run the bars under water and rub the ash off manually.
Soap is a large block of unscented soap which is used in melt and pour soaping, it consists of a premade melt-able base, to which you may add colorants, scents, and decorations before pouring into molds to make individual bars.
It is important when buying equipment for soaping that you get one that is of good quality. Be sure to check that the attachments are made of stainless steel. If they are made of aluminum, you will be producing hydrogen gas (potentially flammable!) when your aluminum attachments come into contact with the raw soap. Whenever aluminum comes into contact with lye, it reacts to form hydrogen gas. So make sure it is heavy duty, with stainless steel attachments. Quality Stick Blenders can be found in the price range of $20-$200 dollars. Click here for some recommendations
When using a stick blender, be sure that the "bulb" encasing the mixing attachment is submerged in your soap mixture. I like to make sure I am using a deeper bowl when I use a stick blender to mix soap because I know that at times it will splash no matter how much caution one takes. Some stick blenders have different speeds - I like to start at a lower speed, and then work at a higher speed. It is important that the raw soap is not extremely hot when using the stick blender as it could potentially trace very quickly and seize. If this happens, simply heat your soap up a bit more to re-liquefy it (sounds counter-intuitive but it will save you from throwing the batch out). Also use caution when adding Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils as sometimes there is a potential for them to make your soap seize, or come to false trace. For this reason, I like to add these ingredients at a very light trace, this way I know that there is less of a possibility of the soap seizing.
Amazon seems to be a great option for finding cheap stuff and you can find many stickblender recommendations for soapmaking here. A local department store is a good place to start, or a local chef or kitchen supply store. If you cannot find one locally, there are many options online for places to get quality equipment. I recommend making a post on the forum stating your goals (how much soap you intend to be producing at once), then we can help to make a suggestion to best fit your needs.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $50 for a good quality stick blender, be sure that the attachments are stainless steel or heavy duty plastic and not aluminum.
Here is a list of things that you will need to get started with making soap:
Whether you are trying to price for retail or wholesale, It is important to take into account cost of supplies (Oils, additives and any other ingredients including utensils) as well as overhead (Including electricity, rent, computer programs-spread out over the cost of many batches, POS services, fees, etc...). Often overlooked are things like pens, paper, tape, and other incidental supplies that are needed in the operation of a business.
The general rule of thumb to determine the cost of handmade goods (soap, lotions, bath bombs, butters, balms, etc...) is to calculate accordingly:
For retail:
Cost of supplies + overhead (including labor) X 4 = cost per batch divided by # of pieces (or bars)
For Wholesale:
Cost of supplies + overhead (including labor) X 2 = cost per batch divided by # of pieces (or bars) (Equation Provided By Tabitha)
It is fun to experiment with different scents, however it can get quite expensive. Usually soapers will keep an average of 10 to 16 scents for their soap product line. Usually this line will include two soaps each with a unique scent from the following categories: fruity, floral, herbal, unscented, specialty facial bars, specialty exfoliating, masculine, fun/funky, and in a class all of its own – Patchouli.
No, You cannot get soap that has not at some point come into contact with lye. Businesses that advertise non-lye soap are simply employing a marketing tactic directed towards those who have a negative connotation about lye. They would be more attracted to buy soap under that marketing scheme than "handmade" soaps.
No, The finished product-soap- does not contain any lye. Soap is made by the saponification reaction that happens when lye and water comes into contact with oils. The product produced is soap. Lye IS used in the process for making soap (either NaOH-Sodium Hydroxide for solid soaps, or KOH-Potassium Hydroxide for liquid soaps.). Lye reacts with the oils for about 24 hours, or until the soap has cooled and hardened. If your calculations are correct, there should be no leftover unreacted lye remaining in the finished soap. This can be determined by doing the 'zap' test by licking your finger and rubbing the soap, and then putting said finger back on your tongue, if a zap is felt... there is still lye left over in your soap and you will need to rebatch. It is very important for you to double check your recipe calculations when making soap. It is a good idea to print your recipe out and as ingredients are added, you check them off with a pen just to be sure all have been added.
Soapmaking can get quite expensive, there are numerous costs that are incurred even before one can think about opening a soapmaking business. Typically it takes at least 1 year of researching and developing reliable products before one should start selling soap. Like any business, the first 3 years most likely wont show a profit since you will need to put the majority of the money you make back into business. Like any business you get out what you put in.
© 2010 LindleyWood Development
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