Does AnyOne DIY Like Soaps and Essential Oils

[Lin ASL Ebron]

Is anyone is into soap making, essential oils or other items?  I'd love to learn from and share with you.  Not interested in any of the MLM/network mrktg programs, just like the topic.  I make my own laundry & dish detergents and thinking about trying soap making.

 

Look forward to hearing and learning.

 

Agape'

 

 

[normadenardo]

I have my own soapmaking company. I have been making soap for 15 years. I use only essential oils to scent with and goats milk from my own dairy goats.

[Sunnyside]

I would love to learn this and teach a few pioneer sisters so they cab earn something.

[Precision]

Interesting topic Lin and Norma. Such an array of pleasantly scented bar soaps available at Whole Foods. Some even resemble candles with fruits, flowers and herbals. Are there plenty of sourced organic bulk and wholesale ingredients readily available ? Does it take much time ? Just thinking of our own personal use or even occasionally making gifts for some of the friends...

[bagwell1987]

Norma is totally the one to ask, she's got it down pat!

[Toy Poodles]

I just buy what I need from Norma. I was going to try and learn when we had a jersey cow but my husband's arthritic hands couldn't milk anymore so there went the cow. I love goat's milk on my skin and Norma has so many fragrances that are just wonderful. 

My husband is allergic to scents but we have tried almost every scent Norma makes and he isn't allergic to any of them so she must use really good oils.

My favorite is eucalyptus but it was outstock, shame on you Norma. lol 

[Miss Mouse]

Norma's your Gal in the soap department she's our expert ......I love essential oils use them a lot for various things i also have a small nebulizer that I put on my mantle with blends of essential oils it cleans the air and smells oh so purdy!!!! Homey!! Earthy!!!

[Justasister]

I have my own soapmaking company. I have been making soap for 15 years. I use only essential oils to scent with and goats milk from my own dairy goats.

What is the name of your company? Do you have an online store?

[Lin ASL Ebron]

Wow, how exciting!  I was hoping for someone some where who would be interested in sharing a tip or two.  I certainly welcome any support Norma can provide.  Rather than just purchasing, I'm hoping to learn how to make soaps and use essential oils.  I will definitely need supplies.  Do you sell raw materials Norma?

 

I currently am using fractionated coconut oil w/peppermint & lemon essential oils for my teenagers' acne.  We're also using organic apple cider. The results have been amazing.  Also, the three of us have gone completely natural hair wise.  I never put chemicals in the girls hair and very little heat.  Using organic natural products have also had outstanding results.  Thank you for sharing what you're doing.  Maybe we can also swap recipes, potions, etc.

 

Agape'

[surfergirl]

great topic. How do you make your own detergent? i love oils.

[carribbeangrl01]

I don't make soap but I use the oils for just about everything. Use them in baths- for health purposes- to help people release caged up emotions oil pulling ect

[normadenardo]

Thank you all for the kind words  <3 .  I do have a website, it you pm me I will give you the address. How do we make soap.....

 

     Saponification is the chemical reaction that happens when lye is added to oil. Of course it's more complicated than that, but basically that is how one gets soap. The hard part is deciding which oils and other ingredients you want to add to make your soap have different qualities. Different "base" oils give soap different degrees of lather, bubbles,  and hardness. Other qualities to consider when deciding which oils to use in soapmaking are whether or not to add additional moisturizing "butters", essential or fragrance oils, coloring agents or a variety of other things.

 

     Glycerin is a natural by-product of soapmaking. When left in the soap it acts as a "humectant" and actually draws moisture to your skin, making a milder, less drying soap. Many commercial companies actually extract the glycerin during the soapmaking process and use it in other products or sell it to other companies, then they add in man made chemicals to replace the natural ones. We keep the natural glycerin in our soap. 

 

     There are many different base oils you can use, and there are also different processes you can use to make soap. We use the cold process. There is also hot process, rebatch (using a bought base), glycerin (using a bought glycerin base). There are also many different scents you can add. Essential oils come from nature. Fragrance oils are man  made concoctions made to smell like something that comes from nature. Many people have reactions to fragrance oils. We don't use them.     

     

    Some of the equipment you can use to make soap are as follows: A good scale, a stock pot, an immersion blender (otherwise it takes a long long time to stir) another stainless pot to melt any butter in (I use kokum, some people use cocoa, shea, mango etc.) measuring cups, a receptacle to dissolve your lye in your water, stirring spoons, spatulas, anything else I can't think of at the moment. Like any other skill... there is more to it than it seems. You also need to decide on what kind of mold to use depending on the process you use to make your soap. My husband and son made wooden molds for me. I line them with plastic. After you prepare the soap and it is the right consistency to pour in your mold, you "put it to bed". This means letting it sit covered and undisturbed for 24 hours. Then you unmold and cut. Then you cure for 4+ weeks.    

    

     We have chosen not to use animal fat in our soap. We use a special blend of Olive, Coconut, Palm and Castor oils for our base. Olive oil is pressed from the fruit and/or seeds of the olive tree, it has natural antioxidants and is added for its rich, creamy lather, and is known for creating a gentle, conditioning bar. Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of the coconut, it makes a very hard bar of soap that quickly produces lots of large bubbly lather, and makes lots of natural glycerin. Palm Oil (we use sustainably farmed palm oil) is manufactured from the fruit of the palm tree and also creates a hard bar. Castor Oil is extracted from the fruit of the Castorbean Plant. We add castor oil to our formula because it enhances lather and has a long shelf life, and said previously it acts as a humectant and draws moisture to your skin. The oils we use in our handmade soap are carefully chosen. We ONLY add essential oils to our scented handmade soap. NO fragrance oils are ever used. We also add goatsmilk, from our dairy goats and feel that this helps make our soap even more wonderful, and is very good for your skin.

 

     We make 24 bars at a time. We cure them for at least four weeks before we sell them online and at the local farmers market and at various other local places. This is one of the skills I hope to bring into the new world

Edited January 21, 2015 by normaclutter

[normadenardo]

Please feel free to ask me any other questions you have.

[normadenardo]

Wow, how exciting!  I was hoping for someone some where who would be interested in sharing a tip or two.  I certainly welcome any support Norma can provide.  Rather than just purchasing, I'm hoping to learn how to make soaps and use essential oils.  I will definitely need supplies.  Do you sell raw materials Norma?

 

I currently am using fractionated coconut oil w/peppermint & lemon essential oils for my teenagers' acne.  We're also using organic apple cider. The results have been amazing.  Also, the three of us have gone completely natural hair wise.  I never put chemicals in the girls hair and very little heat.  Using organic natural products have also had outstanding results.  Thank you for sharing what you're doing.  Maybe we can also swap recipes, potions, etc.

 

Agape'

I don't sell raw materials but I can suggest companies that do that I have been dealing with for a long time. You can pm me if you would like.

[normadenardo]

Interesting topic Lin and Norma. Such an array of pleasantly scented bar soaps available at Whole Foods. Some even resemble candles with fruits, flowers and herbals. Are there plenty of sourced organic bulk and wholesale ingredients readily available ? Does it take much time ? Just thinking of our own personal use or even occasionally making gifts for some of the friends...

I think my long post answered most of your questions. I order my raw materials from online sources and can give you the web sites by pm if you are interested.

[normadenardo]

I  also used a thermometer when I started making soap as the temps are important.. if anyone is truly interested I can explain further.

[bagwell1987]

See...told 'ya, she has the answers. Well done Norma. 

[normadenardo]

Thank's Cheryl...  Years of research

[Lin ASL Ebron]

Wow!  I'm feeling a little intimidated, but I would like to give it a try.  I home school my daughters, so at least it will be a great project to give a change of paste to our normal routine.  Thanks for offering to answer questions.

 

Agape'

[boodles]

This would be really neat to learn and so I was watching some youtube videos about how to do it. However, they do say that the lye is very dangerous, it can explode if you add water to it, instead of adding it little by little to the water. They recommend gloves and safety goggles. It might not be a good project for kids, unless they are teenagers. Of course, I am no expert and have never even done it, so Norma can give better advice.

[normadenardo]

This would be really neat to learn and so I was watching some youtube videos about how to do it. However, they do say that the lye is very dangerous, it can explode if you add water to it, instead of adding it little by little to the water. They recommend gloves and safety goggles. It might not be a good project for kids, unless they are teenagers. Of course, I am no expert and have never even done it, so Norma can give better advice.

You must never ever add water to lye!! You ONLY add lye to water. When I started i used goggles and gloves. I don't any more but am still extremely careful!! Always use a container for your lye water mixture that is fairly deep, so that it doesn't splash out easy while you slowly stir it. Never stick your nose over the lye water mixture...  The fumes WILL hurt you. you should have proper ventilation. crack a window open, or at least don't make soap in a confined area. It's like any other craft... more difficult that it initially sounds.

[Precision]

Thank you Norma for generously sharing with us and explaining the, hazards, personal tips and well researched process in the art of Soap making. And explaining the difference of essential and fragrance oils. Sadly we have some sisters in the congregation who are highly sensitive to fragrance oils and have to set in the "little room" with dust masks.  Please p.m. us with your website info Sis...You have a message... Agape

[Lin ASL Ebron]

I did it!  I made my first batch of soap    I used an organic goat milk base and added cocoa butter, castor oil and a couple of essential oils.  It has a really nice creamy lather.  There's a sister in my congregation that's been doing this for a while, so I hope to watch her do the whole cold process lye thing a time or two before I strike out on my own.

 

Please continue to share what ever you're doing.  It doesn't have to be soap.  I'm interested in all things DIY.

 

Someone asked about laundry detergent.  I use Zote bar w/baking soda, Borax, washing soda and oxy clean.  I also throw some meat tenderizer in because it breaks down protein stains/body fluids.

 

My dish detergent is a combination of whatever is the absolute cheapest dish soap (very little, just enough to cover the bottom of the bottle), mostly vinegar and lemon juice, with a scoop of my laundry ingredients less the Zote bar.  Vinegar is the greatest grease cutter known to man!  My pots/pans/stove look great!  I really like making my own because the ingredients are crazy cheap and I can use them in so many ways.

 

Bathroom cleaner is Clorox and water.

 

Take care,

[normadenardo]

I make a laundry bar (like zote.. but no coloring etc.) that comes with a recipe for  making powder laundry cleaner. I also make the prepared laundry cleaner.. love it!!

[normadenardo]

I did it!  I made my first batch of soap    I used an organic goat milk base and added cocoa butter, castor oil and a couple of essential oils.  It has a really nice creamy lather.  There's a sister in my congregation that's been doing this for a while, so I hope to watch her do the whole cold process lye thing a time or two before I strike out on my own.

 

Please continue to share what ever you're doing.  It doesn't have to be soap.  I'm interested in all things DIY.

 

Someone asked about laundry detergent.  I use Zote bar w/baking soda, Borax, washing soda and oxy clean.  I also throw some meat tenderizer in because it breaks down protein stains/body fluids.

 

My dish detergent is a combination of whatever is the absolute cheapest dish soap (very little, just enough to cover the bottom of the bottle), mostly vinegar and lemon juice, with a scoop of my laundry ingredients less the Zote bar.  Vinegar is the greatest grease cutter known to man!  My pots/pans/stove look great!  I really like making my own because the ingredients are crazy cheap and I can use them in so many ways.

 

Bathroom cleaner is Clorox and water.

 

Take care,

Lin,

How did your soap turn out?