Soap making process
Author: Ankisha
From the novice to the expert soap maker, having the correct tools play an integral part in the quality of your finished soap product.
The type of tools needed will vary according to the type of soap making process you will be utilizing.
Here is a list of the all-important tools of the trade. Please select those that are applicable for the method of soap making you will be employing.
* Long sleeved shirt or lab coat to protect your arms from potential splashes.
* Newspapers, old blankets, quilts or sheets to help protect your counter space if you do not have a designated soap making area.
* Freezer paper, parchment paper, saran wrap or even sheets of plastic or plastic bags for lining your molds. (of course, this will depend on the type of mold you will be using. For more details www.greateducationonline.com If you will be using bar soap molds like the Milky Way type, then you will need a can of baking spray like Pam for easy release of the soap from the mold.
* Kitchen scale – perfect for the hobby soap maker, if possible try to obtain an electronic scale for more accurate measurements.
* Spice/coffee grinder – perfect for grinding herbs and other additives to incorporate into your recipe.
* Hand grater – great for melt and pour soap making, as well as rebatching soap.
* Molds of choice – can be anything from drawer liners (Rubber Maid type), to plastic bar or tray molds, or even wooden molds. For more details www.greatindustrialguide.com Plastic food storage containers work as well.
* Stick Blender – very useful for achieving a faster trace in cold process soap making.
* Rubber Spatulas – useful for getting that last bit of soap mixture out of your mixing container.
* Small glass or plastic containers to hold herbs, fragrance/essential oils, colorants or other additives until you are ready to use them.
* Paper towels or other pieces of cloth to help clean up spills as they occur.
Rubber gloves to protect your hands from the caustic solution and mixture
* Goggles or some kind of protective eye wear to protect the obvious – your eyes. (Regular glasses do not count by themselves). Face shields work great.
* Face masks preferably with a filter to guard against inhaling the caustic fumes from your lye solution.
* Long pants and some kind of footwear to protect your feet from spills.
* At least 2 sturdy plastic, stainless steel or glass containers. One for measuring your lye (sodium hydroxide) crystals, one for measuring your liquid.
* A minimum of 2 sturdy plastic or stainless steel spoons for stirring the lye solution and the oils.
* Glass candy or candle/soap making thermometers.
* Plastic buckets or large stainless steel saucepans/pots for heating and mixing the soap mixture in.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/soap-making-process-1401696.html
About the Author
About the Author
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to computer Virus, do please browse for more information at our websites.
http://www.adsence-dollar-factory.com
http://www.100earningtips.com
what is the soap making process and its chemical activity?
easier soap making process.chemical reactions and activities and tests for soap.a home made soap making process.
Where is the best place to take Cold-Process Soap making classes in San Francisco?
I am making hot process soap in my crockpot. What temperature does the soap need to get to?
before putting it in the molds?
how do I get more lather out of my homemade goat’s milk soap? what can I add in my soap making process?
I’ve heard of sugar…. didn’t work…. then I hear a little hand soap, but that didn’t seem to do the trick. I’ve also tried adding a little glycerin to my base…. and the bar still doesn’t glide smoothly nor lather in the shower. any suggestions?
Silicon loaf mold can be used instead of wooden soap mold when making cold process soap?
I’m making my first cold process soap this weekend. Wooden soap molds cant be bought in my part of the world as soap making is not very popular. Can a silicon loaf mold be used instead?
Yes you can use silicone molds, just be aware that some of the colour may transfer to your soap, especially if it is a red mold. There are many places online that ship their molds worldwide if you get to the point where you want to make more. I have also used the plastic tubs that baby wipes come in, it makes a nice size batch. If you have any issues with trying to remove your soap from the mold you can pop it in the freezer for about 30 mins. and it should come right out.
Visit the following link for details
http://www.meltandpour.com/howtomakesoap.htm
I use the following ratio of base oils for my basic bar soap and get a really fluffy lather that I love.
Coconut – 30%
Palm – 30%
Olive – 40%
I also add a 1/2 tsp. of icing sugar per pound of base oils when I’ve reached trace.
Hi, here is a direct excerpt from
http://waltonfeed.com/old/soap/soapcook.html
I think it will help…
Turn the heat on moderately high until it gets to the boiling point, then turn it down so it maintains a slow but rolling boil – a low enough boil so it is not spattering all over the place. If it starts spattering out of the pot, pull it off the heat partially until it slows down. Then turn down the heat. Your goal is to keep it boiling, but not so vigorously that it becomes dangerous. Stir constantly and always be conscious of how it’s boiling and behaving. As it boils two things happen:
* The chemical reaction necessary to make soap is greatly accelerated.
* Some of the water in the soap is boiled off.
The soap cooks somewhat like candy in that it starts boiling at a temperature of about 220 degrees F and as it continues to boil the water off, the temperature rises. It is very important to know when to quit. As it slowly gets thicker, the instant the bubbles start appearing in the same place, giving you a hint that it is acting just a bit more rigid than before, pull it off the heat. In my experience this happens at a temperature of between 300 and 330 degrees F. It would be handy to keep a candy thermometer around as an aid in checking on it’s progress. If you let it go too long and the soap separates, add a little more water to bring it back into suspension.
* 300 – 310 degrees F for lard
* 320 – 330 degrees for vegetable oil
If you don’t want to, it really isn’t necessary to bring the soap up to these high temperatures. This is the way I do it however. To see if you’ve cooked it long enough, you can also dribble a bit of soap onto a plate then wait for it to cool. If it’s setting up you have cooked it long enough.
With the pot off the heat, place it in cool water. If you don’t, the soap is so hot it will continue to bubble for a few minutes with the pot off the stove! Also, if you tried to pour hot soap at these temperatures, it would melt a hole right through your plastic mold! Continue to stir it until it has cooled off – down to at least 120 degrees. As it cools you may wish to add a piece of crayon. As it melts it will color your soap. This is also a good time to add fragrance oils (FO’s). After it has cooled, it should have the consistency of thick pudding. Pour, or scoop the soap into your soap tray or mold, then smooth it out the best you can with a spatula. As it is very sticky, to get it nice and smooth on top, place a layer of plastic wrap on it and continue to smooth it out. I like to place something flat on top of it and press down lightly. This makes it as flat on top as it is on the bottom. A couple of hours later as the soap has continued to cool and harden, you can remove this top layer of plastic wrap. Smooth any imperfections out with your finger that were created by wrinkles in the plastic wrap.
OK? Good luck..
I couldn’t find any that were marked “in” SF, but these came up in the search:
Port Richmond:
http://thenovastudio.com/descriptioncoldprocess.htm
http://www.missionpeaksoap.com/soapclass.htm
Redwood City:
https://www.redwoodcity.org/registrationmain.sdi (in Arts & Crafts Adult section)
http://sfcraftmafia.com/2007/05/15/learn-to-make-soap/ (SF Craft Mafia)
Sacramento:
http://soapsaloon.com/index.htm