Hiya

newbie maker here.
I'm here to pick up a few tips.

I'm into the self sufficient lifestyle, i enjoy doing my own thing a lot. I also like using my own ingredients so that i know exactly what's in what i'm using.

I'm not into the whole 'its not natural enough' thing, that irritates me, but i do like to know what is in things.

I spend a lot of time over at www.selfsufficientish.com - come and join if growing veg is your thing!!

So, yes, i'm scared of lye, but i bought the Melinda Coss book, and i've got brave enough to order some lye, so hopefully, i'll be making soap next weekend. I'm going to give the lemon and egg one a go first. I fancy making a day of cosmetics, so we'll see what happens.

Hello Fee,

Thank you so very much for joining the forum.  Just clicked your link, what a really useful website - I have added it to favourites and I'll have a good look through it later.  I love the idea of self-sufficiency but some things I think would be hard to implement although I am very concious of my personal carbon footprint - Oh, and I am growing some toms and did some carrots last year (also there seems to be one or two potatoes growing on the compost heap - Sunday dinner sorted then, lol)

It is really good to have you here so a VERY BIG WARM WELCOME from me and I hope you find it really useful in your soapmaking projects.  Enjoy your day of cosmetics making and we'd love to hear how you get on.  I have not seen the Melinda Coss book, is it easy to follow?

Thank you again and a huge big welcome.   

She's really clear in her instructions, and she doesn't go overbpard on the safety side.

i think that because i've read a lot of other places and articles on soapmaking that stress the dangers of Lye, i was too scared to try it in case i blew up myself/the kitchen. However, Melinda Coss is really simple, clear and precise in her instructions, so the Lye doesn't look quite so scary at all. She just describes using it in a simple manner without the constant safety reminders.

I'm glad you like SSish. We're a friendly bunch over there, and there are a couple of soapmkers/cosmetic makers on there too - one of them was the one that got me into looking at making my own.

Have you looked at Craftster.org as well/ there's a whole health and beauty section on there that has some great recipes and advice.

Sounds great!

Maybe we could coax some of them over here?  nudge, nudge... lol

I've put a link on Ish already. We're always looking for new suppliers- especially ones based in our respective countries. The UK seems thin on the ground for reasonably priced raw ingredient suppliers.

Hi Fee,

Which one's always looking for suppliers, the ssish or crafters? 

i talk to the Ishers more - that's why i've put a link on there for you x

Oh thank you!!! 

I've just been going through craftster but (and this is just a me thing) it's a bit of mine field.  I'll go take a look at the 'Ishers' - and hopefully pick up some good tips.  He, he!

Thank you so much again 

Hi there Fee,
                 Another newbie here. How did your 1st batch of soaps go?? Lemon & egg sounds interesting. Hope it went well. I will be attempting my 1st batch this weekend, fingers crossed. The lye scares me abit.I to like idea of knowing whats gone into making something, especially cosmectics.  I have really sensivtive skin & sometimes come out in spots (funny at the age of 24) so im looking for something to help with this.  Hope it all goes well.

I ahven't made them yet - i'm making them on Sunday hopefully.

I got some butters (from helen) and some lip balm tubes through, so if the soap fails miserably i can always make some lip balm as a back up, and mim moisture tubes too.

Good luck with yours, i agree with you about the Lye, it is scary stuff!

Hi Fee,

I'm not sure which recipe you are using but if you are putting the balm into tubes/cylinders and using the LipLube recipe, increase the wax & lower the oil.  How much by will depend on the consistency you want to achieve so experiment with small amounts first.

Happy balming and don't be getting addicted now!  lol 

ooh, i'll end up addicted again!!

I'm planning on making the lip balm with beeswax, cocoa butter, jojoba and peppermint flavour oil.

There's a lip balm by JASON that i really like and its beeswaxy and pepperminty, so i'm hoping to recreate it because i go through the tubes quite quickly (in my defence, it does melt really easily!!). I reckon that for the creaminess i need the cocoa butter, and quite a bit of peppermint for the tingle. The beeswax is because i love beeswax, i think it smells lovely!

I've got plans for the shea butter too, i'm thinking a shea butter moisture stick with jojoba and some kind of light fragrance (or possibly Nag Champa, because i love the smell and i've got some hanging about).

And, i've got some clear glycerine melt and pour soap to use, and some organic translucent to use. I'm thinking purple sparkly nag champa with the organic stuff, and then some lovely aqua blue lavender and lemongrass with the clear one - possibly with either yellow or red embedded chunks, depending on what mood i'm in and what i can find to mould it in.

I'm going to make the shampoo in a pringles tub, and, if i get the coconut oils in time (fingers tightly crossed!!) some coconut ice soap in a juice carton - i reckon that if i cut one of the sides off, then i can use it like a long loaf tin and get the layers nicely.

Can you rebatch soap that you've made? If so, i might do the coconut ice in short blocked layers by using the juice carton on end.

I'm going to be a busy girl! I want to make some biscuits and a cake too...