Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

Hello, I'm Donna and I live in Chester.  I am a total soapmaking beginner, I have made two very basic soaps so far.
BUT I think I would really like to get into it in a big way.  The thing bothering me is the rules regarding selling to the public.
Anyway, I'm off for  good look round the forum
Donna xx

Welcome Donna, beginners are more than welcome!

Two things .... we love pics so can we see your start off soap? We're pic-a-holics! And the more you post, the more boards will open up for you. 

Welcome, hope you enjoy it here.   :buttrf:

Oooh, that was quick, hi Honey.  Hmmm, let me work out how to post pics!

Hi Donna
Welcome here !
:mwaha: ok we allow you a little more time

Hello and welcome.

Oh dear. I tried but my photo was HUGE!!  Here's a link to my blog posts instead!!

http://knitsamadworld.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/soap/

http://knitsamadworld.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/lavender-tea-tree/

Hi Donna and welcome. You will need to resize your pics for them to be seen properly, though thanks for posting.
The more you post, the more boards will open up for you viewing and participation. I wouldn't worry about regulatins yet as you've just started soaping. Enjoy the experience and the learning first. Welcome to the addiction. :D

Eire

Hello from not far over the border.

Get yourself up to 50 posts and you'll be able to see the board with legal stuff - but there is also info in Resources if you log in to the Fresholi site

Hi & welcome - loads of very informative topics on here!

Thank you for the welcomes.  I think I'm looking too far ahead at the moment.. :-\

I need to make more soap, starting with getting some ingredients.  So far I have made one with lard, lye, lavender and tea tree, and the other with vegetable fat (Trex), lye and ylang ylang. 

I haven't tried them yet as I am waiting for them to be ready and I have 3 more weeks to wait.  I'm a bit reluctant to make more in case I don't like the first ones, but am also keen to make more and use different ingredients! 

For those of you who don't sell, what do you do with all the soap you make?  I have a limited circle of friends and family to gift them to!  ???

hiya and welcome !!

I love lard soap, it's so nice on the skin, shame it's not so easy to get a Safety Certificate for them and also some people are a bit put off by lard in soap (and then rush out to buy Dove, which is made with various animal fats...).

What to do with all the soap ? Use it  :mwaha: Ban all shower gel from the house and make everyone use soap in the bath and shower instead. It soon gets used up. Otherwise start planning your christmas hampers  :buttrf:

Hiya, welcome. You'll soon have soap on every available shelf in your house, so then you will need to start making body butters, and you'll find THEM in every handbag and drawer in the house, then you know you need to start selling!

Hello and welcome from me too  :buttrf:

Hi Donna and a warm welcome to the forum  :)

I had a look at your soaps and they look great.   That blue is stunning - really well done  :buttrf:

I hope you enjoy it here and I look forward to chatting with you more around the boards

ok I have uploaded my HUGE photos to photobucket and resized them so I'll have another go at posting here!!

This was my first ever soap
(http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l422/Electrogirl68/Soap/DSCN0411.jpg?t=1275895852)

and this my second
(http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l422/Electrogirl68/Soap/DSCN0419.jpg?t=1275895976)

And that's it so far!

Congrats on your first soaps! Exciting isn't it when you see the change from raw ingredients to soap. Love the blue colour, what did you use? and what fragrances?
welcome to the dark side!

I'm afraid I used a wax crayon for the colour (frowned upon I know but just practising!).  Blue one is Lavender & Tea tree and natural one is ylang ylang.

Welcome aboard! I'm not a soaper, but I love seeing all the wonderful creations., I make everything else bath & body. Look forward to more pics.  :buttrf:

Hi Donna, Welcome to Fresholi  (:hug:)

I've been soaping for a year and a half - serious soaping, as in a new batch every other day, so you can imagine how much soap I have lol .. I love to send random packages of soap to family & friends - stock my daughters flat - donate to a women's shelter, & local community social workers (to slip into food packages) - and my sons school ..

I wouldn't worry about the rules of selling at this stage .. I know it's hard but you have to wait for your soap to cure (like wine & cheese, it will get better with age so don't judge it too early!), and then you'll learn how to tweak a formula so it's got the kind of soap properties you want in your bar ;)

And no more crayons!  lol - soap should be skin safe  :mwaha:

Hello - I'm new too  :hi:

No more crayons, promise!!

So I did the zap thing on my frst soap made two weeks ago and nothing happened so I washed my hands with it.  It made my skin tighter and a little dry but it had very good cleaning properties. 

I'll not try it again for another two weeks.

Should I unwrap it now? ???

Hi Donna!
Being a newbie on this forum myself, I am hardly in the position of welcoming you; but it is a pleasure to meet you here :)

Coincidence: I also used a blue beeswax crayon in one of my first soaps  :mwaha:
I guessed it was safe enough, as it is suitable for ages 3+

Your soaps look lovely :) Blue is my fav colour.

I am far too impatient to wait 3 of 4 weeks before testing my soaps; I usually take a sliver to test after cutting - and if it lathers at that time, I know it will be a lot better when cured.  ;)

I know a lot of people who donate their overload on soap at homes for the homeless or comparable institutes. They are grateful and it keeps your place tidy. Plus it gives you  an excuse to make more soap !  ;D

Hey Donna.

 :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: