I made two kitchen soaps using the same recipe. For both soaps, I used frozen Americano as the water phase. The only difference was that the soap on the right contained dried spent coffee grounds.

To compare the lather, I rubbed each soap with the same sponge five times and collected the foam in a 16 oz cup.

For the cleaning test, I used the same 4-year-old stainless steel food container. I applied 1 tablespoon of roasted gochujang and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, washed it with the foam, and rinsed it once with cold water.

Both soaps produced similar amounts of foam and showed similar cleaning performance.

I also tested dried spent coffee grounds at 0.1% to 2.4% of the total oil weight. I didn't notice any meaningful improvement in cleaning performance. As I increased the amount of coffee grounds, rinsing took longer and more coffee particles stuck to the dishcloth.

Another soap made with blueberry beer and lard. Scented in Vanilla Bean Noel. Only added scent to the dark area since this is a known discolor. Kind of a "secret" way to use pretty colors and discoloring fragrances together. Secret only to the brand new anyway lol

My first pure Castile olive oil soap for a series of experiments. This one only have oliveoil, lye, 1%of salt and 2% of citric acid.

Want to try different herb infused oliveoils and diffrend ingredients like amounts of salt and sugar or essential oils for scenting.

I know I know the curing time is at least 6 month. But I just want to make soap 🤭🤭🤭 it's so chilling. I have to upgrade my shelf with way more boards, but I already prepared my husband to help me out 😂

Has anyone ever used jojoba oil in a salt bar? Any suggestions? I know the argument about cost, but it doesn't really apply because I have jojoba oil I need to use, and it's only a small personal batch. I did read that usage percentage should be less than 5%, but I can't find any tips about using in a salt bar.

Soap loaf is neem and lemongrass. I added a little yellow mica and biodegradable glitter. (I don’t think I’m going to put glitter ~inside~ the soap again)

An unscented facial bar for sensitive skin and a charcoal facial bar for oily skin.

Both were cured for just over 10 weeks.

Tamanu oil was used as the superfat.

Some of my newest bars have this splotchy, unmixed appearance, did I not properly mix in my essential oils?

9g pure peppermint EO 520g beef Tallow 80g coconut oil

No issues. Just sharing my newbie soaps. Both batches use the same basic recipe.

1. Batch 1, the light-colored soap, is unscented. Uses titanium dioxide as a colorant.
   
2. Batch 2, the bluish-teal soap, contains Lagoon Green UltraSparkle Mica and Icelandic Black Sand and is scented with Sicilian Sea Breeze fragrance oil. All from BB.

I’ve only made three batches, so I want to get the basics down before experimenting with more elaborate designs. I’m really enjoying it so far. My first batch, not pictured, turned out well, but I felt like I was under a lot of time pressure. I was worried the mixture would suddenly turn to stone in a matter of seconds (it didn’t lol). I’m used to working with CA glue and resins in woodworking, where you really have to move fast. I’ve relaxed since then and learned the soap mixture gives me plenty of working time. For my next few batches, I think I’ll experiment with different oils and try some layering.

I was organizing my soap shelf and came across some of my first batches.

Looking back, I realized how much experimenting I did with different oils, natural powders, and recipes. Some worked out better than I expected, while others taught me valuable lessons.

It's also been interesting to see how the natural colors have changed over time.

Just thought I'd share a few of them here. I'd love to see some of your early batches too!

Today, I attended a house party of my friend. There was someone in the downstairs guest bathroom, so I went upstairs.

I was so shocked to see a bar of my soap on the sink. I had been experimenting with basic soap making during the lockdown (extended teacher summer) and gave friends and family three bars each.

I didn’t really have the space to cure the soap and never returned to making it.

I asked her about the bar when I returned to the party. She said “It’s my last bar! That soap is so good, and lasted such a long time! “ It made me so happy to hear that feedback!

I left my wallet at work and it doesn't open until night. I was wondering how important it's and if there's anything else I can use

Had an excessive amount of herbs growing that I’d dried. Used a melt and pour base of goatmilk and added the tiniest drop of food colouring (1 drop green for my rosemary-mint concoction, and 1 drop blue + 1 drop red for the lavender bars).

This is all one big experiment as I’ve never made soap before and just wanted to try this out but I am very happy with how it turned out.
If there’s ever a next time I would love to try a more local and eco friendly approach.

So I got back in the lab after about 4 months & decided to add some additional ingredients. I added beef tallow & vegetable glycerin & I feel like they’re so extra sticky. I let it rest for close to 48 hours but idk - i think I’m going to exclude the vegetable glycerin next batch. Also, I was hoping for more of a swirl but I’ll take it. Especially cuz my daughter was down there “helping” me. Also, this is scented like strawberry which made the batter thicken & yellow a lot more than I expected. Thoughts?!

This was a cold process soap that I tried to make 900 grams of. I used From Nature With Love for the fragrance & here’s the recipe:

Olive Oil - 300 g
Beef Tallow - 180 g
Coconut Oil (76°) - 180 g
Shea Butter - 100 g
Avocado Oil - 80 g
Sweet Almond Oil - 35 g
Castor Oil - 25 g
Lye (5% Superfat)
NaOH - 123 g
305g Frozen Goat Milk

Vegetable Glycerin - 15g (add to oils)
Strawberry Fragrance Oil - 20 g

I wanted to compare my combo bar with a simple lauric acid soap.

For the sneaker test, the left shoe was cleaned with my combo bar, while the right shoe was cleaned with the lauric acid soap under the same conditions.

I also compared their foam by rubbing each bar with the same scrub sponge for five strokes. The foam from each bar was collected in the same 180 mL cup so I could compare foam volume, bubble size, and texture.

Finally, I rinsed the foam in each cup once using 1.3 L of cold water to compare how easily it rinsed away.

This isn't a scientific study—just one of my product development tests. I'm still experimenting, so I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions.

Hi all, I'm a beginner soapmaker and I’m making soap favors for a family member’s bridal shower. Her colors are steel blue and white, so I’m trying to make a bright steel blue and white swirl, but every attempt at blue keeps turning green! I’ve tried blue mica, indigo powder, and blue oxide.

For the textured top soaps I used:

- Makesy Trinity Oil Blend

- 33.3% lye concentration / 5% superfat

- Kaolin clay

- 2% fragrance oil documented as non discoloring and not affecting trace

- Titanium dioxide for the white 1tsp PPO

- Blue oxide powder for the blue 1 tsp PPO

For the blue I used blue oxide powder due to the other attempts at blue turned green as well (mica, and Indigo powder- turned more navy blue than green) I mixed the lye and oils at about 100F and waited until they were within 10F of eachother I noticed it had started to partially gel so I finished it in the turned off preheated oven. It still looks like it didn't gel fully.

As soon as I saw the textured batch start to turn green I tried another mini loaf batch which is the other one pictured. I mixed this one lower at about 90F. The recipe is the same except I used a different clear fragrance oil just in case. And the for blue I used mostly blue mica mixed with some blue oxide, and for the white I used white mica mixed with some titanium dioxide.

It still turned green! 😭 and the white looks yellow!

Both tops were sprayed with 99% alcohol so im not sure why my smaller one has so much more soda ash

I’d really appreciate any advice. I’m running out of time before the bridal shower and just want to finally get BLUE soap! 💙 For reference I also have Bramble Berry Beginner quick mix and their swirl quick mix. I also have serbian blue clay powder if anyone has experience with that. Id just rather ask for advice before I waste any more oils!

TLDR: What’s your best advice for getting a reliable light steel blue in cp soap and what could be causing all of my blues to turn green? Thank You!!

I did it! After months of research (fear 😅🫠) i have created my first coconut free, scent free clean soap!

Now to wait 2 months for it to cure 😒 how the heck do you all have the patience!?

I am hopeful that this will be my base recipe that I can add natural ingredients to colour and scent like cucumber! 😃

Roll on September

I’m sharing some photos from the beginning of soap making Oct of 24’ to now.

I’m excited to start trying the heat transfer method. Any tips? I’m also on a mission to create a perfect “tea rose” smell. Any ideas other than rose and sandalwood?

Anchoring scents has been a challenge. I use kaolin clay to anchor-but haven’t used citric acid. Curious if citric acid is more effective.

I’ve also experienced some color shedding or bleeding at times. Is the only solution to use less pigment? Ideas appreciated!

Basically the title.

I’ve been making soap for years using a pretty simple recipe of water, lard or tallow, avocado oil, and coconut oil. I recently came into some fresh goat’s milk that I’d like to use, and before I potentially waste good ingredients, I wanted to run my plan by the knowledgeable folks here.

My understanding is that I can essentially substitute the water in my recipe with goat’s milk in a direct 1:1 swap by weight. Would it be better to do something like 50% water and 50% goat’s milk instead? I imagine a 50/50 blend would be a lot easier to work with, but at that point am I compromising many of the benefits of using 100% goat’s milk?

I also understand that temperature is important, so my plan is to freeze the goat’s milk into cubes, add the lye slowly, and probably use an ice bath to help prevent scorching.

If you make goat’s milk soap regularly, I’d really appreciate any advice, tips, or common mistakes to avoid before I give this a try.

Thanks!

Okay, so I'm relatively new to soap making (and completely addicted already) but I'm a little confused on how to measure fragrance oils. I've bought some fragrance oils from Brambleberry and I tried using their calculator, but it seems like... a lot?

For reference, this is the recipe I use:

• 107 G SODIUM HYDROXIDE
• 100 G DISTILLED WATER
• 100 G GOAT MILK
• 200 G COCONUT OIL (REFINED)
• 150 G SHEA BUTTER (REFINED)
• 400 G OLIVE OIL (LIGHT)
• 50 G CASTOR OIL

The technical information for this recipe states: 28 oz / 800 g batch -- 7% superfat -- 35% lye concentration. But when I weigh the soap after it's been made, it comes in at 1053 g. I'm assuming the 800g listed in the recipe is referring to the oil used and I know Brambleberry's calculator is for the full soap weight, which means I should be using the 1053 g, right?

Even if I go based off the 800g weight, according to their calculator I should be using:

That just seems like a lot, lol.

What would happen if I made hot process castile soap with 0% superfat and added oil?

Would it be oily soap or would it fine?

Would _selecting which oil doesn't saponify_ have any benefit at all? Like could I do it with jojoba as the _later added superfat_?

Hello beautiful people,

I started makind soap in march and worked for months on making soap and creating recipes that feel nice for me.

I was so impressed with so many soaps in this sub, the latest was an awesome watermelon, that i thought i give it a shot.

I wanted to make a "mines of moria" themed soap. The bottom is red (Balrog), Body is black for the dark abandoned Mine and Gold spots is for the Minerals.

It doesnt look as i wanted, the gold doesnt Look like veins of Gold but i am still happy. Those are 2 Loafs i made with 1.5kg oils.

I made 3 different colored batches:

20% red with morrocan clay

70% Black with active cool

10% Gold with Mica

Thank you for the attention

PS: That was my first CPOP aswell and fpr the first time the top was a bit oily. Like bleeding. But no pockets of oil, just an oily top. I hope the soap is still good. It was 20 hours outside the oven before i cut it

Hey everyone,

​I'm noticing a white, cloudy patch forming on a transparent, light-pink rose body cleanser bar (you can see it circled in the attached photos).

​It looks like a localized hazy spot embedded near the surface/middle, rather than a uniform layer of soda ash.

​To help troubleshoot, here is the full formula breakdown from the Batch Manufacturing Record (BMR) alongside the Certificate of Analysis (COA) specs for this batch:

​Full Ingredient List & Percentages (From BMR)

​Oils & Fatty Acids: Coconut Oil (FCNO) 23.0%, Castor Oil 3.0%, Stearic Acid 12.6%, Palmitic Acid 0.45%.

​Solvents & Clarifying Agents: Triethanolamine (TEA) 15.3%, Propylene Glycol 7.0%, Glycerine 3.0%, Sorbitol (70%) 3.0%, Sugar solution 3.0%, Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) 2.5% total.

​Saponification & Neutralization: Sodium Hydroxide (97%) 6.7%, Citric Acid (Monohydrate) 0.5%.

​Surfactants & Conditioners: SLES (70%) 1.5%, Betaine 1.0%, DC-193C (Silicone) 0.25%, Sodium Rosinate 0.20%.

​Hardener/Salt: Sodium Chloride 0.75%.

​Chelators & Stabilizers: EHDP (50%) 0.10%, Tinogard TT 0.03%, KMS 0.5%.

​Other: Hydrogenated Castor Oil (0.2%), Rose Perfume (2.0%), Herbal extracts (Neem, Tulsi, Aloevera, Gulab, etc. @ 0.01% each), Rosamine color, and DM Water.

Hello, a newbie here!

I was wondering if I can add citric acid to my lye-water solution AND do a heat transfer method I wanted to try on the hard oils.

I was wondering if it's possible to do it, or if it needs some extra information, caution, etc.