Thread: homemade shaving soap

I've seen a shaving soap base at southerngardenscents.
Maybe worth a look. ... or well worth the wait until its back in stock.

Originally Posted by 0livia

I've seen a shaving soap base at southerngardenscents.
Maybe worth a look. ... or well worth the wait until its back in stock.

I saw that in my search too. I think I will have my own base going by the time they get it back in stock.

not only is it a cheep way to go but it is fun also you can get any smell that you want and it makes great shave soap, you can go on ebay and find deals on soap bases and eo"s and wind up with about 3.00 us in a 8oz of soap so try it.

aye,
thanks for all your help guys
i searched around, went to the sites mentioned here, but with product shipping and currency conversion it still ends of something like 70 local currency for a pound of soap base.

so i figure i'm just going to go to some cosmetic shops, find some basic unscented soaps with glycerin and melt them down, add what i want and go about it that way

I just made my first batch of normal soap. I used olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, water, lavender essential oil, and lye, none of that melt and pour stuff for me. I am really impressed with it. I have a big pile of rugged, manly, sharp cornered, pretty smelling bars of soap. It was fairly easy to make, and its kind of cool knowing exactly whats in my soap. I haven't even tried shaving with it yet, maybe tomorrow. I think I'll try an actual shaving soap recipe for the next batch.

What I did was add the lye to the water. This came close to boiling. I let that sit and cool for a while, until it reached around 110 degrees. I melted the fats, coconut and palm oil, and then added the olive oil. I poured the lye in, and stirred the mixture until it started to thicken. Then I poured it into a mold, which was just a long thin cardboard box lined with wax paper. I put towels over the box to insulate it. The soap gives off heat, and turns very clear. Overnight, it hardened, and turned more opaque. I cut it into bars, and after a few weeks, started using it. The total price for about 5 pounds of soap was about $30. I figure if I can do it, anyone should be able to.

It's worth it. I get my supplies at The Chemistry Store.com - Serving The Soapmaker, Hobbyist, Student, School and Industry.

Try it once. You will be hooked.

Originally Posted by Weeeeee

I just made my first batch of normal soap. I used olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, water, lavender essential oil, and lye, none of that melt and pour stuff for me. I am really impressed with it. I have a big pile of rugged, manly, sharp cornered, pretty smelling bars of soap. It was fairly easy to make, and its kind of cool knowing exactly whats in my soap. I haven't even tried shaving with it yet, maybe tomorrow. I think I'll try an actual shaving soap recipe for the next batch.

What I did was add the lye to the water. This came close to boiling. I let that sit and cool for a while, until it reached around 110 degrees. I melted the fats, coconut and palm oil, and then added the olive oil. I poured the lye in, and stirred the mixture until it started to thicken. Then I poured it into a mold, which was just a long thin cardboard box lined with wax paper. I put towels over the box to insulate it. The soap gives off heat, and turns very clear. Overnight, it hardened, and turned more opaque. I cut it into bars, and after a few weeks, started using it. The total price for about 5 pounds of soap was about $30. I figure if I can do it, anyone should be able to.

Yep, soap making is actually fairly easy, but you have to remember to be careful when handling the lye and lye solutions. Wear appropriate protective equipment (goggles, long sleaves, rubber/plastic gloves) and work in a well ventilated area. Caustic burns are quite nasty. I always keep some vinegar around just in case.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

Caustic burns are quite nasty. I always keep some vinegar around just in case.

Fight Club?

I still wince at that scene.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

Yep, soap making is actually fairly easy, but you have to remember to be careful when handling the lye and lye solutions. Wear appropriate protective equipment (goggles, long sleaves, rubber/plastic gloves) and work in a well ventilated area. Caustic burns are quite nasty. I always keep some vinegar around just in case.

We drag incredibly sharp pieces of metal across our faces. We aren't afraid of a little lye. I think between the goggles, and the rubber gloves, there is a better chance that you will spill because of lack of vision, or feel. Just treat it like a beer. I don't think I have ever spilled one of those.

So does anyone have a good, from scratch, recipe they wouldn't mind sharing? I have some sort of Middle Eastern store near my house that is a good, cheap source for palm and coconut oil, so I would like to include those ingredients.