Choosing a Soap Mold

When I first started making soap I brought a small 1lb mold.  I could not wait to use it, but unfortunately, I did not line the mold properly and this is how that story ended.

 When choosing a mold you have a multitude of options.One of which is the individual silicone mold.  This is a six cavity mold and makes 5oz bars of soap.  It will take a 1.5lb batch of soap

 This is my newest 1lb mold.  I love it! It is very well-made, one of the walls is hinged for easy removal.  It has a foam liner that makes removal a breeze!   This mold can make 4-4oz bars if you use 1lb of oils or 4-5oz bars if you use 1.5lb of oils.

Here is another 1lb wooden mold. Although extremely well made, I don't care for the dimensions and the way the finished soap bar looks.  Which is just my personal preference.  Also, if you notice the middle pic, one time when I used it the freezer paper I used obviously had a leak somewhere.  Thank God the soap did not stick to the mold. But it is permanently stained, still usable but stained.  I am thinking about giving this mold away.  Stay tuned.

                                                                                                                                      

 You can use good old fashioned cardboard boxes, lined with a plastic bag or freezer paper.  But this box would hold a 3-4lb batch, possibly 5lb.  Keep that in mind when choosing a cardboard box.

You can also use a gladware or other plastic container.  You can line with plastic wrap or you may  have to put the soap in the freezer for 30 minutes to make the soap easier to release.

This  is a wooden tray soap mold.  Notice the notches in the sides, the mold came with the knife that you can cut while still in the mold. I have used this mold several times and I like it.

 Lastly, here is a wooden log mold, this is lined with freezer paper and ready to make soap.  The soap from this mold will need to be cut by hand or with a soap cutter.




What things should you consider when choosing a mold?

1. What kind of soap are you making?  It wouldn't be a good idea to put a plastic container in the over for CPOP, silicone or lined wooden molds hold up best in the oven.
2. How much soap are you making?  Are you making soap just for family and friends.  Then one or two molds would probably suffice, but if you intend of making soap to sell, then having multiple molds will give you more flexibility and options, as you won't have to wait for soap to be removed from the mold before making another batch of soap.
3. What size do you want your finished bars to be?  Some people prefer a small, thick bar, while some people prefer a larger, thinner bar.  This is truly a personal preference and I advise that you try different molds and see what you like best.

Choosing a mold is one of the most important decisions you make as a soap maker, it is second only to the ingredients in directly effecting the outcome of your soap.  So try a few and see what is the best choice for you. 

Soap Making 101 - My YouTube Video Series

This is the 1st video in a Series, that I will be publishing on YouTube.  The Series will include the following lessons:


1. Gathering & Organizing information, before you make your 1st batch
2. Gathering your ingredients (what to buy and where to buy it from)
3. Choosing your mold and gathering your equipment
4. Now you are ready to Make Soap


These video's will be uploaded on Monday's and Fridays for the next 2 weeks.  I am also thinking about doing a live soap making presentation on UStream or BlogTV, depending on the interest for something like that.  Please let me know your thoughts and is there is any other topic your would like to see.


Check out these soap making books:

Video about testing Fragrance Oils in soap.

Check Out my other YT Video's about soap making and Helen's Hands

Testing Fragrances for Cold-Process Soap making

When I began Soap making I would just order supplies without really thinking about it. I was just trying to buy them inexpensively, after all the more inexpensive your ingredients, the greater your profit margin (if you are selling your soap).  But, as I got more savvy I realized the importance of testing your ingredients before purchasing that ingredient in bulk. Especially fragrance oil because as most soap-maker's know the addition of a fragrance oil can be the perfect addition or the beginning of a science experiment gone horribly wrong. Fragrance oils are notorious for cause ricing & seizing in cold process soaps and trust me, having 8lb's of a fragrance oil that you cannot use is a waste of money no matter how good the price was.

So when one of my favorite suppliers Nature's Garden started a VIP Customer Testing Program, I jumped at the chance to get a free sample of a fragrance oil that they were considering adding to their extensive line of fragrance oils. Please go to their website for all of the details about the program.  With my latest order I received a 1oz sample of Pear Tart Fragrance oil that was safe for Bath & Body products and candles.  The scent is very sweet but not overpoweringly sweet, instead of Pear Tart a better name would be Anjou Pear because I associate Anjou Pears with a sweetness that definetly comes through in the fragrance.

When testing an FO for Cold-Process soap I make 1 or 2 pound batches, no larger.  Because in the event that the FO does something funky (i.e ricing, seizing, soap on a stick) The last thing I want to be doing is fighting a 10lb batch of soap into a mold as it fights me back.  That is not my idea of fun.  So to test this FO I made a standard 1# batch using Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Soybean and Castor Oil; with a 7% Superfat. My temps were about 85 Degrees for both oils and lye.  When testing an FO I do not add colorant because I want to see if the FO is going to discolor the soap.  This is what the soap looked like in the mold:

As you can see there is very little discoloration and the scent is strong.  I used the entire 1oz for the 1# batch.

Here are some pictures of the soap cut into bars.

This FO accelerated trace a little; not enough to be in danger of becoming soap on a stick, but after adding the FO it took only 2-3 pulses with my stick blender to obtain a thick trace.  It was then put into the mold, insulated for 12 hours and then cut.





I give this Fragrance Oil 5 out of 5 stars for cold process soap.  If you are looking for a sweet Pear fragrance, look no further.  I am hoping that Nature's Garden adds this to their line as this will make a great addition to my Spring Line.  

What is your favorite Fragrance oil?


A brief update from yesterday's post. I completed 2 things of of my To Do List from yesterday! So Operation Stop Procrastination is in full swing!

Fighting Procrastination - Just Do It

Today makes the 2nd week that I have not made soap.  I am trying to get to the bottom of my apprehension.  I haven't had a failed batch or any other bad experience and I would like to take part in some local Christmas Craft Fairs so I really should be preparing for those by making soap.  But, I start the day with the best intentions and at the end of the day I have nothing done.
This seems to be a constant problem that creeps it's way into my life at the most inopportune times. I have been researching how to overcome/cure procrastination and found the following information courtesy of Ways to Overcome and Cure Procrastination

1. Divide and conquer. A big task can look too big to tackle at times, as it is so intimidating and overwhelming. This is why you have to break the task into smaller, more manageable ones, and go through them one by one, as if each one was an important task on its own.

2. Use the reward system. To give you an incentive, or a boost in motivation to do a certain task, give yourself a small reward if you accomplish it on time. Whether it's a certain food you treat yourself to, or a gift you buy yourself, it doesn't matter, as long as it inspires you enough to get the job done.

3. Don't waste any time. Sometimes, you may not do something because you feel like you don't have the time to finish it. Try looking at such a situation from another perspective. Tell yourself, 'how much can I get done, in the time I have left?' Do as much as you can in the time you have, and soon, you will notice that you're not lagging behind that much anymore.

4. Have a "to do" list. It's always better to write things down then to have it just sitting there in our mind, where it can get lost with all our other thoughts. Therefore, write down all the things that you are putting off, and keep this list in clear sight, so that you are reminded of it. Then, as you do each task, cross them off, and go down the list. You will not believe the wonderful feeling of accomplishment as you cross all the items on your list!

5. Clean environment = clearer mind. Try putting things in your office or home in order, and keep it tidy and clean. Being in order helps to cure procrastination, as you feel less overwhelmed by all the papers and such lying around your space, and cleaning creates a discipline that can help you when it's time to do a certain task.

6. End of day preparations. At the end of each day, go over all that you have to do the next day, creating a schedule, and thus making you aware of what's to come tomorrow. This will mentally prepare you for what's ahead instead of being surprised and feeling in over your head.

Ok, I am going to start Operation End Procrastination today, by trying #4 and making a To Do List for today:

To Do List for 11/15/2010

1. Make 2 batches of soap
2. Finish labeling cured soap
3. List Finished soap on my ArtFire Studio

How do you overcome procrastination?

I will post the results of my to do list tomorrow, that's if I don't procrastinate! 

Another Soap Mold Bites the Dust!

Ok, I had the smart idea to try a soap process called CPOP (Cold Process-Oven Process) This is the process where you prepare your soap using the Cold Process method, and once you put the soap into the mold, you put the mold into an oven pre-heated to 170 degrees.  Leave the oven on for 1 hour, turn the oven off and leave the soap in the oven till morning.  And that is exactly what I did.  This is what the mold looked like prior to putting it in the oven 

I did not line the mold with plastic wrap, like it is in this picture, but I thought it looked oven proof.  Well, as you will see in the next pic I was sadly mistaken.
I made a pretty basic recipe; using 16oz of oils; Palm oil, Olive oil, Coconut oil, Soybean oil & castor oil.  I will post the recipe at the end of the post (if anyone is interested)
I stirred (with a stick blender) to a medium trace, added my FO which accelerated trace, so I put the soap in the mold and put into my oven. I checked it several times during the hour the oven was on; then I turned off the oven and went to sleep. And in the morning..

Oh My! The bottom and sides bowed, this is a complete loss as it was a take apart mold and it wont come back together anymore :( 

This is what it looked like from the top. 

Luckily I was able to remove the soap from the mold and cut it.  But, the soap on the top looked darker than the rest of the soap.  So I am wondering if the soap it gonna turn the darker color as it cures or will I just have to remove the darker part from the soap.

The finished soap! Scented with "Butt Naked" Fragrance Oil (smells soooo good!)

RIP to my 1lb mold, this is the 2nd one pound mold to go to the mold graveyard.  This mold will join my wooden mold.....

As you can see, his death was much more violent. LOL! :) 




Stay tuned for my next post...how to make a soap mold.  because I cannot keep buying molds, just to throw them out. 


Anyone have any suggestions for a good soap mold or instructions to make a soap mold for someone who's woodworking skills are less than stellar?

Collecting Rain Water to use in your Soap making

It has been raining the last 2 days here in NJ and as I was about to start making soap I remembered reading that rain water can be used in your soap.  Armed with a bunch of empty plastic containers I took my umbrella and went outside. No Need to let all that water go to waste. 

It was pouring, so it was the perfect time to collect some rainwater! 

I got some empty plastic bowls and put them on my front step, since it was raining very hard, they filled up FAST!

When they filled up, I brought them into the house and filtered the water through a stainer lined with a paper towel to remove any sediments that may have been in the bowl.

I plan on getting several large 5 gallon plastic buckets from Lowe's, because I ran out of pitcher's quickly and I could have collected a lot more water.  

After collecting and straining the water I put them into a bunch of these plastic container's and put them in the refrigerator to use in my next batch of soap.  Stay tuned to see what happens!

There are many resources on the web to make rain water collectors, from the very simple. to the very elaborate.