Studied a lot of videos. My first was strictly coconut with a 25% superfat. It was perfect. The second batch on day 2 was a loaf with fragrance with various oils, and kaolin clay. It was perfect! It was because of people like you, Katie Carson, I Dream in Soap that were a great help. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this! Doing so much research can be crippling and perfectionism can be too. I have in the past few months managed to move forward and get my feet wet. If I hadn't, this video may be enough to be a kick in the butt to get moving. Learning through experience is necessary too! If you don't make mistakes, you can't learn how to avoid them. I have made nine batches so far and five recently are curing. Going pretty well so far, all soap, all nice looking except one is lye heavy. I gave myself a goal in how many soaps to make yearly to start out and am working towards it. Thank you again! Some of us need that message and more than once!
Thanks for all the tips and info. Just used the Soapcalc app and made a batch of soap. Easy! Took about 4 to 5 minutes to trace with a stick blender. Fast process, Took less than an hour once I had all the equipment and recipe laid out.
I've watched your videos!. But with this one, you got a new follower!. This video is awesome, not only for soap making but for all the crafts. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💙
You inspire me so much! 🤩🤩 I’ve been practicing a lot and getting better! Been researching, taking notes, and practicing. My husband bought me a book on cold process soap making for basic, started November of last year and ever since I feel in love creating soap. Started off with hot process and then moved to cold process. Love watching your channel keep it up 👍🏼
How lucky I am to see your video although it was released two years ago. You make it so easy for me as you said keep it simple and one step after another. Thanks man
Love your shop! I work from my kitchen and dining room. Storage for what I have is limited. You did an awesome job explaining. I have one of my adult children coming to make soap with me. It will be his first time seeing and learning. I've been making soap for around 7 years and his comment to me 2 weeks ago was horrible. It was that everyone is making and selling homemade soap so it's like a dime a dozen and you charge to much.. what he doesn't realize is I don't charge enough. I render down my own fats to keep my cost down. (I have 3 dogs with major food allergies and pork is all they can eat for a protein). So I take the fat from the pork and render that down. The crispy bits left at the bottom of the pan I will add fruits and veggies to and create yummy dog treats for my dogs.. no waste. Anyway back to your video. I love how you say keep it simple. Perfectly said. Buttttt, I want to give my sweet dear son some education on how and what he says about how he thinks he knows everything and I'm going gung ho! Going to teach him from rendering down fat to creating the scent I want, to processing soap and even rebatching soap. I want him to see what it takes a person to make a high quality product and why homemade soaps are not as cheap as what can be bought in a store. Time for some hands on up front education. (Maybe I'm jumping him in full throttle, but his comments sting and the only way to make someone understand is to have them walk on your shoes. So he is going to walk on my shoes. Bless you and your family Sir!
Thank you for putting things in perspective. A lot of times you watch something being done by an experienced person and you assume it's simple but nothing new is ever simple. I am loving the process and like they keep saying the soap is definitely teaching me.
Thanks for the tips! Just made my first soap with olive oil and lard from the super market. It turned out great, and now I have some confidence to add coconut oil and maybe a scent. One step at a time of course, keeping it simple!
My background is a chef. So I watched a few videos and started making soap. I haven't ruined any batches yet and to me it's super easy. I do the swirls and they all come out awesome. Maybe because I've been a chef so long. Who knows. Thanks for the info.
This is a great reminder, especially after a few recent fails. Sidenote: my first soap was your Castile recipe, and it came out great! Keep being awesome, sir!
Thank you for your advise. I watch a lot of soap videos and they do get crazy with all the oils. I can't afford 5 different oils in a batch of soap. I found one of your other videos about keeping things simple you said just to use olive oil and coconut oil. I made my first batch last weekend, It is an ugly color, but it leathers really nice. I loved it. I bought some colorants and was going to do a very colorful bar of soap.. Then I had to watch this video.. Dang it, now I am going to do just one color soap. lol You keep me grounded.
Hey THANK YOU!!! I am so excited to begin soaping and been stressing out how on stuff like when to pour what temperatures yadda yadda. I just ordered my lye and 2 oils and this video just helped me get out of my head. Keeping it simple is the best advise I seen.. Again thanks. I am excited to see my first batch either way it goes.
So glad I saw your channel, otherwise I’d be worried about everything with soap. Saw you’re video where you talked about “flexibility” and with that in my head, I was able to make my first batch that was useable. Well done man!
Thanks Jon... I really appreciate this... just got my knickers in a knot tonight cuz I ordered my first mould thinking that it was space saving at 10 inches long but realized tonight it makes 20 soaps after cutting and geez Louise ....not a good mould to start off with, too big....so seeing this tonight was just so reassuring and for me calming as well. I am doing this on my own, just me and oils so advice is awesome!
Well said Jon, I am a New soap maker who jumped in trying to make colorful swirls and now I have a boat load of lightly scented ugly soaps! They are of nice quality and wash really well but... Not sellable. So I have decided to take a year to make small batches and get the basics down before I "take my show on the road" my friends and family will be very happy to enjoy all the less then perfect creations. I enjoy your channel it's very helpful!
Sarah Caprino your probably being to hard on yourself, art is art and I’d like you say it’s an amazing bar of soap , then ur swirls are just added art, don’t down your art, like I said if it’s a healthy great soap the look of it is just ur art and people will surprisingly buy it.. Be confident, don’t be hard on urself, we all have our own magic in our art!!!!
I was getting really frustrated with my soap making journey but that was because i was trying to make “mermaid “ soap as my first try. But your advice is amazing! I will start again and I will keep it simple! Thank you!
I’ve been procrastinating for about a year now but have been buying all my tools for starting soap I feel much better thanks for getting me out of my head.
Great video, I jumped into the deep end after researching a ton. I made donut soaps and all sorts of stuff. Thankfully I only threw away 1 batch ( fragrance accelerated far to fast on me) but I have reeled myself back into the good simple nice stuff lately and love it even more. Basic charcoal soap and things like that are so good!!
Amen. You are so correct. That’s how I raised mine. They are successful adults now. My soaps came out good following recipes. One fat the first batch lard. Good hard soap. Tried coconut oil and olive, nice but not as hard. Adding stuff is confusing. I like the KISS principle. Next is goat milk soap.
I started making soap because a friend of mine has a child who allergic to everything under the sun it seems. He cannot use commercial soaps because of the chemicals. Reducing soap to the basic element of what it is, keeping it simple, sometimes is the best answer.
Bang on!!! Helped me remove lot of cobwebs and finally the picture is crystal clear. Thank you so much. Wish me luck too, am starting my journey. Hope to meet you somewhere along the path.
In a sea of swirly soap making videos, your channel is the voice of reason! I'm a new subscriber, but I've been watching soap making videos for a long time trying to glean tidbits of information. Your no nonsense approach inspired me to dive on and make my first batch and it is absolutely as ugly as sin. BUT I got bubbles and we're using it and getting clean. My husband is blown away how much more he likes it compared to his expensive store bought body wash. Now I just have to make it smell good. I would love some videos about scent, what works, what doesn't. I put lavender and orange oil in mine but maybe not enough? My soap smells like nothing. Also I just want to put this out there for the new folks like me, use bacon fat and what most consider waste oils to practice with. That's what I'm doing until I get good at it. Jon, you're awesome! Thanks so much!
That's so awesome! Yeah.. you would have to go to the website for each oil and they have a place where they will tell you how much you can use in soap. A rough rule of thumb is 1/2 oz to 1 oz of fragrance or essential oils per pound of base oils. But you would have to check and see where your falls.
Thanks, I'm hoping selling soap one day will get this country girl back to the country and out of the city. But I have a long way to go. Also, forgot to mention before: Thank you for your service. Happy Veteran's Day!
Great Video! I follow a lot of Facebook groups too I often see the same statements and thoughts from new soap makers. This video is great, nice job. On my channel I get loads of questions about the process. I find people want to make a million dollars right out the gate. I’ve been asked for my recipes, who I order from and how much each bar costs to make. I always refer them to google for more information. I don’t mind offering up some info but sometimes people take it to far.
I agree Uncle Jon. My very first batch I used yellow and green food coloring lol. Turned out to be awesome but no way could I sell it. I had watched Martha Stewart and she used food coloring. Shortly after that I had watched a lady up North wrap her soap in towels, so thats what I did and it took forever to get that overheated mess cleaned up and thrown out. Still learning. Be safe.
Jon, I love your easy going no nonsense simple style. I have been working on my skills for a year and agree with everything that you say! I really appreciate your advice and encouragement to keep it up even though I haven't sold a lot of products yet. I have finally gotten my recipes where I want them and now I need to concentrate on selling it in small increments. I too made a difficult design my first try and it came out perfect and it encouraged me to keep it up and to make it a business rather than just a hobby. I couldn't believe how pretty it turned out and exactly like the design was supposed to with a zebra swirl on top! I have been at it ever since! My recipe's started off simple until I educated myself with books and tons of video's and I wish I had found you earlier in my soap making! One question, what should I do with my old soaps that I didn't have the best recipe's for? They have shrunk and are very very hard with very little scent and some colors are faded as well. My newer soaps are amazing and I am so proud to sell them! Keep it up Jon, I really enjoy your video's!
I needed this. I want make skin care but I want to start with making soap first. And when I watch videos and read blog. It brings me down. But I said to myself that no one started perfect. Will surely keep it simple
These are great tips for up and coming soapers like myself. I had a few fails in my skincare and perfume lines when I first started. Now that I have succeeded with those, I'm starting to branch out into soaping to add to my product lines. Your tips are very helpful with strategic planning. Thank you!! Have you considered onsite classes?
I’m so glad I found this video. It’s exactly where I’m at. Never done this before. Researching so much and it’s frustrating. I can’t seem to find a beginners recipe. Or even a first step video. They all list beginning videos. But it’s never a basic lesson. I need to start from the beginning. I know NOTHING about oils, or even where to start. I messed up by joining so many groups. And so many different levels. Can you post a step by step video for us total newbies. At this point I just want to learn to better my family. Not looking to resell anything as of now. I just want to learn to be more self sufficient. Thanks again.
Scroll the channel a little. There's two recipes right now. One is just olive oil (and honestly, you can substitute canola in it..lol) , and the other is mostly basic. Plus did a video all about using soapcalc.net.
So true. I am new to soaping and have yet to make my first CP batch because of all the researching I am doing. I am part of a FB group where new soapers post their very first batch and have intricate swirls but the soap itself looks grainy and has air bubble. It makes me cringe.
I’m new to soap making, so far did 3 soap and the last one I have to rebatch. I really like your video’s they are simple and easy to understand. No big terms, very good information. Thanks for making video’s, I learn a lot watching your video’s. Do you have one that explains the calculator for recipes? Thanks! Rox
I’m just now learning about soap making. The only thing I’ve tried so far is that melt and pour soap from micheals and added my own fragrance. I’d like to try CP next. Anyways, I’ve seen a few videos from you and I like your content. Now my question for you is do you use any preservatives in any of your soap? Why and why not? Finally, do you have issues with your soaps going bad or how long does it take for soap to go bad? I know it’s a lot but I could use some guidance.
I love how down to earth you are with lot of things, I just started to make soap made a small batch last night. Cocoa butter 2oz, Olive Oil 17oz, water 4.7ox Lye 2.4 oz, Additives Milk 1oz,Honey 1tsp,and Ground oat meal 3 tsps. Checked it this morning and it is still very soft, did the tonge test like you said to soap and I got that tingling effect? Now what did I do wrong? PLEASE HELP
Hmm... I'll have to run it the the lye calculator to see whats up. Do you use a calculator yet? If not,this would be a good time to start learning it. So you can at least check on any recipes you might get from other sources to make sure they really work. I'll shoot you an email once I take a look.
Nothing too bad. Lard is great in soap. But it doesn6sell as well as vegetable oil soaps. As for the wood ash.. there's no way (at home) to accurately measure the wood ash and keep it safe or at the very least not drying to the skin.
Thank you for doing these Videos Uncle Jon. There are so many out there that don't touch on the Business end of things but you cut to the chase. Oddly enough some of your advice is going to carry over to my Chocolate Company. ;) I know you work by the KISS method and I know each region will have its specific niche of scents but could you do a video on top selling basic scents? None of your special secret formulas- The Duct tape and Leatherman essentials like if you were traveling to shows? Even if it was as simple as "floral Type", "wood type"...
I have never made soap before, but have always wanted to.What are the advantages to the two process of soap making ???? Does hot process cure faster, or is cold process safer to make ???? 👍🏻❤
I like cold processed because it's easier and less hassle than cooking it. Hot process can be used a little faster but not by much honestly. They are both pretty safe in my opinion. Nothing too awful dangerous except paying close attention when working with the lye.
yes you are right, one must start with simple recipes. Anyhow I want to ask about colors used in cold process soap making, which type of colors can be used, tell me about both natural and chemical colors, please. Thanks for the beautiful video.
I'm guilty as charged Jon. I made my first batch last night. Made it with two colors and a complex swirl. Wont know how it came out until I cut it open and check. My next batch will be much simpler.
If i am learning from my mistakes.. I have become a freaking genius!! I agree with the simplicity of the oils, when I see Babassu oil in a recipe, drives me nuts.
Thanks for this!! I started soaping shortly after I found you on TH-cam! (I watched all of your videos) You are a major inspiration for me. Keep it simple! I am almost ready to start selling soaps in my store! My first cures are almost ready to wrap and sell. I love your videos, you are a great teacher even if your not trying to teach. I have Learned so much from you, thank you!!
Most of the time, soaps aren't designed to leave a scent behind. And, when they do, it usually only other people that smell it on you..lol. I would check with the source of your oils and see what the maximum recommended amount per pound of oils is. Then you can determine the most you can use and still be safe. Hope that helps.
Bramble Berry.com has a fragrance calculator that can be such a great help!!! Give it a try for sure !!! Even if they don’t have exactly what u have, u can put in somthing similar , and the amount will be pretty much the same!!! Works great and you will love it!!!
Congrats for the videos I made ma first soap using Palm oil only but it came out in a yellow colour kindly I need to know how I can make it come out in white using the same oil secondly I need to know the use of soda ash
Soda ash really wouldn't have any use in regular soap making. But it can be used for making laundry soap. If you're making bath soap with just palm oil, the only way to get it to a white color would be to use titanium dioxide as a colorant. I'm not sure how much.
Great video! Thank you Sir! Question, do you mind sharing where you get your containers to put your shaving soaps in? I was wanting something for a solid body butter, and those looked like they'd do the trick. TIA
Great tips I am new to soap making haven't made anything as yet but been watching a lot of your videos and got some good tips can you poi t me in a direction where I can get some essential oil thank you
Palm oil I get from soapers choice. They have a great selection. The soy you can get from just about any candle supply. Just make sure it's plain soy wax with no additives for pillar candles, etc..
Have you ever made soap with only Almond or Grapeseed oil? I'm trying to find if one of these will work in place of olive or coconut but all the info I can find is soap mixed with 10 different oils.
Almond and grapeseed by themselves don't make a very good soap unfortunately. Cheap olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc.. would be better as stand alone oils.
Studied a lot of videos. My first was strictly coconut with a 25% superfat. It was perfect. The second batch on day 2 was a loaf with fragrance with various oils, and kaolin clay. It was perfect! It was because of people like you, Katie Carson, I Dream in Soap that were a great help. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this! Doing so much research can be crippling and perfectionism can be too.
I have in the past few months managed to move forward and get my feet wet.
If I hadn't, this video may be enough to be a kick in the butt to get moving.
Learning through experience is necessary too! If you don't make mistakes, you can't learn how to avoid them.
I have made nine batches so far and five recently are curing. Going pretty well so far, all soap, all nice looking except one is lye heavy.
I gave myself a goal in how many soaps to make yearly to start out and am working towards it.
Thank you again! Some of us need that message and more than once!
Thanks for all the tips and info. Just used the Soapcalc app and made a batch of soap. Easy! Took about 4 to 5 minutes to trace with a stick blender. Fast process, Took less than an hour once I had all the equipment and recipe laid out.
Love your no-nonsense, no BS approach to your videos. Makes you relatable, genuine and trustworthy. ;)
Thanks!
Wish I lived in the States. I'd be a customer! I'll just have to suffer here in NE Scotland lol ;)
BTW, I'll email you for a price for shipping 1lb weight of soap from you. You have some fragrances I'd like to smell lol :D
@@StanWatt. aha! Found you! I emailed back with some information.
Just found your videos.... loving how straightforward you put things. Thank you.
I've watched your videos!. But with this one, you got a new follower!. This video is awesome, not only for soap making but for all the crafts. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💙
I admire your practical thinking which makes your lectures simple and easy to understand. Very inspiring. Thank you.
I love your advices ❤ Im a new soaper and still learning from my mistakes. You make it so much easier. Thank you 🥰
You inspire me so much! 🤩🤩 I’ve been practicing a lot and getting better! Been researching, taking notes, and practicing. My husband bought me a book on cold process soap making for basic, started November of last year and ever since I feel in love creating soap. Started off with hot process and then moved to cold process. Love watching your channel keep it up 👍🏼
How lucky I am to see your video although it was released two years ago. You make it so easy for me as you said keep it simple and one step after another. Thanks man
Love your shop! I work from my kitchen and dining room. Storage for what I have is limited. You did an awesome job explaining. I have one of my adult children coming to make soap with me. It will be his first time seeing and learning. I've been making soap for around 7 years and his comment to me 2 weeks ago was horrible. It was that everyone is making and selling homemade soap so it's like a dime a dozen and you charge to much.. what he doesn't realize is I don't charge enough. I render down my own fats to keep my cost down. (I have 3 dogs with major food allergies and pork is all they can eat for a protein). So I take the fat from the pork and render that down. The crispy bits left at the bottom of the pan I will add fruits and veggies to and create yummy dog treats for my dogs.. no waste. Anyway back to your video. I love how you say keep it simple. Perfectly said. Buttttt, I want to give my sweet dear son some education on how and what he says about how he thinks he knows everything and I'm going gung ho! Going to teach him from rendering down fat to creating the scent I want, to processing soap and even rebatching soap. I want him to see what it takes a person to make a high quality product and why homemade soaps are not as cheap as what can be bought in a store. Time for some hands on up front education. (Maybe I'm jumping him in full throttle, but his comments sting and the only way to make someone understand is to have them walk on your shoes. So he is going to walk on my shoes. Bless you and your family Sir!
Thank you for putting things in perspective. A lot of times you watch something being done by an experienced person and you assume it's simple but nothing new is ever simple. I am loving the process and like they keep saying the soap is definitely teaching me.
Luv your “REALNESS” 👍🏾
Thanks!
Thanks for the tips! Just made my first soap with olive oil and lard from the super market. It turned out great, and now I have some confidence to add coconut oil and maybe a scent. One step at a time of course, keeping it simple!
My background is a chef. So I watched a few videos and started making soap. I haven't ruined any batches yet and to me it's super easy. I do the swirls and they all come out awesome. Maybe because I've been a chef so long. Who knows. Thanks for the info.
Finally someone who just tells you like it is-----kudos John
This is a great reminder, especially after a few recent fails. Sidenote: my first soap was your Castile recipe, and it came out great! Keep being awesome, sir!
Thank you for your advise. I watch a lot of soap videos and they do get crazy with all the oils. I can't afford 5 different oils in a batch of soap.
I found one of your other videos about keeping things simple you said just to use olive oil and coconut oil. I made my first batch last weekend, It is an ugly color, but it leathers really nice. I loved it. I bought some colorants and was going to do a very colorful bar of soap.. Then I had to watch this video.. Dang it, now I am going to do just one color soap. lol You keep me grounded.
Hey.. if you're comfortable then go for it 😁
Great advice for anything in life.
Hey THANK YOU!!! I am so excited to begin soaping and been stressing out how on stuff like when to pour what temperatures yadda yadda. I just ordered my lye and 2 oils and this video just helped me get out of my head. Keeping it simple is the best advise I seen.. Again thanks. I am excited to see my first batch either way it goes.
So glad I saw your channel, otherwise I’d be worried about everything with soap. Saw you’re video where you talked about “flexibility” and with that in my head, I was able to make my first batch that was useable. Well done man!
Thanks Jon... I really appreciate this... just got my knickers in a knot tonight cuz I ordered my first mould thinking that it was space saving at 10 inches long but realized tonight it makes 20 soaps after cutting and geez Louise ....not a good mould to start off with, too big....so seeing this tonight was just so reassuring and for me calming as well. I am doing this on my own, just me and oils so advice is awesome!
Thanks Uncle Jon. ♥️
Well said Jon, I am a New soap maker who jumped in trying to make colorful swirls and now I have a boat load of lightly scented ugly soaps! They are of nice quality and wash really well but... Not sellable. So I have decided to take a year to make small batches and get the basics down before I "take my show on the road" my friends and family will be very happy to enjoy all the less then perfect creations. I enjoy your channel it's very helpful!
Sarah Caprino your probably being to hard on yourself, art is art and I’d like you say it’s an amazing bar of soap , then ur swirls are just added art, don’t down your art, like I said if it’s a healthy great soap the look of it is just ur art and people will surprisingly buy it.. Be confident, don’t be hard on urself, we all have our own magic in our art!!!!
Thank you. Going to make my first batch of soap this week using the oils I already have on hand. Using coconut, olive and shea. I’m super excited.
I am soooo glad you are here, you keep it simple and it makes sense
Terrific tips and suggestions, I really appreciate this Jon, thank you!
Thanks!
@@unclejonssoap hi there can you tell me how the numbers get associated with colors on labels under ingredients? Like example green #2 and f3 red?
Each color should have a code of some sort depending on what it is made from. For oxides and micas I just label.it as that..like green oxide powder.
@@unclejonssoap thank you, you're the besttt!
I was getting really frustrated with my soap making journey but that was because i was trying to make “mermaid “ soap as my first try. But your advice is amazing! I will start again and I will keep it simple! Thank you!
Yep! Gotta keep it simple especially while learning and gaining confidence. You'll be making fancy stuff in no time.
I’ve been procrastinating for about a year now but have been buying all my tools for starting soap I feel much better thanks for getting me out of my head.
Great video, I jumped into the deep end after researching a ton. I made donut soaps and all sorts of stuff. Thankfully I only threw away 1 batch ( fragrance accelerated far to fast on me) but I have reeled myself back into the good simple nice stuff lately and love it even more. Basic charcoal soap and things like that are so good!!
Amen. You are so correct. That’s how I raised mine. They are successful adults now. My soaps came out good following recipes. One fat the first batch lard. Good hard soap. Tried coconut oil and olive, nice but not as hard. Adding stuff is confusing. I like the KISS principle. Next is goat milk soap.
Great information 👍🏽
I started making soap because a friend of mine has a child who allergic to everything under the sun it seems. He cannot use commercial soaps because of the chemicals. Reducing soap to the basic element of what it is, keeping it simple, sometimes is the best answer.
Eric Tomjack good bless and happy soaping! 👍🏻
Yr not to far from me..im 30 mile.s north of baltimore..
Churchville md..cheer.s love yr channel..and im subbed
Thanks Jon for sharing your knowledge! I'm always using screw-up bars around the house!
Thanks for the video. Love them and your products.
Once again, you show why you're the man.
Great video. Someday I might try to make some soap, but for now I will leave the artistry up to you Jon. Awesome as always. 👍
Such and excellent video!
Bang on!!! Helped me remove lot of cobwebs and finally the picture is crystal clear. Thank you so much. Wish me luck too, am starting my journey. Hope to meet you somewhere along the path.
That would be great!
In a sea of swirly soap making videos, your channel is the voice of reason! I'm a new subscriber, but I've been watching soap making videos for a long time trying to glean tidbits of information. Your no nonsense approach inspired me to dive on and make my first batch and it is absolutely as ugly as sin. BUT I got bubbles and we're using it and getting clean. My husband is blown away how much more he likes it compared to his expensive store bought body wash. Now I just have to make it smell good. I would love some videos about scent, what works, what doesn't. I put lavender and orange oil in mine but maybe not enough? My soap smells like nothing. Also I just want to put this out there for the new folks like me, use bacon fat and what most consider waste oils to practice with. That's what I'm doing until I get good at it. Jon, you're awesome! Thanks so much!
That's so awesome! Yeah.. you would have to go to the website for each oil and they have a place where they will tell you how much you can use in soap. A rough rule of thumb is 1/2 oz to 1 oz of fragrance or essential oils per pound of base oils. But you would have to check and see where your falls.
Thanks, I'm hoping selling soap one day will get this country girl back to the country and out of the city. But I have a long way to go. Also, forgot to mention before: Thank you for your service. Happy Veteran's Day!
Great Video! I follow a lot of Facebook groups too I often see the same statements and thoughts from new soap makers. This video is great, nice job. On my channel I get loads of questions about the process. I find people want to make a million dollars right out the gate. I’ve been asked for my recipes, who I order from and how much each bar costs to make. I always refer them to google for more information. I don’t mind offering up some info but sometimes people take it to far.
I agree Uncle Jon. My very first batch I used yellow and green food coloring lol. Turned out to be awesome but no way could I sell it. I had watched Martha Stewart and she used food coloring. Shortly after that I had watched a lady up North wrap her soap in towels, so thats what I did and it took forever to get that overheated mess cleaned up and thrown out. Still learning. Be safe.
Beautiful. We learn by making mistakes. Great love from Cameroon sir.
Keep shinning
You gave a good advice.right keep it simple
Jon, I love your easy going no nonsense simple style. I have been working on my skills for a year and agree with everything that you say! I really appreciate your advice and encouragement to keep it up even though I haven't sold a lot of products yet. I have finally gotten my recipes where I want them and now I need to concentrate on selling it in small increments. I too made a difficult design my first try and it came out perfect and it encouraged me to keep it up and to make it a business rather than just a hobby. I couldn't believe how pretty it turned out and exactly like the design was supposed to with a zebra swirl on top! I have been at it ever since! My recipe's started off simple until I educated myself with books and tons of video's and I wish I had found you earlier in my soap making! One question, what should I do with my old soaps that I didn't have the best recipe's for? They have shrunk and are very very hard with very little scent and some colors are faded as well. My newer soaps are amazing and I am so proud to sell them!
Keep it up Jon, I really enjoy your video's!
Some shelters will take older soaps. I would check with them to see if they can use them.
I needed this. I want make skin care but I want to start with making soap first. And when I watch videos and read blog. It brings me down. But I said to myself that no one started perfect. Will surely keep it simple
Im in Mn, i would love to come visit some day- from one soap maker to another, best wishes - chuck
We'll keep the lights on!
GREAT ADVICE!!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching! 😁
These are great tips for up and coming soapers like myself. I had a few fails in my skincare and perfume lines when I first started. Now that I have succeeded with those, I'm starting to branch out into soaping to add to my product lines. Your tips are very helpful with strategic planning. Thank you!! Have you considered onsite classes?
I have. Unfortunately, I have zero room for that in the current location. Maybe someday 😁
I’m so glad I found this video. It’s exactly where I’m at. Never done this before. Researching so much and it’s frustrating. I can’t seem to find a beginners recipe. Or even a first step video. They all list beginning videos. But it’s never a basic lesson. I need to start from the beginning. I know NOTHING about oils, or even where to start. I messed up by joining so many groups. And so many different levels. Can you post a step by step video for us total newbies. At this point I just want to learn to better my family. Not looking to resell anything as of now. I just want to learn to be more self sufficient. Thanks again.
Scroll the channel a little. There's two recipes right now. One is just olive oil (and honestly, you can substitute canola in it..lol) , and the other is mostly basic. Plus did a video all about using soapcalc.net.
Great advice Jon.
So true. I am new to soaping and have yet to make my first CP batch because of all the researching I am doing. I am part of a FB group where new soapers post their very first batch and have intricate swirls but the soap itself looks grainy and has air bubble. It makes me cringe.
Love you lots from india uncle John.. you are my inspiration and guru🙏
I’m new to soap making, so far did 3 soap and the last one I have to rebatch. I really like your video’s they are simple and easy to understand. No big terms, very good information. Thanks for making video’s, I learn a lot watching your video’s. Do you have one that explains the calculator for recipes?
Thanks!
Rox
I do! It's fairly detailed but once you've used the calculator a few times it does get easier😁
I’m just now learning about soap making. The only thing I’ve tried so far is that melt and pour soap from micheals and added my own fragrance. I’d like to try CP next. Anyways, I’ve seen a few videos from you and I like your content. Now my question for you is do you use any preservatives in any of your soap? Why and why not? Finally, do you have issues with your soaps going bad or how long does it take for soap to go bad? I know it’s a lot but I could use some guidance.
Really appreciate this advice
hi im kelly and I'm new to soap 😅 have you ever used Rapeseed wax in your soap?
your vibe is very easy to watch. from UK Liverpool:)
Thanks! As for the wax..hmm. I would think it wouldn't be much different than soy wax honestly. Maybe I'll look into it.
Great advice! Keep it simple.. yes sir!
Great video Jon! Some very wise advice!
I wholeheartedly agree that simple is better but some people like a challenge...
Can you use crystal lye from Walmart
As long as it says 100% sodium hydroxide.
Hi Jon, new to your channel! I'm so happy I found it! Great info!
I love how down to earth you are with lot of things, I just started to make soap made a small batch last night. Cocoa butter 2oz, Olive Oil 17oz, water 4.7ox Lye 2.4 oz, Additives Milk 1oz,Honey 1tsp,and Ground oat meal 3 tsps. Checked it this morning and it is still very soft, did the tonge test like you said to soap and I got that tingling effect? Now what did I do wrong? PLEASE HELP
Hmm... I'll have to run it the the lye calculator to see whats up. Do you use a calculator yet? If not,this would be a good time to start learning it. So you can at least check on any recipes you might get from other sources to make sure they really work. I'll shoot you an email once I take a look.
Uncle Jon were you got assentiol oil
Thank you for the guidance! 🙏🏼😊 I really appreciate and depend on you being real. 💕🧼
Thanks!
For real thanks a lot for the concern
Great advice!
So what’s wrong with lard and wood ash?
Nothing too bad. Lard is great in soap. But it doesn6sell as well as vegetable oil soaps. As for the wood ash.. there's no way (at home) to accurately measure the wood ash and keep it safe or at the very least not drying to the skin.
Thanks so much, I Needed to hear this!!
Great advice, as always.
Thank you for doing these Videos Uncle Jon. There are so many out there that don't touch on the Business end of things but you cut to the chase. Oddly enough some of your advice is going to carry over to my Chocolate Company. ;)
I know you work by the KISS method and I know each region will have its specific niche of scents but could you do a video on top selling basic scents? None of your special secret formulas- The Duct tape and Leatherman essentials like if you were traveling to shows? Even if it was as simple as "floral Type", "wood type"...
Thanks for this! Such a relief as I've been battling perfection ***sigh**
I have never made soap before, but have always wanted to.What are the advantages to the two process of soap making ???? Does hot process cure faster, or is cold process safer to make ???? 👍🏻❤
I like cold processed because it's easier and less hassle than cooking it. Hot process can be used a little faster but not by much honestly. They are both pretty safe in my opinion. Nothing too awful dangerous except paying close attention when working with the lye.
yes you are right, one must start with simple recipes. Anyhow I want to ask about colors used in cold process soap making, which type of colors can be used, tell me about both natural and chemical colors, please. Thanks for the beautiful video.
Mica mad mica website helps
My kids learn the same way.i have a wall clock with colors highlighting there daily schedule
I'm guilty as charged Jon. I made my first batch last night. Made it with two colors and a complex swirl. Wont know how it came out until I cut it open and check. My next batch will be much simpler.
Great, common-sense advice mate, thanks!
Great advice, thank you!~
After jumping into soap I have finally got my base down. Very simple.
Olive Oil: 250 grams | 25%
Coconut Oil: 250 grams | 25%
Beef Tallow: 300 grams | 30%
Shea Butter: 150 grams | 15%
Castor Oil: 50 grams | 5%
Sometimes I'll add clay.
If i am learning from my mistakes.. I have become a freaking genius!! I agree with the simplicity of the oils, when I see Babassu oil in a recipe, drives me nuts.
Lol.. there's nothing wrong with adding the exotic oils but it seems as though some people think it's necessary or better somehow.
Great video Uncle Jon! What in soap makes the lather/bubbles?
Your the bomb! So intelligent and love the beard!😉
Thanks!
Thanks for this!! I started soaping shortly after I found you on TH-cam! (I watched all of your videos) You are a major inspiration for me. Keep it simple! I am almost ready to start selling soaps in my store! My first cures are almost ready to wrap and sell. I love your videos, you are a great teacher even if your not trying to teach. I have Learned so much from you, thank you!!
Thanks! That means a lot to me 😁
Do you have a book you would recommend that teaches the science and how to create your own recipe properly?
THEeyeopener for newbees tnx jon
This helped.
Had a question how do you get your soap scented enough to when you wash your hands body Ext the scent stays on am I not adding enough essential oils
Most of the time, soaps aren't designed to leave a scent behind. And, when they do, it usually only other people that smell it on you..lol. I would check with the source of your oils and see what the maximum recommended amount per pound of oils is. Then you can determine the most you can use and still be safe. Hope that helps.
Thank you so much love your videos
Bramble Berry.com has a fragrance calculator that can be such a great help!!! Give it a try for sure !!! Even if they don’t have exactly what u have, u can put in somthing similar , and the amount will be pretty much the same!!! Works great and you will love it!!!
Love your soaps been using them, but I seen on your videos you mention a lye calculator. Where can I find that?
soapcalc.net
Congrats for the videos I made ma first soap using Palm oil only but it came out in a yellow colour kindly I need to know how I can make it come out in white using the same oil secondly I need to know the use of soda ash
Soda ash really wouldn't have any use in regular soap making. But it can be used for making laundry soap. If you're making bath soap with just palm oil, the only way to get it to a white color would be to use titanium dioxide as a colorant. I'm not sure how much.
Great video! Thank you Sir! Question, do you mind sharing where you get your containers to put your shaving soaps in? I was wanting something for a solid body butter, and those looked like they'd do the trick. TIA
I like the prices and selection at wholesale Supplies plus. Thanks!
haha, I was just thinking of looking there for them, thank you!
Great tips I am new to soap making haven't made anything as yet but been watching a lot of your videos and got some good tips can you poi t me in a direction where I can get some essential oil thank you
I would start with bulk apothecary and wholesale supplies plus. 😁
@@unclejonssoap thank you
Great advice Jon appreciate it 👍🏻
Uncle Jon, could you give me some pointers of where I can purchase soy flakes and palm oil?
Palm oil I get from soapers choice. They have a great selection. The soy you can get from just about any candle supply. Just make sure it's plain soy wax with no additives for pillar candles, etc..
Awesome!!! Thanks for the direction!
Have you ever made soap with only Almond or Grapeseed oil? I'm trying to find if one of these will work in place of olive or coconut but all the info I can find is soap mixed with 10 different oils.
Almond and grapeseed by themselves don't make a very good soap unfortunately. Cheap olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc.. would be better as stand alone oils.
@@unclejonssoap Thank you for the info!
Sir good video u speak very nice good tips for beginner like me
Really great advice!
Love all the advice, been taking notes since the 1st video. Would love to be Jon's apprentice
Love your lab!
Awesome and Amazing advise. And by the way, Life is messy. That's what soap is for, to clean it up. Hahahaha. LoL
And... Funny you mentioned Amazon. Watching your video, You activated my Kindle. Oops. LoL ♥️
😂
EMERENCE MIERVALDIS SPRINGER hahahahaha my daughter says it’s the cleanest mess that we make!!!! Lol hahahahaha