Dude, you are amazing. I am a new soap-maker and was listening to all the people that tell you that there is only one way to make soap. You help me to step back and realize what actually is important to pay attention to and what is not really important. Thanks dude.
Just discovered you. Thanks. I drive a 18 wheeler flat bed truck. An me an my wife live in the truck. I bought my soap kit from Makesy back in August of this year, an haven't made any yet. But I will this weekend. I will have the time. The hot process will be the direction I go. Eventually I will do cold process. I'm doing this as a side hustle for now. Thanks again for your time and video....
Epic beard dude 🤘I am a beginner and only done a couple of cold soaps and both of them mention a curing time of 4 to 6wks. Isn't the point of long curing because of the lye biting? That's the way I understood it... So does it making a hot process helps with the lye as well?
The lye is actually neutral after the first 25 hours. It needs time to harden and there are some molecular changes that do make the soap a better product overall. But, it's safe after 24 hours. Maybe just not as good as it could be if left alone for a few weeks. 😁
So initially I wanted to do cold process soap, I did do a few batches but lately I've been wanting to try hot process just to experience it. I think depending on what kind of soap you want, you would choose either. There's plenty to know in soap making. It's super fun.
Great Video! I like cold process too. I can add my oils and pigments without feeling rushed. Like the stand to cure mold. Showing that to my Husband. Thanks for the tips!
Just found your videos... thank you sir.. love your no “FLUFF” ... I am a beginner started making my own cause my son has problems with the additives in most soap. And like u said there are a lot of the you have to do it this way or no way out there and your videos are full of info and don’t leave u trying to fast forward through them..... I just wanted to say great job and thank you
I love that you addressed the very realistic fight against things like animal hair! In my case its dust! I was asking around a Facebook group how to combat it when i first started making soap. The first comment was that my house needed cleaned, my ducts needed cleaned, and i needed to dust more. -I felt this was very rude and did not answer my question. I rent an older home and its very dusty in the area I live, not all areas, houses, states are the same! Beware new soap makers, don't listen to people like that in groups, i assure you you are not the only one having issues. If anyone dismisses it as if you are dirty, or stupid, ignore them and pay no mind to it! We all have struggles with certain aspects of this, from making to curing, to space etc. Someone who really cares about helping wont answer like the rude lady who commented on my post, they'll give you personal experience, and an answer or suggestion. Ive been watching Uncle Jon for almost a year now and i highly recommend him to any new comer! Thank you for another great video. I found this while looking more into making hot process soap for my first time. I have been making cold process for 10 months now.
So glad I found your channel. Many things you present I have already discovered which helps validate my observations and practices but so much new info. I have been binge watching 😃 I find your approach most trustworthy. Thank you Joe
You are so down to earth. Holy crap what a refreshing video! Thank you. Can I ask.. if I started making soap the hot process way and have it in the crock pot.. added the lye.. can I change my mind and scoop it out and turn it into making cold process soap? Do you know what I mean?
Great straight information... Question my log of soap had a lot of bubbles? Did I have my water lye mixture to hot before I added it. It was Castile soap. Thank you for your insight, Susan
Focusing on cp now, but ya going to e trying hp to. It is good to know both, if anything even if I don't like hp, it could be useful for rebatching my scraps.
Glad to hear there is someone else who doesn't buy the line about extended curing making some mystical transformation from dangerously unusable to incredible in six months time.
This was such a timely revelation for me. I started making hp due to the time factor fallacy. I love both methods. Recently made a beautiful cp and used it the following day, still somewhat soft but did not melt my skin off😱 Anyway, thank you!💦
I prefer CP hot process to me, just don't care for it. However i don't mind CPHP (pour in molds and place in oven on low temp for an hour, turn off oven leave over night and walla ......... a mix of CP and HP , I wrote that our for those that may not know, not you Jon.......................LOVE the new shop.
I been wanting to make soap for awhile I just wanted to do it in a safe and easy way nothing complicated I bought some goat milk melt and pour but I want to try it at lye I wanted to try cold press
I know really old video but super helpful I’m looking at making some up for just a hobby but the hopefully if it goes right a business. I’m wondering about the oils/butters do they have to be food grade or does that depend on where you live ?
I started with CP now I do HP. I find CP takes longer with prep/make/clean up lol. HP I melt my oils add my lye water 40 mins later it is designed/molded/done! I love my recipe ❤️
Hi Christal, I don't have the knowledge or experience that Jon has but I do HP and Cp. Lately I have been doing the countertop hp. Really fast way to do it but not until you have been doing HP and understand it. The only thing you need different is a crock pot. Do what you do with cold process with your oils at 80 to 100 degrees. Then turn your crock pot to low and it takes about two hours. Don't turn your back on it though and you will have to stir it from time to time. Watch some of Essentialsoap's videos. That is the only kind she does and you will learn a lot from her. But all you need to do is type in hot process soap and you will get a ton of education. I think you will love the rustic look and if you do some in the pot swirls you will be hooked.
I love this and thank you, the cats watched too! You allowed me to breathe - and take a step back, this is possible:) Thank you so much!!! PS: I love, love , love that you approach things, keeping it simple and sane. ( funny, I never thought of covering soap). -light bulb- :) Hubby loved the vid too...he is recruited to help me with a first Batch, which I'm not afraid to "botch" it up any longer. I can take it on and smile:P
Hi Rhonda, How did you soap turn out? It is that first step that is scary. I really enjoy making soap and would like to sell but don't know how to handle the "sue crazy" people who may show up. I just left a comment for Jon asking him how he deals with that. I hope he will be able to find time to answer. Have fun with the soap.
@@icecreamladydriver1606 , I actually am going to do a 64 oz practice run this weekend. I waited till my hubby could be around! I will post a pic and reply as soon as it's in the mold. I decided since the soap is totally for personal use I'm not going to be fancy with "molds" I found a nice size box...:) I'm with you on selling things! Then again I know so little about it. From what I gather INS and proper labeling will help:)
I love watching online soapers make the "Foo Foo" beautiful CP soaps. I've tried my fair share of CP soaps however. I swear CP soap really hates me. I have perhaps managed to make 2 CP soaps that have turned out as I had planned for them to. The intricate and beautiful different colored swirls, mine look like someone squashed a multi-legged alien spider throughout the soap, accompanied by glycerin rivers or, perhaps I should call them FLOODS... Soap is fine but... Just don't look at them... LOL Hot process soap, seems to agree with me more, so even if I'd love to be able to make the pretty CP soaps, I just get upset and that defeats the purpose of doing something that I find relaxing. So, hats off to all of you that have mastered CP soap, I'll stick with the various methods of HP... And yes, they can be very pretty too... :D And I fully agree, if someone tells you that you can only make soap their way... RUN... More than once, my HP soaps, I've seriously thought I really messed up this time. However, when they have come out of the mold, I've cut and cleaned them up, they have been some of the best. You don't know what will work until you have tried something you didn't know would work. That's how new processes come about. There really aren't that many failures, they're learning experiences. Just don't go testing the safety boundaries. ;) Thanks for a great vid!
For supplies you can start with Bulk Apothacary. I don't think I spelled that right but you can type it in the search and it will come up. Bramble Berry is another. I buy my olive oil from Sam's Club, coconut oil from Big Lots', pure lye from Ace Hardware and most of the other stuff from ebay and thrift stores. There are many soapers of both cold and hot process here on youtube and most are wonderful to help you learn. That is where I learned. Good luck and have fun with it.
Nope. Cold process is just like hot process except not adding any external heat during mixing. Just letting the chemical reaction basically do it's thing 😁
I like both processes. I do them both. I like hp because you don't have cure them very long, a week or two tops. I also do cp soaps too, but the cure time is six to eight weeks.
I don't worry about the curing except the bars are softer and can damage in shipping. Like Jon says once it's set up you can use it. I prefer new soap and will store my personal soap in plastic containers to keep it softer longer.
What's the best ratio of pure olive oil to coconut oil to use? I made my first batch at 70/30 (70% olive oil) with 5% superfat and it cleans really well, and feels moisturizing at first but my hands now feel dryer than i expected. Am i using too much Coconut oil? Should I go to 10% superfat?
Watching you is awesome, I’m interested in getting into soap making but I’m wanting to start off with the more historical way using wood ash. One we enjoy such things and two it’s cost effective and using something we already have. Do you have any knowledge of trying it that way?
I know that it's a tough way to start because there's no good way to know just how strong or weak your solution is. I haven't done much with it myself.
Thanks for talking sense. Those soap gods and goddesses who do everything right got to me several times. I just let them talk. I do some things differently because it works for me.
I appreciate your info. I do find sometimes that soapers are tight lipped. We have a big big world and there is room for many soap makers and sharing tips and o do so that one can have success in their Endeavor’s.. Sometimes you just have to get answers from seasoned soapers, we need their wisdom to begin. But some just don’t want to share. So thank you for sharing
Ya I understand recipe protecting. My questions are typically what sources do you use for essential oil scents as I don’t use fragrance that’s synthetic. I use therapeutic grade so I’m am not putting enough to add scent but more therapeutic. I don’t know what suppliers that soapers use to make scents out of essential oils at 2-3 oz of EO per one batch of soap. Every place I e looked seems that cost would be about $15 and up to scent that soap. So I must be missing something here. Who would charge $12.50 a bar to compensate for all the ingredients and labor in the bar.
Well.. to start, therapeutic doesn't really work in soap as a rinse off product. Plus there's a lot of misinformation surrounding that whole industry when it comes to therapeutic oils. For soaps and lotions, the oils at bulk Apothecary, brambleberry, wholesale Supplies plus are all good places to start. By the way.. most of the fragrances on those same sites are just as safe (some even safer) as essential oils. Just gotta know what's in them. Too many people use the wrong amount of EO or even one that they probably shouldn't use at all. But the prices on the sites I gave are well within reason for your purposes.
How can I avoid sweating of cold process soap? After the bars got sweating, is there a way that I can remove it. My bars of soap got sweating in just 25 days of curing.
Hey Jon, would you mind giving the measurements of your mold out? I would like to make some of my own molds. Thank you for all that you share. I learn so much from watching your videos.
Sure! Inside dimensions are width -3.25", height-2.5", length -21". I cut my bars at 7/8" thick so this works out well with the 21" length I can get 24 even bars. Also, I don't pour quite all the way to the top so I have room to flatten the top off if the batch is at thick trace. Hope that helps.
Nope 😁 Hot or cold is good either way. Quality mostly depends on recipe. The only thing that can make handmade soaps better is milling them. But that's rather expensive for most small companies.
@@kathybond181 sorry.. This is Jon. It logged me in under the other channel name..lol. But milling is a process where the soap is shredded, pressed between rollers (basically smashed into a paste), and then extruded into a long long of soap again, cut into blanks (just larger blocks of soap), and then pressed under tremendous pressure into a single cavity mold. Makes the bar super hard like commercial soap. But the equipment is very expensive and rather large.
I like cp for making designs. I usually do hot process because I like the rustic look. Lately I have been experimenting with countertop hp. Way faster and still get that rustic look. I only make for our family and have given some to friends but recently have had two people want to buy my soap. I would like to sell but am worried about sue crazy people. How do you handle that problem in your business? Thanks.
@@unclejonssoap Thanks for the quick response. So you don't really need insurance? I have been so worried about law suites that I haven't dared jump in and sell but if you don't have insurance and have had no problem then that makes me feel much better. Thanks.
Oh.. I misunderstood. So, I would still get product insurance. If you join the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic guild, then you get member benefits and a good insurance policy for about $550 per year.
@@unclejonssoap i have accidentally gone more then 200 degrees, i hear this is bad. This is when i found out my laser temp was actually +8 degrees more then shown. So for a fast temp i use the laser and for a accurate temp i use my candy making thermometer or do fast mental math: temp = temp +8; The physical difference i find with cold process is the soap is smoother, while the hot process is almost you could say rustic. I did have a batch where i kept the temp in the range(170-180) and it came out no different then if it was done by cold process. The batch produced a smooth extremely dense white soap with a ph in limits and this was with lard via the hot process. The vegetable based soap that did wonders was 40% olive oil / coconut 20% / canola 20% / grape seed oil 20%. If i had made it cold process it would have a smooth finish on the top vs hot that is the real difference im seeing. The lard soap actually damaged my skin, even when it had an very nice appearance to it much like pears. It left the skin dry so it might work fine if i had acne but i dont, but the effect is too drying for daily use. I checked online and dove soap seem to be made from animal fat like the batch i made but with stabilizers and chemicals to increase suds with perfumes. After all these years using store bought soap homemade high quality, with precision manufacturing using all vegetable oils seems it cannot be beaten. I was thinking about using tallow no more then 20% to harden a vegetable based hot process soap but it seems excessive. I could just let the soap age for a year. I did find this link here to add in a bit of lard to harden basicsoapmaking.com/why-use-lard-in-soapmaking/ but i dont see the real use as people want all veg based not hybrid. I find it odd how simple it is to manufacturer soaps yet almost no one does it almost like the barrier of entry seems too high. I did a quick search and it seems day to day we put thousands of different chemicals topically on our skin and few have been tested on its long term effects on the human body.
Which of these two soaps: HOT or COLD, does the customer like more? Who has the greater advantage? Which of the two gives us more value for the final product?
My customers never expressed a preference. I like cold process better as far as production is concerned. It's easier to get more batches done in less time. There doesn't seem to be any difference in the final product quality.
Great video Jon. Yeah there's definitely more than one way when it comes to making soap and sadly there are some idiots out there that think that "their way" is the only which is complete B.S. Essential Depot is who makes those racks that you were talking about.
@@unclejonssoap My dad was a master Builder and we'd be pumping them out like crazy right now I won't buy over seas..i had a bad experience.. But I want to keep the money here in the US and support my fellow SOAP maker/ carpenter!! I can't wait. THANKS
General rule of thumb is 4-6 weeks. For me, it's fine as long as saponification is complete. So a few days to a couple weeks is fine 😁 But you will never know exactly when the soap is finished curing.
Good on you calling out the gatekeepers. I hate that shit. You seem like a cool dude. Do you have a discord or somewhere to reach you? One bearded bro to another, I'm thinking about getting into making soap as well. Hoping I can get some recommendations for places to get supplies.
I want to start selling soap online I have had a couple friends buy my soap and a couple people from my dads work buy some but I wanna reach more people you think you can make video about selling soap online
So I'm confused. Which method do you use? Isn't one with lye and one isn't? I'm confused because you don't really teach the difference between the two. Or....I may just be confused because it's a new art concept for me. Thank you though for your video. Definitely going to watch some more of yours because I'm curious af! I've always seen women making soap so I'm super impressed to see a chill man making yummy soaps! ❤️
Hey there! Sorry for the confusion. I do talk about lye in some videos. Both hit and cold process use lye. Mostly sodium hydroxide. But, some parts of the world people only have access to potassium hydroxide ( potash). The only real difference between hit and cold is that cold (cp) doesn't require any additional great other than to melt the solid oils and fats. And got process allowed the bars to harden a little faster. Hope that helps some.
Nice cover of this topic. I avoided HP forever, and finally decided it a nice fit for my Shampoo bars I wanted to add extra ingredients to after 'the cook'. Otherwise, CP is my fav. Discovered in the last few months the benefits of water discount (me- 25% H2O). My soaps 'cure' faster. They stop losing weight by 10 days and unmold quicker. Each person needs to try different techniques to figure out what they prefer though. I'm sure ill never stop learning! Thanks for sharing!
@@icecreamladydriver1606 Awh! Thank you ~ Not a lot of folk with my name. I noticed you said 'was' regarding your Sis. Sorry if you no longer have her. I am glad the name Eva is a nice memory for you. :)
It's Probably just me and I'm doing something wrong but...with doing Hot process soap I cant get it to be moisturizing enough. Even when adding a high superfat..
Extra glycerin and butters help with that some. High stearic acid fats too. You also have to remember that soap was never really intended to be moisturizing. We can shoot for less drying and harsh though.
@@unclejonssoap thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it! I see...okay I will try to use butters/oils with higher levels of stearic acid. Thank you for your advice :)
I a stick blinder hot process guy but ive learned for people the do cp too. But everyone that sells soap has built a customer base based on their method of soap making.
🤔🤔👉 Fortunately there arent that many hobbyists who are so arrogant and narcissistic as to insist that "their process is great and everyone else is wrong". Tolerance of other peoples' ideas is important. Having said that, when making soap, I use the "lukewarm process".... The lukewarm process is my way, and when it comes to soapmaking, it's MY way or the highway! My way is the ONLY right way, everyone else's ways are wrong and terrible! From now on, EVERYONE must use MY lukewarm process! Lol. 👌😉👍 👉Seriously though, I've never made 'personal soap', but I have very successfully(at times) produced homemade liquid laundry detergent that honestly seemed equal to store bought. experimented with some of the ingredients, with varying degrees of success(and failure). Those ingredients always included borax, washing soda and suitable bar soap(grated on a cheese grater). I heated up water in a large pot, and melted the grated bar soap within. Then gradually poured in the other ingredients while constantly stirring(theres a LOT of stirring while initially mixing in the ingredients, and while adding in cold water after all ingredients are suitably mixed). My biggest failure was the time when I substituted Dial brand bar soap for the Dove brand(cucumber and green tea) bar soap I'd successfully used before. For some reason, the recipe using Dial soap kept separating. It wouldnt remain mixed for more than a minute or two. But the Dove bar soap yielded a great liquid laundry detergent. 👍😁👌
He is such a no non-sense, meat and potatoes guy. Giving straight facts. Thanks uncle jon
Dude, you are amazing. I am a new soap-maker and was listening to all the people that tell you that there is only one way to make soap. You help me to step back and realize what actually is important to pay attention to and what is not really important. Thanks dude.
Awesome! Yeah.. I hate when people try to scare new soap makers...lol. Have fun with it and remember to breathe 😁
I learned that the hard way. Do your own experiments and have fun with it. It's Art and John Knows what he's talking about..
Just discovered you. Thanks. I drive a 18 wheeler flat bed truck. An me an my wife live in the truck. I bought my soap kit from Makesy back in August of this year, an haven't made any yet. But I will this weekend. I will have the time. The hot process will be the direction I go. Eventually I will do cold process. I'm doing this as a side hustle for now.
Thanks again for your time and video....
That is awesome!
I'm so grateful for folks like you in the soap world. Your encouragement has really helped me in my soap making ventures.
Epic beard dude 🤘I am a beginner and only done a couple of cold soaps and both of them mention a curing time of 4 to 6wks. Isn't the point of long curing because of the lye biting? That's the way I understood it... So does it making a hot process helps with the lye as well?
The lye is actually neutral after the first 25 hours. It needs time to harden and there are some molecular changes that do make the soap a better product overall. But, it's safe after 24 hours. Maybe just not as good as it could be if left alone for a few weeks. 😁
Love your realness and open mind mentality. The world needs more of this!
So initially I wanted to do cold process soap, I did do a few batches but lately I've been wanting to try hot process just to experience it. I think depending on what kind of soap you want, you would choose either. There's plenty to know in soap making. It's super fun.
Great Video! I like cold process too. I can add my oils and pigments without feeling rushed. Like the stand to cure mold. Showing that to my Husband. Thanks for the tips!
Best advice ever! Run far, far away, LOL! Big soapy thumbs up Uncle Jon! :)Jen
😁
Love all the education you put out there. Thanks
How do you scent the one called “Pipe Smoke?” Do you infuse toasted pipe tobacco into the melted fat oils or just use scent oils?
I blend existing fragrances to get a unique scent😁
Just found your videos... thank you sir.. love your no “FLUFF” ... I am a beginner started making my own cause my son has problems with the additives in most soap. And like u said there are a lot of the you have to do it this way or no way out there and your videos are full of info and don’t leave u trying to fast forward through them..... I just wanted to say great job and thank you
I love that you addressed the very realistic fight against things like animal hair! In my case its dust! I was asking around a Facebook group how to combat it when i first started making soap. The first comment was that my house needed cleaned, my ducts needed cleaned, and i needed to dust more. -I felt this was very rude and did not answer my question. I rent an older home and its very dusty in the area I live, not all areas, houses, states are the same! Beware new soap makers, don't listen to people like that in groups, i assure you you are not the only one having issues. If anyone dismisses it as if you are dirty, or stupid, ignore them and pay no mind to it! We all have struggles with certain aspects of this, from making to curing, to space etc. Someone who really cares about helping wont answer like the rude lady who commented on my post, they'll give you personal experience, and an answer or suggestion. Ive been watching Uncle Jon for almost a year now and i highly recommend him to any new comer!
Thank you for another great video. I found this while looking more into making hot process soap for my first time. I have been making cold process for 10 months now.
thanks i needed that advice. i wasnt sure which way to go
Thanks for your insight and advice.
So glad I found your channel. Many things you present I have already discovered which helps validate my observations and practices but so much new info. I have been binge watching 😃 I find your approach most trustworthy. Thank you Joe
Thanks!
Shady ass cat sabotaging the soap. 😎 Have a great weekend Jon.
🤣👍
Woot i am glad i found you ^_^ been wanting to get into soap making
Just discovered your channel and I love it.. Learning so much!!!
You are so down to earth. Holy crap what a refreshing video! Thank you. Can I ask.. if I started making soap the hot process way and have it in the crock pot.. added the lye.. can I change my mind and scoop it out and turn it into making cold process soap? Do you know what I mean?
Very helpful. Thanks!
What is the minimum curing time for both processes before the soap is safe to use? I want to make my own soap but don't want to burn myself. Thanks.
hi, hot or cold is better for use ? What is the best for the customer ?
Just found your channel yesterday and I’m binge watching! Thanks
Good to find your page!
You too, have a great weekend!
Great straight information... Question my log of soap had a lot of bubbles? Did I have my water lye mixture to hot before I added it. It was Castile soap. Thank you for your insight, Susan
It could have been from mixing. Many mixers introduce sure into the mixture.
hi there hey what else you do for living beside of soap making
I also have a couyyoutube channels where I narrate Reddit stories of various subjects. "Story Time With Uncle Reddit"
The new shop is so cool!!!! even though its not new for you anymore but its new to me Lol!
Focusing on cp now, but ya going to e trying hp to. It is good to know both, if anything even if I don't like hp, it could be useful for rebatching my scraps.
Glad to hear there is someone else who doesn't buy the line about extended curing making some mystical transformation from dangerously unusable to incredible in six months time.
This was such a timely revelation for me. I started making hp due to the time factor fallacy. I love both methods. Recently made a beautiful cp and used it the following day, still somewhat soft but did not melt my skin off😱
Anyway, thank you!💦
I use my cp from day of cutting to the last bar. I like it better fresh actually ☺️
I prefer CP hot process to me, just don't care for it. However i don't mind CPHP (pour in molds and place in oven on low temp for an hour, turn off oven leave over night and walla ......... a mix of CP and HP , I wrote that our for those that may not know, not you Jon.......................LOVE the new shop.
Whoa you blew my mind. Thanks!
I been wanting to make soap for awhile I just wanted to do it in a safe and easy way nothing complicated I bought some goat milk melt and pour but I want to try it at lye I wanted to try cold press
Love to listen to you and I always learn something new so keep up the good work and this is Nancy from California future soap maker woohoo 👍🏼
Thanks
Thanks brother... this is good info, no matter how old this video is. I have to just jump in and try to make some soap and see what happens.
I know really old video but super helpful I’m looking at making some up for just a hobby but the hopefully if it goes right a business. I’m wondering about the oils/butters do they have to be food grade or does that depend on where you live ?
Most of those oils will only come as good grade.
I started with CP now I do HP. I find CP takes longer with prep/make/clean up lol. HP I melt my oils add my lye water 40 mins later it is designed/molded/done! I love my recipe ❤️
Right on Jon, I just started soap making a few months back and your videos are a big help Keep it up dawg 🤘🏽👍🏽💪🏽
I have a question about the HP... what is best equipment to use? I currently make CP but I want to try HP as well
Hi Christal, I don't have the knowledge or experience that Jon has but I do HP and Cp. Lately I have been doing the countertop hp. Really fast way to do it but not until you have been doing HP and understand it. The only thing you need different is a crock pot. Do what you do with cold process with your oils at 80 to 100 degrees. Then turn your crock pot to low and it takes about two hours. Don't turn your back on it though and you will have to stir it from time to time. Watch some of Essentialsoap's videos. That is the only kind she does and you will learn a lot from her. But all you need to do is type in hot process soap and you will get a ton of education. I think you will love the rustic look and if you do some in the pot swirls you will be hooked.
I love this and thank you, the cats watched too! You allowed me to breathe - and take a step back, this is possible:) Thank you so much!!! PS: I love, love , love that you approach things, keeping it simple and sane. ( funny, I never thought of covering soap). -light bulb- :) Hubby loved the vid too...he is recruited to help me with a first Batch, which I'm not afraid to "botch" it up any longer. I can take it on and smile:P
Excellent! Just gotta take it one step at a time and have fun with it 😁👍
Hi Rhonda, How did you soap turn out? It is that first step that is scary. I really enjoy making soap and would like to sell but don't know how to handle the "sue crazy" people who may show up. I just left a comment for Jon asking him how he deals with that. I hope he will be able to find time to answer. Have fun with the soap.
@@icecreamladydriver1606 , I actually am going to do a 64 oz practice run this weekend. I waited till my hubby could be around! I will post a pic and reply as soon as it's in the mold. I decided since the soap is totally for personal use I'm not going to be fancy with "molds" I found a nice size box...:) I'm with you on selling things! Then again I know so little about it. From what I gather INS and proper labeling will help:)
@@Moondancefae Sounds good.
Hey Rhonda, I found this a year later. How did your soap turn out?
I love watching online soapers make the "Foo Foo" beautiful CP soaps. I've tried my fair share of CP soaps however. I swear CP soap really hates me. I have perhaps managed to make 2 CP soaps that have turned out as I had planned for them to. The intricate and beautiful different colored swirls, mine look like someone squashed a multi-legged alien spider throughout the soap, accompanied by glycerin rivers or, perhaps I should call them FLOODS... Soap is fine but... Just don't look at them... LOL Hot process soap, seems to agree with me more, so even if I'd love to be able to make the pretty CP soaps, I just get upset and that defeats the purpose of doing something that I find relaxing. So, hats off to all of you that have mastered CP soap, I'll stick with the various methods of HP... And yes, they can be very pretty too... :D And I fully agree, if someone tells you that you can only make soap their way... RUN... More than once, my HP soaps, I've seriously thought I really messed up this time. However, when they have come out of the mold, I've cut and cleaned them up, they have been some of the best. You don't know what will work until you have tried something you didn't know would work. That's how new processes come about. There really aren't that many failures, they're learning experiences. Just don't go testing the safety boundaries. ;)
Thanks for a great vid!
I'm with you on everything you said. Good advice. I personally like cold process better.
Can you tell me a good place to start buying the stuff I need to make it? Also, I’m confused too, don’t know where to start with hp or cp
For supplies you can start with Bulk Apothacary. I don't think I spelled that right but you can type it in the search and it will come up. Bramble Berry is another. I buy my olive oil from Sam's Club, coconut oil from Big Lots', pure lye from Ace Hardware and most of the other stuff from ebay and thrift stores. There are many soapers of both cold and hot process here on youtube and most are wonderful to help you learn. That is where I learned. Good luck and have fun with it.
Love the idea of the soap molds under the plywood shelve things..
Cold Process is Melt and Pour?
Nope. Cold process is just like hot process except not adding any external heat during mixing. Just letting the chemical reaction basically do it's thing 😁
Great info
Hi Mr Jon i am from the Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago !I've love to watch your videos i am new to soap making any help is welcome..Thank you.
I have question ,can you use the same recipe for hot process to cold process?
Yep! The only change would be if you want to add a little extra water before the cook. Personal choice.
That's it! Your videos are too awesome. Subscribed
Thanks!
I like both processes. I do them both. I like hp because you don't have cure them very long, a week or two tops. I also do cp soaps too, but the cure time is six to eight weeks.
I don't worry about the curing except the bars are softer and can damage in shipping. Like Jon says once it's set up you can use it. I prefer new soap and will store my personal soap in plastic containers to keep it softer longer.
Too many kids.. lol 😂.. love your videos 👍
Lol
Awesome delivery & informative, and luv the fact you say it like it is, coz it is what it is, don't change, from Alice Springs, NT
Good ideas and congratulations on the new shop
Thanks!
What's the best ratio of pure olive oil to coconut oil to use? I made my first batch at 70/30 (70% olive oil) with 5% superfat and it cleans really well, and feels moisturizing at first but my hands now feel dryer than i expected. Am i using too much Coconut oil? Should I go to 10% superfat?
Nuff love & thanks...These are great tips, I truly appreciate & will definitely email you🙏🏽
I just started making soap thank you for your help.
Watching you is awesome, I’m interested in getting into soap making but I’m wanting to start off with the more historical way using wood ash. One we enjoy such things and two it’s cost effective and using something we already have. Do you have any knowledge of trying it that way?
I know that it's a tough way to start because there's no good way to know just how strong or weak your solution is. I haven't done much with it myself.
I got my soap up high on a shelf. No one notices it but they do smell the fragrance. Lol!
Thanks for talking sense. Those soap gods and goddesses who do everything right got to me several times. I just let them talk. I do some things differently because it works for me.
I appreciate your info. I do find sometimes that soapers are tight lipped. We have a big big world and there is room for many soap makers and sharing tips and o do so that one can have success in their Endeavor’s..
Sometimes you just have to get answers from seasoned soapers, we need their wisdom to begin. But some just don’t want to share. So thank you for sharing
I don't mind sharing tips and hints. I don't usually give my proprietary recipes though. Gotta have something that keeps our stuff unique 😁
Ya I understand recipe protecting. My questions are typically what sources do you use for essential oil scents as I don’t use fragrance that’s synthetic. I use therapeutic grade so I’m am not putting enough to add scent but more therapeutic. I don’t know what suppliers that soapers use to make scents out of essential oils at 2-3 oz of EO per one batch of soap. Every place I e looked seems that cost would be about $15 and up to scent that soap. So I must be missing something here. Who would charge $12.50 a bar to compensate for all the ingredients and labor in the bar.
Well.. to start, therapeutic doesn't really work in soap as a rinse off product. Plus there's a lot of misinformation surrounding that whole industry when it comes to therapeutic oils. For soaps and lotions, the oils at bulk Apothecary, brambleberry, wholesale Supplies plus are all good places to start. By the way.. most of the fragrances on those same sites are just as safe (some even safer) as essential oils. Just gotta know what's in them. Too many people use the wrong amount of EO or even one that they probably shouldn't use at all. But the prices on the sites I gave are well within reason for your purposes.
Nice one
Great idea i just did my first 2 cold process lerned alot and going to try hot very soon. Then ill know which way works for me.
The new shop is fluffin' awesome! Can't wait to save up enough pennies so I can place an order. :-D
Thanks! Let me know when you're ready and I'll get you a coupon code 😁
@@unclejonssoap holy scha-moly, Uncle Jon - thank you! :-D
You got it 😁
Please do you have online class or soap making book that we can buy ? Because you are amazing
Aww.. Thanks! I don't at the moment. I'm going to work on something this year hopefully though 😁
Oh damn, I just went to your site and seen your in Maryland as well. Far out!
How can I avoid sweating of cold process soap? After the bars got sweating, is there a way that I can remove it. My bars of soap got sweating in just 25 days of curing.
Hey Jon, would you mind giving the measurements of your mold out? I would like to make some of my own molds. Thank you for all that you share. I learn so much from watching your videos.
Sure! Inside dimensions are width -3.25", height-2.5", length -21". I cut my bars at 7/8" thick so this works out well with the 21" length I can get 24 even bars. Also, I don't pour quite all the way to the top so I have room to flatten the top off if the batch is at thick trace. Hope that helps.
Uncle Jon's, thank you so much for the help!!! Looking forward to having some bigger molds!!!😊
@@unclejonssoap 👍🏾😊💜
The "soap nazi" comment made me laugh
Very insightful for a newbie like me trying to decide what I want to do. Thank you!
Great video!
Is Quality soap depends on process ( cold or hot)?
Nope 😁 Hot or cold is good either way. Quality mostly depends on recipe. The only thing that can make handmade soaps better is milling them. But that's rather expensive for most small companies.
@@unclejonssoap Thank you so much.
@@unclejonssoap What does "milling" the soap mean? I'm new and still trying to understand everything. Thanks!
@@kathybond181 sorry.. This is Jon. It logged me in under the other channel name..lol. But milling is a process where the soap is shredded, pressed between rollers (basically smashed into a paste), and then extruded into a long long of soap again, cut into blanks (just larger blocks of soap), and then pressed under tremendous pressure into a single cavity mold. Makes the bar super hard like commercial soap. But the equipment is very expensive and rather large.
@@Uncle_Jon THANKS SO MUCH FOR EXPLAINING!! I've been BINGE WATCHING your videos. They are SUPER HELPFUL!!
So what is the difference between hot and cold processing soap? Must have missed it.
Love your info! Subscribed!
Before I got my hand blender, after a while of whisking, i throw it on the stove for a faster trace. Lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭
Thanks for another great video
Keeping it real!! Awesome!
Great video Uncle John
Great video and nice shop.
Thanks!
I like cp for making designs. I usually do hot process because I like the rustic look. Lately I have been experimenting with countertop hp. Way faster and still get that rustic look. I only make for our family and have given some to friends but recently have had two people want to buy my soap. I would like to sell but am worried about sue crazy people. How do you handle that problem in your business? Thanks.
Honestly it's never come up. As long as you have your ingredients on the label and don't make medical claims you should be good.
@@unclejonssoap Thanks for the quick response. So you don't really need insurance? I have been so worried about law suites that I haven't dared jump in and sell but if you don't have insurance and have had no problem then that makes me feel much better. Thanks.
Oh.. I misunderstood. So, I would still get product insurance. If you join the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic guild, then you get member benefits and a good insurance policy for about $550 per year.
@@unclejonssoap OK thanks.
i find hot process makes soap that is slightly darker then cold process, or did i just burn it?
It can be a little darker. Sometimes it's a fine line between burning and not...lol
@@unclejonssoap i have accidentally gone more then 200 degrees, i hear this is bad. This is when i found out my laser temp was actually +8 degrees more then shown. So for a fast temp i use the laser and for a accurate temp i use my candy making thermometer or do fast mental math: temp = temp +8;
The physical difference i find with cold process is the soap is smoother, while the hot process is almost you could say rustic. I did have a batch where i kept the temp in the range(170-180) and it came out no different then if it was done by cold process. The batch produced a smooth extremely dense white soap with a ph in limits and this was with lard via the hot process. The vegetable based soap that did wonders was 40% olive oil / coconut 20% / canola 20% / grape seed oil 20%. If i had made it cold process it would have a smooth finish on the top vs hot that is the real difference im seeing.
The lard soap actually damaged my skin, even when it had an very nice appearance to it much like pears. It left the skin dry so it might work fine if i had acne but i dont, but the effect is too drying for daily use. I checked online and dove soap seem to be made from animal fat like the batch i made but with stabilizers and chemicals to increase suds with perfumes.
After all these years using store bought soap homemade high quality, with precision manufacturing using all vegetable oils seems it cannot be beaten. I was thinking about using tallow no more then 20% to harden a vegetable based hot process soap but it seems excessive. I could just let the soap age for a year.
I did find this link here to add in a bit of lard to harden basicsoapmaking.com/why-use-lard-in-soapmaking/
but i dont see the real use as people want all veg based not hybrid.
I find it odd how simple it is to manufacturer soaps yet almost no one does it almost like the barrier of entry seems too high. I did a quick search and it seems day to day we put thousands of different chemicals topically on our skin and few have been tested on its long term effects on the human body.
Which of these two soaps: HOT or COLD, does the customer like more? Who has the greater advantage? Which of the two gives us more value for the final product?
My customers never expressed a preference. I like cold process better as far as production is concerned. It's easier to get more batches done in less time. There doesn't seem to be any difference in the final product quality.
Great video Jon. Yeah there's definitely more than one way when it comes to making soap and sadly there are some idiots out there that think that "their way" is the only which is complete B.S. Essential Depot is who makes those racks that you were talking about.
Your Awesome John.. Can u make a video on a simple way to make a wooden SOAP mold?? Please
Yep.. I'll be working on that soon 😁👍
@@unclejonssoap My dad was a master Builder and we'd be pumping them out like crazy right now
I won't buy over seas..i had a bad experience.. But I want to keep the money here in the US and support my fellow SOAP maker/ carpenter!! I can't wait. THANKS
How do you know how long to cure the soap
General rule of thumb is 4-6 weeks. For me, it's fine as long as saponification is complete. So a few days to a couple weeks is fine 😁 But you will never know exactly when the soap is finished curing.
I like to make cp. every time I try hp it turns out looking a little lumpy.
Yep. It's harder to get it smooth when making HP.
That is called rustic and a lot of people love it.
Good on you calling out the gatekeepers. I hate that shit. You seem like a cool dude. Do you have a discord or somewhere to reach you? One bearded bro to another, I'm thinking about getting into making soap as well. Hoping I can get some recommendations for places to get supplies.
Thank you
Fabulous thanks again
I want to start selling soap online I have had a couple friends buy my soap and a couple people from my dads work buy some but I wanna reach more people you think you can make video about selling soap online
Sounds good! I'll add it to my list 😁👍
So I'm confused. Which method do you use? Isn't one with lye and one isn't? I'm confused because you don't really teach the difference between the two. Or....I may just be confused because it's a new art concept for me. Thank you though for your video. Definitely going to watch some more of yours because I'm curious af! I've always seen women making soap so I'm super impressed to see a chill man making yummy soaps! ❤️
Hey there! Sorry for the confusion. I do talk about lye in some videos. Both hit and cold process use lye. Mostly sodium hydroxide. But, some parts of the world people only have access to potassium hydroxide ( potash). The only real difference between hit and cold is that cold (cp) doesn't require any additional great other than to melt the solid oils and fats. And got process allowed the bars to harden a little faster. Hope that helps some.
Amen brother..
I find ur videos informative n funny. Thanks for sharing... n I love ur beard. I would braid it into corn rows . lol
Thought about it. But I'm afraid it would never come out 🤣
I personally love both. I love HP with the problematic fragrances and to avoid soda ash.
I agree! I die a little every time I have soap seize 😩 CP is beautiful! However I stick to HP.
👍👍
Nice cover of this topic. I avoided HP forever, and finally decided it a nice fit for my Shampoo bars I wanted to add extra ingredients to after 'the cook'. Otherwise, CP is my fav. Discovered in the last few months the benefits of water discount (me- 25% H2O). My soaps 'cure' faster. They stop losing weight by 10 days and unmold quicker. Each person needs to try different techniques to figure out what they prefer though. I'm sure ill never stop learning! Thanks for sharing!
I understand the feeling as I stop losing weight after 10 days too. LOL. Love your name as my sister was named Eva.
@@icecreamladydriver1606 Awh! Thank you ~ Not a lot of folk with my name. I noticed you said 'was' regarding your Sis. Sorry if you no longer have her. I am glad the name Eva is a nice memory for you. :)
@@evaedmonds3498 Yes, she passed away about 10 years ago. I do miss her.
It's Probably just me and I'm doing something wrong but...with doing Hot process soap I cant get it to be moisturizing enough. Even when adding a high superfat..
Extra glycerin and butters help with that some. High stearic acid fats too. You also have to remember that soap was never really intended to be moisturizing. We can shoot for less drying and harsh though.
@@unclejonssoap thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it! I see...okay I will try to use butters/oils with higher levels of stearic acid. Thank you for your advice :)
Any time 😁👍
Dude you’re awesome
Congratulations
I a stick blinder hot process guy but ive learned for people the do cp too. But everyone that sells soap has built a customer base based on their method of soap making.
Yep! We each put our own spin and personality into our craft 😁
🤔🤔👉 Fortunately there arent that many hobbyists who are so arrogant and narcissistic as to insist that "their process is great and everyone else is wrong". Tolerance of other peoples' ideas is important. Having said that, when making soap, I use the "lukewarm process".... The lukewarm process is my way, and when it comes to soapmaking, it's MY way or the highway! My way is the ONLY right way, everyone else's ways are wrong and terrible! From now on, EVERYONE must use MY lukewarm process! Lol. 👌😉👍
👉Seriously though, I've never made 'personal soap', but I have very successfully(at times) produced homemade liquid laundry detergent that honestly seemed equal to store bought. experimented with some of the ingredients, with varying degrees of success(and failure). Those ingredients always included borax, washing soda and suitable bar soap(grated on a cheese grater).
I heated up water in a large pot, and melted the grated bar soap within. Then gradually poured in the other ingredients while constantly stirring(theres a LOT of stirring while initially mixing in the ingredients, and while adding in cold water after all ingredients are suitably mixed). My biggest failure was the time when I substituted Dial brand bar soap for the Dove brand(cucumber and green tea) bar soap I'd successfully used before. For some reason, the recipe using Dial soap kept separating. It wouldnt remain mixed for more than a minute or two. But the Dove bar soap yielded a great liquid laundry detergent. 👍😁👌
Damnit I been taking cold showers for nothing! I thought cold process meant it activated in cold water!
🤣👍