Been making soap professionally for 25+ years and I still love it. It’s great fun watching a new soap maker. Just to let you know: the MINIMUM curing time for soap is 4 weeks. Saponification creates a crystalline structure that makes a bar harder and milder the longer it cures, so it really should cure between 6-8 weeks. Also, if you add your honey to the oil mixture and blend it well before you add the lye solution, you won’t get the burnt honey spots like the one you displayed. You can add the oats after the fact, like you did, if you want some texture and light scratch. If that’s not what you want, use colloidal oats, and mix with the oils before adding the lye. Welcome to the club!
I hope she is successful in growing Luffa! I have tried 3 years in a row. They bloom, but the ants eat the blooms, then the plant dies. What am I doing wrong?
When you said you were making lye soap, I just smiled. My grandma would make lye soap every couple of years. The last time she made it was when I was around 14, if I remember correctly. Which is about 35 years ago and she passed away in 1999. I still have a tube of her homemade lye soap that we all grew up on and it still smells the same as when she made it. Grandpa would set up her old kettle over a fire out in the backyard, gather up the pot ash, aka lye, from the trees and limb rubbish he burned each winter and she would get her well water, after it was boiled and cooled down, ready and measured out before she began. We kids were made to stay far back due to the fumes. She alway made a very large batch or two that once set and allowed to age a month or so she would then distribute among her 6 kids and their various families and some friends. You brought some really great and even sweet memories back of watching Grandma, Mom and various aunts working together while us kids ran and played or tagged along with Grandpa while worked in the gardens or with the cattle.
Good job! Ive made thousands of bars and sold them at my local island general store. A safer bowl would be the plastic bowls you can get from walmart. Look for a triangle on the bottom of the bowl with a 5 in it. Ive recently found out that the lye can be used at room temperature, so I make my lye the day before. I make vegan soap...coc oil, olive oil, castor oil. That raw soap on your soap dishes should not be put down the drain until 24 hrs. I used to clean up with paper towels, but found that those cheap washrags from walmart do a good job of wiping the bowls, etc. You can then put the bowls in the dishwasher, and the washrags in the wash. You are doing good, the more you make, the better soap maker you will be.
Happy Mother's Day! I have made all of my soap and cleaning solutions for many years. A little safety hint, keep a spray bottle of vinegar water handy. If you get lye on your skin it will neutralize it. Also it helps with the clean up.
Please! never, never, NEVER use vinegar on a lye splash anywhere on your body. Rinse with plenty of plain cool running water. Vinegar does indeed neutralise lye, but the chemical reaction between the vinegar and lye will cause more damage.
Congratulations Becky u it the soap beautiful, I was so happy when I saw u making soap also bn following u for all most 3 years but I have done many of your recipe, especially the rustic bread. My husband loves it, my children, and it’s the most easiest bread to make in the household!!! thank you so much. May God bless you and your family and I will continue referring you to others because I know your work thank you again Becky blessings on ur holidays❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi, Becky, the basic for curing is 4 to 6 week with all soap. but ,to be honest I don't like the texture of the soap at that stage so I normally wait for 8 to 12 weeks .The soap is softer on your skin and the lather is much better. The older the soap of curing time the better the soap. Happy Mother's Day to you and your family.
I noticed someone else suggested filling a loofah with soap. Make sure you collect your marigold/ calendula petals which will look beautiful in the honey soap. Have a wonderful Mothers Day supermom!
Becky , congratulations you are now hooked.! I have been a soap maker for 25 years and have never looked back . Ann Marie Faiola is the owner of Bramble Berry on line and Otion her brick and mortar located in Belington Washington , she is a master soap maker . She has written 2 books as well which would be worth your while . The book you bought is good but if you want to go to the next level I recommend Her book Pure Soap making . I have booth her books. I have met her many times at our conventions for the HCSCG a world wide organization for soap makers. Which I leave Wednesday to attend again in Hartford . Soap is cured when it is no longer loosing weight 4-8 weeks, depends on the water content. I make goat milk soap and I never insulate because milk soap is prone to over heat. Lard soap does not lather well at all, coconut oil and castor oil is what makes soap bubbly.
It’s according to the type of bubble you’re looking for. Lard makes a wonderful creamy lather whereas coconut makes big fluffy bubbles. When I make lard soap, I add 6 to 8% castor oil to get fluffier lather (don’t add too much-it can make “slimy” or “sticky” feel to soap. Been making soap for sale, personal, and family members for 50 years (it’s all we use). Don’t get too hung up on whether to use stainless, glass, or plastic. If you use glass it can weaken and break. Plastic deteriorates rather quickly. I’ve used stainless bowls for 40 years and it’s all I use. Have fun making soap, don’t be scared off by what others say!
My grandmother used to make her own soap. For laundry, she kept large bars of soap next to the washer, along with an old cheese grater. You would grate out the amount you needed into the machine. It got our clothes very clean and bright!
The grated soap went into the washing machine tub as it was filling up, same as if you were adding powdered detergent. She would swish it around a bit before adding the clothes.
I use glass for all my soap making ingredients...bowls, cups, measuring cups....glass washes out really really well with dish soap, and there is never any chemical reaction like with metal. Always remember to add lye to water, like snow falling on a lake. Soap batter is called RAW SOAP and will burn your skin if it spatters, so be careful, especially when washing out your tools. I keep track of each batch of soap I make, the date, the recipe, how much it makes, and the fragrance, and any other comments that would be helpful in the future. It's fun to look back and see what you did!
Using plastic or stainless steel doesn’t seem to jibe with the historical nature of soap making, since these materials didn’t exist when soap making began. To my mind wood, stone or crockery containers seem to be the most logical vessels for soap making from a historical view. Any thoughts out there? . . .
Becky, use glass, not plastic for your essential oils. I once had an oil eat through the bottom of a plastic cup when measuring! Great job! I've been making soap and teaching for a lot of years. Your explanations were spot on. Well done.
100% lard, or 100% olive oil is called castle soap, very moisturizing but doesn't give a lot of suds. Olive oil with coconut oil is called a Bastille soap, and that gives a lot of suds.
Just a suggestion.....perhaps have a dedicated area other than your kitchen in the event of accidental splash onto your countertop. Consider putting a sink in the planting area & a countertop next to it
Hi Becky! It felt really full circle watching you make soap today, because I remember watching you make soap in a loaf pan in your kitchen in 2020 and being in awe that it was possible to make your own soap at home. Jan’s was my first soap book, too- one of the very best. Well, I never stopped after that, and have made hundreds of batches of soap and have had my own soap and self-care company (Sunday Soapery) now for a little over a year! And that first soap video you made four years ago was my spark. Thank you, friend! Wishing you much happy soapmaking!
I have been making soap for years. To make more lather add sugar or honey - it is truly worth it. I use coconut, lard, and castor in each bar and and then choose one other oils such as canola, rice, olive, etc. The ingredients need not be expensive. Oh, add the sugar, some clay, and some milk products as well totally worth it in the feel. The coconut oil, castor oil, and sugars make the bars lather more, which is what Americans like and are used to using. Congrats. Another idea is to use local ingredients. We have aloe and citrus and avocados which grow here, and they are wonderful in soap. The citrus skin can be dried and grated then added to the soap batter instead of using a loofah. Also, once you are hooked, you will find it easy and less expensive to make your own laundry soap, lotions, etc. What a journey you have in store!
I think it is the coconut oil that gives your soap more lather. I have read that the amount of lather does not affect the cleaning power of the soap but I love lots of lather. I started using castor oil in my soap many years ago and since then every soap that I make I add castor oil to because of the beautiful lather that it creates.
I typically microwave all my oils together, while the lye is cooling. My lye can get up to 180° and so I don't worry about my oils being too hot, as by the time they are finished melting in the microwave, the lye has cooled to be close to the temp of the oils. Then you can use a fan to cool them and keep them within 10° of each other. One thing that's very important with the lye is that you ALWAYS add the lye to the water, not the other way around. If you want some natural color, clays are great to add. Caster oil is great for suds. There are soap making calculators once you get comfortable experimenting. It's a lot of fun!
I love using shampoo/body wash bars. I get them on Etsy from various vendors..no plastic containers, it lasts forever and doesn't dry out my hair... Great video
Please wear a mask when dealing with your lye (until you have it all dissolved in your water.) Always think of snow on the lake when putting lye on the water and not the other way around. Also be careful washing your bowls before saponfication with having a septic system. I've heard it does a number on your system. I would use paper towels to get most of it out or let it sit overnight to saponify and then wash your bowls (it would be OK at that point). I usually cut soap loaves about 24 hours later. So much easier to cut! Your soaps came out great- Great job! to clean up the edges, you can use a vegetable peeler. Soap making is SO addictive lol
Excellent advice! Also, having a sink filled with water and a touch of white vinegar helps to neutralize any left over lye in the bowls or on the equipment. Welcome to the soap addiction! :)
Great job with this video!! I am a soap maker myself ( i sell at markets and online) Im so happy you tried it! Its so gratifying to know you are using a product you made yourself and i think the saponification process is so cool! Just to note: after the saponification process ( about 24 hours usually or when you cut it) the soap is actually okay to use. The reason we cure the soap is to let the excess water evaporate from the bars so they stay harder longer while in use, otherwise it can tend to soften quicker in between uses. Also remember to keep your soap on a well draining dish and out of water contact between uses to help ensure hardness. Again, terrific job and i hope you and your family love it! I have a feeling i know what this year’s Christmas gifts will be!😄
My twin sister and me made and sold soap for ten years! When you use home crafted soap you wont go back! We loved it! Be carefull using plastic with lye it can get static and kinda spread onto your counters. We set our soaps where animals couldnt get to them on drying racks in a locked room kids couldnt get to as lye is still harmful till soap is dry! A dehumidifier is also helpful
When soap making as a person that does it for a living. Regardless of if in a book, please run it through a soap calculator to ensure measurements are correct. Also if you do this regularly i would set aside a bowl sppon and lye mixing container for tha purpose only for safety
You can use the equipment for food still but would you really want to risk it. It isn't so much the lye as it is used up but even if washed fragrance oils and other additives could stick around even after a thorough washing.
Katie Carson is amazing and has done so much for the soaping community, making the whole process so much more approachable. She did a great job with her Soapmaking 101 series.
Happy Mother’s Day! You’re such an inspiration. I know this is not a garden video but I planted a garden this year and my plants were looking sad! I added different supplements and the bounces back and look amazing now. I kept remembering your plants looking sad and you just kept at it and if they didn’t make it oh well. Take as a learning experience. But I didn’t give up. 🤗
So excited that you’re discovering and diving into soap making! I’ve been making soap for over 6 years and love it. A couple of things that might be helpful… Lye is actually an ingredient that is used in some food prep, like making bagels. I mention that because you CAN use the container that you use to measure lye for other things, you just need to wash it out between uses. Lye is something we should handle with care, but not something we need to be afraid of. In that vein, I would HIGHLY recommend using either dishwashing rubber gloves, or nitrile/latex medical gloves when doing any part of the soap making process where your lye is involved, whether it’s measuring or working with your soap batter. While the palm of your garden gloves are rubber/silicone, the fabric wouldn’t protect the rest of your hands if some of the lye water solution or batter splashed there. It could cause a bad skin burn because the fabric would hold the moisture, and you wouldn’t necessarily feel it right away. I use a blender or food processor to grind up my oatmeal, then just store any extra in a ziplock bag or jar with a lid. It just makes the process faster. It’s so much fun to learn what different oils and additives like clays, salt, sugars, and tussah silk can do for how a bar of soap lathers and feels. I hope you have a great time exploring all of it :)
During your seed and plant considerations this next rainy day period, also thumb through your soap making book. Also consider Sitka roses from RainTree Nusery. The least expensive roses come looking like brown sticks with roots. If you tend to them the first year, they are pretty hardy in inhospitable soil, watering, and lighting conditions; top dressing with a little leaf and needle mulch in the fall (or any other time) and slow watering during the depth of a drought does make them feel and look healthier.
Becky, because of you I have a small container garden growing on my condo patios. Now my next step is to make my own soaps. You showed us how it can be done. My children are aware of how chemicals can affect our bodies so they ask for certain hygiene products that claim to be safer. But wow, they are so expensive. I am getting this book and making our own. Not just to hopefully save a few dollars in the future but so we know what is going into our products. Thank you for another great video.
Little tip for the honey - If you heat up the honey water mixture in the microwave for a couple seconds it makes it easier to get all of it out of the container. Soap making is way more forgiving than you would think:). Safety and measurements are important especially with the lye but if you are a little off on other things it won’t make or break the batch.
I am so honored to be apart of this wonderful group and learning new techniques from Becky to baking cooking Gardening Becky and Josh thank you for the encouragement Love your videos ❤️❤️
If only there were such a thing as smell-a-vision. Your descriptions were so helpful. I do like the all natural coloring of these two soaps. About the difference in lathering-- Coconut oil gives your soap a little extra lather. Lard alone doesn't produce much lather, so the coconut oil adds the familiar amount of lather we think of with most soaps. Seems luxurious! What a lovely, inviting book that lives up to its title. Thank you, Becky.
Excited for you! One big/little hint, make sure your wrists are covered constantly. Longer gloves or fabric sleeves. Also, leave the protective gear on the whole time you are making the soap. I would hate for you to get burnt. Have fun!
If you mix the lye with ice instead of water you'll find it a little easier. It gets less hot so you can use it sooner. I also do like 15% less water when I make soap. Love the video :)
Becky, since you have so much tallow you should use it to make tallow balm for your face & body. It is so good for your skin & very easy to make! It’s a wonderful product to have on hand!
Beautiful job, you should be very proud of yourself. I wish most people would follow directions and reread and double check to make the best possible product. You did a great job. It was really nice to watch you. I hope you make lots more soap.
Hey Becky! I would highly suggest you use heat-resistant glass for measuring your lye. You can use plastic, but it has to be a specific grade of plastic that can handle the heat when the lye first mixes with the water, so I always tell people glass is better. Anything like a Pyrex measuring cup or glass cook/bake-ware would work. Most metal dishes these days are a mix of multiple metals despite the label naming only one, some of which react negatively to lye causing a whole heap of problems. I've been making soap for nearly a decade and most of my equipment is glass and silicone. 😂
The stage when its still liquid before pouring into the mold, is called "soft soap". Its mentioned in one of my Little House on the Prairie storytelling videos. 😊 Pretty cool👍🏼 Happy Mother's Day💖💐🌄
Cover your counters so no lye particles can be left behind on cooking surfaces. Lye has fine powder particles that can float when pouring into your water. Cold process soap is fun but be super cautious, always.
Ive made soap and you are right in taking your time to get it all correct. I have soap that i made 12 years ago and cam still use it I have no problems with it except the essential oils no longer smell Which is ok with me
Great job Becky. Learning to make soap is so wonderful. I have created thousands of bars and sold on a wholesale & retail basis and am happy to answer any questions you have as you learn. I’m even North up the freeway about 20 min from you!
Happy Mother’s Day Becky. Hope you enjoyed your day. Loved the soap making. Not sure I could do it myself. Mary on White Cottage does a lot of soaps. She is wonderful too
Tiny tip with milk soaps. I freeze them in ice cube trays. Melts smoother and quicker. Learned that from a Katy and another professional soaper. I always use to burn my milk before that😊
❤ Happy Mother's Day to you and your mom and sisters💐💐💐. I was so intrigued by this video!!! Watching you teach us how to make soap was so cool and very interesting!!!! Thank you? I learned some interesting things about soap!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have been making soaps for a long time. If you want it to float mix longer to put more air in it to make it float have fun Becky and happy mother's day.🎉🎉🎉
Becky, I’d always wanted to can but was scared to death of the process. I’m happy to report that I’ve now successfully canned, both water and pressure! I’m so excited to get things on the shelves for my family. I’ve also wanted to make soap. I have super sensitive skin and thought homemade would really benefit me. I can’t wait to give this a try. Thanks for always inspiring me to try things I’ve always wanted to try. (My family thanks you too! They think the food is delish!) 😊
Note: be careful when you measure with a "gun" thermometer. The temp reading is only the surface area not the internal temp of the liquid. The reading could be incorrect if it needs to be exact.
HA! Love that you mentioned Katie from Royalty Soaps! She is such a doll! My only suggestion is to tap your molds down a few times after pouring to get out any bubbles. You may have done this for the second loaf, haven't gotten there yet lol
Thank you Becky so glad you did a video on soapmaking. I have been interested in it for a while now and it is nice to watch you as you are learning the process. Great job. And happy Mother’s Day.
Omg this is great! I've always been scared of the lye. Watching you do it for us, it seems much less scary. Thank you! I may try this. Been on my bucket list forever.
Hope you’re having a great Mother’s Day Becky 🥰. Just a suggestion, but you should use plastic and not stainless steel when soap making. The lye doesn’t get along so great with it.
I mix the lye solution on stove with the fan running! I have stray cats outside; a few small children who don't think twice on my porch! So I am comfortable with the stove vent!
It has been so long since I’ve made soap. I’ve had two babies since my last batch and I’ve been wanting to get back to it. This was the inspiration I needed!
My mom made soap for many years. She would save the fats from cooking and trimmings. She rendered the fat until it was clean. She was doing this in the 70's through late 90's. I have a few bars left that I'm hanging onto because she's gone. It works great as a laundry soap.
Hi Becky. You mentioned Royalty Soaps. I love Katie and her show. She's so sweet and gives you lots of useful information. I follow another channel called I Dream in Soap. With Lisa. She makes the most fantastic bars. Very cool. ❤❤❤ these turned out beautifully. Well done. ❤
Happy Mother's Day, Becky! Happy Mother's Day to your mom and mother-in-law, too! I get such an uplift watching you and your family. 🥰 Thank you for being you❣️
I made ❤ and sold soap as; Bath Whispers. Selling bath bombs, lip balms, Cleopatra Milk Bath, Honey and Rolled Oats Soap, Autumn Walks Soap, Cappuccino Soap, Bumblegum Soap, Poppy's Garden soap, and Natural Roll on perfumes. Soap batches mixed in large plastic jugs safe for soap and hard ware paints. The best tip when making soap, allow your utensils dry with the remainder soap still in it, as it makes washing up so much easier. The best soap has olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter. Use the soap calc on the internet. A little tip, you can add silk fibre to your lye mixture, before adding the lye to your melted oil's. The silk makes your soap bars extra smooth and of course, silky. Add a touch of Kaolin Clay for the skin. And your good to go. Wonderful to see something different on your channel. ❤
Becky, your soap turned out beautiful. I shared this video with my sister who's been wanting to make soap for ages! ❤️ This is the encouragement she needs!
Happy Mothers's day from another mother. I did notice when you were measuring out your essential oils, the second oil spilled out the back edge of the container onto your scale. Did you notice, and how did you deal with that?
Dear Becky, I have the same book and started making soap earlier this year. The last soap I made (not from this book) used only coconut oil plus the lye solution and it is a wonderfully moisturizing soap with a great lather. My husband likes this soap the best. We prefer fragrance free products and this fits the bill. Thanks for being an inspiration for cooking, gardening and now soap making. 🌷
Hello Becky and Happy Mother's Day. 💖 I absolutely love this video. Congratulations on the success of these two batches of soap. I hope to see more soap making videos. 💕🤗
Great video. A couple of things make sure your gloves are waterproof. When cleaning up wipe everything with a cloth then let sit for 24 hrs and just put in your dish washer . It's has turned into soap at that point otherwise you are washing hard oils and lye down your drain which is damaging them and could cause clogs. The lather in the oatmeal soap is due to the sugars both are great soaps.
My mom and I made lye soap together she been gone a long time and I still have fond memories. Lye soap is good to wash dogs for fleas and mites. Also good for dandruff,acne,and spot treatments. You are great
What a wonderful episode to share with viewers! I make my own soap from coconut and olive oil but I think I would like to try other recipes. It is nice to know what is in your soap and fun to customize it with essential oils, colors and designs. My family loves it! I also make my own laundry detergent. You are an amazing woman and model homemaker! Thank you for your great videos! God bless you!
Back in the day cheese came in a wood box about the size of your silicon box. A damp piece of muslim toweling was used to line it. Some also used wet towel lined wood soda bottle case. We used a pickle crock outside on the porch. We reused the crock and glass measuring cups. The only thing kept for only soap making was a large long handled wood spoon, which I still have. Small amount borax and washing soda was added.
OH. Meant to tell you. I’ve added pine needles crushed and rose petals in soap and they’re lovely The pine one- say good bye to Irish spring 😄. Not as strong smelling and my sons prefer the homemade one over Irish spring
I have never seen soap being made until now. You make each task you take on look so easy. Look forward to more kinds of soap you will make! Thanks for sharing!!
Been making soap professionally for 25+ years and I still love it. It’s great fun watching a new soap maker. Just to let you know: the MINIMUM curing time for soap is 4 weeks. Saponification creates a crystalline structure that makes a bar harder and milder the longer it cures, so it really should cure between 6-8 weeks. Also, if you add your honey to the oil mixture and blend it well before you add the lye solution, you won’t get the burnt honey spots like the one you displayed. You can add the oats after the fact, like you did, if you want some texture and light scratch. If that’s not what you want, use colloidal oats, and mix with the oils before adding the lye. Welcome to the club!
Grow some loofahs this summer! Pour the soap into them, slice them when set, and you have a fabulous exfoliating soap. It’s my favorite homemade soap.
She planted some loofah plant in the garden
That’s what I do too. It’s wonderful 👍♥️
I hope she is successful in growing Luffa! I have tried 3 years in a row. They bloom, but the ants eat the blooms, then the plant dies. What am I doing wrong?
Loofah is a lot of work to harvest.
That sounds amazing!!
When you said you were making lye soap, I just smiled. My grandma would make lye soap every couple of years. The last time she made it was when I was around 14, if I remember correctly. Which is about 35 years ago and she passed away in 1999. I still have a tube of her homemade lye soap that we all grew up on and it still smells the same as when she made it. Grandpa would set up her old kettle over a fire out in the backyard, gather up the pot ash, aka lye, from the trees and limb rubbish he burned each winter and she would get her well water, after it was boiled and cooled down, ready and measured out before she began. We kids were made to stay far back due to the fumes. She alway made a very large batch or two that once set and allowed to age a month or so she would then distribute among her 6 kids and their various families and some friends. You brought some really great and even sweet memories back of watching Grandma, Mom and various aunts working together while us kids ran and played or tagged along with Grandpa while worked in the gardens or with the cattle.
What a wonderful memory!
I remember watching my great grandmother make it the same way in her backyard in the 1960’s! Everyone loved Grandmuzzy’s homemade lye soap!
I thought about the Beverly hillbillies granny made it all the time lol
Thank you for sharing her with us!
Mesmerizing memories ❤❤❤
Good job! Ive made thousands of bars and sold them at my local island general store. A safer bowl would be the plastic bowls you can get from walmart. Look for a triangle on the bottom of the bowl with a 5 in it. Ive recently found out that the lye can be used at room temperature, so I make my lye the day before. I make vegan soap...coc oil, olive oil, castor oil. That raw soap on your soap dishes should not be put down the drain until 24 hrs. I used to clean up with paper towels, but found that those cheap washrags from
walmart do a good job of wiping the bowls, etc. You can then put the bowls in the dishwasher, and the washrags in the wash. You are doing good, the more you make, the better soap maker you will be.
Happy Mother's Day! I have made all of my soap and cleaning solutions for many years. A little safety hint, keep a spray bottle of vinegar water handy. If you get lye on your skin it will neutralize it. Also it helps with the clean up.
Please! never, never, NEVER use vinegar on a lye splash anywhere on your body. Rinse with plenty of plain cool running water. Vinegar does indeed neutralise lye, but the chemical reaction between the vinegar and lye will cause more damage.
Congratulations Becky u it the soap beautiful, I was so happy when I saw u making soap also bn following u for all most 3 years but I have done many of your recipe, especially the rustic bread. My husband loves it, my children, and it’s the most easiest bread to make in the household!!! thank you so much. May God bless you and your family and I will continue referring you to others because I know your work thank you again Becky blessings on ur holidays❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi, Becky, the basic for curing is 4 to 6 week with all soap. but ,to be honest I don't like the texture of the soap at that stage so I normally wait for 8 to 12 weeks .The soap is softer on your skin and the lather is much better. The older the soap of curing time the better the soap. Happy Mother's Day to you and your family.
Awesome fact. Appreciate it 🙏
I noticed someone else suggested filling a loofah with soap. Make sure you collect your marigold/ calendula petals which will look beautiful in the honey soap. Have a wonderful Mothers Day supermom!
Becky , congratulations you are now hooked.! I have been a soap maker for 25 years and have never looked back . Ann Marie Faiola is the owner of Bramble Berry on line and Otion her brick and mortar located in Belington Washington , she is a master soap maker . She has written 2 books as well which would be worth your while . The book you bought is good but if you want to go to the next level I recommend Her book Pure Soap making . I have booth her books. I have met her many times at our conventions for the HCSCG a world wide organization for soap makers. Which I leave Wednesday to attend again in Hartford . Soap is cured when it is no longer loosing weight 4-8 weeks, depends on the water content. I make goat milk soap and I never insulate because milk soap is prone to over heat. Lard soap does not lather well at all, coconut oil and castor oil is what makes soap bubbly.
Love Brambleberry!
It’s according to the type of bubble you’re looking for. Lard makes a wonderful creamy lather whereas coconut makes big fluffy bubbles. When I make lard soap, I add 6 to 8% castor oil to get fluffier lather (don’t add too much-it can make “slimy” or “sticky” feel to soap. Been making soap for sale, personal, and family members for 50 years (it’s all we use). Don’t get too hung up on whether to use stainless, glass, or plastic. If you use glass it can weaken and break. Plastic deteriorates rather quickly. I’ve used stainless bowls for 40 years and it’s all I use. Have fun making soap, don’t be scared off by what others say!
My grandmother used to make her own soap. For laundry, she kept large bars of soap next to the washer, along with an old cheese grater. You would grate out the amount you needed into the machine. It got our clothes very clean and bright!
How amazing.... would never of thought of using it for washing but why not....
Please post the recipe I would love to have it
The grated soap went into the washing machine tub as it was filling up, same as if you were adding powdered detergent. She would swish it around a bit before adding the clothes.
I know people except me don't have dollies but regular soap is good to soak them in and rinse good
I use glass for all my soap making ingredients...bowls, cups, measuring cups....glass washes out really really well with dish soap, and there is never any chemical reaction like with metal. Always remember to add lye to water, like snow falling on a lake. Soap batter is called RAW SOAP and will burn your skin if it spatters, so be careful, especially when washing out your tools. I keep track of each batch of soap I make, the date, the recipe, how much it makes, and the fragrance, and any other comments that would be helpful in the future. It's fun to look back and see what you did!
Using plastic or stainless steel doesn’t seem to jibe with the historical nature of soap making, since these materials didn’t exist when soap making began. To my mind wood, stone or crockery containers seem to be the most logical vessels for soap making from a historical view. Any thoughts out there? . . .
Glass can etch from the lye over time. This weakens the glass and it can suddenly break. Works in a pinch but not good long term.
Becky, use glass, not plastic for your essential oils. I once had an oil eat through the bottom of a plastic cup when measuring! Great job! I've been making soap and teaching for a lot of years. Your explanations were spot on. Well done.
In a modern world where equipment is safe to use for soap making I don't see an issue. enjoy the process I say@@josieramsay530
100% lard, or 100% olive oil is called castle soap, very moisturizing but doesn't give a lot of suds. Olive oil with coconut oil is called a Bastille soap, and that gives a lot of suds.
Just a suggestion.....perhaps have a dedicated area other than your kitchen in the event of accidental splash onto your countertop. Consider putting a sink in the planting area & a countertop next to it
Also outside or opens window when mixing lye. I’ve always missed with door open and place the jar of lye water outside while prepping my carrier oil.
Hi Becky! It felt really full circle watching you make soap today, because I remember watching you make soap in a loaf pan in your kitchen in 2020 and being in awe that it was possible to make your own soap at home. Jan’s was my first soap book, too- one of the very best. Well, I never stopped after that, and have made hundreds of batches of soap and have had my own soap and self-care company (Sunday Soapery) now for a little over a year! And that first soap video you made four years ago was my spark. Thank you, friend! Wishing you much happy soapmaking!
❤Cool comment!
I have been making soap for years. To make more lather add sugar or honey - it is truly worth it. I use coconut, lard, and castor in each bar and and then choose one other oils such as canola, rice, olive, etc. The ingredients need not be expensive. Oh, add the sugar, some clay, and some milk products as well totally worth it in the feel. The coconut oil, castor oil, and sugars make the bars lather more, which is what Americans like and are used to using. Congrats. Another idea is to use local ingredients. We have aloe and citrus and avocados which grow here, and they are wonderful in soap. The citrus skin can be dried and grated then added to the soap batter instead of using a loofah. Also, once you are hooked, you will find it easy and less expensive to make your own laundry soap, lotions, etc. What a journey you have in store!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY SWEET FRIEND💐💐💝💐 And to your precious Mom and sisters💐💐💝
I think it is the coconut oil that gives your soap more lather. I have read that the amount of lather does not affect the cleaning power of the soap but I love lots of lather. I started using castor oil in my soap many years ago and since then every soap that I make I add castor oil to because of the beautiful lather that it creates.
Do you use castor oil instead of lard or use both?
Coconut oil makes great lather and a harder bar. Sugar will also make great lather. Salt will make a harder bar.
It is the honey in the recipe that gave her soap lather. Castor Oil also boosts lather. 😃
I typically microwave all my oils together, while the lye is cooling. My lye can get up to 180° and so I don't worry about my oils being too hot, as by the time they are finished melting in the microwave, the lye has cooled to be close to the temp of the oils. Then you can use a fan to cool them and keep them within 10° of each other. One thing that's very important with the lye is that you ALWAYS add the lye to the water, not the other way around. If you want some natural color, clays are great to add. Caster oil is great for suds. There are soap making calculators once you get comfortable experimenting. It's a lot of fun!
I love using shampoo/body wash bars. I get them on Etsy from various vendors..no plastic containers, it lasts forever and doesn't dry out my hair...
Great video
Please wear a mask when dealing with your lye (until you have it all dissolved in your water.) Always think of snow on the lake when putting lye on the water and not the other way around. Also be careful washing your bowls before saponfication with having a septic system. I've heard it does a number on your system. I would use paper towels to get most of it out or let it sit overnight to saponify and then wash your bowls (it would be OK at that point). I usually cut soap loaves about 24 hours later. So much easier to cut! Your soaps came out great- Great job! to clean up the edges, you can use a vegetable peeler. Soap making is SO addictive lol
Excellent advice! Also, having a sink filled with water and a touch of white vinegar helps to neutralize any left over lye in the bowls or on the equipment. Welcome to the soap addiction! :)
I think if you are careful you’ll be fine. Our ancestors did do it without. Just go slow
Great job with this video!!
I am a soap maker myself ( i sell at markets and online)
Im so happy you tried it! Its so gratifying to know you are using a product you made yourself and i think the saponification process is so cool!
Just to note: after the saponification process ( about 24 hours usually or when you cut it) the soap is actually okay to use. The reason we cure the soap is to let the excess water evaporate from the bars so they stay harder longer while in use, otherwise it can tend to soften quicker in between uses. Also remember to keep your soap on a well draining dish and out of water contact between uses to help ensure hardness.
Again, terrific job and i hope you and your family love it! I have a feeling i know what this year’s Christmas gifts will be!😄
All us watching Becky expand her horizon, soap makers, candle makers, gardeners, and foodies.
Next she needs to make epoxy stainless steel cups. I've been doing that for a couple of years. They only draw back is that it's not a "cheap" hobby.
@@karenshepherd2412 I can’t see Becky taking on learning resin. Candle and soap making was for herself, and sharing with friends.
What a cool video! Being able to make your own soap is a great talent.
Happy Mother's Day Becky and Acre Homestead community!
My twin sister and me made and sold soap for ten years! When you use home crafted soap you wont go back! We loved it! Be carefull using plastic with lye it can get static and kinda spread onto your counters. We set our soaps where animals couldnt get to them on drying racks in a locked room kids couldnt get to as lye is still harmful till soap is dry! A dehumidifier is also helpful
When soap making as a person that does it for a living. Regardless of if in a book, please run it through a soap calculator to ensure measurements are correct. Also if you do this regularly i would set aside a bowl sppon and lye mixing container for tha purpose only for safety
This was my question: if using your household dishes can it be used for food afterwards? I would think not because of the lye.
@@cynthiafisher9907 thank you
I thought it would be prudent if she learned from someone who had experience. I wouldn't do that in the kitchen and her wrists were exposed 😬
You can use the equipment for food still but would you really want to risk it. It isn't so much the lye as it is used up but even if washed fragrance oils and other additives could stick around even after a thorough washing.
I was combing through comments before i said this. I was taught-to run every recipe through a soap calculator.
I love royalty soaps. Her soap is actually the only soap that doesn't irritate my skin
Katie Carson is amazing and has done so much for the soaping community, making the whole process so much more approachable. She did a great job with her Soapmaking 101 series.
Happy mother's day Becky❤❤ and to all the mother's on this platform God bless you all❤❤❤ thanks so much Becky. For sharing this soap making with us👍
Happy Mother’s Day! You’re such an inspiration. I know this is not a garden video but I planted a garden this year and my plants were looking sad! I added different supplements and the bounces back and look amazing now. I kept remembering your plants looking sad and you just kept at it and if they didn’t make it oh well. Take as a learning experience. But I didn’t give up. 🤗
So excited that you’re discovering and diving into soap making! I’ve been making soap for over 6 years and love it. A couple of things that might be helpful… Lye is actually an ingredient that is used in some food prep, like making bagels. I mention that because you CAN use the container that you use to measure lye for other things, you just need to wash it out between uses. Lye is something we should handle with care, but not something we need to be afraid of. In that vein, I would HIGHLY recommend using either dishwashing rubber gloves, or nitrile/latex medical gloves when doing any part of the soap making process where your lye is involved, whether it’s measuring or working with your soap batter. While the palm of your garden gloves are rubber/silicone, the fabric wouldn’t protect the rest of your hands if some of the lye water solution or batter splashed there. It could cause a bad skin burn because the fabric would hold the moisture, and you wouldn’t necessarily feel it right away. I use a blender or food processor to grind up my oatmeal, then just store any extra in a ziplock bag or jar with a lid. It just makes the process faster. It’s so much fun to learn what different oils and additives like clays, salt, sugars, and tussah silk can do for how a bar of soap lathers and feels. I hope you have a great time exploring all of it :)
During your seed and plant considerations this next rainy day period, also thumb through your soap making book. Also consider Sitka roses from RainTree Nusery. The least expensive roses come looking like brown sticks with roots. If you tend to them the first year, they are pretty hardy in inhospitable soil, watering, and lighting conditions; top dressing with a little leaf and needle mulch in the fall (or any other time) and slow watering during the depth of a drought does make them feel and look healthier.
ive been wanting to make soaps for a long time , but was so frightened by the process,, visually watching imight make an attempt xx
I have a feeling that your next Christmas gift boxes will feature your homemade soap. A very interesting process that is new to me. So much fun!
I said the same thing 🤣🤣🤣
Becky, because of you I have a small container garden growing on my condo patios. Now my next step is to make my own soaps. You showed us how it can be done. My children are aware of how chemicals can affect our bodies so they ask for certain hygiene products that claim to be safer. But wow, they are so expensive. I am getting this book and making our own. Not just to hopefully save a few dollars in the future but so we know what is going into our products. Thank you for another great video.
Little tip for the honey - If you heat up the honey water mixture in the microwave for a couple seconds it makes it easier to get all of it out of the container. Soap making is way more forgiving than you would think:). Safety and measurements are important especially with the lye but if you are a little off on other things it won’t make or break the batch.
I am so honored to be apart of this wonderful group and learning new techniques from Becky to baking cooking Gardening Becky and Josh thank you for the encouragement Love your videos ❤️❤️
If only there were such a thing as smell-a-vision. Your descriptions were so helpful. I do like the all natural coloring of these two soaps. About the difference in lathering-- Coconut oil gives your soap a little extra lather. Lard alone doesn't produce much lather, so the coconut oil adds the familiar amount of lather we think of with most soaps. Seems luxurious! What a lovely, inviting book that lives up to its title. Thank you, Becky.
Excited for you! One big/little hint, make sure your wrists are covered constantly. Longer gloves or fabric sleeves. Also, leave the protective gear on the whole time you are making the soap. I would hate for you to get burnt. Have fun!
If you mix the lye with ice instead of water you'll find it a little easier. It gets less hot so you can use it sooner. I also do like 15% less water when I make soap. Love the video :)
Becky, since you have so much tallow you should use it to make tallow balm for your face & body. It is so good for your skin & very easy to make! It’s a wonderful product to have on hand!
Beautiful job, you should be very proud of yourself. I wish most people would follow directions and reread and double check to make the best possible product. You did a great job. It was really nice to watch you. I hope you make lots more soap.
Hola Becky and Friends ❤ HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL ❤
I’d make this in your seed room though… easy to keep things separate there as well as ventilation…
Hey Becky! I would highly suggest you use heat-resistant glass for measuring your lye. You can use plastic, but it has to be a specific grade of plastic that can handle the heat when the lye first mixes with the water, so I always tell people glass is better. Anything like a Pyrex measuring cup or glass cook/bake-ware would work. Most metal dishes these days are a mix of multiple metals despite the label naming only one, some of which react negatively to lye causing a whole heap of problems. I've been making soap for nearly a decade and most of my equipment is glass and silicone. 😂
Becky, I've been making soap for a few years now, but am watching your video with great interest. THANK YOU!!!!!!
The stage when its still liquid before pouring into the mold, is called "soft soap". Its mentioned in one of my Little House on the Prairie storytelling videos. 😊 Pretty cool👍🏼
Happy Mother's Day💖💐🌄
Cover your counters so no lye particles can be left behind on cooking surfaces. Lye has fine powder particles that can float when pouring into your water. Cold process soap is fun but be super cautious, always.
Ive made soap and you are right in taking your time to get it all correct. I have soap that i made 12 years ago and cam still use it
I have no problems with it except the essential oils no longer smell
Which is ok with me
Yes, comment #1. Thank you for a video on Mother's Day Becky. Happy Mother's Day to you!!!
Since you’re a Mom now you are deserving of a Beautiful Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day Becky
Great job Becky. Learning to make soap is so wonderful. I have created thousands of bars and sold on a wholesale & retail basis and am happy to answer any questions you have as you learn. I’m even North up the freeway about 20 min from you!
Happy Mother’s Day Becky. Hope you enjoyed your day. Loved the soap making. Not sure I could do it myself. Mary on White Cottage does a lot of soaps. She is wonderful too
Tiny tip with milk soaps. I freeze them in ice cube trays. Melts smoother and quicker. Learned that from a Katy and another professional soaper. I always use to burn my milk before that😊
Shout out to all moms. Happy Mothers Day everyone! Know your job is the hardest. You are all doing your best.
Thank you and hope your Mother's Day is great as well
Thank you and if you’re a mom HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to you as well❣️🙏🏾💖
My mother-in-law made lye soap just for laundry. It worked great on stains. This video has me interested. Loved it!
Wow, I’m amazed. I’ve never seen anybody make soap. I’m glad yours turned out. Very nice.❤️
Happy Mother’s Day, Becky! Congratulations on your new endeavor 😊
❤ Happy Mother's Day to you and your mom and sisters💐💐💐. I was so intrigued by this video!!! Watching you teach us how to make soap was so cool and very interesting!!!! Thank you? I learned some interesting things about soap!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Cool! I love how informative you are!! Thank you for caring so much!
HAPPY BLESSED MOTHERS DAY TO A WONDERFUL YOUNG WIFE AND MOTHER AND DAUGHTER!! What an inspiration you are!!
I’ve made the cider and spice soap out of that book. It’s wonderful
I have been making soaps for a long time. If you want it to float mix longer to put more air in it to make it float have fun Becky and happy mother's day.🎉🎉🎉
Becky, I’d always wanted to can but was scared to death of the process. I’m happy to report that I’ve now successfully canned, both water and pressure! I’m so excited to get things on the shelves for my family. I’ve also wanted to make soap. I have super sensitive skin and thought homemade would really benefit me. I can’t wait to give this a try. Thanks for always inspiring me to try things I’ve always wanted to try. (My family thanks you too! They think the food is delish!) 😊
Note: be careful when you measure with a "gun" thermometer. The temp reading is only the surface area not the internal temp of the liquid. The reading could be incorrect if it needs to be exact.
I've been making soap for many years. Caster oil makes a Very lathery bar! My local Dollar General Store carries it.
HA! Love that you mentioned Katie from Royalty Soaps! She is such a doll! My only suggestion is to tap your molds down a few times after pouring to get out any bubbles. You may have done this for the second loaf, haven't gotten there yet lol
Good for you, caution soapmaking is addictive! The possibilities are endless once you get comfortable. Good luck.
Thank you Becky so glad you did a video on soapmaking. I have been interested in it for a while now and it is nice to watch you as you are learning the process. Great job. And happy Mother’s Day.
Becky you are coming out with videos I’m interested in!!!🎉
Omg this is great! I've always been scared of the lye. Watching you do it for us, it seems much less scary. Thank you! I may try this. Been on my bucket list forever.
Happy Mother's Day Becky 💐
Happy Mothers Day Becky! Awesome diy! Ive always wanted to make soap i did start candles after you did your diy on candles!🎉
Happy Mother's Day Becky! And all you ladies watching.
Hope you’re having a great Mother’s Day Becky 🥰.
Just a suggestion, but you should use plastic and not stainless steel when soap making. The lye doesn’t get along so great with it.
I mix the lye solution on stove with the fan running! I have stray cats outside; a few small children who don't think twice on my porch! So I am comfortable with the stove vent!
Happy Mother's Day Becky !!
Also Happy Mother's Day to your Mom, and Mother in-law !
🩷🩷🩷💐💐💐
It has been so long since I’ve made soap. I’ve had two babies since my last batch and I’ve been wanting to get back to it. This was the inspiration I needed!
My mom made soap for many years. She would save the fats from cooking and trimmings. She rendered the fat until it was clean. She was doing this in the 70's through late 90's. I have a few bars left that I'm hanging onto because she's gone. It works great as a laundry soap.
Hi Becky. You mentioned Royalty Soaps. I love Katie and her show. She's so sweet and gives you lots of useful information. I follow another channel called I Dream in Soap. With Lisa. She makes the most fantastic bars. Very cool. ❤❤❤ these turned out beautifully. Well done. ❤
Happy Mother's Day, Becky! Happy Mother's Day to your mom and mother-in-law, too! I get such an uplift watching you and your family. 🥰 Thank you for being you❣️
Happy Mother's Day Becky!❤
Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mothers Day Becky. God bless. From Australia 🇦🇺
Happy mothers day to you Becky and to all mothers. Love this video.
Donna uk
I'll never go back to store bought bar soaps.. I get mine from Brazos Valley Soaps. She does amazing work.
I made ❤ and sold soap as; Bath Whispers. Selling bath bombs, lip balms, Cleopatra Milk Bath, Honey and Rolled Oats Soap, Autumn Walks Soap, Cappuccino Soap, Bumblegum Soap, Poppy's Garden soap, and Natural Roll on perfumes.
Soap batches mixed in large plastic jugs safe for soap and hard ware paints. The best tip when making soap, allow your utensils dry with the remainder soap still in it, as it makes washing up so much easier.
The best soap has olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter. Use the soap calc on the internet.
A little tip, you can add silk fibre to your lye mixture, before adding the lye to your melted oil's. The silk makes your soap bars extra smooth and of course, silky. Add a touch of Kaolin Clay for the skin. And your good to go.
Wonderful to see something different on your channel. ❤
I make oatmeal with coconut oil and Lye soaps...one is a facial bar the other for cleaning and topical use
Becky, your soap turned out beautiful. I shared this video with my sister who's been wanting to make soap for ages! ❤️ This is the encouragement she needs!
Happy Mothers's day from another mother. I did notice when you were measuring out your essential oils, the second oil spilled out the back edge of the container onto your scale. Did you notice, and how did you deal with that?
Dear Becky, I have the same book and started making soap earlier this year. The last soap I made (not from this book) used only coconut oil plus the lye solution and it is a wonderfully moisturizing soap with a great lather. My husband likes this soap the best. We prefer fragrance free products and this fits the bill. Thanks for being an inspiration for cooking, gardening and now soap making. 🌷
Hello Becky and Happy Mother's Day. 💖 I absolutely love this video. Congratulations on the success of these two batches of soap. I hope to see more soap making videos. 💕🤗
This was a really great video. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at soap making. Thank you Becky!
Great video. A couple of things make sure your gloves are waterproof. When cleaning up wipe everything with a cloth then let sit for 24 hrs and just put in your dish washer . It's has turned into soap at that point otherwise you are washing hard oils and lye down your drain which is damaging them and could cause clogs. The lather in the oatmeal soap is due to the sugars both are great soaps.
My mom and I made lye soap together she been gone a long time and I still have fond memories. Lye soap is good to wash dogs for fleas and mites. Also good for dandruff,acne,and spot treatments. You are great
I add the lye to the water ONLY outside because of the fumes.
Happy Mother Day to you Becky. Hope you have an awesome day.
What a wonderful episode to share with viewers! I make my own soap from coconut and olive oil but I think I would like to try other recipes. It is nice to know what is in your soap and fun to customize it with essential oils, colors and designs. My family loves it! I also make my own laundry detergent. You are an amazing woman and model homemaker! Thank you for your great videos! God bless you!
Back in the day cheese came in a wood box about the size of your silicon box. A damp piece of muslim toweling was used to line it. Some also used wet towel lined wood soda bottle case. We used a pickle crock outside on the porch. We reused the crock and glass measuring cups. The only thing kept for only soap making was a large long handled wood spoon, which I still have. Small amount borax and washing soda was added.
OH. Meant to tell you. I’ve added pine needles crushed and rose petals in soap and they’re lovely The pine one- say good bye to Irish spring 😄. Not as strong smelling and my sons prefer the homemade one over Irish spring
I have never seen soap being made until now. You make each task you take on look so easy. Look forward to more kinds of soap you will make! Thanks for sharing!!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO YOU AND YOUR MOM!!!♥♥♥