# Christmas soaps



## SoINgirl (Aug 3, 2007)

I tried this on another board but nobody actually answered any of my questions so I thought that I would try here. I would like to make some soaps for Christmas. I only have lard, tallow, olive, castor, and coconut, and I could probally get some cocoa butter (but that will be a little later on). I have went to soapcalc and came up with this:
20% Tallow
20% Lard
35% Olive
20% Coconut
5% Castor

Hardness: 41
Cleasing: 15
Condition: 54
Bubbly: 20
Creamy: 30
Iodine: 55
INS: 152

I know that the numbers are in the right range but I don't know if it would be better to increase one or decrease one. I would like to do one batch with OMH and would like to know how much honey ppo and how much oatmeal. I am sure that I have seen this before but for the life of me I can't remember where. I also would like to make a fisherman's soap and dirt soap and would like to know if anyone knows of a good place to get these from. I have made a few batches of soap that didn't really do so well (I have since gotten new scales and some other stuff). So although I don't have any fancy oils I would like to make a nice soap to give to people. The first batch I made was with goats milk and it turned out better than the other batches that I have tried and I have read about how difficult they can be (that is why I want to start on this one now incase I have to redo it). Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

That will make a lovely soap. Use 5%-7% superfat.

Remember that honey will overheat a soap, so you don't need to insulate this one! I use a couple teaspoons of honey ppo although a tablespoon ppo isn't too much!

For oatmeal, I use oatmeal baby cereal. Don't use the Quick Oats!! You'll end up with mush!! I find regular and steel-cut oatmeal too scratchy in the finished bar. Oatmeal baby cereal is hard to tell from collidial oatmeal. About 1 tablespoon ppo.


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## SoINgirl (Aug 3, 2007)

Thank you sooo much  . You are so very helpful, I see you around here and on other websites too.


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## swamp_deb (Jan 9, 2004)

Your recipe looks good, that soap should be hard as a rock so it should last a long time. You don't need fancy oils to make a great soap. I personally love a goat milk, honey and oats with no added fragrance, so do a lot of customers.

Good luck with your Christmas soaps!

Oh yeah, Cyn is a big help and encourager.


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## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

What is "ppo", please?


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

Jillis said:


> What is "ppo", please?


ppo is "per pound oil"

I've found peppermint soap (using peppermint essential oil for the scent) is a big hit at Christmas.

Dawn


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

Am I the only one who never looks at those soap calc numbers?

I like the looks of that recipe. You could do all sorts of recipes with them; all lard, lard/coconut, tallow/coconut, add a little castor and olive... Lots of playing around to see what you like best.


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## SoINgirl (Aug 3, 2007)

Thank you all so much, you are very incouraging. For the other soaps that I want to do I figured I would change it up a bit, and then add some EOs or FOs. I can't wait to play  .


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## Chickadee_42us (Jan 24, 2003)

so how much did this recipe make?

Kesoaps - you state you never look at the charts. How do you determine the amount of lye to use? I know - experience!!!  Hopefully, I'll get there.


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## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

Oh, there's a difference between using the calculators to determine how much lye to use and looking at the hardness, conditioning, cleansing, etc.... numbers. 

I use lye calculators on a regular basis, but I very rarely look at the part of the charts that tell me the hardness, cleansing, bubbly, whatever numbers. Part of that is experience gained from using all sorts of different oils and paying attention to what those oils do in soap - using my techniques, my equipment, and my recipes.


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## Chickadee_42us (Jan 24, 2003)

Oh - sorry Jen, I did not realize that was the 'chart' she was referring too! Thank you for the update, I truly appreciate it, I did not even recognize their qualities - that just makes this whole thing more interesting!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

kesoaps said:


> Am I the only one who never looks at those soap calc numbers?


I don't look at the soap calc numbers but I do like playing around with the fatty acid percentages by themselves. When I was expermenting with various oils I made a lye calculator with Excel and plugged in the mean fatty acid percentage. That way I could play around with different fatty acid % of the recipes.

The online soap calc was based from my excel sheet (with permission as long as it was kept free)


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

halfpint said:


> ppo is "per pound oil"
> 
> I've found peppermint soap (using peppermint essential oil for the scent) is a big hit at Christmas.
> 
> Dawn


I'd like to make some peppermint soap, but I've heard you shouldn't use it as a body soap because if the peppermint comes into contact with--erm... sensitive areas it can cause uncomfortable tingling/burning. Is that true?

Thanks,

 RedTartan


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

RedTartan said:


> I'd like to make some peppermint soap, but I've heard you shouldn't use it as a body soap because if the peppermint comes into contact with--erm... sensitive areas it can cause uncomfortable tingling/burning. Is that true?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> RedTartan


I would presume it would be true, we usually use it for hand soap, occasionally I've used it for face soap and washing hair, and it does tingle, which doesn't bother me in those areas.
Dawn


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## cayenne47 (Nov 7, 2004)

I found some gingerbread scented oil one year and used that in my christmasy soaps...sold outAnd please dont ask, i dont remember where lol, but it sure smelled wonderful.


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