New Soap - Chai Goat's-Milk Oatmeal Soap

I made the goat's-milk oatmeal soap using chai tea this time and here are the results. Notice the two on the left top. They are rectangle bars made with a single mold. The round one has an imprint, but it is hard to see it because of the color and texture of the soap. I will sell these for $3 a bar, and a portion will go to Sanctuary Ministries.

           

In case anyone is wondering what the scent is, the scent is Oatmeal, milk, and honey.

         

New Kind of Lava Soap - With Pumice

I thought I would make a soap and add pumice to it. The end product would be much like a Lava soap, but a different shape and color. I could add a scent to it as well. Well, in the fall, I tried my hand at this and I love the finished product. It is mildly abrasive, similar to the goat's milk-oatmeal soap. I feel so clean when I use it! I originally intended to make it for men. I always give Lava soap to the men in the household for Christmas. Now I get to make my own with my copy-cat recipe! I call it 'Volcano' soap. Here is a pic:

I did add too much color to this first batch, but once it cured, it wasn't so noticeable. The color was like a coral, but the next batch was more like salmon. I am selling these at $3 a bar if anyone is interested (or if I don't use them up first!).

Round, Rectangle, or Flowery?

    I find it interesting that a long time ago, I used to make shaped soaps. I used molds that were intended for making candles, so most of the soaps were huge. I made a cat one, a football one, an apple, and a little Nativity figure set all out of soap. Out of all of those, the only one I sold was one cat one!
   Years later, I have some friends that want me to make goat's milk-oatmeal soap. They want it to be in rectangle bars. So I have been making those and they seem to be in demand.
  I used to wonder why people preferred the rectangle soaps to the fancy shaped ones. One reason, I think, is because when a bar is pretty or looks like an object, it tends to not get used, except as a decoration. One person put an apple soap in their fruit bowl, I noticed!
   So now I am mainly concentrating on making rectangle bars. Some of them are plain, with a rough cut, and others will have a flowery picture on the front. Someone once suggested that perhaps it is because the rectangle bars are easiest to hold. That makes sense.
   So my next decision to make on the shapes, is whether people will buy round or oval soaps, or will they prefer the rectangle ones instead of the round ones?
   What do you think? Please post your opinions and thoughts here in the place for comments. Thanks.

Thank God for Rainwater

It is raining and I am very happy, for when I have lots of rainwater, I can make soap. Sure, I can use distilled water and will when I am in a pinch, but I prefer to use rainwater as it is in its most natural form. God has answered my prayer for rain. And I will make soap tomorrow night!

Two Kinds of Homemade Soaps

There are actually two different kinds of homemade soaps that soapmakers like to make. One of them is called 'Cold-Process' soap and the other one is a glycerin soap. Cold process soap takes a lot more work for the average soap maker, but the results are worth it. Cold process soap starts out with heating oils, and mixing lye with rainwater. I know that sounds harsh, but there is a chemical process that takes place in which the lye actually isn't lye anymore by the time the product is finished. Something happens when the lye water combines with the oils, and a process called saponification takes place. After the soap mixture is poured into the molds, it begins the process of 'curing'. It takes about three weeks before the soap is fully cured and is safe to use. During the curing process, the lye water with the oils forms what we know as soap. If done properly, the soap will work as soap and the product is amazing to use.
   Glycerin soaps, on the other hand, are made by soap makers who take small pieces of glycerin (usually the glycerin is in a big bar, usually 5 LB or 25 LB. Pieces are taken off and put into a pot and heated at a low temperature. When it is melted, coloring and scents are added and the mixture is placed in a mold. If the glycerin bar is transparent, items can be placed inside the melted glycerin and it makes it more appealing, especially for kids. This method is usually called 'Melt and Pour' or 'M and P'. There are soap making lists that you can join on the internet, and there are companies that specialize in soap making and sell soap making products.
   So that is the basic story of how homemade soaps are made. Contact me if you are interested in watching me make homemade soap, and I will try to arrange a time when I will be making soap and you can watch.

Oma's Workshop - January 30, 2012

This is my first post for Oma's Workshop. I am creating a blog page for a couple of reasons. First, I have people requesting information on the homemade soaps I make, and would like to have a web page they can visit. I have a web page already on Face Book, but a lot of people aren't on Face Book, so this is for them. Also, I can post soapmaking tips here, and help other people who are interested in making their own soap. There are other products I make as well, and I can put their pictures on this blog.
   Back to the soapmaking, some of the money made from the goat's milk oatmeal soap goes toward Sanctuary Ministries, which is a ministry designed to educate people on the horrors of abortion and encourage women to not have an abortion, if they believe that is an option for them. Many women have no idea that abortion is an act of murder, and unless they are educated on this, they will continue to be irresponsible people continuing to believe that the baby they will have murdered inside of them is just a piece of tissue (the lie that the authorities would like for you to believe). There has to be safety for these little children and we need to protect them. That is why Sanctuary Ministries is so effective in ministering to these women.
   The next thing on the agenda is learning how to make dollhouse items. This could be quite interesting and very involved, so we will see how many different items I will actually end up making and how long they will take to make!
   Feel free to post and ask questions or provide feedback. Hope you enjoy this blog page!