Making soap? Recipes?

[whinnyninny]

I'm thinking about trying my hand at making goat's milk soap. Not to sell... I'd like to make it to give as gifts for Christmas (since it takes several weeks to cure, I better get started soon, right?)

I want to use the cold process method. I found a recipe on the Fias Co Farm website that calls for lard, and recipes on other sites that call for different oils such as coconut (instead of lard). Does anyone have any recipes they've tried and had success with? And maybe some lotion recipes? I think it would be nice to give gift sets of goat milk soap and lotion.

And, is making soap difficult or easy? I'm a pretty good cook, and I've made things like fudge from scratch (NOT the marshmallow creme kind, either!) For instance, this soap recipe doesn't seem too different than this fudge recipe... mess up on that fudge recipe the slightest bit and it won't set up! (I've made lots of other things like that, I just can't think offhand of any!)

Also, does anyone have a site they recommend for supplies? Good customer service, reasonable prices, etc?

[greenacres]

There is a soapmaking forum with the country homemaking section of homesteadingtoday.

[whinnyninny]

Thank you, I forgot all about it!

[greenacres]

Hey, its Friday! Where in Texas do you live?

[whinnyninny]

Grayson County.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

I teach a class here on CP soap and I teach the Wallmart recipe...Lard, coconut oil, and (sunfloweror olive or salflower or soybean oil) all things including the molds that you can find at walmart.

Receipe and all the instructions on the soap section of dairygoatinfo.com you don't have to join to read it.

Cindy on the forum here is great, you could spend all day on her forum and on here reading what she has written. Vicki

[whinnyninny]

They have molds at Wal-Mart? I didn't know that!

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Well not soap molds but you can use anything for a soap mold that isn't metal *unless you line the metal* that holds water. Go down the container section for offices and the kitchen, tons of molds that work perfectly, think drawer organizers....and the new silicone molds...they have roses, little tiny cupcake molds that are perfect and cool once you do it awhile, is tiny bundt cakes, you can even ice them with melt and pour after making your CP 'cake' soap During christmas they have snow flakes and all sorts of things, they are more substantial than the tiny soaps you make with regular soap molds you purchase from places like wholesalesupplyplus.com although they have everything you can imgaine in molds. Vicki

[Cheribelle]

You may have already read this somewhere, but be sure your milk is Very Cold. I use 1/2 goats milk and 1/2 ice cubes by weight for the liquid in the recipe. Otherwise the lye gets it too hot and discolors it.
Tip I stumbled on- Soybean Oil and Olive Oil have the same saponification values, and soy is Much cheaper!

[Carolyn]

Vicki makes and sells lots of fantastic soap!! Carolyn

[chewie]

i have been making that soap for a little bit now, have never ruined it and now all my family (even my mom who looks at my goats like they're roaches!) LOVES my soap and doesn't want to ever be without! my daughter had rashes on her shoulders--gone. friend had very dry skin--healed up. and if you get stinky buck smell on your hands, some nice scented soaps sure help!!

[XCricketX]

.... and Vicki's soaps are WONDERFUL!!!! Personally tested and approved! ^_^

Cricket