tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post537284764893128677..comments2024-03-29T21:11:37.724+10:00Comments on down to earth: Soap - a new recipeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-49568543306536376782020-01-02T06:09:15.079+10:002020-01-02T06:09:15.079+10:00Once you have made soap in the moulds...do not use...Once you have made soap in the moulds...do not use for baking....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06781734064169168743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-88444666788052916632015-12-06T18:04:23.116+10:002015-12-06T18:04:23.116+10:00Hi Rhonda
I have been enjoying reading your blogs ...Hi Rhonda<br />I have been enjoying reading your blogs for a few months now and it would be unfair for me not to acknowledge how much I am learning from it. When I started searching for green cleaning recipes I stumbled upon your blog and I am glad I did. Since then I have been replacing my detergents, adding value to my homemaking and spreading the word. I have even passed on your details to few other friends. At the moment I am psyching myself up to make soap. Fingers crossed I will be by the end of this month, thanks to your straightforward instructions. Thanks once again and keep up the good work! Zabeenanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-54676331389134695842013-03-16T06:39:08.223+10:002013-03-16T06:39:08.223+10:00Thanks Rhonda, I will try this again soon. Tried i...Thanks Rhonda, I will try this again soon. Tried it once based on your inspiration, but to be honest the scary chemistry calcs scared me off when I tried to use a calculator... I have not heard of copha here in the UK, so will try to make soap with olive and coconut oil instead, maybe some shea butter too.<br />Also for UK readers, Lakeland have some amazing cake/chocolate moulds now (silicone) that are awesome for soap. I made some melt and pour soap last weekend and their £1.99 4xmini loaves silicom mold set worked wonders. Thanks again.Sophie Gisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03362731913384016146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-60587484821694533172012-12-29T06:11:14.379+10:002012-12-29T06:11:14.379+10:00I found your blog while looking for a rice bran so...I found your blog while looking for a rice bran soap recipe. I use the rose mold that you do, as well as a couple other silicone molds. I enjoy fragrance in my soaps, though. I can't imagine using regular commercial soaps again. They are so bad for my skin. Motivated In Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09959913866975804753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-45887307350201659002011-10-09T22:15:51.312+10:002011-10-09T22:15:51.312+10:00After having made the laundry liquid 2 weeks ago, ...After having made the laundry liquid 2 weeks ago, I gave your soap a go this Saturday. They are now drying and I look forward to using them. I´m excited to be making all these natural cleaners, as I hardly ever buy chemicals and I just hate to go past the stinky aisle in the supermarket as well, it makes my eyes water and my nose itchy.<br />Thanks for all the lovely green recipes.Samihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06467163627586022816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-29145909630696920762010-10-28T04:55:18.494+10:002010-10-28T04:55:18.494+10:00THanks for sharing such a great recipe for soap. ...THanks for sharing such a great recipe for soap. I want to start making my own, but won't be able to until we finally are able to figure out a space for me. (I have 2 darling children with ADHD and nothing like lye is allow until I find ways to keep is from being found.) <br />Anyway, I have this favorited for that time!Arvihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00857300223799928468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-75757229027707722892010-10-02T23:11:06.674+10:002010-10-02T23:11:06.674+10:00Hi Rhonda
Thanks for the cleaning cloth pattern. ...Hi Rhonda<br /><br />Thanks for the cleaning cloth pattern. Have made a few - for my daughter too... :-)<br /><br />Just one question:<br /><br />As they are the cloths used to clean the dishes, pots and counter tops, etc. how do I "bleach" them without using bleach? Seem to recall you mentioning an "oxygen" cleaner - could you please be more specific.<br /><br />Many thanks<br /><br />DaniDanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04020970904311512357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-69244488546547553132010-09-21T16:57:53.236+10:002010-09-21T16:57:53.236+10:00Oooh, great idea about the silicone moulds. I nev...Oooh, great idea about the silicone moulds. I never knew you could use them for soaps. I normally use a plastic Ikea Antonius tray, which gives me "loaves" of soap to slice up.Sonatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05601669167176697511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-51963274573426022032010-09-18T20:21:21.576+10:002010-09-18T20:21:21.576+10:00Hello Rhonda and all,
I recently made the soap fro...Hello Rhonda and all,<br />I recently made the soap from your first tutorial and it went smoothly and I got to the trace stage in the right sort of time.. but the soap was still stingy by the time I put it into the mould. I cut it up the next day and it still had a 'bite' to it. Will this soap be any good to use? Does the sting disappear eventually or have I put too much lye in it or did I not mix it enough? Can I do anything with it if it isn't any good? Re- batch? Help! It feels like such a waste of ingredients.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-14091962861778003532010-09-18T09:37:52.067+10:002010-09-18T09:37:52.067+10:00Oh, that soap is so beautiful!
I've only made ...Oh, that soap is so beautiful!<br />I've only made soap once and would love to make it again.<br /><br />Tell Hanno happy belated birthday. I hope he had a *wonderful* day......<br /><br />Hello to you Rhonda, and to Hanno, and to all your chooks....have a lovely night....<br /><br />~RosieRosiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12244475534811990267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-22429931333812652222010-09-15T21:19:05.047+10:002010-09-15T21:19:05.047+10:00Well done Rhonda and Happy Birthday to you, Hanno....Well done Rhonda and Happy Birthday to you, Hanno. I am glad you like the silicone molds. I really like the long bars. <br /><br />It is a good reminder to find local oils but as a caution if the oils are changed from your recipe the recipe should be run through a lye calculator again to be on the safe side. Each oil has their own properties and require different amounts of lye. There is nothing more dissapointing than to change a recipe, not check it and have "ucky" soap. A waste of time and $$. Ask me how I know this?<br /><br />...The wife of a Dairyman...I would guess it is the lemon that is giving your skin the trouble. You didn't mention all the ingredients but if you like the base recipe try adding the essential oil one at a time? You might be able to figure it out? A single batch divided then the essential oils, just 1 in each should let you know? Just a thought.<br /><br />A happy dance with the news of your book!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-85837184897696384962010-09-15T12:48:43.680+10:002010-09-15T12:48:43.680+10:00Hi Rhonda, I would love to get a couple of those r...Hi Rhonda, I would love to get a couple of those rose moulds, could you let me know where you got them from....please...Debra K :)Debra Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12928630615929764333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89417610105737538742010-09-15T07:23:32.967+10:002010-09-15T07:23:32.967+10:00Thanks for the info lightisfading an asian friend ...Thanks for the info lightisfading an asian friend at work went out, of his way on his dinner hour to get me that 100% KTC coconut from his local shop, he was astonished that it was so expensive in Holland & Barrett. I wasn't going to make it if I had to pay 12.00 quid so I was glad my friend Faz came up with a much cheaper alternative. Drllee thanks for comments but I only tried one small bar after two weeks because I was curious;-). The other blocks are safetly curing away, gonna leave them for another 5 to six weeks. Another friend gave me some Ph testing sticks which I used on the one testing block and it was too high at 11.Captain Shagrathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05626375707585639323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-54264425964928144672010-09-14T23:20:03.318+10:002010-09-14T23:20:03.318+10:00You'll also find tea tree oil at walmart for $...You'll also find tea tree oil at walmart for $5, instead of the $12-$22 at health food stores!!Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05528481514297126433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-90566965181953740692010-09-14T22:48:19.427+10:002010-09-14T22:48:19.427+10:00Thanks for the updated soap post! I now make a lo...Thanks for the updated soap post! I now make a lot of soap at home. I used your first tutorial for its' excellent instructions; however, I used a soap calc to calculate ingredients local to me. :) <br /><br />A few weeks back you mentioned doing costings for the soap making. I was just curious - did you get a chance to do that? I am curious about the results. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-5466939884880421892010-09-14T22:37:09.950+10:002010-09-14T22:37:09.950+10:00Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post on s...Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post on soap! I was actually hoping you would do another one on it soon as I'm going to be taking the step of making my own liquid/bar soap. I make all my cleaners now except soap- it seemed a bit intimidating to me...but when I decided to give up commercial cleaners for good, that meant commercial soap.<br />The cake molds are a great idea- so pretty! They would make wonderful gifts. <br />I was just wondering- is there any way you could record your workshops or maybe make some video tutorials so those of us who live far away could watch the process of soap making, baking bread, etc? Maybe it's too time consuming, but I was just wondering. :)<br />The Girl in the Pink DressThe Girl in the Pink Dresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00250837836714463827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-75197421241751351392010-09-14T21:58:11.751+10:002010-09-14T21:58:11.751+10:00Thank you for the recipe, Rhonda. I will give it a...Thank you for the recipe, Rhonda. I will give it a go now - have been procrastinating due to fear of using caustic soda...I am on the look out for moulds & stamps from op shops.<br />Have you costed the soap made with this new recipe?Veronikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09622533211213308551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-63692804554324047082010-09-14T19:49:01.067+10:002010-09-14T19:49:01.067+10:00@ Captain Shagrat - according to the tutorial I th...@ Captain Shagrat - according to the tutorial I think you're supposed to leave the soap to cure for at least 6 weeks before use or else it will disintegrate too quickly - as you've already found out!Flepandcohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03829255811468297928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-5044071803752132772010-09-14T18:29:32.774+10:002010-09-14T18:29:32.774+10:00Hi Rhonda - I love your moulds - I have never seen...Hi Rhonda - I love your moulds - I have never seen the rectangular ones or the rose ones. Would you mind sharing the name of the store Hanno found them - much appreciated<br />GlendaUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02647815926422850643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-71555931129283456832010-09-14T17:34:23.647+10:002010-09-14T17:34:23.647+10:00Also I used KTC 100% coconut oil priced at £1.19 f...<i>Also I used KTC 100% coconut oil priced at £1.19 for a 500ml jar from the Asian shop, from Holland and Barratt it was nearly £12.00 pounds? There must be a reason for the price difference?</i><br /><br />Captain Shagrat I use the exact same coconut oil with no problems. I think the reason for the price difference is that in asian shops it is a staple and priced accordingly, whereas holland and barratt are pricing it for wealthier 'picky' 'health conscious' 'organic' consumers (no offence meant, as I'm one too, but also on a budget!). H+B have a captive market on the high street for this type of thing, so they can get away with it. They do the same with all their health supplements which are twice what the are elsewhere, ditto dried fruits/nuts. I only use them for vegetarian 'specialities' I can't get elsewhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-18824570334296183032010-09-14T13:38:04.327+10:002010-09-14T13:38:04.327+10:00I love making soap! My first attempt I made up a ...I love making soap! My first attempt I made up a recipe to use the stuff I had on hand with a lye calculator and used your tutorial. I always use goats milk for my soap and freeze the milk for a few hours and add the lye over an icebath. This keeps the fats from burning and turning orange. I am happy that I made some soaps for my mom to use as she is sensitive to EVERYTHING and has asthma issues in addition to rosacea. No wonder she gave up on soaps. She is even allergic to borax! I keep trying to make her the perfect soap and every recipe I create is a little different. Thanks for igniting my spark!charliesgracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01966116194411683274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89124817509782874622010-09-14T13:02:22.863+10:002010-09-14T13:02:22.863+10:00I agree! "That long stinky aisle"-- I ac...I agree! "That long stinky aisle"-- I actually hold my breath if I'm forced to walk that aisle for any reason. I have asthma, and synthetic perfumes really bother me, whereas natural fragrances do not. I only buy fragrance free, eco friendly soaps for my bath and my house that are local to New England. Someday I will make my own.<br /> Thank you for inspiring so many to do so much with our lives, I learn a lot, and also remember a lot that I'd forgotten about, growing up with a simple farm life. I moved to the city and made things complicated. In the past few years I've simplified again. I love coming here and learning new things on this blog! Thank you so much.Lisa B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08528726526666759917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-37890992759225920852010-09-14T10:34:10.810+10:002010-09-14T10:34:10.810+10:00This is my fall project, making soap for the first...This is my fall project, making soap for the first time. However i am having the most difficult time finding rice bran oil. I finally found coconut oil, after going though about 20 stores and the lye came from the farm store ( go figure). I am looking forward to making soap. Wish i could get lessons here.Lokshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17744393319879735773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-31601350992790865092010-09-14T10:02:11.142+10:002010-09-14T10:02:11.142+10:00Hi Rhonda, as usual another great post, could you ...Hi Rhonda, as usual another great post, could you tell me what Lye is and where do I purchase it. Thank youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-5268624912840422982010-09-14T09:27:24.940+10:002010-09-14T09:27:24.940+10:00I am reasonably local to you, and would love to at...I am reasonably local to you, and would love to attend one of your workshops if possible. How do I find out where/when they are on next? Many thanks.duchess_declutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01763062839151537111noreply@blogger.com