Well, I hope this helps my fellow soap makers! Have an excellent day and happy soaping!
Friday, February 19, 2010
My Quest For Lye: I Found It!
Just a very quick update to let my fellow Canadian soapers know that I successfully found lye at 'Home Hardware'! However, It was NOT the 'Gillett's' brand as stated in my previous blog post. After speaking to the store manager, he said that they do not carry the 'Gillett's' brand anymore, but they do have lye crystals that come in a three kilogram container sold for $19.99 and labeled as their 'Home' store brand. I do not know if the 'Gillett's' is sold at other 'Home Hardware' stores, or if just the one store stopped carrying it. If you live in the Toronto area, the location I went to is just west of Bloor Street and Ossington. The manager said that they usually have a fair amount of stock. Here is a photo of the product I bought:
Well, I hope this helps my fellow soap makers! Have an excellent day and happy soaping!
Well, I hope this helps my fellow soap makers! Have an excellent day and happy soaping!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
My Quest for Lye: Please DO NOT use Drano!
Good old sodium hydroxide! Veteran soap makers know that in order to make scrumptious cold process soap, you must include lye in your recipe. But, because lye is a highly reactive chemical and is also commonly used in meth labs, it is near impossible to find unless of course you have a friendly neighbour who happens to be a chemist! If you happen to find lye online, you will find that most companies will not ship it due to it's reactive properties.
Lye is a common ingredient in many household drain cleaners. If you check the active ingredients on your 'Drano' bottle, you'll see sodium hydroxide listed. DO NOT use 'Drano'! In order for your soap to be successful, you need to use PURE sodium hydroxide. 'Drano' also contains other chemicals and aluminum shavings that will harm your skin and perhaps will cause a different chemical reaction in your soap recipe.
So, where can you find lye?
Most soap makers will tell you to simply run to your local hardware store, but in my experience most hardware stores do not carry pure lye.
If you are a proud Canadian soap maker like myself, heed my words: I have been to 'Home Depot', I have been to 'Lowe's', I have been to 'Rona'. They do not carry any such product that is pure lye, and furthermore they usually cannot even tell you what it is! At least in Canada... specifically, Toronto. However, you can find it at 'Home Hardware'. I know... I would think a big box store like 'Home Depot' would carry it over our tiny neighbourhood chain. 'Home Hardware' carries only a few bottles at a time and it is made by a company called 'Gillett's'. The label clearly says 'Gillett's 100% Lye'. This brand, I've heard, can also be found in some IGA stores across Canada.
If you live in the Huntsville, Ontario area, there is a company called 'Canwax' that carries sodium hydroxide. They used to be located in Mississauga, but have recently relocated to cottage county. You can find their address here: www.canwax.com . I believe they only offer local pickup for their sodium hydroxide, but carry excellent soaping supplies at great prices.
I know most of you American soap makers used to use a brand called 'Red Devil', but it is no longer on the market. I've heard that you can buy lye from 'Home Depot' and 'Lowe's' in the states. I've also heard from fellow soap makers that you can find it at 'Ace Hardware' and even 'Wal-Mart'. I know 'Backyard Style' carries a brand of lye called 'Robic'.
I invite any soap makers who have experience buying and using lye to comment about the brand they use and where they buy it, as this can be the most difficult ingredient to find when creating cold process soap. Please also state your location.
I hope this information helped my fellow crafters get an idea of where to buy your soap making lye. As always, happy crafting!
P.S. Do NOT use 'Drano'!!!
Lye is a common ingredient in many household drain cleaners. If you check the active ingredients on your 'Drano' bottle, you'll see sodium hydroxide listed. DO NOT use 'Drano'! In order for your soap to be successful, you need to use PURE sodium hydroxide. 'Drano' also contains other chemicals and aluminum shavings that will harm your skin and perhaps will cause a different chemical reaction in your soap recipe.
So, where can you find lye?
Most soap makers will tell you to simply run to your local hardware store, but in my experience most hardware stores do not carry pure lye.
If you are a proud Canadian soap maker like myself, heed my words: I have been to 'Home Depot', I have been to 'Lowe's', I have been to 'Rona'. They do not carry any such product that is pure lye, and furthermore they usually cannot even tell you what it is! At least in Canada... specifically, Toronto. However, you can find it at 'Home Hardware'. I know... I would think a big box store like 'Home Depot' would carry it over our tiny neighbourhood chain. 'Home Hardware' carries only a few bottles at a time and it is made by a company called 'Gillett's'. The label clearly says 'Gillett's 100% Lye'. This brand, I've heard, can also be found in some IGA stores across Canada.
If you live in the Huntsville, Ontario area, there is a company called 'Canwax' that carries sodium hydroxide. They used to be located in Mississauga, but have recently relocated to cottage county. You can find their address here: www.canwax.com . I believe they only offer local pickup for their sodium hydroxide, but carry excellent soaping supplies at great prices.
I know most of you American soap makers used to use a brand called 'Red Devil', but it is no longer on the market. I've heard that you can buy lye from 'Home Depot' and 'Lowe's' in the states. I've also heard from fellow soap makers that you can find it at 'Ace Hardware' and even 'Wal-Mart'. I know 'Backyard Style' carries a brand of lye called 'Robic'.
I invite any soap makers who have experience buying and using lye to comment about the brand they use and where they buy it, as this can be the most difficult ingredient to find when creating cold process soap. Please also state your location.
I hope this information helped my fellow crafters get an idea of where to buy your soap making lye. As always, happy crafting!
P.S. Do NOT use 'Drano'!!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
I Think the Term 'Strange' Crosses My Mind...
Just a quick post to introduce my wonderful readers to the world of imaginative and immensely weird handicrafts! I found these 'crafting ideas' while perusing the far reaches of the internet. After viewing this first 'craft', I promise you, both ladies and gents, that you will never think of a tampon the same way. Oh, and they've been so kind as to make a special craft for Valentine's Day! Hope you're not too grossed out:
Bloody Heart Earrings - made from tampons
After finding this gem, now I know it's possible to find anything on the web! I wonder what brand they use?
Click to Check Out More Tampon Crafts
If you are not to offended by the first 'idea', here's another that is sure to give you a giggle: Felted Celebrities. That's right... You too can own a mini felt version of Connan!
Check out the 'Felt Alive' Gallery to Find Your Favourite Celeb
Now, this last idea is a personal favourite of mine because I am probably the biggest fan of the TV show, Mythbusters. If any of you lovely readers are a fan of the show, you'll know all about Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman and the quandaries the immerse themselves in. These crocheted Mythbusters are made by deadcraft on Etsy, but currently there are none in stock. From viewing deadcraft's shop, I believe the dolls are made with some kind of voodoo association in mind? Check out more of deadcraft's crocheted designs here.
I think I'm going to contact the seller on Etsy and ask to order these... I wonder if Adam and Jamie have seen them? Well, I hope you enjoyed these crafts as much as I did. Happy crafting!
Bloody Heart Earrings - made from tampons
After finding this gem, now I know it's possible to find anything on the web! I wonder what brand they use?
Click to Check Out More Tampon Crafts
If you are not to offended by the first 'idea', here's another that is sure to give you a giggle: Felted Celebrities. That's right... You too can own a mini felt version of Connan!
Check out the 'Felt Alive' Gallery to Find Your Favourite Celeb
Now, this last idea is a personal favourite of mine because I am probably the biggest fan of the TV show, Mythbusters. If any of you lovely readers are a fan of the show, you'll know all about Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman and the quandaries the immerse themselves in. These crocheted Mythbusters are made by deadcraft on Etsy, but currently there are none in stock. From viewing deadcraft's shop, I believe the dolls are made with some kind of voodoo association in mind? Check out more of deadcraft's crocheted designs here.
http://www.foundshit.com/mythbusters-amigurumi-dolls/
I think I'm going to contact the seller on Etsy and ask to order these... I wonder if Adam and Jamie have seen them? Well, I hope you enjoyed these crafts as much as I did. Happy crafting!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
What Fat Do You Use For Making Soap? ...Bacon, Anyone???
Most know that along with lye and water, fat is needed to make soap. These days, most handmade soap makers will use a blend of different oils (typically coconut, palm and olive oils) or vegetable shortening. On the package ingredients list of many commercial bars, you'll probably see the ingredient sodium tallowate. Can you guess what this might be? That's right! This ingredient comes from rendered beef fat. Yum!
BUT, soap can be made from practically any kind of fat...
Don't get squeamish while you read this next section, but here's another "fun" fact about soap: During World War II, the Nazi's were accused of mass producing soap made from human fat. Some suspect that this was just a rumour perpetuated by the Nazi's to frighten camp inmates, but evidence has been found to solidify the idea.
So, if soap can be made from any kind of fat, could you make soap from bacon fat? The answer is YES! I invite you to watch the video below to find out how. Who know's? If you wash with bacon fat, maybe that pesky neighbourhood dog will think your is best friend... if he doesn't chase you!
To best view this page/video, I suggest clicking the play button and the clicking the 'View All Steps On One Page' in the top left corner. Enjoy!
How to Make Bacon Soap - More DIY How To Projects
BUT, soap can be made from practically any kind of fat...
Don't get squeamish while you read this next section, but here's another "fun" fact about soap: During World War II, the Nazi's were accused of mass producing soap made from human fat. Some suspect that this was just a rumour perpetuated by the Nazi's to frighten camp inmates, but evidence has been found to solidify the idea.
So, if soap can be made from any kind of fat, could you make soap from bacon fat? The answer is YES! I invite you to watch the video below to find out how. Who know's? If you wash with bacon fat, maybe that pesky neighbourhood dog will think your is best friend... if he doesn't chase you!
To best view this page/video, I suggest clicking the play button and the clicking the 'View All Steps On One Page' in the top left corner. Enjoy!
How to Make Bacon Soap - More DIY How To Projects
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
3 of the Most Popular Essential Oils and How to Use Them
Whether you have your own craft business or just craft for yourself or loved ones, you probably have come across essential oils when making soap, candles or other projects that require scent. Essential oils are the best and most natural way to control the scent of your craft, but how do you know what essential oils to use? For example, what oil would you use to make a relaxing perfume candle? Or, what scents will sell the best for your business? Here are some of the most popular scents and their uses:
Vanilla
Vanilla is the undisputed contender of scent! Vanilla's scent can be described as a delicate, sweet, creamy and unique. For these reasons it has become undeniably popular and continues it's rein over other smells and ingredients. However, if you want true vanilla essential oil be prepared to pay up! Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices due to the incredible labour needed for it to grow.
Vanilla has anti-oxidants, relaxation, anti-depressant properties and is recognized as an aphrodisiac. A great scent for Valentine's Day guys! Vanilla essential oil blends well with chamomile, orange, jojoba, lavender and sandalwood oils.
Lavender
Lavender is a close second when it comes to essential oil scents. This essential oil derives from the lavender plant and has a clear light, sweet and floral scent.
Lavender essential oil has incredible health benefits: It can be used as a pain, stress or nervous tension reliever and can even treat respiratory or skin problems. Lavender blends best with pine, geranium, chamomile, vanilla, cedarwood and nutmeg essential oils.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a very popular scent aromatherepy scent that comes from the sprawling Jasmine shrub. It has a slightly floral, sweet and exotic scent.
Jasmine essential oil can be used as an antiseptic, aphrodisiac or anti-depressant. It can also be used to calm nervousness, sooth coughs and relieve sexual problems. On the sensitive skin Jasmine makes a great toner. It blends well with most other essential oils but especially with bergamot, rose and sandalwood.
These are just some of the most useful and popular essential oils. Please feel free to leave comments about your favourite essential oils and what you use them for, and also be sure to vote for your favourite scent in our poll in the right column. As always, thanks for reading!
Vanilla
Vanilla is the undisputed contender of scent! Vanilla's scent can be described as a delicate, sweet, creamy and unique. For these reasons it has become undeniably popular and continues it's rein over other smells and ingredients. However, if you want true vanilla essential oil be prepared to pay up! Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices due to the incredible labour needed for it to grow.
Vanilla has anti-oxidants, relaxation, anti-depressant properties and is recognized as an aphrodisiac. A great scent for Valentine's Day guys! Vanilla essential oil blends well with chamomile, orange, jojoba, lavender and sandalwood oils.
Lavender
Lavender is a close second when it comes to essential oil scents. This essential oil derives from the lavender plant and has a clear light, sweet and floral scent.
Lavender essential oil has incredible health benefits: It can be used as a pain, stress or nervous tension reliever and can even treat respiratory or skin problems. Lavender blends best with pine, geranium, chamomile, vanilla, cedarwood and nutmeg essential oils.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a very popular scent aromatherepy scent that comes from the sprawling Jasmine shrub. It has a slightly floral, sweet and exotic scent.
Jasmine essential oil can be used as an antiseptic, aphrodisiac or anti-depressant. It can also be used to calm nervousness, sooth coughs and relieve sexual problems. On the sensitive skin Jasmine makes a great toner. It blends well with most other essential oils but especially with bergamot, rose and sandalwood.
These are just some of the most useful and popular essential oils. Please feel free to leave comments about your favourite essential oils and what you use them for, and also be sure to vote for your favourite scent in our poll in the right column. As always, thanks for reading!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Great Valentine's Day Crafting Ideas
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, so I thought I would share some of my favourite Valentine's crafting ideas:
Folk Valentine Hearts from Craftbits.com
This is an inexpensive craft that can be finished in a short time. All it takes is some scraps of red, pink or heart patterned fabric and some buttons or other decorations. When you are finished, you have got a great heart decoration to place anywhere around the house.
Heart Candle Wreath from Better Homes and Gardens
What would Valentine's Day be without candles? This is a very simple project to dress up your pillar candles. With some pretty pink paper and some craft wire, your candles will set a romantic mood on Valentine's Day.
Heart-Shaped Soap from Martha Stewart
Another excellent crafting idea from Martha! Of course I had to include a heart-shaped soap recipe for Valentine's Day. This fantastic recipe creates wonderful gifts for your friends and family. As a note, the glycerin soap Martha refers to is melt and pour glycerin soap. Use clear or opaque to obtain a different effect.
I hope you enjoy these crafting projects and have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
Folk Valentine Hearts from Craftbits.com
This is an inexpensive craft that can be finished in a short time. All it takes is some scraps of red, pink or heart patterned fabric and some buttons or other decorations. When you are finished, you have got a great heart decoration to place anywhere around the house.
Heart Candle Wreath from Better Homes and Gardens
What would Valentine's Day be without candles? This is a very simple project to dress up your pillar candles. With some pretty pink paper and some craft wire, your candles will set a romantic mood on Valentine's Day.
Heart-Shaped Soap from Martha Stewart
Another excellent crafting idea from Martha! Of course I had to include a heart-shaped soap recipe for Valentine's Day. This fantastic recipe creates wonderful gifts for your friends and family. As a note, the glycerin soap Martha refers to is melt and pour glycerin soap. Use clear or opaque to obtain a different effect.
I hope you enjoy these crafting projects and have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Where Do I Buy Soap Making Ingredients?
Whether you are a seasoned soap maker or just starting out, I thought I would share some great websites and ideas about where to get your soaping ingredients.
First, do not go to Michael's. Michael's is great for a lot of things... a wonderful crafting store, but they are VERY expensive when it comes to soap making. A 2lb container of melt & pour soap is almost $13.00CA, but if you look around you will find more reasonable prices like $8.50 or $6.00. Michael's is fine if you want to just experiment with one or two melt & pour recipes, but not for a business supplier! Also, I find their soap making products to be few and of poorer quality.
Second, I always will recommend buying ingredients locally. If you buy online you will usually have to pay for shipping. This means that if you are planing to sell your soap you will need to incorporate the shipping cost into your product. This results in an inflated price passed onto the customer, or you don't make as big a profit on your product. If you are making cold process soap, one of your ingredients is lye. Now, if the lye is shipped across borders, for example from the U.S. to Canada, your package might have some trouble crossing the border because lye is a corrosive alkaline substance. The guys at the border might wonder what your doing shipping it across the border! Try to buy locally, and as for lye, you can find it at most hardware stores.
So, above I mentioned about the U.S.-Canada border. Yes, I am a proud Canadian soap maker! If you are too, you might already know about trying to find great Canadian soap making supply websites: There aren't very many and if there are, they're hiding. Buying from Canada should reduce your shipping costs and then you can advertise your soap as MADE IN CANADA! Ha ha! Here are some great Canadian soap maker websites:
Aquarius - Great products & excellent service
http://www.aquariusaroma-soap.com/
Cranberry Lane - great all natural products
http://www.cranberrylane.com/
Lynden House
http://www.lyndenhouse.net/
New Directions Aromatics - Excellent for essential and fragrance oil
http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/
Tub O'Soap - Excellent prices
http://www.tubosoap.com/merchant.ihtml
If you are not from Canada, here are some more great links where you can purchase high quality, inexpensive ingredients:
Bramble Berry - By far the best online soap making supplier I've come accross.
http://www.brambleberry.com/
The Soap Goat
- This is a great website with prices in U.S. dollars, but they have locations in Canada and the US.
http://www.thesoapgoat.com/
Wholesale Supplies Plus - Excellent pakaging options
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/
Sweet Cakes - Great source for fragrance oil
http://www.sweetcakes.com/
These are just some of the amazing online soap making suppliers out there. If you know of any other great soap making sites, I invite you to leave the link in the 'comments' section. Thanks for reading!
First, do not go to Michael's. Michael's is great for a lot of things... a wonderful crafting store, but they are VERY expensive when it comes to soap making. A 2lb container of melt & pour soap is almost $13.00CA, but if you look around you will find more reasonable prices like $8.50 or $6.00. Michael's is fine if you want to just experiment with one or two melt & pour recipes, but not for a business supplier! Also, I find their soap making products to be few and of poorer quality.
Second, I always will recommend buying ingredients locally. If you buy online you will usually have to pay for shipping. This means that if you are planing to sell your soap you will need to incorporate the shipping cost into your product. This results in an inflated price passed onto the customer, or you don't make as big a profit on your product. If you are making cold process soap, one of your ingredients is lye. Now, if the lye is shipped across borders, for example from the U.S. to Canada, your package might have some trouble crossing the border because lye is a corrosive alkaline substance. The guys at the border might wonder what your doing shipping it across the border! Try to buy locally, and as for lye, you can find it at most hardware stores.
So, above I mentioned about the U.S.-Canada border. Yes, I am a proud Canadian soap maker! If you are too, you might already know about trying to find great Canadian soap making supply websites: There aren't very many and if there are, they're hiding. Buying from Canada should reduce your shipping costs and then you can advertise your soap as MADE IN CANADA! Ha ha! Here are some great Canadian soap maker websites:
Aquarius - Great products & excellent service
http://www.aquariusaroma-soap.com/
Cranberry Lane - great all natural products
http://www.cranberrylane.com/
Lynden House
http://www.lyndenhouse.net/
New Directions Aromatics - Excellent for essential and fragrance oil
http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/
Tub O'Soap - Excellent prices
http://www.tubosoap.com/merchant.ihtml
If you are not from Canada, here are some more great links where you can purchase high quality, inexpensive ingredients:
Bramble Berry - By far the best online soap making supplier I've come accross.
http://www.brambleberry.com/
The Soap Goat
- This is a great website with prices in U.S. dollars, but they have locations in Canada and the US.
http://www.thesoapgoat.com/
Wholesale Supplies Plus - Excellent pakaging options
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/
Sweet Cakes - Great source for fragrance oil
http://www.sweetcakes.com/
These are just some of the amazing online soap making suppliers out there. If you know of any other great soap making sites, I invite you to leave the link in the 'comments' section. Thanks for reading!
