Tools for soap making
Some of the tools, which will be discussed, will be needed only in the manufacture of soap "from scratch".
For making soap at home are suitable utensils and tools made of glass, plastic and stainless steel.
Pots, bowls and cups for mixing must be large enough so that you can put all the components in them and still have room for the free mixing.
Capacities where there will be an alkaline solution, should be heat resisting. All items that you use for making soap in any case no longer use for food.
The most important tool - exact scales with divisions isn't less 1 gram. The scales should be large enough such that it could accommodate a half-liter of liquid. Fluid will be measured by weight rather than volume, to maintain measurement accuracy.
We would also need goggles, gloves and an apron to protect; hand grater for rubbing soap base or soap residue, a machine for grinding plants.
For the molds can be taken out of the cups of yogurt, disposable tableware, food containers, silicone bakeware. Also on offer are special silicone molds for soap. You can still use plastic or silicone molds for ice. These molds come in handy if you want to create a tiny soap for decoration.
Necessary equipment and tools to make soap:
1. Balance with a big bowl
2. Food Thermometer
3. Spoon made of stainless steel or plastic strainer
4. Measuring spoons of stainless steel
5. The glass pipette for dispensing essential oils and liquid dyes
6. A large bowl for mixing
7. Heatproof bowl or jar with markings and spout
8. Double boiler and pans of stainless steel
You can use the microwave.
9. Sharp knife
We need to cut the soap base and to trim the edge of the finished soap.
10. Moulds for soap
11. Spray oil
12. Mortar and pestle for grinding dry leaves and grass
13. Beaters, graters, spatulas, clips, funnel, sieve
Beater needed for mixing the ingredients. The sieve is used for filtering of a hot basis at its flood in the form that soap was without lumps.
Grater need for rubbing baby soap, grinding of various fillers, such as, for example, lemon peel or orange.
14. Moulds for cookies
15. Goggles, gloves, mask, towels and cloth for wrapping of soap
16. A small spray
Its filled with rubbing alcohol or vodka-drenched and sprayed in the form of a soap base. It improves coupling with a following layer at manufacturing of multilayered soap and removes bubbles from a basis surface.
Oils You Can Use To Make Homemade Soap
Choosing the best oils for your soap creation is oftentimes the main key to a perfect bar of soap.
Oils come in different forms (saturated, unsaturated, superfatting and scenting oils and/or fats) and smells. It’s a must for you to be familiar with them, especially if you feel that you are in an experimenting mood and may want to try different oils for different soap outcomes.
Here are just a few of them that you can use:
Almond Oil (Sweet)
A light moisturizing oil that absorbs well, it produces a low lather and is efficient when it comes to soaps – add an ounce per pound of fats to your soap mix at trace (this is the term used for the stage where the soap/lye mixture thickens).
Avocado Oil
Used for superfatting (if you add any oil or substance at this stage, the ingredient stays in its natural form and won’t be blended with the mixture), avocado oil is a great moisturizer and its healing properties come to full blast as you include it in your batch. Rich in vitamins A, D and E, you can use it up to 30 % as a base oil. You can use this when you are making baby soap, as this is often used in gentle soaps for people with sensitive skin.
Coconut Oil
This is the oil that does all the magic for your soap – it gives out a bubbly later when your final product is ready for use. Don’t use too much of this though, as an excess of this will be too much drying of your skin. It makes a white, very hard bar of soap which lathers even when you use sea water or hard water. Use only 20 to 30% of it in your base oils.
Cottonseed Oil
While this produces a generous, thick and lasting lather, it is recommended that this be used sparingly as it can spoil easily, depending on what season you are in. Should you decide to use this, a maximum usage of 25% of total base oils is recommended.
Evening Primrose Oil
Absorbed quickly, it gives the skin essential fatty acids that are said to stop bacterial growth in its tracks and encourages antibodies so the skin will be better at fighting off infection or inflammation. Not recommended as an additive in soaps that are made for oily skin. It is recommended to use 2 tablespoons per 5 pounds of soap, to be added at trace.
Grapeseed Oil
Another lightweight, moisturizing oil that is easily absorbed by the skin, this is oil that has no greasy after-feel. It doesn’t usually have a long shelf life, so it is best recommended to treat it with rosemary oleoresin extract. Use an ounce per pound at trace.
Hazelnut Oil
An excellent moisturizer for both soaps and lotion, but only has a 3 to 4 month-shelf life. It is best that you use not more than 5% of this in your recipe, and it is recommended that you add rosemary oleoresin extract to the batch (but preferably to the oil itself) to prevent the soap from going rancid.
Honey
This is obviously not oil, but can be added to the mix to help retain skin moisture – same way that glycerin works. Recommended usage is at 2 tablespoons per pound of oil to be added at trace.
Jojoba
Used as a superfatting oil, this is very good at conditioning and moisturizing the skin. It has health benefits (especially for people with psoriasis and for people with spots and acne conditions), good for sensitive and oily skin, and is suitable for all skin types. Add only one or two ounces per pound at trace.
Lard
To be used as a base oil, lard will tend to be soft, and may not be at its best when introduced to cold water. This should be combined with vegetable oils. This recommended at 70% the maximum of total oils.
Time, patience and tons of experience will teach you the right oils to use.