Saponification Sunday. Moving forward

I am a non-expert in the world of soap making but I am less of an amateur every day. With 20 months of experience behind me you could say I'm an advanced amateur.

I know exactly...how much I don't know.

For example, I know the basics of cold process and hot process soaps. I know how to use lye safely, and how to jump out of the way when I am careless. I know how to measure and calculate base oils. I know the basic properties of those same oils, which will give me a hard soap and which will produce a softer soap and which can be substituted in popcorn making when I am out of coconut oil. Hint: it is NOT Castor Oil. No no never.

I know the basics of aromatherapy in regards to mixing the high, low and middle notes of essential oils needed to make my soaps smell wonderful. I also know what to do with those soaps whose high. low and middle notes, clash. They go to the husband who could care less because beside, anything smells better than his clothes after doing pig/cow chores on another 100 degree day.

I am learning all the legal  requirements in regards to soap labeling and marketing. But, apparently...I do not know how to turn OFF a crock pot.



Well Controlled Hot Process Soap . Alkanet powder for color

The translucent mashed potato look of hot process soap
that is ready to be molded.

What a mess.  I thought I had turned the crocked pot to "off" but instead I turned it to "high".  Soap had bubbled over the top, all over the crock pot, counter and onto the floor!! The cool thing about soap though, it takes well to re-batching and as long as your basic calculations are correct, one can scrape bubbled over soap right back into the crock pot and create something beautiful from something that was just minutes ago, quite ugly. And your floor gets really clean when you wipe up.

It is this very forgiving nature of soap that has propelled me forward. I have decided to sell my soaps online in larger quantity. Not through Etsy but instead just a small web site with PayPal abilities. My "Grand Opening" is scheduled for Oct. 15th which will give me three months to make a large amount of soap to have ready for sale and begin to promote my wares.

My SOAP wares thank you very much.

I started with completing the paperwork today to have my name The Midlife Farmwife officially trademarked in Illinois and I have ordered my business cards. I thought about just adding the soap making info  to our current farm business card but decided it would be too cluttered that way.

I also started a new Facebook Page which will focus just on my soaps. Perhaps that might help me focus as well? Not likely but worth a try. Would appreciate if you could "like" me.  And if you can't like me at least respect me.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheMidlifeFarmwife?bookmark_t=page