# What do I need?



## EmyAcres (Jul 3, 2013)

Ok so I am looking at starting to make soap and was looking at buying a kit from Hoeggers. What all do I need to start making my own soap? Thank you!


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## H Diamond Farms (Jun 3, 2011)

It's really expensive to buy soap supplies from Hoegger's. Also, if you're just looking into it, I certainly wouldn't spend that much on a whole kit. 
A scale is necessary to make the most accurate recipes. Measuring by weight and not volume is the best. If you don't have a scale, you can get a cheap one to start or invest ($50) in a nice one that will be handy for everything! You need to find a recipe you want to try. There are several floating around here, many on Brambleberry, and gobs and gobs floating around the web. Your first one I would highly suggest one with all water as the liquid just do you get a feel for things. Then you can add goat milk in the next batch. Also for you first batch, go simple. Ingredients that you can get at walmart or local store. (lard, olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, etc. or just do all olive oil (castile) but don't try that without a blender) Save the fancy oils until you figure things out. Also, don't try to scent your first batch unless you pick something that everybody tells you will not accelerate the trace of your soap batter. Trust me, getting it right and into the mold is enough of a chore without having it move super fast on you. You can stir it by hand, but that takes a looooong time for most soaps. So, a stick blender works really great. I had a cheapy from walmart until it died and I bought a "good one". It worked just fine. They just can't handle the volume I put through them now, lol. Can also check goodwill/salvation army etc. Sometimes they have them. Start here: 



 and watch all the episodes on how to make cold process soap.

So short version you absolutely have to have: 
A basic recipe to try
Oils for that recipe
Lye for that recipe
A scale of some sort
A mold (show box, tupperware container, oj box, anything that is: not metal, leak proof, and can withstand some heat. )
A container that you can mix the soap in (should be dedicated to just soap making IMO)
Something to mix it with (Again, dedicated to soap making)

Things that make life a whole lot easier/nicer: 
A stick blender
A digital scale that can weigh in grams

Safety Equipment: 
Gloves (just the platex ones from walmart for doing dishes is fine)
Goggles (I'm adding this but I fail miserably at wearing mine. You totally should get in the habit though!) 
I also have an N95 mask for when I mix my lye. If you've ever breathed the fumes, you know why!

I order most things from Wholesale Supplies plus, a few things from Brambleberry, my scents mostly from Nature's Garden, and my oils I buy in bulk. 
Use a lye calculator to run ANY AND ALL recipes through (even ones that are "tried and true") http://www.brambleberry.com/pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx or https://www.thesage.com/calcs/LyeCalc.html or http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcwp.asp work well.

I'm quite certain I forgot some things, lol. If you have any questions, just ask!


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