Mistletoe & Ivy - PLUS my Lye Master Batch lesson | Cold Process Soap | Soy and Shea

[@ArreisMorsCI]

Another perfect Christmas soap!! Those two greens are epic together, I can just smell it now... I love the smell when you walk into a florist shop, that greenery just freshens your day!!

[@SoyandShea]

That smell of a florist is so awakening 💚

[@AdamDavid]

I love watching your older videos it's really amazing to see how far you've come. I wish I would have had the confidence to create videos when I started my journey a few years back.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 it is funny for me to look back at then and it's been great to see how my style has developed over the years. I'm pleased I started filming them

[@hilaallnaturalsoaps9628]

The story about the lye is amazing - I have made tones of soaps and I didn't know it.

[@SoyandShea]

I am definitely going to try again and use some of the tips others are sharing. 🧡

[@tonileeks-lee6931]

Yes, I know I love her videos.Shes awesome.

[@soapsforlove4168]

I've never done the lye like that only each individual cups for each batch. I'd never heard of it heating up again. I'm glad you found out and nothing bad happened. The drop swirl really looks nice with that gold mica vein.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 I think until I do some more research I will keep mixing individual pots up 😊

[@Vixxxen_of_War]

That turned out gorgeous! Your soaps are so pretty!🤗

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 😊

[@SoapyOaksFarm]

So pretty, a great tribute to green, love it

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡

[@monicamendez9493]

My god the soap it's beautiful. I love it

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 😊

[@LunaFaeCreations]

Loving all the detail on this soap. Lovely design. I’ve been contemplating master batching lye and never get around to it. I do the same thing when making embeds. Soap videos on while working lol. Can’t believe Christmas is so close. We have a small gathering with the hubbys family and everyone is getting soap! 😝

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 I'm going to try master batching again and use some of the tips others have shared 😊 Christmas is definitely fast approaching - I have to start thinking about presents. I feel I can only do soaps every second year and that's what I did last year 🤣

[@earthpalettecolddyes5234]

Really enjoy your videos, Thankyou for taking the time to make them!👍

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you ❤

[@benitafletcher8036]

Hi there! I love your videos and your soap designs. When making 50/50 lye solution you can add the additional liquid to your melted oils and proceed with uour normal soap making process. That way you can avoid the lye solution heating up again. When you add more water, the chemical reaction continues. If you add water to the 50/50 lye solution, you can use the heat from that lye solution to melt the hard oils. Either works. One may work better for you than the other. I hope that is helpful.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 I'm definitely going to try again using this method 😊

[@benitafletcher8036]

You're welcome!!! ☺

[@jaisparks6091]

Hello Benita Russell, wow never thought of adding the water to the oils. This is incredible. I usually masterbatch my lye when i have a lot of soap to make but always hate the heating up when adding the extra water(i use the 1:1 ratio). I would like to know do you add the water to the oils and then add your lye solution or can i add the lye solution to the oils and then add the water ? Also have you ever noticed any acceleration by adding the waters to your oils?

[@SoyandShea]

@@jaisparks6091 I've been testing adding water to oil first then lye. I have noticed I have to work a little quicker depending on fragrance. I haven't tried the other way round

[@jaisparks6091]

@@SoyandShea thank you for responding. I will experiment with both methods and see what happens. This has helped a great deal. Now i can go back to masterbatching my lye.

[@saracampos968]

Beautiful soap!! ❤️

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 😊

[@pugwash84]

this turned out really pretty

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you

[@arlenegilmore3928]

This soap is very pretty!

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡

[@lyndalhildebrand7261]

Love it 😍 the soap dough imbeds are so so good you done an amazing job :)

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you! I am loving the soap dough 🧡

[@JenSpice]

Beautiful! Interesting exothermic reaction. I only master batch the oils for the very same reasons. I'll have to try it for the tiny testers and Etsy shop batches. My big batches are just too big for masterbatching and my small soapy kitchen, but I will measure out the ingredients the night before I plan on soaping, storing the lye carefully. I use the heat transfer method for my big 150 bar batches and love it. You might like it too. :)Jen

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 I've been looking into the heat transfer method. Need to do a test batch in the new year

[@nancyfranklin7251]

That turned out so pretty!!! I too just started to masterbatch my lye water and have been watching The Soap Gal on KZbin. On her videos it looks like she adds everything to the soaping pot (including extra water) then adds the 50/50 solution. I haven't tried that way yet, but next time I soap, I going to see if it is any quicker.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you. 🧡 I watched her video making a masterbatch but must have missed how she used it. Soaping 101 added to pot. Will have to try again 😊

[@nancyfranklin7251]

I had to re-watch the videos again too. If you watch her making soap videos, she will add everything to her soap pot then adds the lye solution. Hope that helps!!!

[@SoyandShea]

@@nancyfranklin7251 Thank you 😊 I did end up watching a making video and saw how she added it. I'm going to have to try again and see how it affects the soap batter

[@almacyrenable]

Love.it..

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you

[@carriewoodall3348]

I have not figured out the master batching myself. And quite honestly I'm not big enough to do that yet. But if you make up your lies and night before they should be at room temperature by the time you're ready to use them. I usually do it that way. I love your videos and your Instagram

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you ❤ I'm not convinced on the master batch thing. I tried it as I had 4 soaps to make and didn't want all the pots of lye sitting around. I've tried everyones suggestions on how to work with masterbatch but I think I prefer making up the ingredients the night before

[@cheryl739]

It makes sense that the concentrated..... Lye water would heat up again when more water is added to this much concentration. I never have tried it as I cool my lye water and container down in an ice water bowl while melting my oils. Perfect temps all around and I never have lye lint. I never wait more than 5 minutes, so I guess I should try it. Love your soap and bet it smells very nice.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 It definitely made sense once I thought about it 😊 I usually make my lye at night so its ready in morning but that day I made it in morning as I'd been researching making a big batch. I needed 8 tubs of solution and didn't really want that many sitting around. I have tried cooling in ice but it usually melts too quick where I live 😆

[@SoapyOaksFarm]

Beautiful, love it, very elegant

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡

[@debrapouliot630]

You’re Soaps are beautiful. Love your videos. How do you package your soaps?ty. 😊

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you😊 I shrink wrap all my soaps with a cigar band sticker.

[@tonileeks-lee6931]

I would suggest reaching out to the soap gal..ms.couch she seems to be very informative.But you can always ice bathe your lye in its container to bring the temp down close to what you need it at and then sit it out until it's close to the temp you need.I hope that helps.Keep up the awesome work...I love watching your videos

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you. I ended up watching a few of her making videos and saw how she used her masterbatch. I want to watch more of her videos but not enough hours in day 😆

[@tanyabonnett4174]

Lee off Wicked Lee site always has her lye in containers 1 to 1 in her fridge and it always heats her very cool oil and butters. Your in beds and soap is beautiful. I'm an Aussie too and hoping to start CP soap making soon I can't wait but must do my many months of collecting information

[@SoyandShea]

I may have to try Lee's way. I do prefer a slightly higher water ratio to make sure my batter stays as fluid as I can get it.

[@tanyabonnett4174]

@@SoyandShea she adds goats milk, but it may be by powder and as its edited she may also add other liquids, She sent me a text when I asked about the 1 to 1 she says she adds 3-5 more grams of liquid to lye, but as another serious soaper she may help with the complete liquid and any additions

[@SoyandShea]

@@tanyabonnett4174 I went to find her video and its a little different to making a big master batch. She is really making up all her lye containers ahead of time and she does say that one is normal water as she wasn't adding goats milk, the rest is less as she adds liquids goat milk to the soap oils to make up the difference. I was trying to avoid having 8 lye pots around the shed so put about 1.5kg of sodium hydroxide and 1.5kg water into a bucket. You are then meant to be able to pour out what you want for each soap batter into another container. I will have to do more research into why you'd do this

[@tanyabonnett4174]

@@SoyandShea I am not a soaper it was only what she mentioned in her videos,and I asked her what her containers contained in ratio and she said 1 to 1 with tiny little bit more water and editing would have taken out certain things but at one stage she had just made up 12 batches of lye water but as I'm not a professional like your self she would be more likely help out. There are a few people who have videos especially for masterbatching Lye I think Royalty soap does,Bramble berry and soap 101 does too if you put soapers master batching Lye I'm sure you will find alot

[@SoyandShea]

@@wickedlee Thank you Lee. Definitely going to try again and will try as you suggest.

[@kimt2au]

When I mastbatch lye I store it in a number of 5 ltr poisons containers which are labelled with lye labels which my supplier gave me. When it comes time to make each batch of soap I don't add to extra water to the lye water, I add it directly to the soft oils.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you for the information ❤

[@Hilary_ClarbySoaps]

This is beautiful and really special for Christmas!! Is there a special recipe for soap dough? I’d love to give it a go. Is there a good hard to soft oil ratio? 💕

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 🧡 I have used my recipe for soap dough. Sometimes I make it without the Shea butter and increase one of the harder oils. When you make your recipe, take a bit of the scrap soap once cut and have a play with it.

[@Hilary_ClarbySoaps]

Thank you Keeley, I’ve made some now and waiting for it to set up. I’m going to attempt to mould some mistletoe in the next few days...thank you so much for the inspiration! I love your videos and you’re fast one of my favourite you tubers. I hope you have a lovely day 💕🙏

[@Hilary_ClarbySoaps]

Hi Keeley, just to let you know my soap dough worked out great! I managed to make some lovely holly leaves using a cookie cutter which worked perfectly! I’m still trying to perfect a mistletoe...mine look far too big and a bit rubbish, so will try again tomorrow 🤣🤣

[@evehsv5556]

Very nice batch. Also thanks for the info on the lye I’ve never heard any of the soapers on YT mention it either and I’ve seen a lot very good info. Thanks for that have a good weekend yourself too. For Xmas we are driving up to Tsv to spend it with family Tsv is an eight hour drive for us and we are staying for ten days so far lol anything could happen at the time. Lol. Thank you.

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you 😊 I am definitely going to have to look into masterbatching more. Hope you have a safe drive to your family for Xmas. It's always great to spend time with family

[@Waryrwmn]

Lovely Christmas Soap Keeley! I can't wait to make my first batch of CP next week. I have a business question for you, do you have or think it's necessary to carry insurance? The Soap Guild here in the US suggests it but between the Guild's fees and then insurance it's nearly $400 usd. Just curious. Have a Great Weekend! 😉

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you Cody. Good luck with your first batch! My first batch was a funny nightmare but I kept persisting. With regards to insurance, I highly recommend checking your state laws to see if your state requires it as I know that different countries and states have different rules. In Australia, insurance of any kind (business, house, car etc) is not a legal requirement but is highly recommended. I do have insurance as if something does go wrong, it is far better to pay the yearly insurance and the excess fee, than to loose everything hubby and I have worked for including house, cars etc. I just put a little away each week so I know I have the money each year

[@omo195205]

Agree with Keely about insurance. Just gives peace of mind. Some people can look for any reason to get themselves an easy buck . Around $600 in Aust.

[@tashg5622]

I masterbatch my lye along with my oils. At this point, my oils are in 10 kilogram batches and my lye is in 5l jerry cans. I just use the empty ones that some of my oils come in as long as they’re the right plastic grade. I will master 3kg of lye to 3.1kg of water. It gives a slight buffer so i can guarantee all the lye is dissolved. That .1 amount is so negligible it doesn’t affect your measurements later. It might very very slightly increase your super fat. And it all fits in a 5l jerry can. I do this to save time. It also gives me flexibility. I save time via economies of scale with masterbatching. And when I do get a chance to soap, I’m starting off with ambient temperature lye water. I can pour out what I want with a fairly straightforward measuring process and scale it up and down easily on the size of the batch. I then get the flexibility to add whichever liquid to dilute it down from the 1:1 to the 1.8:1 ratio I generally use: milks, aloe vera, beer, water, whatever. Anything you add to it WILL heat it up again. You are adding new molecules to the mix that are creating new bonds to the liquid. Everything is mixing together, so all that new H2O has to mix in with the existing solution. It’s not sitting on top of the existing solution if you get me. Molecules making new bonds will always create an exothermic reaction, breaking bonds creates an endothermic reaction. The exothermic reaction is the energy released when new bonds form. I either move things along faster by using pre chilled liquid, or prep my lye water the day before. Or I soap and risk seizing or acceleration, I’ll typically only do this if it’s a very simple design or I require crisp defined layers that I can use the acceleration to my advantage. It takes me 5 minutes to measure and mix the masterbatch of lye. It takes me less than a minute to store it in the jerry can. It takes me about a thirty seconds to decant my amount needed for the batch. Say I do five batches, all different sizes. Make that 3 minutes on the outside. Another 3 minutes to add the top up liquid. We are at 10 minutes for prepping up to 10 kgs of finished soap. For me to measure and mix each of those individual amounts of lye and water takes about 15 minutes. And - I’ve still got about 4kg of lye water masterbatched to save myself future time. Five minutes each time saved is 25 minutes by the time I reach the end of that jerry can. Add it to the time saved with the master batches of oils - and I have saved over an hour or more of time once those single masters are finished.

[@SoyandShea]

I have learned more since I did that video 🎄 it all made sense once I did it but its not something that people share when master batching. I now have my own little method for master batching

[@omo195205]

Hi...did you mention what fragrance you used and where purchased please.

[@SoyandShea]

I used Mistletoe and Ivy fragrance and I usually buy all my fragrances from Eroma 🧡

[@lizaryder5219]

We live on the Sunshine Coast, but in bc Canada 👋 for Christmas we always have a big dinner at our house. And the kids get way to many presents. This year we hope to buy them some things that Are more Lasting. Like movie tickets. For my younger daughter a pottery class & her own knitting bag and needles. She also loves to sew, so we may buy her some patterns and a kids sewing Machine. For my teen son. Food gift cards for his lunch breaks at school ( teens love to eat) the newest book in his series he’s reading. New games for his xbox. And a family gift this year we hope to go on a small trip. Just for a night away. To the city. Simple and easy. The big kids always just get money in a card. ❤️😂

[@SoyandShea]

Wow - sounds like you have Christmas all organised 🧡 I know I'll be running round in December 😆

[@rachelpuckeridge6938]

Check out The Soap Gal’s KZbin page and her blog/webpage. She has really detailed info about masterbatching oils and lye

[@SoyandShea]

Thank you - I've been checking out her videos 😊

[@kathygraf2271]

I am under the impression that you mix the 50/50 lye/water with oils and then just add in water after the saponification starts. That's how the Soap Gal shows it

[@SoyandShea]

Hi Kathy, I did do a 50/50 solution but everything I read on how to use the master batch after making was to add the water to the solution. I may have to do a small batch and see what happens temperature wise if I add solution to the oils and then more water. Hopefully it won't heat up. Thank you for the advise :)

[@kathygraf2271]

Keep us posted how that works please 😉

[@SoyandShea]

@@kathygraf2271 will do