Where to start...

[Guest guest]

My 2-cents!

I fully agree. Begin with 1 to 2 pound cold process recipes - it is easier

to control the batches and the costs of the ingredients are reasonable.

You may even want to play around with MP (melt and pour) before you begin

the CP, just to get the hang of it all!

The book by Melinda Coss is pretty good; The Soapmaker's Companion by

Cavitch is an excellent reference and can explain some of the finer details

of this great art; Merlyn Mohr's book is a good book to read also. But

then, I typically look for info in books THEN look on the internet.

Someone should have the url for MMS' sap calculator which is a soapmaker's

invaluable tool - they also have other info, recipes and stuff you may be

interested in. There are also plenty of other places on the internet also.

Make sure you try the Toiletries Library - (my opinion) the most

comprehensive site available! Someone should have the exact address.

About HP, I fully agree again. Get the cold process down, know what to

expect, get some experience, then slowly move into learning about HP before

jumping in head first. Again, it's a batch control issue. HP can REALLY

get away from you, in a way that CP could never.

Ask a lot of questions - get comfortable! You're in the right place. This

list has a lot of great people who can really help. Good luck!

j

jmission@...

At 03:30 AM 12/28/1999 -0000, you wrote:

>

>Message: 1

> Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 16:51:02 -0600

> From: " " <christine@...>

>Subject: Where to Start...

>

><<I'd like to make either CP or HP but don't know which one, why or how.

>I've read so much and am so confused. Could somebody fill me in on which is

>the best, easiest to start with, and a source of good recipes. Should I buy

>a book or is there enough info on the internet??>>

>

>I would start with CP - so that you can understand the process of

>soapmaking, how it turns out, how it works, trace, etc. I think it is

>easier to start with, and there was already a great message posted about

>starting with one pound batches. Good advice. HP can be trickier and I

>think one should have a good working knowledge of CP first - my opinion...

>

>I didn't find books to be much help - there is a wealth of knowledge here on

>the internet and among other soapmakers. Ask questions - you will normally

>get good answers.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I am new here, also very ill and pretty fogged. I have actually been

ill for 20 to 30 years but everyone had me almost convinced it was

in my head. Besides, I never could find any real information that

made sense to me in the past. It looks like things have changed in

recent years. BTW in hindsight every place where I have worked and

everyplace I have lived for the past couple of decades has had some

sort of mold and also chemical problems. I am no longer able to work.

I took a downturn about 2.5 years ago where in addition to my MCS,

FM and headaches, I started to experience increasing levels of

fatigue that now approach what I experienced about 20 years ago when

I was wiped out for a very long time. Also annoying skin itching,

facial swelling and swelling of the tongue and salivary glannds.

Within the last six months I started to experience metalic taste,

ears ringing, evne more fatigue, fog, numbness in hands, a spiKe in

FM and MCS and much more - dozens of symptoms.

Because I didn't have the information I needed, this is what

happened. (quick summary - it's not just the chemicals, dummy. It's

likely the mold)

1. MCS is bad like never before - fumes from non-attached garage =

leakage. Have leaky containers removed to a proper disposal site.

2. Still getting worse. - getting much worse. still fumes from

garage and neighbors. Get non-MCS person to check garage. They say

fumes are bad. Arrange to get garage cleaned out. Realize I am going

downhill fast - grab cat and get out. Something in the back of my

head says I can't live in the house. I visit a couple of times and

get worse. I see my doctor and she thinks I am a mental case. When I

mention MCS she threatens to drop me from her practice. I go to

alternative doc who is nice but makes no sense to me. I have some

background in science and biology, though my info is dated.

3. Still thinking chemicals here, over a period of weeks I have

garage emptied and most of basement emptied. I supervise (foolisly)

and mold turns up in both places. I get totally covered as workers

just throw things around, my car gets contaminated and lots of junk

gets sucked into the house's heating system.

4. I get sicker and sicker, barely able to walk across a friend's

house to the bathroom or climb a flight of stairs. My heart pounds

for hours. Ringing in my ears becomes really loud.

5. I have contractor take out garage floor since it still sinks but

I do not go there. I have someone take a peek after they are done.

6. I crash and am sick but someone points me to Dr. Shoemaker. What

little I can retain of his ideas make sense. It takes a while for me

to get that the mold is a BIG issue. I get rid of more of the few

things I have from the house and give up on going into my car. I had

been having downturns for a while when I had contact with my car and

I am really not in condition to drive right now. I had been wearing

a mask a lot due to MCS. Mow I wear a mask even more.

7. Here I am living in a kind person's spare room (thank goodness -

my relatives want to send me to a shrink), paying a mortgage, taxes

and insurance on a house I cannot enter and a car I cannot drive. I

guess this is not so unusual around here. I have read a few posts.

I'm also hoping to get an appointment with Dr. Shoemaker - he has my

paperwork. I mostly want to get better so I can help spread

awareness. I can't tell you how many times I heard the " A little

mold won't hurt you " mantra, especially in regard to some of the

places I worked and some apartments I rented. I also have a lot of

friends and friends of friends who are ill in the way I was for so

many years. They keep getting sicker and sicker but because they can

still function part of the time and the doctor can not pinpoint

anything, they are told they have depression, allergies,

fibromyalgia etc.

If anyone has any suggestions of how to approach my house and car, I

would love to hear them. I have no desire to pass this problem on to

someone else. I also am unclear if any of the contents of my place

can be rescued. BTW my location is in eastern Massachusetts.

Thanks,

SJH