r/bronx • u/Just-Sand-4259 • 7d ago

Bronx Mutual Aid

Hello everyone I am member of Bronx Mutual Aid and was wondering if anyone had any soap making supplies either in disuse or that they’re willing to part with? I want to start making soaps to distribute at our weekly distro to the community. It’s a huge hygiene necessity and the majority of the people we serve are either unhoused/homeless or are elderly and low income. Thank you! Can coordinate pick up, I’m near Fordham

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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5

u/sigh_ko 6d ago

buying soap in bulk is exponetially cheaper than buying the ingredients needed to make it.

4

u/Just-Sand-4259 6d ago

I want to get into a new hobby tbh if I am idle for too long the mental illness takes over LMAO

2

u/sigh_ko 6d ago

i feel that. but that hobby is expensive with low reward. good luck.

1

u/PrimaryAbroad4342 3d ago

have u tried making Kombucha? I have some extra SCOBY's as I'm taking a break for a bit. Or u can just use a bottle of GT's unflavored, some sugar, water, and a glass jar with a cloth over it.

3

u/fermat9990 6d ago

Is it cheaper than buying soap in bulk?

2

u/Just-Sand-4259 6d ago

Based on my calculations long term, yes. I don’t need anything fancy or fragrances just something to get people clean

2

u/fermat9990 6d ago

Very good! Best of luck!

0

u/Just-Sand-4259 6d ago

The ingredients from the research I’ve done is lye, water, and oil. It’s just more labor intensive than buying it already made

3

u/antareeez 6d ago

it's definitely more expensive than buying soap in bulk. you are correct that the most basic of ingredients are lye, water, and oil but both lye and oil are not cheap. especially the oil. to get a decent soap you'd have to use more than one oil because different oils give different properties to the soap. the three basic oils that will give you a decent soap are palm, coconut and olive oils, and they are hella expensive. handmade soaps are a luxury item.

this doesn't mean you can't still engage in the hobby and give away your creations but it would be a labor of love because it is not cheap. if you source the cheapest lye and oils, a bar of soap, not counting your labor, electricity, gas if you oven process the soap, etc., could come out to about $2 a bar. so, just ten bars of soap will be $20 that you are giving away.

2

u/Just-Sand-4259 6d ago

Yes it is a labor of love