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A coffee absolute. But, alas, coffee soaps don't tend to sell that well. No seizing or catalyzing trouble from clove oil, not the way you'd notice it with bay oil, where it is obvious. As long as you know its coming, and you are ready and your mold, etc., is ready, then a quick change is...

Three types of alcohol: Ethyl (grain) the stuff you drink. To buy this stuff without paying crazy Fed taxes it must be denatured (which means that some other stuff is added to it so that it will be supposedly un-drinkable). Lot's of paperwork and headaches with this, so if you just need a...

I'd be using more water than 1:1 weight ratio with the lye. I'd lower the 20 percent lye discount.

Add enough water to make sure it is all dissolved, then you can use is as a good drain cleaner for all the drain pipes in your house. (Wear your gloves and goggles when working with lye, be safe.)

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Both Lavandin and Lavender 40/42. A lot of people seem to go for Lavandin.

Sweet almond oil is a great emollient but has little almond scent. The almond scent, almost identical to Maraschino cherry, is from the essential oil, bitter almond. So wonderful, but too bad that the Feds restrict the sale of bitter almond oil; you're not allowed to buy it without...

Yes, palm kernel.

If you ordered the good extra-virgin olive oil, then I'd just divert that olive oil to the kitchen. :D Palm oil is hard. If you want to break it into chucks from a 7 lb jug (gallon size), then cut the top off with a utility knife, then use a clean, sharp, say 12-inch long wood-spade bit...

I'll throw in a whole list of pointers that I abide by always. Others may disagree but here goes: You don't just mix everything together and hope things turn out right. Suit up with googles, gloves, apron, old shoes. Warm your base oils by melting the highest-melting point oil first...

Great. :D And don't be impatient about drying. Our absolute minimum is 2 weeks, and often 3 or 4. Consider a dehumidifier if there is humidity, and a gentle fan during the whole drying time will help to circulate air between the separated bars in order to facilitate evaporation. Your...

Did you insulate your moulds after your pour? You want the temperature of the soap to stay high for more than 18 hours, I like 24. I have a tube set up also, which I occasionally use in conjunction with my regular block moulds. The tubes have a much higher surface area to volume ratio...

With the correct amount of lye for the oils, the soap should saponify about the same, but the soap will be extra-moist. So leave the soap in the mold a couple days longer than normal (uncovered toward the end), then cut the bars carefully to avoid finger-dimples, then dry the bars a bit longer...

Grind down the oats that you like to eat. :P

2 % EO will mean about a third of an ounce per pound of mixed-soap. That would be your total EOs, if you are mixing together several.

Wear splash-goggles (safety glasses aren't good enough) when you are working with dry lye, lye solution, or mixing the soap; you eyes are important. Harbor Freight has an inexpensive pair that are the best-ever. :shock: http://www.harborfreight.com/splash-resistant-safety-goggle-97140.html...

Soap isn't food. Some 'flavors' of soap smell good enough to eat, but, it's good to wash with, not to eat. Grip a handful of chocolate chips for 1 minute and then open your hand and then decide if such would be good to wash with.

The molds that I use have to be physically disassembled to get at the soap. The block of new soap will then be seen to have 4 acetate sheets on each side (the mold liners). I use a pull-string-thingy to smoothly cut off each liner before the block may be cut. Now, more to your situation. I...

EOs fading? It's a beautiful day today, with our front door propped open, and customers are drawn in by the scents. Your nose might detect our shop 2 blocks away. Only essential oils and absolutes here. :D

I keep the soap under 3 layers of comforters for at least 24 hours. 11 block molds, each block mold is about 55 lbs, so more than 600 lbs of soap. The soap is nice and hot after 24 hours, well up into the jell state, which is where is where it should be. Normally I'll pull the covers off at...