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I collect water from my AC condenser to wash the toilet. I always felt the water that came out from AC had to have some chemicals or some particles of dust and such in it. I have used filtered water in my early days and it made my soap ash a lot.

I love how 1 technique can give rise to so many designs. All the soaps look great!

Attempt 1. Liked the colours but the swirl wasn't as obvious. Looks like some sea worms waving around. This was done with a plastic straw. This green one wasn't a hanger swirl but looked really close. This was done with a chopstick.

Managed to do a 2nd attempt yesterday. Just cut it and liked it better than the first. Marked intervals on the mould and went over the intervals twice.

That for me is an indicator of old oils. Or oils that have short shelf life. I only ever smell this with my soaps that used to have non HO Canola. They got DOS and went rancid within a few months. So far my olive pomace soaps either smell like soap or that light fruity smell for my castile.

How old are the olive soaps when your wife used them? I personally find that my castile can be drying before the 3 month mark. When I tested at 4 months, it was much better.

Not in the UK but wanted to share my premixed lye water story. My very first soapy experience was a workshop that used premixed lye water. The instructor used a totally different way of calculating the recipe from what I now use based on lye calculators. (I went to 2 soap workshops by the same...

I've only used GMP once and added it to the oils. I realised it didn't blend well. The end soap has a speckled look with visible tiny spots. Sorry I don't have a better close-up picture. Should I have heated my oils before adding the GMP? The oils were about 28C. I don't have a SB but I did...

I think cracking could mean the inside was heating up faster than the outside? I do get cracks now and then but usually smush them over when it's still soft. I had a honey soap that expanded in loaf moulds to become visibly rounded at the top and bottom but no cracks. I think these got hot...

Happens to everyone! When it does, we tell ourselves that we "meant" to do that and make a soap with awesome results. Don't be too hard on yourself. I had soap on a stick that people asked me how did I make such a "textured" soap. If you don't say, no one will know.

My takeaway for the day. I never understood why some of my FO soaps tended towards being "sweaty". Now I know.

Of course I forgot to post my makeshift straw hanger.

To enter the May 2024 SMF Challenge, copy and paste these instructions and the entire list into a new post, adding the next number and your name to the bottom of the list. Sign-up list: 1. Justsomeguy - it's gonna be nerve wrecking but I'm in. My first venture into multicolored soap😬 2. Ackosel...

I'm impatient too but I'm letting it set longer now as it cuts cleaner. I cut my normal soaps around 20-24 hrs. The goat milk castile was the longest. Between 48 to 55 hrs. Even now at about 3 weeks old, it's still soft enough to dent if pressed hard. My latest honey soap went full gel so it...

I love the colour and swirls! If it's still soft enough, just lightly mush the cracks over. I've done that before and no one can tell it cracked. My worst crack was a long line down the middle almost 1/4 inch deep. I can never achieve a dark honey colour with honey only. Mine turns out pale as...

I make honey lye water and chill that. Not the soap itself. Honey soap tends to be softer and need longer to unmold. Mine gelled so I cut in 30 hrs. I did make a goat milk powder castile once that didn't even need chilling because it took 2 days to harden. I had to put it on the heat pad to...

I'm no help here. I've never put a soap in the fridge before. But I'm sure somewhere on the forum this has been mentioned before.

@AliOop Let me get through to mid-May then decide if I want to sign up.

I only have the last weekend in May to soap but I really want to try this. Plus, I found an old hanger in my office that was abandoned by the previous occupant. It must be a sign to repurpose the hanger for hanger swirls.

I'm all in favour of making honey lye water then chill/freeze it. I've done that for all my honey soaps and no drama. Once I even forgot it was a honey soap and covered it with towels on a heating pad. The top didnt even crack, just expanded out of the mould a little at the top and bottom.