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Watched another video using coconut water Kim, Thank you and I did look at it and I am still not convinced that the discussion at that thread is nothing more than 'soap.' I have been using my soaps and my hair is clean and not dry. But, with my short hair, maybe it doesn't matter.

Yup. Me with short hair. I agree. No issues with short hair. I like to have control in the process, fortunately or unfortunately.☺️

I have been experimenting with replacing my water with other liquids. I loathe using food in my soap, but juices, I will try sparingly. I have tried OJ, Grapefruit juice, coconut water, coffee and aloe vera. I have no problems with tracing with any of these. All of them seem to impart their...

Thank you all. Thank you Deanna. I was curious as to what exactly the difference would be in regular and shampoo 'lye-based' soap bars. I looked at recipes and found them to be all over the place. Some making me shake my head and saying, 'Well, this looks like a hard bar recipe.' Still a little...

Hi all. Two months into soap-making and learned tons and learning more each day. How exactly do regular bar soaps differ from shampoo bars? o_O Just wanted to share some of my soaps. Still trying to be more adventurous with my presentation and design, but feeling really good about my...

As a newbie in soap-making, I have quickly learned to ignore the temp of my oils/lye as long as when I am ready to mix that the two are within 10-15-degrees of each other. Also, I wait until my lye/oil mixture is below 120 degrees before I quickly add the EO or natural FOs. I add my mica colors...

More sugar or salt? It may be that there is too much glycerin? Sugar solution? In my experience and understanding, adding sugar adds to the transparency and lather, but hadn't heard that it affects hardness. Good luck! It's good to hear that you're having fun! That alone will take you further as...

Miki, Great first test! :) Not entirely clear (no pun intended), did they finish transparent or translucent?

Earlene, My first couple of transparency soap tests involved soy wax. I abandoned it b/c I couldn't get transparency at the concentration that I was using it. I went to 50/50 coconut/castor oil. It worked much better (the recipe is w/o soy and works beautifully for me), but I was also intrigued...

I’m relatively new to soap making. Soap WITHOUT lye?

My apologies, Miki. Darn auto-correct on my phone changed your name to Mimi. Ha ha. It really is fun working with transparent soap. :) Not nearly as scary after you get rid of the alcohol from the equation. I will say that the alcohol as a solvent is very effective and seems to give better...

I just want to clarify that the recipe above DOES NOT use soy wax and it produces very hard soap bars. The hot process and coconut oil are enough to create hard bars. I only use the soy wax for effect (translucency) only.

Mimi, It is. It is used mostly for its bubbling effects. Notice I put as much coconut and soy wax, both hard oils and the process is essential hot process.

Thank you, Miki. It has been fun and I continue to learn from the process. I was like you, a little hesitant, so I started small. I made 1-2 bar batches to start. Just go for it! :-) I don't doubt that it would work with olive and coconut oils, but most of your oils should be hard oils as I...

M&P without propylene glycol! Just an update regarding M&P. I took one of my translucent bars which contained some soy wax and melted it down and remolded it. Success! I feel that the transparent bars would probably melt smoother, better as they do not contain as much soywax or none at all...

Hi. If you use refined CO, there is no distinct coconut odor. I recently and accidentally purchased some non-GMO refined coconut oil at the local Dollar Tree of all places and there is absolutely no odor nor coconut flavor (I like to lick the spoon :)). I found 'natural' fragrance oils from Bulk...

Szaza. Thank you. I feel pretty good about my transparent method and it has not failed me. I stopped using the alcohol b/c of the drying concern and I have friends who prefer a completely natural soap and adding ethanol to the process doesn’t invoke ‘natural.’ I am also considering cost.☺️

Szaza. Happy to be helpful. I completely failed to mention that my initial tests were with soy wax! Sorry! The translucent bars were with soy wax! I abandoned it b/c at the time I couldn’t get transparency. But, I was curious, so the latest transparent bars are with 5 and 10% soy wax to total...

Great thread! I actually ‘superfat’ my base soap recipes with glycerine guaranteeing that lye doesn’t saponify my superfatting and leaves the full effect of the glycerine in place. Everyone in my family, including my mother, whose skin is very sensitive, likes it. Immediately after washing, you...

I would dry the peels and use my nutrabullet to really grind it down to as close to a powder as possible. Still pretty exfoliating.