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I dunno -- this sounds like a lot of "the sky is falling." If I put a bucket out on my driveway and collect rainwater from the sky -- how is that not the same as distilled water via nature?

Let's say you used water from a spring or well... or rainwater that possibly has some contamination. Yeah, you could always boil it to be sure... but... if you used it to make lye water... and then allowed your soap to gel... seems to me that there shouldn't be any chance of microscopic germs...

I've had this happen to a batch -- and I have yet to use CA. In my batch that did this - I was using Sandalwood and Patchouli -- and it started seizing the moment I added the EOs. My guess is that when your batter started thickening quickly (like mine did), it starts to lose it's "bonding...

We actually came out fine in New Orleans (compared to our friend in Houma & Grand Isle). We're without power - and expect this to continue for weeks (unfortunately). Too many transmission towers and lines were blown down. But we got water & gas. But no internet, cable or power. In addition to...

@Ford very nice color did you use 100% Red Palm Oil or just a large percentage?

New Orleans thanks all of the well-wishers. We're preparing for the worse but are cautiously optimistic. The things that folks like the Weather Channel don't like to talk about is all the changes that have taken place in New Orleans since Katrina. We've got more pumping stations and most have...

yeah - I have seen in technical papers how they mention other fatty acids in oils. but have yet to see how or if they're valuable unless when consumed. so, if these minor fatty acids have yet to be recognized as contributing to a "better soap" - shouldn't we, then, choose our oils based on how...

thanks - making last minute preparations for the hurricane. thinking about collecting rainwater. Q: would it be bad to make and sell soap "made with Hurrican Ida water?" I don't understand why? Aren't lye crystals all the same? Don't they all perform identically?

I use drain operner from Walmart. Cheap and has never failed me! https://www.walmart.com/ip/Instant-Power-Crystal-Lye-Drain-Opener-16-oz/55227093?athbdg=L1200

do you store them in open air? or in a box? if a box - what kind? are they wrapped in plastic or anything?

better late than never! besides this will be an ongoing missoin! Yeah - got zeolites on my radar. Waiting for Amazon to deliver my 3X Activated Pure Zeolite Clinoptilolite. It's supposed to be good for absorbing oil... between this (if and when it arrives), a couple of different versions of...

you probably won't get a lot of response on your question because most people here believe that soap is a "wash off" product that has no (or next to no) medicinal value. I'd recommend googling essential oils & eczema and looking at the ingredient lists in soaps and other topical treatments that...

I'm not suggesting keeping air away from your curing soaps -- just bad air. For example don't cure in garage where you store your car. Or humidity. your dehumidifier creates heat - that's how it separates the moisture from the air. I use Cold Process -- and most who do this try to keep their...

a few thoughts based on occam's razor: we're told that rosemary EO helps prevent rancidity. so it seems that it's more likely the reason batch #2 is not rancid. if you soaps go rancid more quickly in summer than winter -- that's another clue imho. from a chem book: "Fats and oils that are in...

May I suggest looking at cardboard egg cartons to stand them up? they're often pliable enough to reform to fit the shape you want. You could then stack them on top of each other if you have room.

well done! Tree Marie has got some competition!

I like the way you think. I'll be using Borax as well as Sodium Carbonate ("Washing Soda") in my test batch. I'm not too keen on using petroleum-based or sophisticated chemical additives to my soaps. (I'll leave that for Procter & Gamble.) But who knows? I going down the line exploring natural...

thanks @earlene - your thoughts are helpful. since I don't consume yogurt, I don't know much about it. But I have heard that there are variety of types out there: Greek yogurt, Icelandic, French, goat's, sheep, etc. -- so it seems confusing. But if like the types of milk -- I guess it becomes...

I planned on using polysorbate 80 when I moved on to creating bath bombs (a much later project)... but havent thought about using it in my kitchen hand soap bar. I think it's mostly used to get oils and water to play nicely together in a mixture. Putting it into a soap bar with nothing to blend...

Ha - ha! Too late -- bought some cornmeal and also found some flax seed meal. Worse case, they help anchor the scents and maybe even provide some exfoilient. Best case - they absorb the oil and leave your hands clean. I'll know in a few days when I soap up a batch. May look into cream of wheat...