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I have developed grip issues lately as the arthritis in my hands really kicks in. I have begun using a red plastic (maybe Betty Crocker?) dough scraper I bought from Dollar Tree when I first started soaping. I have more surface area to scrape with, and it bends, so I can get more soap out with...

Perfect swirl! Let us know what you think of the sorbitol, please. I would also like to know why you changed from sugar to sorbitol.

I lost almost 4 lbs of lye to age. I cleaned out every drain in my home.

But morbidity is heading much lower than last year. We have treatments this year, and a whole lot of time under our belt to understand this virus. There is hope. It is going to get better. We just have to hang in there and get enough herd immunity for this to become nothing worse than the flu...

Co-vid is here to stay. We will have co-vid vaccines offered each year just like flu vaccines. (Pneumonia vaccines are only necessary every 10 years, so I am leaving them out of this conversation.) The current vaccines/boosters are the same vaccine, just that if you have not been exposed to...

I never blotted or worried about a dehumidifier. I did run a ceiling fan on them and kept them turned. Salt bars are just going to sweat in high humidity environments. It is part of the nature of the salt. In medicine we say water follows sodium. It is also true in soap. And, after all, it is...

Tulle covers well, is very light, and will not leave an imprint on the soap if you can't build something. I had my hubby make a "screen room" for soap since my daughter and her long haired cat moved in. It is basically a box made of 1x1 wood and solar screen (cheaper than metal screening right...

I have to tell you that I was literally allergic to a building I worked in once. Skin, respiratory passages, eyes, the lot. There were several people there that were allergic to air fresheners, candles, etc, so there was none of that in the building. I never did figure out what I was allergic to...

It really is a thing. I like soaps more on the 3rd to 4th wash than the first couple. I tell everyone the same thing.

I routinely use between 45-55%. I agree with the RBO/OO question. They are so similar in fatty acid profile. If you want something that yields a lovely hard bar, tallow is your friend. I love having tallow in my soap. I just need a source of it locally that I don't have to render. The GV...

There is always the "dilute the KOH with water then add the glycerin to the oils" way around that method as has been explained many times. Simply substitute equal weight of KOH with water rather than glycerin. No need to fret about heating up glycerin and KOH. Then, once diluted, simply add the...

Everyone in my family that gets my soap has hard water except my sister-in-law. She says the only difference she can detect is extra bubbles. But she didn't have any of my non-EDTA bars left, so she could not do a direct comparison. I mix my EDTA with the Aloe Vera juice and sugar water (simple...

I am quite well aware of what goes into water that is out in the wild. There is a reason they suggest you use a Life Straw or other filtration/purification devices and methods for drinking water. I am not telling you MY opinion of what is safe or not, only what the "powers-that-be" determine...

I am not a big fan of having food particles go down my shower drain. Just don't want to be having to try to unclog that. I, personally, would not use anything like seeds or coffee grounds in my soap.

But the lovely smoked bacon flavor is exactly why we use it in other foods.

I do not consider solseife a beginner soap, neither do I suggest using a salt water brine soap near fresh water sources such as streams and lakes. Lather ability has nothing to do with safety out in the wild. Safety around water has far more to do with lack of detergents or additives that you...

Liquid soap has a much higher liquid content than bar soap. This leaves you open to more bacterial/fungal growth than bar soap. Different rules.

I don't use it in lotion. I use it in soap. I need a chelator because my water is hard. I chose EDTA as it has been safely used for decades in soap. You make your choices for your soap, I don't necessarily have to agree. Please remember that it works both ways.

It's your soap. Do what you want. Just be sure that you, personally, use a piece from each batch on yourself before giving to anyone else. That way, if there is a problem, you will know it. We don't have extra bacon grease, either. We use it to cook everything. If anything, I wish I could buy...

I would suggest you skip the exfoliant part until you get a handle on making soap. Same for essential or fragrance oils or colorants. Not for forever, mind you, but just until you have one successful batch under your belt. Also, the national forest service and environmental agencies still...