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The bars are 11 days old now and the brown (seen on the tops) is darker than the last time I photographed them. The faces of the bars have what I think is soda ash (cappuccino-coloured). It isn't a dry, white powder like soda ash usually is. This is more of a thick, moist powder, if that makes...

Some pictures of the Strawberry. The smell is nice and strong - the way I like it. I'm a little disappointed with the green I used. This one has too much blue in it. Forgive the soap crumbs. I like to let the bars sit for 2 or 3 weeks before I start manhandling them.

I made a new batch this morning. A strawberry FO from Bramble Berry. Even at 20 years old, the scent is still gorgeous. I used Trial By Fire red mica from Nurture Soap, and Peachy Pink and Mermaid Green from Windy Point (Canada). I poured at medium trace and by the time I was done pouring, it...

Here are a few pics of the mold and accessories. A carpenter friend made it for me. And a sheet metal worker friend of mine made the 4 foot long soap knife. This is a mitre box saw I use as a divider. I can put it at any point in the box to make less than the full 40 bars capacity. It...

So much for "White" Vanilla... This is about 5 days from making it. As you can see, it is quite BROWN, with a heavy coat of soda ash. The scent is great though. Maybe if I called it "Vanilla Bean" it would be ok. I wonder why the EO/FO seller would call it WHITE Vanilla. She could have...

My First Test Batch. I made a four bar test of my White Vanilla FO this afternoon. I was really impressed with how meager it appeared! It smells great though! A couple of pics:

I am using some EOs/FOs I bought 20 years ago! (I used to be an avid soapmaker years ago, but then life changed and soapmaking fell by the wayside for quite a few years.) Anyway, so far, the EOs/FOs seem to be performing just fine without exception. I have 40 fluid ounces of this White...

To freeze it solid over night!

The soap was still a bit warm when we cut it - warm, but quite hard. Maybe when it is completely cool the white will show more. I'll keep you posted.

@Zany_in_CO You're right. They are not as white as I was thinking they'd be!

The White Album:

At the request of one of my soap testers (a holdover from the 60's hippie generation), I will next be making some strawberry scented soap. (I'm placing it in this sub-forum because eventually there will be pictures.) I am wondering about the color. Obviously it will involve some red...

I just finished the peppermint batch. I ended up going with no additives, except for the EO (from Bramble Berry). Thank you for all the input - I learned a lot. For a name, given that it is going to be pure white, I am thinking about naming it "Chastity." Should be a big seller...

I guess there's no way around it. A test batch is in the future. That it might be non-discoloring seems to be too good to be true - and we all know what that means. I'll let you know how it goes.

but this may be a dumb question... I have a bottle of FO called White Vanilla. No other explanations. Do you think the name indicates a non-discoloring vanilla? I know I could do a test batch, but I really HATE doing test batches. (I also hate dark brown soap bars.) How are you inclined to...

I asked a question about colloidal oatmeal but it may have gotten buried, so forgive me for asking again. Will colloidal oatmeal show up in a white soap bar? Or will the bar still appear as "pure as the driven snow"?

Guess I am going to have to bone up on what colloidal oatmeal is! I thought it and ground were the same thing. Googling Aveeno next! Aveeno won't show up in the soap bar? Owl! You radical!

@MellonFriend "without adding the cliché of red. " I have to say that I did consider the red option and would have called it Candy Cane. But, my next-next batch is going to be strawberry which will, of course, feature red.

I like that idea but, wouldn't you know, I just did that a few days ago when I made a eucalyptus batch.

I am thinking to make next a peppermint batch. Pure lily white. But then there is the question of adding oatmeal so as to replicate a popular batch that has run out of stock. So, should I go with the pure lily white (kind of pretty and dramatic) or should I add some oatmeal (but get a...