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I read that beer soap has the antibacterial qualities of yeast and also B vitamins. However, I boil beer before mixing it with lye, then it undergoes saponification. Can it be said that these qualities are kept when the yeast is long dead, especially if you use pasteurised beer and the B...

Hi all, I am looking to buy or build a soaping workspace, but I wonder what the most hygienic worktop would be made of. I can't afford stainless steel at the moment, so I am wondering about wood. What do you think? I apologize if the thread is not in the right forum.

I open the window once a day, but no one lives in the room - it's used for storage. Today outside is 80% relative humidity though. The weight does change, maybe not so dramatically...

Thank you, mine are also on a rack, but when I see condensation on the windows, I always think they're not curing properly.

Hi everyone! How do you cure your soap in the UK with such high humidity? My home has a relative humidity of 65% at the moment and the lowest I could get it down to is 60% with an electric dehumidifier that is supposed to draw up to 400ml water a day (only 40ml in my experience). The room is...

The difference between gelled and ungelled soap is huge - pale pastel yellow for ungelled and dark orange for gelled. I was hoping by putting a lot in the soap, just maybe some of the wonderful properties might survive, it is my favourite herb.

I've been making 1:10-1:15 calendula olive oil infusion and I've been including it in my soap at 42% of my oils. Is it too much in your opinion? I use half of my water as calendula tea, too. I looked at other recipes these days and some people say 10% of the oils is more than enough. Any advice...

Thank you for the replies! I will not risk HP, I think :)

I make cold process soap with milks, honey, vegetable juice and essential oils. I'm thinking of trying HP and adding all those ingredients after the cooking, so they have a better chance of surviving (the EOs evaporate, honey and milk lead to partial gel, etc.). However, would the milk and...

Thank you, I hope the soap is fine to use. I will know for next time.

Yes, I always use beeswax at 2%. You're right though, the beer wasn't completely flat, but it was cold and put in ice, I was being very careful. I also put the mold immediately in the fridge. Should I be concerned if the alcohol is still in there?

Hello all, I made a batch of beer soap today and as soon as I was pouring the lye in the oils, the mixture reached trace while stirring with a wooden spoon only... I think this is very strange and never experienced it before - I've made around 20 batches before, including with beer. Do you have...

Thank you for the advice, it was very helpful :)

Hello all, Do you think CP soap will continue to cure if wrapped in 100% cotton? I'm in a situation where I have only 3 weeks to cure my soaps before wrapping them, then probably around 2 more weeks before giving them for use. I know at 3 weeks soap is not at its mildest and that is why I am...

Thank you all! Today the soap looks much better and it's smooth! Maybe the saponification wasn't over yesterday? I cut it into bars and everything looked fine on the inside, although it was still quite soft. I didn't feel anything when I did a zap test, except for unpleasant taste. And I'm ready...

Thanks for your opinions. The white spots on the bottom of the second picture are little bits of soap as I cut it when it was still soft and it crumbled, they are not inside the soap. I'll zap test it later today - I've never done it before but I guess I'll have to overcome my fear :-)

That's good to know, I really hope it will be safe to use.

Hi everyone! I'm new at soap making and experience some problems. Yesterday I made a batch with goat's milk powder, honey and different oils and butters. I used a good lye calculator, mixed everything thoroughly, including the lye. I dissolved it in water, while I used a small amount of water to...

Thanks, I will do that.

Thank you all, I unmolded the soap just now and I will see if it will be any good in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I am going out to buy a stick blender and am going to have a second try at goat's milk soap today, putting the powder with the oils. I believe this time it will be fine with your advice.