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I've noticed that some of my batches come out with this strange marble effect when I cut it (everything is smooth on the outside, you'd never guess by looking at the uncut batch). I'm attaching a picture to make it easier to see what I mean. Most of my batches don't behave like that - the...

I have a fully cured batch of soap, that is, shall we say, 'personal soap'. That is, I don't see myself selling it the way it is. However, I've been thinking of using it decoratively and embedding it in other batches. A fellow Etsy seller has inspired me to try it, although normally I don't...

Great calculations there - instead of guesswork. Nutrition labels come in handy in cases like this, and the amount of fat and water can actually be accounted for.

Thank you guys for the tips and the links! Really appreciate it. Once I am back home after the holidays I'll be getting on with it!

Obsidian, Yeah obviously there's the option of coloring the soap with the oxide to get the very rich deep shade of black, however, I've seen other people's soaps that are colored with JUST bamboo charcoal, and they look pitch black. I want to know their secret!

Here's a question for everyone who makes soap with activated charcoal: what kind do you use? I purchased a blister of 10 tablets from ebay - the kind I am familiar with for using for food/alcohol poisoning/etc. I was in for a surprise. The batch I was making was *supposed* to go all black...

Obsidian, My bad, you're right, I looked at Soy Wax (since it's the fourth on the list).

Lin, here's a link to a page where single oil soaps were made, photographed, and discussed both fresh and after six months of curing. Crisco is #4. The soap maker said it made a near perfect bar and it had no change, no DOS whatsoever after half a year.

Run it through the soap calc and try to see where you went wrong. Then tweak the recipe by adding more oils/butters - make sure you superfat, as the saponification values are approximate. Best of luck! It's like learning how to drive in a new neighborhood - you get lost, but you learn your way...

It's good that you have local shops that sell big jars for that price. The little ethnic shops in my area all seem to be selling small glass bottles of it for anywhere between £1.79-£2. I'll keep an eye out on those types of shops, maybe I'll come across one that sells it. In the meantime...

When I just first started, I used the drain opener lye, picked it up at a hardware store where I was shopping for other soaping accessories (eye protection, wooden spoons, gloves, you name it). It did the job well - couldn't complain really. Then I purchased a large amount of lab grade, 99%+...

Soapylondon, I don't have a sweet clue as to which Tesco actually carries KTC Coconut Oil. I, like you, have tried several physical stores with no luck. A couple times a month, my husband and I place an online order from Tesco, mostly for non-soaping reasons, like getting stocked up on soy and...

Hit me with your soap stamps pictures! If you use them, do you feel like they add to branding your product - or just adding a nice finishing touch, if you don't sell? Do you always use one particular stamp, or play with different ones depending on the soap? Any other thoughts are welcome, share...

I only use natural colorants in my soap - and the best I've found so far is chlorella. It's a sea algae, and no it does not make for any odor in the final product. I've also used clays, and while French Pink clay worked great (it colored the soap a very pretty shade of strawberry smoothie)...

Currently trying to figure out the best supplier of coconut oil myself. I recently relocated to London, UK (from Washington DC) - and while I assume that new soaper is in the US, someone else in the UK might benefit from my research on the topic so far. The best priced coconut oil here seems...

I've been eyeing those guys for sometime now. Personally, I think it's worth the investment if you have a stable business and large orders where you need to save time and effort as much as you can. If you're just making a couple batches a week, a regular cutter that only allows you to cut off...

I've always used the essential oil of Lavender Angustifolia, and cannot say enough good things about it - consistently nice, stable scent in my bars that lasts for as long as the soap itself. Even bought from different suppliers, it has yet to disappoint me!

Completely agree with CSL. Personally, I am a huge fan of CPOP + water discount (lye concentration 35% - I tried higher, but it traces far too quickly and leaves me no time to play with colors, swirls, etc). Almost all my batches are made this way. You just have to make sure you don't overheat...

Dixiedragon - thank you for a detailed post, I was looking for some advice from people who have experience adding beeswax to their batches. I personally don't make milk-based soaps out of personal preferences, but I am interested in using beeswax recipes. You didn't specify whether you use cold...

So I've been toying with the idea of making a batch with beeswax, because supposedly it makes a really nice hard bar. I even have it all figured out through the soap calc. My only concern is, beeswax melts at a higher temperature than most other butters and oils in my recipe (my solid fats are...