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I'm late to this soap party.... but just have to say that it's a really good looking 1st batch of soap. Just have a few questions: 1. Would it be better to use dried lemon rinds versus fresh lemon zest? I think dried might have longer shelf life. But fresh is easier more handy and...

I plugged your recipe into MMS lye calculator and got the same results. But the water suggested is between 6 to 9 oz. And lye between 4.11 and 4.25 oz. They suggest a 5% to 8% excess fat range. Woodi's recipe does call for so much less lye. :? I am new to soapmaking too, so I'm starting...

I have lots of extra vanilla, peppermint, and lemon extract from my kitchen cabinet and wondering if it's OK to use in soapmaking. I would think they are safe, as we do use it for cooking. But you never know as there may be some strange reaction that could just ruin the whole batch. If...

Thanks so much for all the input. I have add this new close up picture. I have already wiped all of them off and this is the only pic I have left. I'm starting to think it's just ash. click on image for larger view. As for the recipe, it was a basic beginner recipe recommend from a...

Here is the picture of my 1st batch. There are some minor cracks, which my soap making books said could result from - "soap set to fast and not covering with towels fast enough." But I did wrap my mold box with an old towel and put in away immediately. :? I used a simple recipe of coconut...

Yes, that is what happened to my 1st batch. I put 3 drops of freesia fragrance oil and it formed rice size droplets instantly. I didn't want to make it worse and just began mixing it wit the hand held blender. It's been 2 weeks now and I'm still waiting for it to cure. So far it looks...

All the soap making books I've come across recommend we use only "organic" citrus zest. Oranges grown in your yard without any chemicals are a good choice. As we don't want the pesticides to get mixed into our soap and on our skin too.

I am just a newbie to soapmaking and have made my first 1lb batch successfully :) I also purchased the same digital scale at Target. I think it works fine and can be set to grams or ounces, tare as well.

Thanks for the inputs. This was my very 1st batch so I was a bit worried. But I think my next batch will be much less confusing. And yes, maybe my preception of the oils and fats were off. But I think it all turned out OK. I just finished cutting them up this afternoon. When I peeled...

Thanks for the info. I just finished cutting up the soap and the frangrance oil did not last. All I smell is vegetable fat or at least I think is the smell of handmade soap. I think it is called "ricing" as the whole batch did not seize up. See posting -...

I probably shouldn't have done this for my first 1 lb batch. But I decided to use a "freesia" fragrance oil. I put in about 3-4 drops and it smelled way too strong! All my pots and pans have the lingering smell too. I'm hoping the smell will lighten up in the soap by the time it cures. The...

Hi Barb, thanks for the advice. You're reasoning makes sense. I ended up with a basic recipe from Anne Watson's book, "Smart Soapmaking". It is pretty simple and easy to follow. I measured my solid fats (coconut oil & shea butter) and then heat them in the microwave. I also measured out...

Hello everyone. I am new to soapmaking and am looking forward to making my first batch soon. I am reading "The Handmade Soap Book" by Melinda Coss as well as many others. I am confused about weighing the oils section. From the picture of Melinda's book, it looks like chunks of fats are...