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How about DeeAnna's "salting out" method? http://classicbells.com/soap/saltOutTut.html I've wondered how far this process would go in removing scents, along with the colorants. I'm getting close to needing to try it on the jug full of scraps from multiple Le soap batches.

Can a 50/50 sodium hydroxide/water solution that has been master batched be kept indefinitely if stored appropriately? Do you have to use it up within a certain time frame?

LOL Teresa--- your learning style sounds just like mine! Thanks for the encouragement to take the plunge. I will!

I'm glad ToMH pointed out KD's definition of the term, because it gave me pause when I read Dr. Dunn's article on "To Gel or Not To Gel." Understanding that it refers to the solution not the actual caustic used is an important distinction to get, especially when reading his work. As for other...

Thank you ToMH and IL so very much for your answers. From the article, forum thread, and your replies, you've perfectly understood my question. I was pretty sure my confusion was coming from hearing the terms misused, and from not knowing enough to know if they were misused or not. I do enjoy...

I'm new to soaping, having only about 20 batches of cp soap under my belt, as well as a few batches of liquid soap. Most have been fairly successful, if you count unplanned but otherwise pleasant surprises as "successful." I'd really like to firm up my understanding of terms like "water...

:lol::lol::lol: I wonder how they......oh, never mind, I don't want to know

Thanks lenarenee, I'll remember that. I do have a multi-pronged plan of defense in mind. Fencing is probably next, but this was the easiest way to get started while we look for others.

I thank you for your input. I decided against an cured OO, because I know how quickly it goes to mush if not cured. I actually don't have much time for curing, since the peach trees have their young succulent shoots already growing, and the deer are already venturing forth (my SIL has a webcam...

I couldn't make soap today, waiting on a shipment. And there will be a day or two when I'm going to have grandchildren to dote on, so I ticked off a couple of other items on my to do list. Which made me think of all the times as a newbie when I couldn't wait to start a batch, and then when I...

You are absolutely right---it looks "rustically beautiful!" 100% tallow was my first soap, and it too drew me into the wonderful world of soap-making. I now use tallow in place of palm oil in any recipe that calls for PO (always run it back thru the lye calculator, of course), and it has...

You know you are obsessed with soap when you think of soap first when presented with a new problem.... So I have these peach trees that I'm determined to get fruit from this year, and one of the biggies in the way of pests is deer. Years ago, my family ran a large peach orchard operation, and...

Navigator, I think you just answered my question about Soaping101's "surprises" remark. Having the FO in the oil already is what gives you the heads up as soon as the lye water hits the oils, and you can adjust your mixing method to accommodate the "surprise." Otherwise, you may be stuck with...

Hi all, I've been a fan of Soaping 101's YouTube videos (well, ANY soaping video, really---I confess I binge-watch them all!), and one remark that I hear frequently in her videos is, "to avoid surprises, we'll add our fragrance to our oils before adding our lye solution." I've posted this...

Thank you all for the GREAT learning here! I am especially appreciative of the time you've invested to give me thoughtful responses. As I understand it now, the oily feel of the soap is from the lye discount caused by the reaction of borax and NaH, and we're thinking that that reaction...

I added the borax because as a soap additive, it softens hard water, gives a really nice slip to the lather, and cuts down on the soap scum you especially get in hard water. Although I'm no chemist, I do believe it can be called an emulsifying agent, allowing the fats and oils to stay in...

Ok, I've attached a snapshot of my recipe with notes, hopefully you can glean clues from it. Unfortunately, the soap is all grated now, and won't really tell you much from a picture of it. I was trying to formulate a recipe for my SIL who has very hard well water. (He was also the farmer who...

I have this weird batch of 50% lard, 30% CO, 15% canola and 5 % castor oil soap, that I'm pretty sure I messed up somehow in the making. Symptoms are: very oily to the touch, somewhat soft after 6 weeks cure time, and worst of all, is very drying to the skin. Ph strips put it at between 8 and...

Well a great big THANK YOU to all who posted your ideas and experiences! And also those who had similar frustrations as mine! I do keep an updated list on an excel spreadsheet of everything I have, so I'm partway there. I just hate the way the bottles are all stuffed into those fabric cubes...