Search results

Wow! So many great answers, thanks so much. I'm in England and ordered from the Soap Kitchen . I just got 2 samples : Fig Tree (they say it is similar to Diptyque's Fig Tree- quite a claim) and lavender. Yes, like many others I finally got fed up with pouring good natural, expensive...

I've been cold soaping with essential oils but have been disappointed at the fragrance all but disappearing especially if there is gelling, and the high prices. So I ordered some artificial frags and am less than impressed. Haven't soaped with them yet, but the smell is not nice: harsh and...

thanks susie I did check those posts out I think they mostly used HP. I did HP in the 1st instance with the laurel oil but am not experienced in that technique and was not too happy with the results. But i did get some tips from the threads.I've now switched to CP.

Thanks Tizzy your soap looks great and it's the kind of thing I am trying to reproduce. I actually made a 60% OO 20% LO 10%CO 10% BEEF tallow a couple of days ago. I haven't cut it yet but the colour looks good. I will try and post some pics. I'm planning on curing for at least 2 months...

Morpheus explains the science well. I have made 100% soaps too. You will get bubbles but they will be small. You have to cure for longer to get a good hard bar, at 4 weeks it might be a bit soft. Of course it will be cleansing, but not as stripping as one with coconut oil. Personally I like the...

Just bumping this in case there's anyone out there making laurel oil soap/ laurel oil containing soap by CP

Hi Craig I used 30% laurel 70% olive 2% super fat and recipe was from soapcalc.net I boiled for 2-3 hours then left to set for 2 days . I am a lot more familiar with CP and so I am thinking of switching to CP and adding a hard fat for better hardness and lather. But still I hope retain the...

I got hold of some bay laurel oil ( that s oil from the berries, not an EO) and had a go at making " Aleppo soap" in a HP at home . The results were so so. I have had problems with the soaps being quite crumbly yet oily and hard to cut. I am now thinking of trying again with a CP and maybe...

Thanks everyone who replied to my queries re animal fats in soap (previous page). My olive, coconut, shea and beef tallow bar is super. I use it at home and love it. I gave another bar to a Muslim friend which simply omitted the tallow and she was very pleased with it. But i realise that just...

Thanks so much Obsidian and Carolyn. i'LL be attempting to rescue all those quality ingredients tomorrow, and will let you know how it goes. Helen

Megan do you sell your soaps? I don't but ugh to one day. I find beef tallow can make a great bar,but worry an animal fat might put off potential customers.

Thanks obsidian I was actually thinking of adding olive oil n after what Carolyn said. Will try this and if it comes good I'll post and let you know. Would you advise against adding more water?

Thanks Carolyn. Is there anything I can do to rescue it? Like melt it and add a liquid oil ( but how much) and try re setting?

Three days ago i made a bar of soap with coconut, beef tallow, shea and apricot oil (200g, 200g, 50g and 50g respectively). I put it through a soap calc (from memory, 76g lye and 165 ml H20). I also added lavender and chamomille essential oil. Was not too careful about amounts, i reckon may have...

Thanks everyone for your tips and sorry it's taken so long to respond. There's been family illness, and then I forgot my password. But I'm planning a soaping day on Thursday. Will let you know how it turns out.

That's true Lyn. I was being a little lazy and just trying to solicit a good recipe! But i have the Melinda Coss natural soap book and will probably tweak one of her shea containing recipes. Thanks for letting me know about the 15% .

A friend bought me back a big lump of shea from ghana and I am going to make some soap and give her a couple of bars. Does anyone have a good recipe? What mixes well with shea. I think it will definitely need some coconut, maybe also almond to keep it very mild. I have eczema so want it to be...

Thanks for the information. I didn't know that gel can suppress fragrance. I guess it is an effect of the heat? I did make a soap with tallow, canola, olive, coconut which i think gelled as a shadow spread across it and it really heated up in the mould. There was nearly no fragrance left 4 weeks...

I also have eczema and think lard is under rated. Just wondering though, as i am a newbie, how do you whip the lard? What is the process? Many thanks

As a newbie I am just wondering- why do you want to avoid gel? I thought it cuts down on curing time.