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You've all inspired me to give this a try. I've been super busy making enough inventory for holiday markets and I like having something new and fun to look forward to doing when the season's all done. :hippo:

Good to hear. Now I can cross it off my very long "I wanna try this sometime" list 🤣

Mrs Soap and Clay did a video about using banana peels in the lye water. She raved about the silkiness of the finished soap. I've wanted to try it, but just have never gotten to it. @Nonnie your soap is just beautiful!

FWIW, I returned a Cuisinart because my arthritic hand just couldn't hold down the lock and regular buttons at the same time. I wish there was a way to disable that not-so-helpful feature because I liked the blender.

I picked up some items from Shay & Co yesterday (so lucky to have them local!) and inquired about cera bellina. She suggested using Laurel Wax rather than the CB to avoid graininess and add smoothness to lotion bars. She didn't think it needed to be a full beeswax replacement, and didn't offer...

I've been reading about the additive that @lsg and @AliOop mentioned -- Cera Bellina. It's a form of beeswax and very expensive. I'm unclear how to use it. In a typical lotion bar formula of 1/3 each beeswax, butter, and liquid oil, would I need to substitute it for all the beeswax? Or a...

I went ahead and re-melted all my bars. Here's hoping they stay smooth at least through holiday season! Thanks, @lsg. I'd never heard of this product before.

Just learned something new! I didn't know it did that. Thanks, @AliOop !

People have been led to believe that somehow essential oils are natural and therefore safer and healthier than fragrances. I talk to those folks about the safety of fragrance oils and IFRA guidelines. They're often surprised to learn there are actually more controls about production of FOs...

Thanks, @AliOop . Can I assume it's just cosmetic? And is there anything I can do to prevent it? I've been re-melting the bars which does fix it (at least until it may "bloom" again) but that's kind of a nuisance.

They're smooth and lovely when freshly made, but after a few months some of the bars develop this bumpy surface. Are my oils separating over time? Any idea what's happening? @Zing ? (Pic on left is freshly made bar. On right is about 7 months old. Ignore color from lighting.) Here's my...

Maybe it's just my lot in life, but mortgage rates lower after we take out a loan, and the Dow usually drops after we buy a stock. 🤣 I'm wanting to place an order with Nurture Soap, but it seems like half the time they offer a sale right after I do. Do any of you have the inside scoop when...

I just made my first loaf with Midwest Fragrance Espresso, and it smells wonderful! It has notes of vanilla with a touch of chocolate. Hoping it holds the scent well, but for now it seems nice and strong.

I made some CP soap using M&P embeds, thinking it would be more simple and quick than making CP embeds. They M&P did the same thing as yours. I wiped off the seepage, and it continued at a lesser rate for a while. The oozing did stop after about an 8+ week cure.

I've tried a few and my favorite is BB's Espresso. Smells like the real thing!

UPDATE: I no longer make these in a loaf mold. Instead I use a 12-bar mold in the size and shape I was cutting them to be before. So much easier; just pop 'em out when they're hard, and all done!

Oh no! Somehow I never noticed this thread before, and now I see there's 141 pages to catch up on!

@akseattle I'm sure there was a synergistic effect with the Strawberry because that one is also fast. But I had used the Rose before and it was super-fast and also riced. Not as crazy-fast as this last batch, but still difficult. There was only about a 1/2 oz or less when I tossed it. Just...

So your mix is 65% lard? Maybe that helps slow things down as well.

Thanks, @Kaybrantley I knew florals were fast, but this time was lightening speed and I was afraid the RBO was part of the problem. Glad to know it's usually better behaved than this batch!