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You might like to read Auntie Clara's blog post from 10 years ago about Beldi soap. She goes into a lot of very interesting (not to mention beautifully photographed) detail!

Weirdly, the link works for me if I use the one in @bookworm42 's original message (#3, above), but not if I click on the one that appears in a quoted reply. Not sure why that is. But wanted to comment that I've been using QQ's slurry method and it does seem to make a difference even if I don't...

My thought was that if it is Australian-made, there ought to be other sources — perhaps a pharmacy, alongside other "sensitive skin" bath treatments? Might not be cheaper, though! And I forgot about the difference in currency, so the Heirloom colloidal oatmeal at $20.80 AUS would be about...

As @AliOop said, that price seems super high! However, I have seen this colloidal oatmeal on the website Heirloom Body Care at what seems a much more reasonable price (I was watching an Australian soapmaker who linked to products he used on that site so of course I clicked and poked around!)...

If you do ever get to order from Bramble Berry, they have 2 fragrance oils with sandalwood notes that I've tried: Sandalwood Vanilla (my favorite, usage rate almost 5%, discolors to brown), and Sunflower Sandalwood (much higher usage rate, does not discolor). I had only a sample of the former...

Bramble Berry has begun providing IFRA sheets with their essential oils, but the one for Clove Leaf EO lists the Category 9 max as 5.74%. I assume the information comes from their vendor, but that seems really high. There's always a chance something got mixed up (their website looks to have been...

Ooh, that sounds truly lovely! But AliOop's cheese and crackers sound good as well — with so many choices, I think I would have a hard time keeping the gift baskets down to a reasonable size! And your beautiful vinegars are so inspiring I've thought of a couple more things: a small jar of some...

Maybe a special olive oil to go with the vinegars?

Well, sure, if one wants to calculate the out-of-the-pot list with the glycerin and unsaponifiables and all, that's fine and correct and great, but I'm not sure I could do it properly without a chemical assessment like they are required to have in the UK and EU. Perhaps there is some easy...

Agree! I've always thought of "manteca" and "lard" as the exact same product, and it was only after looking into it because of the above comment that I found there are some cooks (not soapmakers!) who consider it to be a little different. Maybe only some brands are rendered differently, and the...

It may have been deception, but possibly not. "Manteca" is a product sold Latin markets. The ingredients look the same, but I've read that some feel manteca has a stronger flavor and is softer than other lard. I have no clue, since I'm not a "lardinator" and haven't tried them myself to see if...

I haven't used the Aphrodite mica either, but agree with @AliOop that gelling sometimes makes a big difference in color. This photo is from the LovinSoap website; the rectangles were gelled but the round one is ungelled from the same batter. This picture is from YouTube soapmaker tellervo; the...

Do you mean for making soap? Looks like it would be fine, although pretty pricey. I use this organic coconut oil from Sam's Club, which works great and is reasonably priced. But there are lots of options out there! :)

Custom Craft Tools has several options, including the Caterpillar and Hercules cutters which work very differently. You can check out YouTube soapers who have used and reviewed these cutters: Ariane Arsenault and Holly's Soapmaking are two who come to mind. And lots of other YouTubers use Bud...

Hello and greetings of the spooky season to all! If any of you haven't encountered Soap Universe, a Canadian maker with excellent video editing skills in addition to a happy sense of soapmaking fun, here is his latest, an oh-so-cute holiday-appropriate CP bar. Less than 12 minutes. Enjoy! I...

No sepsis — that's a good bit of news! She's had such a hard time, can only hope for better days ahead.

Perhaps your home water supply could be a variable. It is particularly hard or soft? (Not that I know what sort of actual chemical difference this makes with sudsing, but I've noticed that my own soaps feel much different when I visit a part of the country with very soft water, vs. my home with...

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Uh oh, another addition to my list of fragrance oils I don't need at all, but really, really want to order..... 🤩

You're welcome! But oh goodness, I hope you get it quickly, too!* I'm about as far away from BB as possible on the mainland US, and with the standard ground shipping plus order processing my most recent orders have taken around 11 or 12 days to arrive. I think you can pay extra for a faster...