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Are you based in Canada as well?

I started with Humblebeeandme’s info on ASM. She has a pretty good list of the common surfactants. SwiftCraftyMonkey has ASM info, but I haven’t found it compiled into a nice one-page reference sheet. But, once I understood that ASM existed, I learned the most by googling the ASM of each of my...

Glad you caught it before it became a microwave cleaning festival!!! ASM is the actual surfactant matter of your ingredients. Cocamidapropyl betaine runs about 30%. Powdered Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate (Bio-Terge) is about 88%. Shampoos, body washes, hand soap, household cleaners and so...

You have to calculate your active surfactant matter (ASM) of your formulas. There is such a thing as too much!!! I first determine the appropriate ASM for whatever I’m making and then calculate the ASM of each ingredient which tells me if I’m too high or too low. Both SCI and Cocamidapropyl...

I dissolve mine in beakers (Pyrex would work) right on my glass cooktop on low. It melts easily - no clumps. I also grind my SCI noodles into a powder so it dissolves more easily. I find SLSa works just as well using this method. Of course, you have to pay total attention to what’s happening...

Many thanks to each of you for welcoming me so warmly.

Thank you very much!

It’s so gratifying when a formula works… But I learn far more from my mistakes than I do successes. I’m cost-conscious so failed products get “fixed” whenever possible for home use. Figuring out soap is what really intimidates me.

I’d probably give a body part for a Silverson… Dynamic makes a well-reputed homogenizer (you probably know this, already) that is more expensive in Canada, but reasonably priced in the US. If this one doesn’t work out for me, I’m definitely going to the US to buy one. The price difference covers...

Thank you very much!

Thank you! I’ve learned a great deal, already, and appreciate being here!

I went with a brand from China as they had an upgrade from their entry-level, 1 litre homogenizer, which was recently unboxed by Humblebee&Me on her Patreon channel. She was happy with hers and pointed me to some good reviews. I’d been holding out for the Dynamic, but it has almost tripled in...

@justsomeguy Thank you for welcoming me!

Great to know there are fellow skincare formulators in this forum! My homogenizer arrived today and I’m SO excited!

Hello! Just introducing myself. I have experience making skincare and am just starting to wander into soap making. I started with Irish Lass’ well-spoken of liquid glycerin soap. Problems encountered were that I used an infused olive oil, forgot to use glycerin instead of water, and diluted at...

Good to stick with what you know you like with skincare. You mentioned that oil cleansing was a hit/miss. Have you tried making a cleansing balm with a COSMOS or EcoCert emulsifier? Because I use rx Retinoids, I try to go gently with cleansing - I’ve made some cleansing balms that have been...

As long as you’re not reacting to it, it’s great that you’re trying it out. It definitely has antioxidant properties. From what I’ve read, it’s gentle. I’ve tried commercial products with it, and they don’t compare to rx retinoids, but I suppose that’s an unreasonable comparison!

There’s a very interesting discussion on Chemist’s Corner regarding Bakuchiol and the one study conducted on the ingredient. There were only six participants in the study. Regardless, the study has been cited almost 100 times! What I inferred from the discussion is that Bakuchiol, at best, is an...

Thank you! I was unaware that Bakuchiol was a Phenol. Argh - there’s so much conflicting information! It seems impossible to get one concise (and correct) answer. I will bring this up with a plant geneticist I communicate with. He’s dead against Bakuchiol, but I happen to admire Phenol as an...