hypnotoad
Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2013
- Messages
- 15
- Reaction score
- 7
Here's a little summary of what I learned over the past year:
These were my first soaps. I read everything and tinkered around with soapcalc for months before I made these. In the beginning I got kind of obsessed with getting an INS of exactly of 160 - which I now know is not necessary, but it does work! I was thrilled with my first attempts but after these I got a hankering for some scents and colors.
My next experiments - On the right from the bottom to top: alkanet infused soap with BB cranberry fig FO, rose clay soap with MMS rose FO, and paprika infused soap with MMS chai latte FO.
On the left from bottom to top: green oxide shampoo bar with rosemary and mint EO (my first oxide and I didn't use enough); cocoa butter soap with cocoa and BB deep rich chocolate FO (the 5% cocoa butter is fantastic in the shower - this is one of my favorites); and a yellow oxide shampoo bar with lemongrass EO. I don't care for the lemongrass but my family loves it!
That lemongrass batch was my first experiment with CPOP - and I was immediately a convert. This batch was much harder, more consistent, and easier to unmold than the others. I started CPOP'ing like crazy after that.
From bottom to top:
-Failed in the pot swirl with burgundy oxide (it was supposed to be two colors but I mixed them too much!) and MMS fruit slices FO.
-Salt bar with BB spiced mahogany FO - the brown color was a surprise - I paid attention to vanilla discoloration after that!
-A recent salt bar rebatch with just a bit of blue oxide. This was the same recipe I used the first time, but with 70% instead of 50% salt. It came out dry and crumbly, so following forum instructions I mixed it into a second batch, which saved the day!
Then the swirling bug bit me and I changed my recipe to tone down the solid oils and give myself more time before trace. I bought the amazing acrylic slap mold from soapmakingresource.com and did a bunch of linear swirls. They are in chronological order from right to left, and you can see that I got better over time!
These were my first soaps. I read everything and tinkered around with soapcalc for months before I made these. In the beginning I got kind of obsessed with getting an INS of exactly of 160 - which I now know is not necessary, but it does work! I was thrilled with my first attempts but after these I got a hankering for some scents and colors.
My next experiments - On the right from the bottom to top: alkanet infused soap with BB cranberry fig FO, rose clay soap with MMS rose FO, and paprika infused soap with MMS chai latte FO.
On the left from bottom to top: green oxide shampoo bar with rosemary and mint EO (my first oxide and I didn't use enough); cocoa butter soap with cocoa and BB deep rich chocolate FO (the 5% cocoa butter is fantastic in the shower - this is one of my favorites); and a yellow oxide shampoo bar with lemongrass EO. I don't care for the lemongrass but my family loves it!
That lemongrass batch was my first experiment with CPOP - and I was immediately a convert. This batch was much harder, more consistent, and easier to unmold than the others. I started CPOP'ing like crazy after that.
From bottom to top:
-Failed in the pot swirl with burgundy oxide (it was supposed to be two colors but I mixed them too much!) and MMS fruit slices FO.
-Salt bar with BB spiced mahogany FO - the brown color was a surprise - I paid attention to vanilla discoloration after that!
-A recent salt bar rebatch with just a bit of blue oxide. This was the same recipe I used the first time, but with 70% instead of 50% salt. It came out dry and crumbly, so following forum instructions I mixed it into a second batch, which saved the day!
Then the swirling bug bit me and I changed my recipe to tone down the solid oils and give myself more time before trace. I bought the amazing acrylic slap mold from soapmakingresource.com and did a bunch of linear swirls. They are in chronological order from right to left, and you can see that I got better over time!
