Basti's Adventures in Soap (2023)

[akseattle]

@basti , what great experiments! I love that Umeboshi triangle soap! Might have to look for that mold ... and try to get it before Emerald Chicken gets to it

 

[CLMP]

Wow I love your soaps so much they are amazing!

 

[basti]

Thank you everyone : D

@basti , what great experiments! I love that Umeboshi triangle soap! Might have to look for that mold ... and try to get it before Emerald Chicken gets to it

May the odds be ever in your favor

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Great job again! I love how the triangular mold changes the look of the drop swirl. The red soap is not meat-like to my eye, which leaves me wondering if the shape makes the difference. Are the triangular soaps easy to hold on to?

@Shelley D if you want green from matcha tea, my best advice is to make a strong oil infusion using powdered tea, but then decant and use the oil without resuspending the powder. The powder I use (from Walmart) makes some pretty nice greens. Unfortunately, even when I keep the soap in the dark, the color fades within a few months. I've made longer lasting greens using annatto with indigo (upper left in this photo) or a tiny bit of red palm oil with indigo (upper right in the first photo, here).

 

[basti]

Great job again! I love how the triangular mold changes the look of the drop swirl. The red soap is not meat-like to my eye, which leaves me wondering if the shape makes the difference. Are the triangular soaps easy to hold on to?

Yes, I think they are. The top point of the triangle rests between two of my fingers when I hold it, so its got that extra little "purchase".
I just started using one of my bars from the spoon swirl challenge in my bathroom, so I'm excited to see how the shape develops and smooths out.

My favorite thing about this mold is the fact that it can be used horizontally and vertically. I need to find some fun vertical soap designs to try out. I wonder how all those lollipop swirls would work with this shape

 

[Shelley D]

Great job again! I love how the triangular mold changes the look of the drop swirl. The red soap is not meat-like to my eye, which leaves me wondering if the shape makes the difference. Are the triangular soaps easy to hold on to?

@Shelley D if you want green from matcha tea, my best advice is to make a strong oil infusion using powdered tea, but then decant and use the oil without resuspending the powder. The powder I use (from Walmart) makes some pretty nice greens. Unfortunately, even when I keep the soap in the dark, the color fades within a few months. I've made longer lasting greens using annatto with indigo (upper left in this photo) or a tiny bit of red palm oil with indigo (upper right in the first photo, here).

Funny thing is greens aren't really my favorite color, but since I use EVOO in my soaps (usually at a dominant percentage) I usually get a drab green soap so I was trying to enhance it so it was a prettier shade of green
I was wondering if indigo would be a good choice because my research indicates a wide variety of shades from that one powder I guess I will just have to bite that bullet and get some!

 

[BirchandTallow]

I did buy a steamer for these and this is the post steaming picture. As you can see, the ash went DEEP so it didn't all come off (I tested the steamer on some other random soaps and the ash on those came off completely, had to check) but it's a lot better than was did pre-steam.

Your meat soap turned out quite nice. Would you mind talking a little more about how you steamed your soap, please? Pardon my noobibess, but this is a new concept for me. I'm avoiding ash with alcohol at the moment, but have earlier bars that are covered.

 

[basti]

Your meat soap turned out quite nice. Would you mind talking a little more about how you steamed your soap, please? Pardon my noobibess, but this is a new concept for me. I'm avoiding ash with alcohol at the moment, but have earlier bars that are covered.

I'm still quite new to the concept myself!
I picked up a handheld steamer (the kind made for clothing. had NO idea this existed before entering the soaping world ) and waved it over the bars until the ash disappeared. It doesn't take long at all, just a few seconds. I let them sit and dry before touching/moving them. The surface becomes very smooth and shiny afterwards.

Here's a comparison with my guinea pigs

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Funny thing is greens aren't really my favorite color, but since I use EVOO in my soaps (usually at a dominant percentage) I usually get a drab green soap so I was trying to enhance it so it was a prettier shade of green
I was wondering if indigo would be a good choice because I my research indicates a wide variety of shades from that one powder I guess I will just have to bite that bullet and get some!

Indigo is nice if you want blue soap, but if you don’t use enough, you may end up with grey green soap . Are you staying away from clays and oxides?

 

[Tammyfarms]

Love seeing your updates. Your soaps are so beautiful. I use the same salt soap recipe (thank you @Obsidian!) and I love it. Hope you do as well.

 

[AliOop]

I use EVOO in my soaps (usually at a dominant percentage) I usually get a drab green soap

Is there a reason you use EVOO? It's pretty expensive compared to the lighter olive oils, and there is no difference in the feel of the soap (at least that I can tell).

 

[CLMP]

Is there a reason you use EVOO? It's pretty expensive compared to the lighter olive oils, and there is no difference in the feel of the soap (at least that I can tell).

For me EVOO is cheaper I know it's weird, where I live it's 8 dollars a liter for pure OO at Walmart and I get 3 liters EVOO at the wholesales club store for 23 dollars. My soap supplier charges 40 bucks for 3 liters of EVOO. I live in Canada so I get mine at the wholesales club seems to be cheapest for me and I love the color I get when I use TD I always get a really nice cream colored soap or off white never green. But thats why I love it. I use pure OO to if I want a really nice white soap.

 

[AliOop]

Wow, thanks for sharing that @CLMP. It boggles me that EVOO would ever be cheaper than the light OO. It's about 2x as much at my local Costco.

 

[CLMP]

Wow, thanks for sharing that @CLMP. It boggles me that EVOO would ever be cheaper than the light OO. It's about 2x as much at my local Costco.

I just thought maybe I should share what brand in case you can find it for cheap too!

 

[AliOop]

Thanks, I haven't seen that brand in the US. I bet it tastes great on salad -- or do you reserve it only for soap? Priorities...

 

[CLMP]

Thanks, I haven't seen that brand in the US. I bet it tastes great on salad -- or do you reserve it only for soap? Priorities...

Actually I haven't tried eating or cooking with it Lol I prefer light OO on my food Lol I might try it now that you mentioned it though it does make good soap though Lol.

 

[Shelley D]

Indigo is nice if you want blue soap, but if you don’t use enough, you may end up with grey green soap . Are you staying away from clays and oxides?

I have been experimenting with clays, but their light colors don't really affect the olive oil soaps. I haven't used oxides yet because (and this may seem far fetched) I have had reactions to cosmetics that contain oxides, like foundations that literally change color on my face as the day goes on, usually turning orange If I wear makeup every day I break out and get what looks like a rosacea rash on my face so I gave up makeup decades ago and I avoid oxides since a dr once suggested that I could be reacting to the trace metallic minerals in oxides due to my metal sensitivities.
So far, I don't think I'm having reactions to any of the clays, even though I know they have trace minerals also, but I'm kinda scared of oxides and not sure which ones might be safe by my standards I am entertaining the thought though, since soap is a wash off product so I'm open to suggestions

 

[Shelley D]

Is there a reason you use EVOO? It's pretty expensive compared to the lighter olive oils, and there is no difference in the feel of the soap (at least that I can tell).

Yes, my husband is Romanian and he says most of our (meaning American) olive oil has no flavor so to get "flavor" he only buys EVOO and sometimes pays for the imports, but recently the prices have been more outrageous than before. I usually pick up a gallon because he loves eating tomatoes with feta drizzled with olive oil, even letting it marinate about an hour before eating it. He also prefers i use OO when cooking. So, in order to ensure I have enough to use for soaps AND he has enough to eat with, we buy EVOO by the gallon.

 

[Shelley D]

For me EVOO is cheaper I know it's weird, where I live it's 8 dollars a liter for pure OO at Walmart and I get 3 liters EVOO at the wholesales club store for 23 dollars. My soap supplier charges 40 bucks for 3 liters of EVOO. I live in Canada so I get mine at the wholesales club seems to be cheapest for me and I love the color I get when I use TD I always get a really nice cream colored soap or off white never green. But thats why I love it. I use pure OO to if I want a really nice white soap.

He will spend a couple hours driving around to check prices before buying ~ instead of checking prices online He says he doesn't trust the ads because then you get to the store and the price doesn't match and he hates "making a scene" at the register, he wants to get in/get out and for everything to be exactly as it's supposed to be
Thank goodness he loves doing the housework for me! I will gladly drive him around to look for EVOO if I don't have to do dishes and the floors!
Compromise is what works in our relationship!

 

[BirchandTallow]

I'm still quite new to the concept myself!
I picked up a handheld steamer (the kind made for clothing. had NO idea this existed before entering the soaping world ) and waved it over the bars until the ash disappeared. It doesn't take long at all, just a few seconds. I let them sit and dry before touching/moving them. The surface becomes very smooth and shiny afterwards.

View attachment 73699
Here's a comparison with my guinea pigs

OMG! It looks amazing! A hand held, you say? Amazon is about to get my . It looks like perfect gel phase!