Greetings!

[MaxB]

Hi all! I've been making soap for a few years now - I originally got into it as I wanted to make a small/handcrafted gift to hand out to the guests at my wedding, and picked up a copy of Jan Berry's "Simple & Natural Soapmaking". After frantically whipping up 12 batches of mediocre soap over the course of a couple months, I was hooked! I've since improved my technique and learned a lot of valuable lessons, like the importance of checking IFRA guidelines before whipping up a batch of soap with 4x the recommended amount of tea tree EO...

I limit myself to natural colorants, and have been learning about all the different options and combinations via trial and error. I also enjoy testing out new essential oils, especially some of the more obscure or unusual ones (current project: coming up with a scent blend that includes garlic EO and is not horrible). My favorite EOs right now are frankincense, peru balsam, and cypress (least favorite is geranium) and my favorite colorants so far have been rhubarb root powder and indigo.

I have ended up on this forum again and again after Google searches for my random soapmaking queries, so thought it would be worthwhile to finally create an account. Look forward to meeting you all and hopefully not annoying you too much with my strange questions!

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum. Nice soap!

 

[justsomeguy]

Welcome

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Love your layered brown soap! What fragrance did you use?

 

[MaxB]

Love your layered brown soap! What fragrance did you use?

Thank you! That one was a "mocha" scrub bar, with coffee, coffee grounds and cocoa butter. It was actually unscented, apart from the raw cocoa butter giving it a light chocolate scent. It ended up being a very rough exfoliation and I'm not sure if I would use grounds if I made it again (maybe espresso powder instead) - would probably try some coffee EO on it as well.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I'm not sure if I would use grounds if I made it again (maybe espresso powder instead) - would probably try some coffee EO on it as well.

Make it again @MaxB and join the scrubby soap challenge for February!
Thread 'February 2025 SMF Challenge: Scrub-a-dub-dub!'
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/february-2025-smf-challenge-scrub-a-dub-dub.94605/

 

[AliOop]

@MaxB we'd love to have you post your scrubby creations in the General Challenge Thread to provide encouragement and ideas to those who have registered - not to mention, for the general viewing pleasure for the rest of us, since we all love soap pics!

I do want to clarify that to formally join and post an entry in any monthly challenge does require the entrant to have either a minimum of 50 posts, or be a supporting member.

 

[MaxB]

Ooh, very cool - will try to get enough posts in time for an official entry in the March (or April) challenge!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Ooh, very cool - will try to get enough posts in time for an official entry in the March (or April) challenge!

Welcome to the forum! Your soap looks great. The challenges are a lot of fun and great for skill building.

 

[akseattle]

@MaxB welcome to this forum!! I love your fearless and adventurous spirit!! .Tea tree oil combats toenail fungus- which apparently is common. I wonder if that 4x tea tree soap of yours could be used as a dedicated foot soap? I don’t know if wash off products retain there pr

 

[akseattle]

Retain their properties