Hello from Canada

[Zen Pretzel]

Hello. I'm Zen Pretzel and I'm new to the world of soapmaking. I attended a beginner workshop a few weeks ago, really enjoyed it and now I'm setting up to make more. I hope to enjoy chatting with everyone here, learning and experimenting with different formulas, making gifts for friends and family and having fun along the way.
I'm from Canada, about two hours from Toronto. I work in construction during the day. I enjoy music, going to the gym, skiing, hockey and traveling. Right now I'm in the process of gathering up supplies and equipment while binging soap making tutorial videos. I want to try making either an activated charcoal soap or a castile soap with olive oil next. Looking forward to it.
It's a pleasure to meet all of you.

 

[Relle]

Welcome Zen . If you want to make castile it's best to cure for around 12 months.

 

[Hawksquill]

Welcome! Hope you learn lots and enjoy your time here. Where do you like to travel?

 

[Zen Pretzel]

Welcome! Hope you learn lots and enjoy your time here. Where do you like to travel?

Most of my travels have been around Central and Southern America. There is so much to see and visit. I want to go to the middle east next.

 

[earlene]

Welcome, Zen. Enjoy the journey. Soapmaking is a fun hobby. I travel as well, with road trips being my favorite method of transportation, therefore most of my travel time is spent on North America since that is most easily reached by car from my locale. Although I do some train and air travel now and again and to get further afield. Hubby wants to return to Europe again this summer, so perhaps we'll see some new places we haven't yet visited.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome Zen! I voted for activated charcoal soap (provided you are using a non-castile formula to add the charcoal into). I've made several batches of Castille (100% olive oil), and if I had started out with a Castile as my first ever formula back in the day, I think I would have been somewhat tempted to not want to soap again by thinking that the lather of all handmade soap would be as....... well.....weird. lol

Castille lather was somewhat of an acquired taste for me. The only way I'm able to get a Castille to lather properly to my liking is via the use of a nylon pouf. With a nylon pouf, my Castilles lather wonderfully....full, rich, bubbly lather, but when lathered with just the naked hand, my Castilles have very thin, goopy lather.....not unlike slathering goopy egg whites over my skin. For what it's worth, I no longer make Castiles as nobody in my family or amongst my friends likes them very much.


IrishLass

 

[Shereen]

I would do both. One that takes 4 to 6 weeks to cure ( charcoal) . And the Castile would take 12 months. So I have something in hand while waiting for my Castile soap to be ready.