Hello !

CelineEnilec · Jun 11, 2022

Hello everyone, from long time soap makers to newbies!

Long time lurker but new poster here. I'm a newbie soap maker (started just about a year ago) who spent the past couple of months experimenting with various things and simply just finding my feet!
I'm French and based in the lovely Midwest of Ireland (Hon Limerick!), and other interests include baking (I make great macarons and sourdough bread if I say so myself), sewing and heavy metal.
On the soap making side, I gravitate more toward palm-free, vegan and "natural" options (with natural in quote marks because if there's one thing I understood it's that everyone has their own personal definition of what is natural or not. In my own case, it's using clays and herbs to colour my soap, but fragrance oils to, well, fragrance them).

Hope everyone will be having a lovely weekend, and I'm looking forward to discussing with y'all

Relle · Jun 11, 2022

Welcome Celine, love macarons. I'm into crochet atm, but have done my fair share of sewing in the past.
We have a long weekend now as Monday is the Queens birthday holiday.

KiwiMoose · Jun 11, 2022

There once was a girl from France,
Who decided to take a chance
She bought some oil
And after some toil
Was churning out soap more than once!

Oh - from Limerick, but not an actual limerick? Got that all wrong then

Welcome!

lsg · Jun 11, 2022

Welcome to the forum.

AliOop · Jun 11, 2022

Welcome!

Zany_in_CO · Jun 13, 2022

CelineEnilec said:
I gravitate more toward palm-free, vegan and "natural" options (with natural in quote marks because if there's one thing I understood it's that everyone has their own personal definition of what is natural or not. In my own case, it's using clays and herbs to colour my soap, but fragrance oils to, well, fragrance them).

Excellent! That pretty much describes me. Except I do use "sustainable" Palm and Palm Kernel Oil because that combo comes closest to the elegant feel of double or triple-milled French soaps.

Like many members, I'm also a "Lardinator" -- love the lather and how it makes my skin feel after washing up. I have an elderly gentleman I make it for every year. He says the smell of it reminds him of his childhood.

My favorite clay is White Kaolin Clay aka "China Clay". I add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon PPO (Per Pound Oils) to most batches to lay down a foundation for colors -- or more specifically to whiten whites like Lard batches and my Castile formula. I believe it also helps to "stick" fragrance, adds lather, and gentle exfoliation to the bar.

Herbal soaps are my favorite. I've tried many different spices and herbs over the years. Colorwise, my favorites are Oil-Infused with Carrot (Pale yellow to bright orange), Comfrey (leaves, not root, for green), Yellow Dock -- a common weed you may have in your back yard (for Raspberry Pink) and Calendula petals infused in olive oil to make Baby Buttermilk Castile. I haven't made Himalayan Red Rhubarb soap yet but the color is awesome!

@KiwiMoose - Props to you for having the courage to share that limerick here!