DID SOMEONE JUST SAY LOTION BARS??!!
Welcome to the
rabbit hole Forum, Noob! Glad to have ya. Lotion bars are so fast and so easy and there's no cure time. If the result is too greasy or too hard, just re-melt and tweak! I use 1/3 each of beeswax, a butter (mango is my fave), and a liquid oil. For decades, my fingers would crack and bleed every winter all winter long. I tried everything and eventually resorted to using superglu. I have had no problems ever since I started making lotion bars.
I got into soaping (cold process) for the creativity and was pleasantly surprised when my skin health made a dramatic turnaround.
It sounds like you and your hubby have dirty jobs, so you may want to do a search for
@earlene 's blacksmith soap with borax. It's a miracle ingredient, I'm telling you. No more harsh scrub brushes after gardening.
There's a thread here on EO blend reviews. I am partial to woodsy, herby, and citrus. My male friends and I like my 50/50 cedarwood/bergamot. Just a personal thing about pine. In theory it sounds good -- but it always ends up smelling like pinesol. Just my opinion. I MUCH prefer fir needle. Some soap suppliers offer sample sizes to test before buying big bottles (same with colorants).
And please don't talk to Mrs. Zing about the money thang.
