Long time lurker stepping into the light. :D

[MadScientist]

Preface: I promise you that despite my self-description below, that I'm down-to-earth. I've worn many hats in my life and I enjoy celebrating your achievements with you just as much as enjoying my own. I like to stop and smell the essential oils of every field I can to get the most out of life.


Hi SMF!

After tons of reading and learning from all of the wonderful people here on SMF, I've decided to become a part of the community. I've been making soap (CP) for 2 months and I'm proud to say that with the exception of a batch that I made with Ghee, the 4 other batches have been successful. I made it without researching butter products in soap fully and I learned first hand that Butyric acid salts are SMELLY. I tossed the soap, even though the hardness, lather, and look were all pretty good. It would have been 'no-bueno' for rebatching.

As my forum name suggests, I come from a technical background and I dabble in many hobbies: kitchen chemistry, electronics, automotive, ceramics, computer hardware, and programming. I also love to cook and brew adult beverages. I enjoy creative endeavors in all their forms and have learned creative writing and filmmaking. I'm infinitely curious and I have a brain that never stops thinking. Because of this, I've run experiments and created my fair share of pops, bangs, clangs, and witnessed many a puff of magic smoke leave many a device. The fun parts are always learning how things went wrong and gaining new perspective from it all.

I never stop learning and I love soapmaking because it is an art and a science. I'm a soap calculator nerd and find soapmaking therapeutic.

It's heartening and refreshing to see a group of interesting and like minded people passionately engaging in respectful conversation.

Thanks for having me.

Alex

 

[runnerchicki]

Welcome! I am fairly new to the forum and to soap making (less than two years). Lots of great people here, and a wealth of information.

I hope you chime in often!

 

[MadScientist]

Thank you. I definitely will. The expertise I've seen here has been an enormous help in getting me started on the right foot.

 

[sirtim100]

A warm welcome from another recent arrival!

But I feel I really ought to warn you: soapmaking is like highlining a powerful drug, once you get into it, you're losing sleep thinking about whether to make a salt soap tomorrow, why today's batch went that strange colour, how on earth you can get hold of bear tallow*...

From then on it's a sad, sorry journey downhill to that rainy street corner, hugging yourself with olive oil stained fingers, asking passers by for a few pennies to buy another packet of lye.

And here, they're all on it... (me too)

(It's true, I saw it on the list of oils in Soapmaking Friend ... And mink oil)

 

[Millie]

Hiya

 

[MadScientist]

A warm welcome from another recent arrival!

But I feel I really ought to warn you: soapmaking is like highlining a powerful drug, once you get into it, you're losing sleep thinking about whether to make a salt soap tomorrow, why today's batch went that strange colour, how on earth you can get hold of bear tallow*...

From then on it's a sad, sorry journey downhill to that rainy street corner, hugging yourself with olive oil stained fingers, asking passers by for a few pennies to buy another packet of lye.

And here, they're all on it... (me too)

(It's true, I saw it on the list of oils in Soapmaking Friend ... And mink oil)

I literally laughed out loud because this is eerily true.

While I've managed to take it slow, there are times where my mind drifts to the Zen of light trace. Visions of solid additives dance in my head with that creamy bubbly goodness leading to eternal life, having found the soap that cures all my ills.

Hyperbole aside: yes. I used syndet bars for years, then my wife of one year came along and pointed out everything in the ingredient list that doesn't belong on your skin: I think there were maybe one or two ingredients left that were passable. I was clinging to hope that my Zest Ocean Breeze bar would always be there to save me, and then they discontinued it. My security blanket was stolen. I embarked upon a quest to make a bar that would be nice to my oily and sensitive skin while preventing dry skin and breakouts at the same time. I was shocked to find out that REAL soap was much more forgiving.

Who knew?

Hiya

Hi!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Mwah ha ha - another sucker comes into the fold! I'm thinking of what sort of challenge we shall pose for your initiation...

I've been to Atlanta, and Athens, GA - lovely state. I used to live in the say-outh myself ( KY). Y'all come back!

 

[MadScientist]

Mwah ha ha - another sucker comes into the fold! I'm thinking of what sort of challenge we shall pose for your initiation...

I've been to Atlanta, and Athens, GA - lovely state. I used to live in the say-outh myself ( KY). Y'all come back!

I'm often asked where I'm from by Southerners because despite being born and raised here, the accent skipped me entirely.

Less than an hour ago, I CPOPd a batch with grapeseed, hemp, castor, lard, and babassu with almond flour as an exfolient.

I'm always up for a challenge.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I'm often asked where I'm from by Southerners because despite being born and raised here, the accent skipped me entirely.

Less than an hour ago, I CPOPd a batch with grapeseed, hemp, castor, lard, and babassu with almond flour as an exfolient.

I'm always up for a challenge.

Welcome!

I can keep myself up at night wishing I had an engineering degree so I wouldn’t have to think so hard about how to build my designs in a thixotropic liquid that hardens at an unpredictable rate and a chemistry degree so I could lower my chances of getting soap on a stick with DOS when I formulate my recipes with hydrogenated soybean oil.

I look forward to hearing about your soap with grapeseed, hemp and lard. It sounds dangerously luxurious.

 

[Millie]

Yay new word
Thixotropic
Love it!

 

[MadScientist]

I think I overheated it because I have glycerin pouring from the mold. First time for everything. I think my water:lye concentration (2.5:1) was too high for CPOP. That and I think the Almond flour, with it's fat content, may have contributed to the mess. I'm sure the soap will be fine, but it's definitely a great way to initiate myself here.

Welcome!

I can keep myself up at night wishing I had an engineering degree so I wouldn’t have to think so hard about how to build my designs in a thixotropic liquid that hardens at an unpredictable rate and a chemistry degree so I could lower my chances of getting soap on a stick with DOS when I formulate my recipes with hydrogenated soybean oil.

I look forward to hearing about your soap with grapeseed, hemp and lard. It sounds dangerously luxurious.

Saponification is an anti-thixotropic process, if I read Wikipedia right.

Yay new word
Thixotropic
Love it!

I just learned a new word myself.

 

[John Harris]

Welcome Alex! You are in the right place!

 

[MadScientist]

Welcome Alex! You are in the right place!

Thank you! I'm already enjoying myself. The banter is great.

 

[Millie]

I think soap is thixotropic during gel phase...

 

[MadScientist]

I think soap is thixotropic during gel phase...

I believe you are correct. That would also explain the glycerin all over the place too.

 

[Millie]

Ha!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I saw some thixotropic bones once in the museum. I think it's related to triceratops?

 

[MadScientist]

I saw some thixotropic bones once in the museum. I think it's related to triceratops?

Sounds like that "Trike" was a real stick in the mud.

(I'm all about the Dad jokes.)

 

[Relle]

Welcome Alex .

 

[MadScientist]

Welcome Alex .

Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.