Newbie vs. Slabmold: ROUND ONE

[Vickery]

Well I did it.

A few years ago I danced around soap making and started with melt and pour. I found it lacking in something. Recently I just got up the courage to try CP soaping after practically stalking this forum for two years. I promised myself once I bought a house that did not have a death trap for a kitchen that I would make my first batch.

Three months in new open layout condo, and I have already done two rustic trial soap batches in soymilk quart containers. I say rustic but I mean ugly. I'm sure Jason with his hockey mask could have cut straighter lines.

This batch was my third. I need more molds. I NEED ALL THE MOLDS. Maybe a cutter too.

Olive, Coconut, Palm, Castor, and a wee bit of shea. Scented with Peppermint EO. .5 oz per pound. I'm happy with it. Going to plan for a couple more natural batches with EOs and natural colorants.

Coworkers have demanded something with ylang ylang, and another coworker has demanded lavender chamomile soap. Oh my. Any favorite EO pairings with ylang ylang?

Edit: Slab mold has built in cutter and guiding lines. I love it. I need a zillion.

 

[soap_rat]

I love that ocean-wave pattern you put on top. I, too, want ALL the molds, so watch out!

Ylang ylang is rather expensive, $51/lb is the cheapest I can find it, so I only use it in HP since I can use less. If your coworker is willing to buy it, though...

I mix it with other florals, like rose geranium and palmarosa. I don't _love_ the blend so I'm interested in what others may say.

By the way, I made this chart of essential oil prices, if it will help you. To everyone: it's a couple of months old now, so if anyone is willing to volunteer to update one supplier, that would be super-cool.
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=39214

 

[designsbyxeila]

I love the look of the waves on top! I make a lavender and Ylang Ylang and it smells fantastic! It's a very popular soap of mine.

 

[giddyforgilda]

+ "I need all the molds" lol

 

[rainycityjen]

I too suffer from can't-cutta-straight-line syndrome. I have a miter box but it is too narrow. I nearly considered using a bagel slicer. For now, all my soaps just lean against each other.

 

[seven]

is it just my eyes, or does the soap looks a bit translucent in color? which i think it's cool!

yep, i too want ALL MOLDS! everything with a cavity is a potential soap mold these days.

and i can't cut straight too, so you are not alone

 

[kikajess]

Congrats on your deathtrap-free kitchen and your cool slab mold. The soaps look great. I've only done loaves myself, but will try a slab some day for sure. I have been saving an empty box of dishwasher detergent to use, but your mold looks waaaay better than that. Where did you get your mold?

 

[shunt2011]

Congrats on your soaping. I couldn't cut a straight line either even with a miter box. Ticked me off. Then my sweet hubby made me a multi bar wire cutter and I've been in heaven ever since.

 

[Lildlege1]

Congrats to you. Soap looks great and glad you have a new space for your soaping adventures !! And I like the rest can't cut a straight line so my hubby bought me a loaf soap cutter for Christmas and I don't know how I survived without one lol

 

[Vickery]

Look at all of these replies! You are all so sweet!

I work in a call center as a remote tech for Redbox, and mainly work with men. Surprisingly, they're all pretty excited to be testers and are offering their suggestions for scents. One, female, supervisor was fairly insistent about the ylang ylang -and I honestly wouldn't mind springing for an oz - but for a later project. The guys have demanded as such:

Beer soap - the guys thought the Oatmeal Stout scent form WSP sounded interesting.
Chamomile Lavender FO and EO Blend
Cederwood and Bergamont

I also need to research more, or find those pesky forum posts I bookmarked, on how to color soap naturally.

As for my soap mold: http://www.etsy.com/listing/1761170...type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

I'm excited. I also need to start bribing my boyfriend's dad to try and CNC me a HDPE no line loaf mold. Two of them: 2 and 4 pound. And a multi cutter. ALL OF THE SOAP MOLDS!

 

[rainycityjen]

I just soaped with himalayan cedarwood from New Directions for the first time. I didn't like it in the bottle, but it was the ONLY scent out of my set that my visiting friends liked. A very smart scientist female friend and a metalhead dude friend, by the way. I unmolded it tonight and it smells like a cedar whiskey barrel. So interesting and masculine. Not like a cedar closet at all, and it stands alone just fine. Can't wait to use it again.

 

[grayceworks]

 

[cmzaha]

Look at all of these replies! You are all so sweet!

I work in a call center as a remote tech for Redbox, and mainly work with men. Surprisingly, they're all pretty excited to be testers and are offering their suggestions for scents. One, female, supervisor was fairly insistent about the ylang ylang -and I honestly wouldn't mind springing for an oz - but for a later project. The guys have demanded as such:

Beer soap - the guys thought the Oatmeal Stout scent form WSP sounded interesting.
Chamomile Lavender FO and EO Blend
Cederwood and Bergamont

I also need to research more, or find those pesky forum posts I bookmarked, on how to color soap naturally.

As for my soap mold: http://www.etsy.com/listing/1761170...type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

I'm excited. I also need to start bribing my boyfriend's dad to try and CNC me a HDPE no line loaf mold. Two of them: 2 and 4 pound. And a multi cutter. ALL OF THE SOAP MOLDS!

I can tell you that you will still have to line a hdpe mold if you do not want to wait forever to remove from the mold. I have tried freezing and actually let one batch sit in the mold for 2 weeks to see if it would shrink away enough to get it out of the mold. nope still stuck. I only use hdpe molds and always line them. I do not line the ends I just remove the sides and run a thin wire across the end.