SMF June 2023 Challenge: Layers!

[Momma Hoot]

SIGN-UP LIST
Please copy and paste the list below into a new post. Then add your name along with the next appropriate number:

1. Misschief - Just the push I need
2. RhondaJ - getting in early this month!
3. Mx5inpenn - hope to have multiple attempts this go round
4. dmcgee5034 - perfect timing for a soap I need to make!
5. catscankim - love layers
6. CLMP - I think I have a idea hopefully I can get creative with this one
7. McKherring Farm
8. janesathome - I will get in line for this challenge
9. Tammyfarms - I decided last month that I was going to enter all challenges no matter how intimidating.
10. Terri E - love doing layers
11. basti - coincidentally made a challenge appropriate soap last night
12. The Phoenix - Oh, all the options!
13. Vicki C - okay… this month I am going to get my entry done!
14. dibbles - I want to do a thing. The thing has layers so why not!
15. sweethavenarts
16. Ford - gonna join the fun...
17. Mobjack
18. Georgeandstella - 5 houseguests gone now, so I’m in
19. Klaw2 - I would love to enter
20. peachymoon - It's been a really long time since I've made soap so I wanna motivate myself to get back in the game!
21. Is it too late to sign up? I'm doing this today - I have an idea. Fingers crossed it works out.
22. MommaHoot - I'm in if not too late, I'd like to join in. I have some oils to use up and think that this should be a fun challenge as my first.

 

[AliOop]

Hey @KiwiMoose and @Momma Hoot - You are in! Anyone who qualifies to enter can do so until the Entry Thread closes on June 29.

SIGN-UP LIST
Please copy and paste the list below into a new post. Then add your name along with the next appropriate number:

1. Misschief - Just the push I need
2. RhondaJ - getting in early this month!
3. Mx5inpenn - hope to have multiple attempts this go round
4. dmcgee5034 - perfect timing for a soap I need to make!
5. catscankim - love layers
6. CLMP - I think I have a idea hopefully I can get creative with this one
7. McKherring Farm
8. janesathome - I will get in line for this challenge
9. Tammyfarms - I decided last month that I was going to enter all challenges no matter how intimidating.
10. Terri E - love doing layers
11. basti - coincidentally made a challenge appropriate soap last night
12. The Phoenix - Oh, all the options!
13. Vicki C - okay… this month I am going to get my entry done!
14. dibbles - I want to do a thing. The thing has layers so why not!
15. sweethavenarts
16. Ford - gonna join the fun...
17. Mobjack Bay
18. Georgeandstella - 5 houseguests gone now, so I’m in
19. Klaw2 - I would love to enter
20. peachymoon - It's been a really long time since I've made soap so I wanna motivate myself to get back in the game!
21. KiwiMoose - Is it too late to sign up? I'm doing this today - I have an idea. Fingers crossed it works out.
22. MommaHoot - I'm in if not too late, I'd like to join in. I have some oils to use up and think that this should be a fun challenge as my first.
23.

 

[CLMP]

Does anyone know if colloidal oatmeal reduces lather and bubbles I made a soap for the challenge with the same recipe I have been using lately with a good bubbley lather and it's not as bubbley as usual.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I cut the third attempt at my challenge soap this morning and it’s the one. Thank goodness because yesterday didn’t feel like a great soap making day and I already have a couple of loaves to turn into confetti or ciaglia. I was just like a newbie, getting up early and cutting the soap while it was still a little warm

 

[AliOop]

@CLMP Using colloidal oats increases lather for me. I do use true colloidal oats that dissolve completely, not a homemade facsimile. Also, my recipes tend to produce a creamy lather with smaller, tighter bubbles.

Perhaps the effect of colloidal oats is recipe-dependent? Hopefully your lather improves after it cures a bit.

 

[CLMP]

Hi @AliOop thanks so much it does still have a good lather it's just different now it's like a thick creamy kind of lather with smaller bubbles kinda like you were saying and before it was a thinner light lather with lots of huge bubbles. I thought maybe it was the Oats why it got so creamy of a lather. I never used colloidal oatmeal before but have been wanting to use it for awhile. I bought a big bag of it from Candora Soap so I think it must be really good stuff for soaping it's called Oatmeal, Colloidal, NF not sure what the NF means and the INCI says Avena Sativa Oat Kernel Flour. Hopefully I bought the right kind. I also used 1 tsp ppo I didn't want to use to much for my first try. Maybe I added it wrong I just dumped the powder in after adding the lye and I waited for my batter to come to almost a thin trace and then dumped the powder in. Or should I premix the Oats in a bit of oil or water before adding I wasn't sure. Thank you so much for always taking time to help me your info is always so helpful.

 

[janesathome]

Baaaah Humbug! Has anyone else had an almost instant pudding-like trace when using OO Pomace to make the Bastile version (85 OO, 10 CO, 5 castor) of Zany’s no slime Castile soap? I’ve used this recipe a number of times with OO - this was my first go with a recent purchase of 90%pomace/10%EVOO. I stick blended for a total of max 20 seconds - I’ve always found this to need quite a bit of blending - and BAM!! Very thick pudding trace. I had to slam the batter into my mold and my planned-for June challenge soap did NOT turn out as envisioned.
I bought a huge 20 litre bag of this oil from Costco a couple weeks ago - it seemed a bit cloudy when I poured it out yesterday but I thought I’d go with it to see what happened.

Any other pomace experiences like mine out there? I’ve used pomace before but never had this result! Will try one more time but may be lugging this stuff back to Costco.

 

[CLMP]

So I have another idea for the challenge so I think I'm going to try making another batch of soap for the challenge and I will see which one is the best here is my question though I have only tried mixing FOs and EOs a few times and Im wondering how much I can use if mixing. Say I'm mixing 2 EOs or 2 FOs at a rate of 5% would I put 5% of each FO or EO or would I put 2.50% of each to equal the 5%.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

So I have another idea for the challenge so I think I'm going to try making another batch of soap for the challenge and I will see which one is the best here is my question though I have only tried mixing FOs and EOs a few times and Im wondering how much I can use if mixing. Say I'm mixing 2 EOs or 2 FOs at a rate of 5% would I put 5% of each FO or EO or would I put 2.50% of each to equal the 5%.

For EOs you can use the EOCalc.com calculator which will calculate the safe usage rates for you. For FOs, I keep the total usage rate at the lower of the two usage rates for the FOs I want to blend. If they’re both fine at 5%, I would use half as much of each (2.5% each of TFW). If one has a max of 4%, I would use each at 2% of TFW.

 

[AliOop]

@CLMP oh yes, the type of lather you described is what I get from colloidal oats. It’s like a combination of lotion and soap. I like to dissolve colloidal oats in the batch water before adding the lye, but you can blend it into the oils if you prefer.

@janesathome pomace OO always accelerates terribly for me, even at low temps, mixed with lard, and decelerating FOs. I gave up on it since it made soaping so stressful!

 

[janesathome]

@CLMP oh yes, the type of lather you described is what I get from colloidal oats. It’s like a combination of lotion and soap. I like to dissolve colloidal oats in the batch water before adding the lye, but you can blend it into the oils if you prefer.

@janesathome pomace OO always accelerates terribly for me, even at low temps, mixed with lard, and decelerating FOs. I gave up on it since it made soaping so stressful!

@AliOop thanks for sharing your experience. I’d never had the same issues with the pomace brand I used previously. The big Costco 20 litre box seemed like a promising way to keep some of the rising costs at bay; I guess maybe it was too good to be true. I tried another recipe today with 25% pomace - again, a very fast trace and not much opportunity to make the layers I hoped for. Sigh.

 

[AliOop]

@janesathome that's my exact experience with pomace OO. Fortunately, they don't sell it in our Costco, so I don't have to be tempted by the lower price and find myself so frustrated again. Hoping you can find a replacement that you like!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@CLMP I had another thought . For personal use, I wouldn’t have a problem with using an FO that’s safe at a very high usage rate to “top off” a problematic FO in order to bring the total up 5%.

 

[Ford]

When they're done. Filming a movie. They say "it's in the can". What do you say when you're done making a batch of soap? "it's in the mold"?
Made my challenge batch, I think, maybe, we'll see, I hope, but them again, I have my doubts, after the cut. Until tomorrooooooow....

 

[Blufuz]

For everyone making several attempts, what do you do with the rejected ones? At the moment I can’t afford to do more than one log mold at a time otherwise I’ll never have enough friends and family to give them away, especially if they didn’t come out very nice

 

[Ford]

For everyone making several attempts, what do you do with the rejected ones? At the moment I can’t afford to do more than one log mold at a time otherwise I’ll never have enough friends and family to give them away, especially if they didn’t come out very nice

Hi, some people rebatch. Donate to a homeless shelter? Underneath the leg. Of an uneven table. Ya know, to stop the wobble....

 

[dmcgee5034]

@Blufuz - that’s why I’m normally “one and done” for challenges. This was my first time doing 2 tries, and it was because every bar in the first attempt got claimed by family and friends as soon as it was done. It is nice to know they really like it.

 

[Georgeandstella]

For everyone making several attempts, what do you do with the rejected ones? At the moment I can’t afford to do more than one log mold at a time otherwise I’ll never have enough friends and family to give them away, especially if they didn’t come out very nice

I do smaller batches.

Welcome to the June 2023 SMF Soap Challenge: Layers!​

This month’s challenge is to make a layered soap. With a minimum of two layers and two colors (one of which can be your uncolored base), you can make as many layers and use as many colors as you’d like! Your layers may be straight, pointy, slanted, shaped, symmetrical, asymmetrical, separated by mica lines – whatever floats your boat.

Here is the twist: you must include at least one design element inside and throughout at least one layer. This could be confetti, ciaglia, embeds, your swirl of choice, contrasting additives such as poppy seeds, or ?? You decide! You have the option to add more than one design element in any of the layers. Also, you are free to add optional embellishments such as mica lines, soap stamps, etc. Make this as simple or as wild as you’d like! Please read the more specific rules below for full details.

SMF Challenge General Rules
​

1. To enter, you must have been a SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted. Sorry, there are no exceptions to this rule, except that the time and post requirements are removed for (do not apply to) Supporting Members. All eligible members may sign up and submit an entry at any time before the entry thread closes.

2. Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced. Your entry must consist of bars made from a single batch of soap poured into one mold. In other words, your entry cannot include bars from different batches.

3. The sign-up list will be posted in this thread. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you’d like to participate. You don’t have to enter a soap at the end if you don’t feel happy with what you have made. Still, we hope you will post about your experiences here in the main Challenge thread, along with non-entry photos (be prepared to be encouraged to keep trying).

4. In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for the SMF Challenge do so with the expectation that they will make every attempt to submit an entry. We do understand that life happens, and that you may end up without an entry. However, signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote goes against the spirit of the challenge and is not allowed.

5. Throughout the month, we encourage you to use this general Challenge thread (not the Entry thread) to ask for advice, discuss techniques with other members, upload pictures of your non-entry challenge attempts, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.

6. A separate Entry thread will be created towards the end of the month. Please do not post photos of your entry until the Entry thread is opened. Breaking this rule will disqualify that soap from this Challenge. The Entry thread is for challenge entries only; please don't post any comments there.

7. We encourage (but do not require) you to include in your entry post a description and additional photos demonstrating how you made your soap: the process, the technique, the fragrance, any special meaning behind your selected colors or design, etc. This gives voters a better understanding of, and appreciation for, what went into creating your soap.

8. Entries must be posted to the Entry thread (not to this general Challenge thread) before the closing date. Late entries will not be accepted. If you miss the Challenge deadline, please upload pictures of your soap to the general Challenge thread instead. While it won’t be part of the voting, we always love to see anything you have created!

9. There is no prize attached to this Challenge. However, this is still a competition. If your entry is deemed non-compliant, you will be given the opportunity to amend your entry if there is time to do so before the Entry thread closes. Otherwise, your entry will be excluded from voting. The challenge mods have the final say as to whether any given soap or registrant is eligible for entry and voting.

10. All eligible registrants who have signed up before the Entry thread closes will be eligible to vote, even if they do not submit an entry. A password-protected voting link and password will be sent to eligible registrants only, by private message via SMF conversations. Please check your SMF messages/conversations when the voting begins.

11. Note: all times listed below are Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It is your responsibility to convert times to your own time zone. You can use World Time Buddy or a similar converter to assist you with that.
* The entry thread will open on June 20th by 11:59 PM GMT.
* The entry thread will close on June 26th at 11:59 PM GMT.
* The voting survey link and password will be emailed to all eligible participants shortly thereafter.
* The voting survey will remain open until June 29th at 11:59 PM GMT, or until all votes are in, whichever is sooner.
* The winner will be announced by June 30 by 11:59 PM GMT.

*****************************************************

Specific Rules for this Challenge:​

• You may use any loaf mold to create your layered soap. Individual cavity molds or cylinder molds may be used only for your in-layer design element, not for making the soap bars.
• The soap may be created using any variation of CP or HP. No M&P may be used for the soap bars. However, you may (but don’t have to) use M&P to make any embeds or shreds that you may wish to use as part of your in-layer design element. While the main soap must be made after the challenge begins, you may use embeds or shreds made prior to the challenge.
• Your soap must include at least two layers, which must be different colors. Use as many additional colors and layers as you wish. Uncolored base, if you decide to use that, counts as one color.
• At least one layer must include an in-layer design element that goes throughout that layer. This must be something more than the shape or placement of your layer, and must affect more than just the surface of the soap. Suggestions include confetti, ciaglia, embeds, your favorite swirl, or contrasting additives such as walnut shells, poppy seeds, or ? That is not an exhaustive list; if you think of another design element for your layer, go for it!
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Design elements that only affect one or more surfaces of the soap, and/or don’t go throughout an entire layer, do not qualify as in-layer design element. Examples of things that are NOT in-layer design elements: slanted layers, pointy layers, shaped layers, mica lines that separate layers, soap carving, soap stamps, swirls/embeds/botanicals on soap tops, and texturing or patterns on any soap surface. All of these are allowed, but none of these will count as your in-layer design element.
• You may add a design element to more than one layer. For example, you could put a swirl in one layer, and an embed in another. You may also add more than one design element to a single layer, e.g., a swirl and an embed in the same layer. Be free to keep it super simple, and equally free to make something quite complex. Either choice will have its own beauty!
• Embeds, if used, must go through the entire length of the soap, and must be mostly inside a layer to count as a design element. This could be small cubes of a contrasting color that are mixed throughout a single layer. You could also use an extruded or column-molded tree embed going through both the ground layer and the sky layer of a landscape soap.
• Your entry photo should be the first item in your Entry thread post, and must show the full face of least two of your cut bars. Per General Rule 7, above, we also encourage you to add more photos and description – but that isn’t required.

Please post any question about the specific Challenge rules in this Challenge thread, so everyone else can benefit from seeing the answer. To get your creative juices flowing, below are some pictures of soaps made with layers, ranging from very simple to very complex. Notice how at least one layer in each of these soaps has an additional design element going throughout that layer, including confetti, ciaglia, embeds, swirls, or additives that provide a nice contrast within that layer.

View attachment 72867View attachment 72868View attachment 72869

How do you post to the entry thread without it being a reply? Thank you

 

[Georgeandstella]

I do smaller batches.

How do you post to the entry thread without it being a reply? Thank you

I figured it out

 

[The_Phoenix]

To compare, a Tiger Swirl soap I made about a year ago that my entry was SUPPOSED to resemble.

My entry soap was my second go at the design. My first attempt, the colors were all wrong. The top, to quote my hubby, looked like “baby poop.” With that feedback, I had no choice but to break my “one and done” rule.