Smooth bars and color?

[Christianbeauty]

Ok so I have been "HP"ing for maybe 3 weeks now. Still brand new at this process.
I have 2 questions I need help with.

How to make a solid color bar of soap naturally with powders and clays?

Also how to make a smooth bar of soap without the hard formations at the top of my soap?

I like those hard natural formations, but others may not like it when I start selling it because it may not seem "pretty" than a smooth bar of soap
:wink:

 

[Dixie]

Search here on SMF for natural colorants. There is a whole list of things you can use like tumeric, cinnamon ect.

As for the unsightly tops I just cut it off. You can always make an oz or two more to your recipe to make up for this.

Another thing I do to get mine looking smooth is put a little glycerin in it at end of cook. Bang it on the floor real good then Put it in the mold and insulate. I've also put it in a 170 degree preheated oven and turned it off right away, leaving it there till morning.

Would love to see some pictures of your soap!

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[Maria]

Don't worry about how it looks. Concentrate on making nice soap for now. By the time you are ready to sell it, the look of HP may just be what sets you apart. You may be surprised how many people like it because it looks homemade.