Starting My Soaping Journey

[earlene]

Thank you always, @Dawni! Fortunately I didn't use salt in these, so that won't be a factor, though I know the tan will still come..

"3ish months?" Ooph -- I hadn't thought how long I might need to leave them on that board! I don't want them to move about too much, for consistency in the photos, but I'm out of curing space again. Maybe there are some other soaps I can box to make more room for more soap... #feed the addiction...#

Boxing the soaps to keep them protected not only from light, but also from humidity has improved now my soaps look as well as preventing the damages of humidity on the soaps that can respond badly to high humidity. I was comparing soaps from the same batch where some were left in an open tray, but the others had been shrink-wrapped, labeled and kept in box. The boxed soaps still look great, with good color, and some fragrances last longer when kept in boxes rather than sitting out.

Until I did that comparison, the boxing up of soaps to preserve all the desired attributes was just something other people said was beneficial. Now I know positively, my soaps definitely benefit from this practice.

 

[KiwiSoap]

Boxing the soaps to keep them protected not only from light, but also from humidity has improved now my soaps look as well as preventing the damages of humidity on the soaps that can respond badly to high humidity. I was comparing soaps from the same batch where some were left in an open tray, but the others had been shrink-wrapped, labeled and kept in box. The boxed soaps still look great, with good color, and some fragrances last longer when kept in boxes rather than sitting out.

Until I did that comparison, the boxing up of soaps to preserve all the desired attributes was just something other people said was beneficial. Now I know positively, my soaps definitely benefit from this practice.

Thanks for sharing @earlene, I like how you always share information in such a calm, considered and carefully evaluated manner, I know I can trust information coming from you. I've only boxed two batches but have others I should pack away now. They are currently stacked loosely into a closed box, my salt bars which had experienced a little humidity I packed with some silica sachets as well. Shrink-wrapping will be next level...

 

[earlene]

You are welcome, KiwiSoap, and Thank you!

I was just thinking this morning that I should eliminate the recipes that tend to be overly effected by humidity. But then read your above comment where you mention salt soaps. Well, I'm not ready to eliminate salt soaps from my repertoire, so I guess that will be one exception. Perhaps I will find more.

Anyway, my thinking was that I can't expect people to whom I give soap to keep it stored in the dark and away from humidity, so why make soap that doesn't tolerate humidity? I am already re-thinking this idea, though. My eldest son comes to mind, his living situation is such that he has a very humid bathroom and some of the soaps I've given him don't survive well the way he stores them. So maybe the solution should be, that I only give him soaps that are fine in high humidity.

I am still undecided how to go forward on that front. At least for now, I'll keep the humidity intolerant soaps for myself and give myself time to further reflection.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

You are welcome, KiwiSoap, and Thank you!

I was just thinking this morning that I should eliminate the recipes that tend to be overly effected by humidity. But then read your above comment where you mention salt soaps. Well, I'm not ready to eliminate salt soaps from my repertoire, so I guess that will be one exception. Perhaps I will find more.

Anyway, my thinking was that I can't expect people to whom I give soap to keep it stored in the dark and away from humidity, so why make soap that doesn't tolerate humidity? I am already re-thinking this idea, though. My eldest son comes to mind, his living situation is such that he has a very humid bathroom and some of the soaps I've given him don't survive well the way he stores them. So maybe the solution should be, that I only give him soaps that are fine in high humidity.

I am still undecided how to go forward on that front. At least for now, I'll keep the humidity intolerant soaps for myself and give myself time to further reflection.

Has anyone tried to educate consumers to understand that soap made with natural colorants is more sensitive to light/heat, etc.? Some segments of the cosmetics industry seem to have had some success with this approach.

 

[earlene]

I know many soapers who educate their customers both in person and online about proper care and storage of the soaps they make. I do, too. But that doesn't mean it happens. And once they give it away as gifts to someone else, well, people do what people do. And some don't retain it anyway.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@KiwiSoap Look at what just arrived at my house. Despite all of my fails with individual cavity molds, I am in awe of your soaps! Would you tell me what level of trace you used to get your beautiful green soaps? I have not been terribly successful at judging what constitutes a stable emulsion, so I hope your answer turns out to be light trace...

 

[KiwiMoose]

@KiwiSoap Look at what just arrived at my house. Despite all of my fails with individual cavity molds, I am in awe of your soaps! Would you tell me what level of trace you used to get your beautiful green soaps? I have not been terribly successful at judging what constitutes a stable emulsion, so I hope your answer turns out to be light trace...

What arrived??? Ya big tease!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Silly me

 

[KiwiMoose]

I've got those ones too ;-)

 

[KiwiSoap]

@KiwiSoapDespite all of my fails with individual cavity molds, I am in awe of your soaps! Would you tell me what level of trace you used to get your beautiful green soaps? I have not been terribly successful at judging what constitutes a stable emulsion, so I hope your answer turns out to be light trace...

Hallo @Mobjack Bay, thank you for your kind words though I cannot promise my greens will stay that way! (I think I see one of them turning, will keep you posted on that when I have enough evidence). And nice purchase! All my soaps so far have been in individual cavities, they don't allow the full creativity of loaf pans but that doesn't mean we can't make more of them! I am using a round soap I did a faux funnel pour with, which came through nicely.
As to your question -- your answer is also your wish -- it was at light trace that I separated it and added the colourants (you're right, that seems the easiest state to identify). Good luck with your new moulds and I look forward to seeing your creations!

 

[KiwiSoap]

Batch 8: 'Battle of the Greens' Three week update

Batch 10: Adapting KiwiMoose's Soy Wax
A while back I bought some raw cacao butter and I thought to see how it would perform in soap in place of Shea butter. I also used up the last of my castor oil in the batch above and after some reading decided to see how the recipe would perform without it (two changes at once? Hmm..)

Making this batch, the oils were a little cooler than usual when I added the lye, and immediately it wasn't behaving 'as normal' -- looking and feeling like it had thickened already, even before mixing. I mixed the batter until the oils were fully incorporated, and it was thick. There went my plans of creative pours! I am guessing I experienced False Trace, and will be sure to soap at my usual slightly higher temperature in future.

I separated half the batter, stirred in White Tea & Berries FO (my first time using it, encouraged by @KiwiMoose's yummy soaps, does that make three changes in one batch?!). Now getting well versed in Pop 'n' Glob, I popped out a plain bar then a bar with the FO for comparison, poured the FO batter into the plain batter, did what I hope is an ITP (In The Pot) swirl, and popped out some embossed rectangular and oval soaps. KiwiMoose found this FO discoloured to yellow so I am hoping that will make an appearance here as well. All to be revealed in time! The scent is delightful, which probably means I didn't use enough. Now in the oven...

 

[KiwiMoose]

Chlorella looks to be winning!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

The green pigment in Spirulina is phycocyanin rather than chlorophyll, which is the pigment in Chlorella. It looks like the chlorophyll is holding up better in your test run. I still love them all. They are perfect for a boxed set!

 

[Dawni]

And to me the gelled and ungelled don't look different at all.

Need to find me some chlorella now...

 

[szaza]

Chlorella actually seems to be getting a deeper color! Thanks for the update[emoji5]

 

[Mobjack Bay]

It’s a little hard to tell from the photo, but it kind of looks like the differences between gelled and ungelled are diminishing.

ETA: didn’t see Dawni’s post...

 

[KiwiSoap]

Thank you all for your kind feedback! And interesting to hear, @Mobjack Bay , I thought I'd previously read that "chlorophyll won't stay green", but the chlorella sure is putting up a good fight! Mind you, we're only half way through the cure...

Also, I had a look at my latest batch before rushing off to work this morning (it's Monday in the land of the Kiwis), and sure enough the White Tea and Berries FO has discoloured to what looked to be a gorgeous gold, no sign yet whether the 'swirl' started, all going well there will be photos later

 

[KiwiSoap]

And to me the gelled and ungelled don't look different at all.

It’s a little hard to tell from the photo, but it kind of looks like the differences between gelled and ungelled are diminishing.

That transformation mostly took place in the first week but continued to develop further, I took photos daily to try to capture that, and I was trying to come up with a clever way to show that but my photos weren't clean enough and I haven't been clever enough.
The ungelled soaps developed ash terribly (I steamed it off at the end of the first week but more developed) and I feel that they're a touch browner as well. Let's see where this goes... Soap, what a journey!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I need to go back and read this entire thread at some point. It looks super interesting. Did I catch it right that you are gelling by putting the molds into an oven that has been warmed to 50 C and then turned off? Have you figured out a good way to cover the multiple cavity molds without using plastic wrap?

 

[KiwiSoap]

Did I catch it right that you are gelling by putting the molds into an oven that has been warmed to 50 C and then turned off? Have you figured out a good way to cover the multiple cavity molds without using plastic wrap?

That's right, I CPOP as you describe: preheating the oven to 50ºC, putting the moulds in and turning the oven off. I sit the moulds on wooden chopping boards, which make moving the moulds easier and will also retain some heat. And I usually 'top up' the oven temperature to 50ºC again a couple of times over the first few hours, I don't know if it's necessary but it's little effort to ensure gel. I leave them in the oven as long as possible, again I don't know what is truly necessary.

I've actually not been covering the moulds, I've only had soda ash on one of my CPOPed batches, and I suspect the colourant contributed to that (a Lake, sold as 'soap colourant' but I later found out doesn't perform well in CP).

Hope this helps!