What soapy thing have you done today?

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As part of my soap diet (and because I don't have a lot of free time at the moment) I've been branching out into other toiletry products that don't take as much time or effort to make (and also that make smaller batches so I don't accumulate a backlog...)
This morning is hair styling mousse, I'll let you all know how it works out! The great thing is that I can add whatever fragrance I like, for example to match my conditioner, rather than the strange smells you often get with commercial products.
 
Thank you - I can at least move without the pain twinge, but it is still achy, so still icing every night and doing some stretches to hopefully keep it from going out again.


OMG that is super exciting! Out of curiosity, what's their brewery? My pub does a great job promoting the soap - they have a 6pack and a soap package, and always show off the soaps when they advertise their merch even if they don't mention it directly. I've done soaps for other breweries, and usually they don't do well - and watching those breweries social media they have never mentioned the soap in any of their merch posts. I point this out to them every time. [end rant, lol] I can't wait to see - please make sure you tag me! And yes, you're absolutely right, there are a lot of ways to make beer soap, the way I do it gives me very consistent results every single time.

Soaps made in the weekend marathon session:
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Made from the brewery's handcrafted rootbeer soda

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Made from the brewery's handcrafted cream soda - FO discolors dark so these will change quite a bit through the cure especially because I goofed and added the VCS to lighter swirl rather than the top as I intended.

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Brewery's Sour Berliner Weiss

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Brewery's Blonde Ale

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Brewery's alt bier

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As long as I was making soap, this is my failed Ombre entry made with GM and scented with 4 parts NG China Rain and 1 part Dark Patchouli EO (fantastic combo, I need to make lotion with this blend) I also need to mark the China Rain FO as "accelerates like a mudderrucker", it was not a good choice for my ombre attempt (see the chunks in the top layer where it was impossible to stir more TD into the batter).

Finally did soap dishes, so I'm moving on to scrubs and lotions for the week. Hoping to get back to soap again over labor day weekend, I have a pumpkin beer soap that's itching my brain right now...
😍😍
 
I simply do not understand the whole straws in soap thing. They serve no purpose. They'd get in the way when using the soap and once paper gets wet, wouldn't it be in invitation for bacteria? Or are soaps with straws meant to be decor and not used at all? That would just defeat the purpose of making soap.

I feel the same about chunks of botanicals (like star anise pods...ouch!... dried orange slices, etc.). They look nice but they don't belong on soap!
 
OMG that is super exciting! Out of curiosity, what's their brewery?
It is Tilton Brothers Brewing in Hampton, New Hampshire - it’s a “nano-plus” which has something to do with what they are allowed to serve. Tilton Brothers Brewing | Hampton, New Hampshire Ben and Dave Tilton are the brewers - my son is the numbers guy 😉
Beautiful soaps!
 
As part of my soap diet (and because I don't have a lot of free time at the moment) I've been branching out into other toiletry products that don't take as much time or effort to make (and also that make smaller batches so I don't accumulate a backlog...)
This morning is hair styling mousse, I'll let you all know how it works out! The great thing is that I can add whatever fragrance I like, for example to match my conditioner, rather than the strange smells you often get with commercial products.
I'd love to hear more about your hair mousse! I can't use any commercial ones I've tried, my husband is allergic to all of them.
 
Made my first soap using coffee instead of water & had to share
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Made one of my regular soaps that I’ve been out of for TOO long! The Grandude Bar is a soap I collab on with DH. He triple renders all the bacon fat we’ve saved and gets it all clean and pretty. I make a 3 layered soap with his favorite things. Bacon, beer, coffee, and chocolate. It’s incubating now.
I’ve been wondering why all my soaps have bubbles lately. My stick blender has different attachments and the two blade head I’d been using wore out. I started using the 4 blade head and I’m wondering if it’s causing more bubbles. What do you think?
I can’t find a place to purchase a 2 blade replacement head. So, now I possibly face the daunting task of buying a new SB, which I don’t want, or need. (The motor is still great!)
picture of stout beer and ice about to add lye.
 

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Why not saw off two of the four blades?

No, seriously, I don't know, and can't imagine that the blades are the root cause for the bubbles. Have you lately begun a new batch of some major ingredient (shea, lard, castor, NaOH, distilled water, thermometer batteries…)? Is it something seasonal (weather, temperatures)? Different bowl size?
 
Made one of my regular soaps that I’ve been out of for TOO long! The Grandude Bar is a soap I collab on with DH. He triple renders all the bacon fat we’ve saved and gets it all clean and pretty. I make a 3 layered soap with his favorite things. Bacon, beer, coffee, and chocolate. It’s incubating now.
I’ve been wondering why all my soaps have bubbles lately. My stick blender has different attachments and the two blade head I’d been using wore out. I started using the 4 blade head and I’m wondering if it’s causing more bubbles. What do you think?
I can’t find a place to purchase a 2 blade replacement head. So, now I possibly face the daunting task of buying a new SB, which I don’t want, or need. (The motor is still great!)
picture of stout beer and ice about to add lye.
I feel your pain! My stick blender died two weeks ago, but the motor was fine. Couldn’t replace the blade piece so now I have a new one. Turned out to be a good thing for me. My previous SB blended so fast that it folded the oil over on itself and created air bubbles that got trapped. No matter what I did, I ended up with air bubbles. I now use the soap recipe that moves quickly to trace, so I stir it by hand with a whisk. Works perfectly! Bought the new stick blender for blending oils or in case I ever decide to make a soap that doesn’t want to trace. The bell housing that contains the blades is shaped entirely differently from the last SB. The new one doesn’t seem to create air bubbles when operated at low speed.
 
What are the 'straws' made of?
They serve no purpose. They'd get in the way when using the soap and once paper gets wet, wouldn't it be in invitation for bacteria?

The straws are paper, I found mine at WalMart in the party aisle, but most party supply stores, hobby stores, etc. have them. I only cut them an inch long so that they can be easily pulled out before use and they are labeled to "remove straw prior to use". From some personal trials - I tried full length straws and varying lengths - the shorter straw worked better as it could be removed from a fully cured soap, or after a few uses it would naturally fall out so I don't think bacteria would really be an issue. I'm not sure if they're selling in the brewery as a novelty item, so perhaps people are buying it just as a decorative soap and they like their bathroom to smell like rootbeer.
 
Why not saw off two of the four blades?

No, seriously, I don't know, and can't imagine that the blades are the root cause for the bubbles. Have you lately begun a new batch of some major ingredient (shea, lard, castor, NaOH, distilled water, thermometer batteries…)? Is it something seasonal (weather, temperatures)? Different bowl size?
Same ole everything.
 
I'd love to hear more about your hair mousse! I can't use any commercial ones I've tried, my husband is allergic to all of them.
It's from a recipe from aroma-zone, very simple! I'm in bed now, but from memory it's mostly water, and an ingredient called natur'lift which I get from them that provides the hold. Then some glycerine, preservative, fragrance, and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate for the moussing action. It's all mixed together and put into a foamer bottle.
I found it worked quite well today on my unruly hair, definitely kept it smoother and more styled looking. Will definitely keep using it for the moment anyway :)
 
It's from a recipe from aroma-zone, very simple! I'm in bed now, but from memory it's mostly water, and an ingredient called natur'lift which I get from them that provides the hold. Then some glycerine, preservative, fragrance, and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate for the moussing action. It's all mixed together and put into a foamer bottle.
I found it worked quite well today on my unruly hair, definitely kept it smoother and more styled looking. Will definitely keep using it for the moment anyway :)
Thank you for sharing!
 
I cut the green fairy/absinthe loaf. It is rather "rustic" and shall need cosmetic planing in a few weeks. Love the smell though, will have to figure out how to tweak the next batch so no disasters.
What are y'all best tips for badly behaving FO?
 

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You already got it
I cut the green fairy/absinthe loaf. It is rather "rustic" and shall need cosmetic planing in a few weeks. Love the smell though, will have to figure out how to tweak the next batch so no disasters.
What are y'all best tips for badly behaving FO?
You already got it! My high-tech technique is to call it "rustic" and you already did that! I do like the colors. What is the scent?
 
You already got it

You already got it! My high-tech technique is to call it "rustic" and you already did that! I do like the colors. What is the scent?
Absinthe from Natures Gardens and a teeny bit of star anise eo from NG as well.
 
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