What soapy thing have you done today?

[TashaBird]

Can;t believe I finally got to make soap today! I thought this was my final iteration of this soap, and that it would be a staple in a “rustic trio” I’ve been working on. But at the last minute I decided to do two different designs. Same soaps, but one is a drop swirl, and the other got some hanger swirl action.
goat milk, honey, shea butter, clays, and AC. I’m excited to cut them tomorrow!

I was just getting ready to post this:
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I did not click… just wanted to pass on the info!

Oh dang! I’ve been meaning to get a big bottle of their Vetyver. I love that one!!!

 

[jentlesoaps]

Excellent! I bought that but had trouble getting through it (and I taught high school chemistry for three years!) Maybe you will translate it for all of us.

I got this one for Christmas as well! LOVING every minute. Kevin Dunn really knows his stuff.

Of course I am also in the middle of my cosmetic chemistry course Practical Cosmetic Formulating (so much fun!).

Opening registration for Formula Botanica courses starts tomorrow (so ready!). I am planning on taking the certification in organic anti-ageing skincare. Finished the orientation and am excited to get started.

 

[AliOop]

For the second time in a month, I found my MB lye solution had crystalized at the bottom of the container. Did some thinking, and realized that DUH, we always turn our heat down to 62F for sleeping at night. We've had some rather cold (for us) weather to the point that on some nights/mornings, the heater has kicked on. That means the temp had to dip below 62 to trigger the thermostat.... which would explain why my 50% solution has been precipitating out.

On the one hand, I'm glad to know the issue. On the other hand, I'm not sure how to address this. I could MB at 40% instead of 50% to give myself some temperature leeway. However, I normally soap at 40% lye concentration, so I'd either lose the ability to add more water, or have to soap at a lower lye concentration than I prefer. OR not masterbatch in the winter. Quite the conundrum.

EDIT: instead of throwing this batch out (like last time), I'm going to set the lye jug on a heating pad turned on the low setting. Hopefully I can warm it up to the point where it will reincorporate.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Safflower lake pigment success!



Left to right: soap dough, bare + with increasing addition of safflower lake (aluminium hydroxide precipitated from safflower petal tea, still wet, was too excited to let it dry first). Rightmost: the curcumin “C” from a few days ago, that had turned into a nice and deep orange in the meantime.

The safflower lake is not quite as brilliant as the curcumin, but still outshines all of the inorganic pigments I've tested. Moreover, it knows to behave much more noble upon tinting (dilution towards white). Curcumin dilutes into a dirty, pale apricot, but the yellow of the safflower is just very gently fading into the colour of the soap itself. Let's see if it stays that way over the days/weeks/… The rest of the lake is currently drying, and I'll give it its chance too, after grinding it into a powder.

I was following this tutorial (Warning: cat jumping around )

 

[TashaBird]

Got them cut! Same soap, one drop swirl and then one I took a hanger tool to.

 

[~Dragonfly~]

I learned that using my lye water to melt the mostly lard and coconut oil part of my soap does not work well. It was thick even after I added the olive and castor oils. I ended up having to just plop in the two colors, which was not at all what I planned. Then I stuck a chopstick in there and just kind of moved it around because it certainly wasn’t going to make anything worse haha.

I think next time I will add the spirulina to water, then run the water through a coffee filter to see if I can get green that way

It’s not at all what I was going for but still useable as far as I know. I’ll test a small piece in the next couple of days

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@~Dragonfly~
Too bad your oils bugged out. The heat transfer method really can be hit or miss. You have stayed level-headed, and the result is more than acceptable !

I think next time I will add the spirulina to water, then run the water through a coffee filter to see if I can get green that way

Try it beforehand! For three reasons: 1. spirulina filtrates painfully slowly (at least it did for me), 2. the filtrate is likely not green but blue (phycocyanine), and 3. the phycocyanine decomposes in lye .
I like the speckled look of the green parts a lot, I don't think it has to hide. There are plenty of other natural green colourants for soap to try out if you want to achieve a smooth look.

 

[TashaBird]

For the second time in a month, I found my MB lye solution had crystalized at the bottom of the container. Did some thinking, and realized that DUH, we always turn our heat down to 62F for sleeping at night. We've had some rather cold (for us) weather to the point that on some nights/mornings, the heater has kicked on. That means the temp had to dip below 62 to trigger the thermostat.... which would explain why my 50% solution has been precipitating out.

On the one hand, I'm glad to know the issue. On the other hand, I'm not sure how to address this. I could MB at 40% instead of 50% to give myself some temperature leeway. However, I normally soap at 40% lye concentration, so I'd either lose the ability to add more water, or have to soap at a lower lye concentration than I prefer. OR not masterbatch in the winter. Quite the conundrum.

EDIT: instead of throwing this batch out (like last time), I'm going to set the lye jug on a heating pad turned on the low setting. Hopefully I can warm it up to the point where it will reincorporate.

I’m very curious to hear how this goes! I’ve recently had some similar issues with crystallized MB lye. And, I’m trying to figure out if I can do %50.

 

[Basil]

C

HAPPY TO OBLIGE!
View attachment 63825
As a WSP Silver Member for 10 years while serving wholesale customers, I often got FO Freebies or at a discount. I'm not a fan. Maybe 1 out of 100 was good enough to reorder. "Blooming Tulips" is one that sold out every year it was offered as an early spring "limited edition". Something to think about.

ETA: EO/FO BLENDS ARE THE EXCEPTION -- Bladderwrack & Pink are tops but they only come in bulk sizes now.

Thanks @Zany_in_CO ! I've seen you mention that before and I was able to order it today with the sale going on. Also, FWIW, I really like Fireside EO/FO by them.
I was using Old West by sage and they're out now and don't know when it'll be back. So I started experimenting with Cowboy Leather and Mysore Sandalwood from OT, adding in the fireside from WSP and it's almost the same. I think I can tweak it to improve, but my friend actually likes it more.

 

[AliOop]

I’m very curious to hear how this goes! I’ve recently had some similar issues with crystallized MB lye. And, I’m trying to figure out if I can do %50.

I'll definitely let you know once I get to it. Work is super busy this week and through the weekend, so soapy things are on the back burner for the time being. If you try it before you hear back from me, please post your results.

 

[Ugeauxgirl]

Funniest soap comment ever- I brought a box of soap for the ladies at the charity where I volunteer. They went through it oohing and aaahing. One girl picked up a soap (scented with blue mist by WSP) and said "OMG. You know what this smells like? This smells like what Rip (from the TV show Yellowstone) must smell like when he gets out of the shower. Can I have this one??"


In case you don't watch the show, Rip is a cowboy and is manly even for a cowboy. It does smell Woody and outdoorsy.

 

[Martha]

Just finished a batch of lotion bars. As part of Operation Empty Cupboard, I used up the last of meadowfoam seed oil (*wipes one lone tear from cheek). Also used mango butter for the first time. Scented with the last of neroli essential oil and a titch of lemon essential oil.
If I'm ambitious, I'll work on a soap recipe for tomorrow. Guess I'm committed now!

I am so taken with your idea of Operation Empty Cupboards, that I’m giving it a bit of a go. Not sure how to use all this couscous I’ve accumulated. Or the rice bran oil! I ordered a jug of it to try it out, only to find I already had a jug of it. It’s making me have to be creative with soap recipes!

 

[Martha]

I will attempt to change the conversation away from, um, a certain vegetable (*clutches pearls) -- and share my excitement over a new ingredient.
Mango butter -- where have you been all my life?! I made lotion bars with my fave meadowfoam seed oil (also beeswax, all equal parts). When applying, it absorbed incredibly fast. I don't mean to sound gross, but it was like applying healthy skin. Kinda wanna fill up my tub with it. Definitely a game changer!

Are you tossing meadowfoam oil out for a newer, younger ingredient?

 

[Martha]

Taught a friend to soap the other day. I had her mix the colors and fragrances and I did the actual soapy part. The first one has a creepy comic-book villain face in the drop swirls, and the Taiwan swirl I’m calling licorice Allsorts meets March of the penguins.

The micas really faded. The green and yellow were absolutely neon to start. Same yellow in the second batch. I added oil I steeped with indigo to pink mica, which I think helped the pink stay vibrant. Holly of Kapia Mera has a video on getting a pretty pink from indigo.

 

[Zing]

Are you tossing meadowfoam oil out for a newer, younger ingredient?

Meadowfoam seed oil knows its my first love. And mango butter is also a favorite. They're like my children. I loved our first born child so much that I worried what would happen when we were expecting our youngest. Then I discovered that love expanded, not divided. (Clearly I have gone off the rails, but it's exciting that at my late stage in life I find new exquisite oils that I didn't even know were missing from my life. )

Seriously, though, Operation Empty Cupboard is all about using up what I currently have before obtaining more ingredients. Having said that, I did today receive my Bramble Berry order and justify it because Mrs. Zing demands a steady inventory of lavender essential oil. And, you know, to justify the cost of shipping, I had to get more supplies. And it doesn't help that certain friends here are converting their de-stashing into my re-stashing. Yeah, you know who you are....

Taught a friend to soap the other day. I had her mix the colors and fragrances and I did the actual soapy part. The first one has a creepy comic-book villain face in the drop swirls, and the Taiwan swirl I’m calling licorice Allsorts meets March of the penguins.

Really stunning work! I can't unsee the villainous faces! Or the penguins!

 

[Ugeauxgirl]

@Zing that justifying the cost of shipping argument will get you in trouble.

@Martha I love the villainous faces . I bet you couldn't do that again if you tried!

 

[Martha]

@Martha I love the villainous faces . I bet you couldn't do that again if you tried!

I could definitely not replicate that. Not that I would want to. Although on Tree Marie’s FB group someone posted a soap with a face and several other people added to the thread. So I guess it happens fairly often.

 

[Zing]

I could definitely not replicate that. Not that I would want to. Although on Tree Marie’s FB group someone posted a soap with a face and several other people added to the thread. So I guess it happens fairly often.

Maybe we need a separate thread for faces, or a monthly challenge. I saw Jesus in one of @Catscankim 's soaps 12 teaspoons??

 

[TheGecko]

I unpacked soap supplies. A new column mold and one of those puffer thingies. A six-pack of squeeze bottles to do something with…I don’t know yet. And bottles and bottles of FOs…not the little one and two ounces, but larger four and eight ounce bottles.

I have managed to find alternatives for my RE FOs except for Cantaloupe…hubby’s favorite. I may just have to suck it up and buy a couple of 16oz bottles to make the shipping worth it. I still have $20 credit at Elements…figured I would would a few hundred boxes and it would cover the shipping except Element (aka WSP) doesn’t sell them in 100 lots anymore, it’s 50 and then 1200. I’m not at a point where I can drop that kind of money and/or store that many.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Maybe we need a separate thread for faces, or a monthly challenge. I saw Jesus in one of @Catscankim 's soaps 12 teaspoons??

I saw the light in someone else's.