What soapy thing have you done today?
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LisaBoBisa
Well-Known Member
Blorg. I've been learning how inexperienced I am at cold process last week (spring break! Finally, time to soap)! I'm so happy with my hot process recipes that I figured it would be an easy transition to cold process, but making a lot of noob mistakes: soap accelerating to very thick trace quickly while attempting my first cosmic swirl, getting soda ash on so many things, or seeing my alkanet-infused oil turn a greenish taupe-gray after blending instead of the lavender I'm used to, assuming something was wrong and rushing to give it a taupe-related scent instead of the lavender EO, then watching it turn lavender the next day. And remembering after a few batches that I can't get away with as much linolenic/linoleic acid in my recipes now that I can't completely control the superfat, so reworking the recipes a bit... But I'm learning a LOT.
And Monday, after classes started again, a mail order customer received her first package. Was happy with it (HP soap that I formulated for her sensitive skin in Dec/Jan and thoroughly tested first). She told me I'm not asking enough $, and insisted on paying me more. I'm absolutely blown away. And today, my chem prof sent me home with the leftover Butterfly Pea Flower Tea that she used for a class pH demo, bc I've asked her how pH-changing soap colorants like alkanet/madder/himalayan rhubarb work. Stayed up way past bedtime reading about anthocyanins vs anthraquinones to figure out what to do with this and if it'll be colorfast in soap (spoiler: butterfly pea flower contains anthocyanins, which are not lightfast, but the particular anthocyanin it contains, ternitin, is more lightfast than most, so worth trying. Dye plants contain anthraquinones like alizarin, physcion, & alkannin that are tough enough to handle dyeing soap and fabric. Also learned that I shouldn't boil madder root, because it brings out pigments that muddy the color... so I have a container of infused water to throw out now
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My cat gently insists that I climb out of this google hole and come to bed.
Really having a lot of fun, and grateful for the customer while I make so many mistakes that waste supplies.
And Monday, after classes started again, a mail order customer received her first package. Was happy with it (HP soap that I formulated for her sensitive skin in Dec/Jan and thoroughly tested first). She told me I'm not asking enough $, and insisted on paying me more. I'm absolutely blown away. And today, my chem prof sent me home with the leftover Butterfly Pea Flower Tea that she used for a class pH demo, bc I've asked her how pH-changing soap colorants like alkanet/madder/himalayan rhubarb work. Stayed up way past bedtime reading about anthocyanins vs anthraquinones to figure out what to do with this and if it'll be colorfast in soap (spoiler: butterfly pea flower contains anthocyanins, which are not lightfast, but the particular anthocyanin it contains, ternitin, is more lightfast than most, so worth trying. Dye plants contain anthraquinones like alizarin, physcion, & alkannin that are tough enough to handle dyeing soap and fabric. Also learned that I shouldn't boil madder root, because it brings out pigments that muddy the color... so I have a container of infused water to throw out now
.My cat gently insists that I climb out of this google hole and come to bed.
Really having a lot of fun, and grateful for the customer while I make so many mistakes that waste supplies.
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I'm in my home town helping my dad with some medical stuff. I showed my sis how to make lotion bars. We labeled and packaged a dozen bags with soap and lotion bars for the team of home health aides that visit my dad in his independent living apartment.
Nurture Soap FINALLY has their 5lb Liners back in stock so I ordered two which will give me three. I still need to order four more, but don't want to be greedy since I know there are others who have been waiting as long as I have. Also picked up some more Klein Blue and Fire Cider since I used all that I had ordered for the Wedding Soaps. Also ordered some samples of Lustrous Brown, Neutral Gray and Eye of the Tiger to hopefully replace my RE colorants.
squarepancakes
Well-Known Member
I'm sure many of us relate to that. I passed a friend a bar that was packaged in vellum paper, he kept it in his bag and decided that it smells so good he doesnt want to take it out. Only reason he finally did was because I made him a scent tablet instead. But that feeling really sucks. If I wanted them to place it aside and enjoy the scent, I could have just used cheap oils instead of considering the skin types of them prior to gifting!
LisaBoBisa
Well-Known Member
Oh my goodness, making him a scent tablet is a great solution! What kind of wax do you use?
One of my friends has maybe a decade of collected soaps in her bathroom gathering dust and developing DOS, and she added the four bars I formulated for her Christmas gift to that collection.
They belong to her, but I cringe at the wasted soap every time I see them! I wish I could get her to use them. Maybe your solution will work on her, too.
In all fairness, though, that's the only reason I haven't bought a Tree Marie Soapworks bar, though... I know I could never bring myself to use it. I'd frame it and hang it on the wall
I ordered a multi-bar cutter 
squarepancakes
Well-Known Member
Oh my goodness, making him a scent tablet is a great solution! What kind of wax do you use?
One of my friends has maybe a decade of collected soaps in her bathroom gathering dust and developing DOS, and she added the four bars I formulated for her Christmas gift to that collection.
They belong to her, but I cringe at the wasted soap every time I see them! I wish I could get her to use them. Maybe your solution will work on her, too.
In all fairness, though, that's the only reason I haven't bought a Tree Marie Soapworks bar, though... I know I could never bring myself to use it. I'd frame it and hang it on the wall
Oh yes her soaps are gorgeous, I love her videos! Her voice is so calming and she makes the entire process so relaxing, not at all like me and my soaping struggles!
I use either a combination of soy and beeswax or paraffin and beeswax, most people use 50:50. The beeswax will keep it hard but will not hold fragrance well, so you might need to experiment a little if you're aiming for maximum cold throw (I do something like 60:40). I used to make candles and sorts (tarts/tablets etc). Made one for him because a month after I gifted him the soap, I met him and another friend for dinner and when I presented the other guy a bar of soap, the first friend excitedly said "oh your bag is going to smell amazing now" - not at all what I was hoping to achieve with the soap gifting.
I used a rose scent and a single rose mold; gifted it to him in a little organza drawstring bag so he can hang it somewhere else if he wished. If your friend uses wax melts, you can also tell her to melt it after 6 months or so when the fragrance is almost gone. The hot throw should still be decent at that point.
Arrived home and was able to open my Hercules cutter and Cheshire Cat angler. Now, if work would slow down long enough that I could actually make some soap and use them.
@AliOop Make some soap! My finger is on the "buy" button for the Hercules or Caterpiller just waiting for your feedback LOL
Ok, I will conduct my purely scientific research just for you, @Jersey Girl! 
Stay tuned...
EDIT: I will say that I was surprised at the size of the Hercules, and am glad I didn't buy the larger Caterpillar. My slab mold is small so I don't need something bigger, and even if I did, it wouldn't be hard to use this with a bigger slab.
Also, the shipping is not free on the Hercules, making the total price close to the cost of the Caterpillar. By adding the Cheshire Cat to my order, I was now in the free shipping zone and only spent $7 more than I would have spent for the Hercules alone. Which is why I now have a Cheshire Cat, despite the fact that I rarely do tilted mold soaps. Oh well.
Stay tuned...EDIT: I will say that I was surprised at the size of the Hercules, and am glad I didn't buy the larger Caterpillar. My slab mold is small so I don't need something bigger, and even if I did, it wouldn't be hard to use this with a bigger slab.
Also, the shipping is not free on the Hercules, making the total price close to the cost of the Caterpillar. By adding the Cheshire Cat to my order, I was now in the free shipping zone and only spent $7 more than I would have spent for the Hercules alone. Which is why I now have a Cheshire Cat, despite the fact that I rarely do tilted mold soaps. Oh well.
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LisaBoBisa
Well-Known Member
Ok, I will conduct my purely scientific research just for you, @Jersey Girl!
EDIT: I will say that I was surprised at the size of the Hercules, and am glad I didn't buy the larger Caterpillar. My slab mold is small so I don't need something bigger, and even if I did, it wouldn't be hard to use this with a bigger slab.
Also, the shipping is not free on the Hercules, making the total price close to the cost of the Caterpillar. By adding the Cheshire Cat to my order, I was now in the free shipping zone and only spent $7 more than I would have spent for the Hercules alone. Which is why I now have a Cheshire Cat, despite the fact that I rarely do tilted mold soaps. Oh well.
Bet we'll see more tilted mold soaps, then
Ok, I will conduct my purely scientific research just for you, @Jersey Girl!
EDIT: I will say that I was surprised at the size of the Hercules, and am glad I didn't buy the larger Caterpillar. My slab mold is small so I don't need something bigger, and even if I did, it wouldn't be hard to use this with a bigger slab.
Also, the shipping is not free on the Hercules, making the total price close to the cost of the Caterpillar. By adding the Cheshire Cat to my order, I was now in the free shipping zone and only spent $7 more than I would have spent for the Hercules alone. Which is why I now have a Cheshire Cat, despite the fact that I rarely do tilted mold soaps. Oh well.
This is good information! Thank you. I was wondering if the Hercules would be big enough. How do you like it as a bar cutter? I LOVE my Bud cutter, but I found when cutting the challenge slab that the pieces left were too big to cut in half with the Bud cutter. They were hitting the screw that adjusts the width and there was waste. I don’t know if you know what I mean, but it just wasn’t working for the size bar I needed. With the Hercules it looks like you can cut any size you want which is a real game changer.
I haven’t had a chance to make any soap since I got the cutter, but I am hoping to make some tonight, and cut some tomorrow. Will try to take some pics or a video to show it in action.
I made some liquid soap for the first time in over a year. Even had a volcano! So it was an exciting night. I was able to scoop the soap into a secondary container before any spilled on the counter, so all in all it wasn't so bad. I plan to do the dilution today.
squarepancakes
Well-Known Member
Made a batch to prepare some embeds for my next batch of soap. It's some simple hearts and stars. I decided after making the embeds that the colors were a nice match so I kept the colour combination to pour the remainder of the batter. Made some cute little bees and honeycomb soaps with a tasty FO.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/bbzz-bzzz.87463/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/bbzz-bzzz.87463/
My soapy thing for the last few days was using a lot of bad soap while traveling. That’s the last time I make the mistake of forgetting to pack a bar. It’s not like I don’t have plenty to spare.
Hotel soap is the worst! Just reinforces how amazing our soaps are! Maybe it’s good to have a reminder every once in a while!
I always keep a couple guest bars in my travel bag.
Dial liquid and the dispenser stuff at the airports are contenders for the bottom of my list!Hotel soap is the worst! Just reinforces how amazing our soaps are! Maybe it’s good to have a reminder every once in a while!
This morning I cut and photographed two loaves I made yesterday. First time using these scents…Clean Cotton from Midwest Fragrance Co ( very nice clean scent that I’m hoping sticks and Blood Orange and Goji Berry from Aztec. Thanks to @msunnerstood for the recommendation on that one! its been on my list to try since she recommended it and I finally picked up a bottle during their sale. I’m really loving it! I’ll post some pics in the gallery. Thanks to @AliOop and her enabling…errrr I mean, wonderful encouragement, I realize I need a Cheshire Cat angling tool now as “just winging it“ didn’t get the perfect angles I was hoping for. 
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