What soapy thing have you done today?

[Kari Howie]

I rendered lard from bacon grease just to see if I could do it. I did.

 

[MGale]

I watched a ton of soapmaking videos on YouTube and plotted to take over the world (like I do every night).

 

[Cindy D.]

This morning I cut my bears and northern lights soap (top).
The snow on the bottom, has to much TD and it is brittle(ice burge). Before yesterday I wasn't aware TD could do that. I guess it's a good reason to order white mica. I was trying to do a splash swirl and used a scraper for the bears.
My first attempt is on the right, using soap dough to make the bears. The first try didn't have enough color in the sky and the bears were darker than intended.

 

[Catscankim]

This morning I cut my bears and northern lights soap (top).
The snow on the bottom, has to much TD and it is brittle(ice burge). Before yesterday I wasn't aware TD could do that. I guess it's a good reason to order white mica. I was trying to do a splash swirl and used a scraper for the bears.
My first attempt is on the right, using soap dough to make the bears. The first try didn't have enough color in the sky and the bears were darker than intended.

When i tried a switch to white mica, it became too expensive quickly. I have had my fair share of brittle td soaps, but it takes a lot of mica to get the color you want. So i am back to being a fan of td.

With a bit of trial an error, i get the white i want, both with a lighter color oil (in my case regular olive oil vs evoo), and using less td. It cures to a much whiter white than you see in the pot.

 

[Zing]

This morning I cut my bears and northern lights soap (top).
The snow on the bottom, has to much TD and it is brittle(ice burge). Before yesterday I wasn't aware TD could do that. I guess it's a good reason to order white mica. I was trying to do a splash swirl and used a scraper for the bears.
My first attempt is on the right, using soap dough to make the bears. The first try didn't have enough color in the sky and the bears were darker than intended.

These are too much. Can't believe it. Really stunning work.

 

[dmcgee5034]

I rendered lard from bacon grease just to see if I could do it. I did.

How’s it go, @Kari Howie ? I’m wanting to do the same.

 

[MellonFriend]

I had it in my mind to start trying to formulate a shaving soap and through talking it over with my sister we decided that before I plunge ahead with buying some KOH, we were going to try using a 100% NaOH soap that I made a little while back that had a super amazing lather. Today she tried it out and said that it was amazing. Best shave she's ever had! I can't wait to try it myself. So, yay! I may have inadvertently already formulated the perfect shave soap for us without even knowing it. Although, the downside to this is that it doesn't give me an excuse to make any test batches.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I rendered lard from bacon grease just to see if I could do it. I did.

I did this exactly once and made soap with it at 100%. This was my one and only experience with lard and I said never ever again because it made slimy gooey lather. I'm too chicken to see if store bought lard would produce a different result.

 

[Cindy D.]

These are too much. Can't believe it. Really stunning work.

Aww thanks!

When i tried a switch to white mica, it became too expensive quickly. I have had my fair share of brittle td soaps, but it takes a lot of mica to get the color you want. So i am back to being a fan of td.

With a bit of trial an error, i get the white i want, both with a lighter color oil (in my case regular olive oil vs evoo), and using less td. It cures to a much whiter white than you see in the pot.

Oh thanks! There really wasn't much difference between the bears and the snow. I guess I'll just be more careful in the future.

 

[mx5inpenn]

I did this exactly once and made soap with it at 100%. This was my one and only experience with lard and I said never ever again because it made slimy gooey lather. I'm too chicken to see if store bought lard would produce a different result.

I have not made 100% lard, but use a high percentage (50+) in most of my soaps. In my experience lard creates a very creamy lather, not slimy at all.

 

[AliOop]

I have not made 100% lard, but use a high percentage (50+) in most of my soaps. In my experience lard creates a very creamy lather, not slimy at all.

I did this exactly once and made soap with it at 100%. This was my one and only experience with lard and I said never ever again because it made slimy gooey lather. I'm too chicken to see if store bought lard would produce a different result.

@Servant4Christ have you tried the 100% lard bars again after a 3-4 month cure? Like most single-oil soaps, 100% lard bars do require a much longer cure before their lather improves. Before then, the lather tends to be very thin, hard to work up, and a bit greasy. I've never had gooey lather from them, but everyone's water is different, and that definitely affects things. Also I only make 100% lard bars for people with really sensitive skin that can't handle any CO at all. Otherwise, I like at least 10% CO and 10-20% of a soft oil to balance things out a bit. I always add sugar or sorbitol to fluff up the lather a bit, too.

 

[Servant4Christ]

@Servant4Christ have you tried the 100% lard bars again after a 3-4 month cure? Like most single-oil soaps, 100% lard bars do require a much longer cure before their lather improves. Before then, the lather tends to be very thin, hard to work up, and a bit greasy. I've never had gooey lather from them, but everyone's water is different, and that definitely affects things. Also I only make 100% lard bars for people with really sensitive skin that can't handle any CO at all. Otherwise, I like at least 10% CO and 10-20% of a soft oil to balance things out a bit. I always add sugar or sorbitol to fluff up the lather a bit, too.

No, I tossed them. That was the first of only two batches I have ever tossed to date. I could smell the piggy fat and feel the greasiness... It was also my first time trying out cocoa as a colorant and the visual of brown oozing all over my hands combined with the smell and feel was just too much.
I plan on buying a SMALL amount of lard this week because I really really want to try @earlene's mechanic soap recipe with borax and pumice. I need to order some pumice, too, but don't know what size (fine, superfine) to order. I'm all ears on what kind of FO or EO blend goes well with this recipe.

 

[AliOop]

No, I tossed them. That was the first of only two batches I have ever tossed to date. I could smell the piggy fat and feel the greasiness... It was also my first time trying out cocoa as a colorant and the visual of brown oozing all over my hands combined with the smell and feel was just too much.
I plan on buying a SMALL amount of lard this week because I really really want to try @earlene 's mechanic soap recipe with borax and pumice. I need to order some pumice, too, but don't know what size (fine, superfine) to order. I'm all ears on what kind of FO or EO blend goes well with this recipe.

If my soap smelled like pig fat, I would definitely toss it, too! I actually get zero piggy smell from my home rendered lard, but I start with ground pig fat, not bacon grease. I save all my bacon grease for cooking. If you do try a high-lard or 100% lard bar in the future, it will need a longer cure (just like high OO bars, high shea bars, etc.).

I love Earlene's mechanic soap recipe! I typically use citrus EOs because of their alleged grease-cutting abilities, and because that's the scent that most people associate with mechanic soap due to the orange cleanser that many of them use. If you have d-limonene, you can use that instead, and it does have grease-cutting properties for sure.

EDIT: you might try super-fine pumice to start. You can always add more exfoliants if it isn't enough, but you can't fix things if your pumice is too scratchy.

 

[Kari Howie]

How’s it go, @Kari Howie ? I’m wanting to do the same.

It was probably not worth the effort since it was such a small amount of bacon grease. Also, it was much softer than store-bought lard, probably because I wasn’t able to scoop off the lard floating on top of the water without getting some water in it. I incorporated it 50/50 into store-bought lard, along with coconut, mango, and olive oils and used a 2:1 water:lye ratio. Soaps turned out nice probably because there were enough of the other fats to compensate for any failings in my own lard. If someone gave me a big load of fat, it would definitely be worth it, but not just the drippings from a morning’s breakfast.

How’s it go, @Kari Howie ? I’m wanting to do the same.

 

[mx5inpenn]

It was probably not worth the effort since it was such a small amount of bacon grease. Also, it was much softer than store-bought lard, probably because I wasn’t able to scoop off the lard floating on top of the water without getting some water in it. I incorporated it 50/50 into store-bought lard, along with coconut, mango, and olive oils and used a 2:1 water:lye ratio. Soaps turned out nice probably because there were enough of the other fats to compensate for any failings in my own lard. If someone gave me a big load of fat, it would definitely be worth it, but not just the drippings from a morning’s breakfast.

If you try again, refrigerate the lard after cleaning. The lard hardens enough when cold that you can more easily separate it from the water.

 

[Kari Howie]

I have not made 100% lard, but use a high percentage (50+) in most of my soaps. In my experience lard creates a very creamy lather, not slimy at all.

If you try again, refrigerate the lard after cleaning. The lard hardens enough when cold that you can more easily separate it from the water.

I did refrigerate it, but I still managed to get water into what I scooped out.

I did this exactly once and made soap with it at 100%. This was my one and only experience with lard and I said never ever again because it made slimy gooey lather. I'm too chicken to see if store bought lard would produce a different result.

I think the key to soaping with lard is to let it cure for a bit longer than soap without lard in order to get the best lather. If I recall correctly, other soapers have recommended 6 weeks minimum.

 

[mx5inpenn]

Michele:1, Soap Gremlins:2

First batch today was supposed to be simple, Green Tea scent, basic 2 color skewer swirl. It went off without a hitch. Except I used the wrong recipe. Meant to use the vegan recipe and used the tallow instead.

On to 2 - Cool Citrus Basil was looking beautiful. Then I saw the fragrance oil still sitting there *right in front of me*. So white with 3 color swirls became green with maybe a couple little swirls from what I hadn't poured before I noticed.

3 went beautifully at least

 

[KiwiMoose]

I have enough soy wax left to make one small batch of soap this weekend. And then I have to wait for my supplier to get some more in from the USA. They are the only stockist of GW415 in New Zealand. I have used other brands before but I like that one best. I guess I could order just 2 kgs of a different type to tide me over until the 415 arrives.

 

[user 57696]

I watched a ton of soapmaking videos on YouTube and plotted to take over the world (like I do every night).

Me too every night! Lol

 

[Blue1969]

Made bunch of miniature soaps to test different colours and scents. Purified some tallow and then decided to try a new plastic type liner on a small mold before going bigger. Off course I had to add some of the newly tested colours and flavours!