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We all have moments like this. We are human. Am certain when you look back at this next week you will have discovered something surprisingly important.
What soapy thing have you done today?
- Thread starter FlybyStardancer
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Catscankim
Well-Known Member
Not much soapy going on today, unless you consider finally getting mmmmmeadowfoam oil lol. It is the last ingredient I needed to make @IrishLass Creamy Coconut/Shea LS.
I also have read over the recipe, instructions, and the rest of the thread for the 801st time LOL. I can't wrap my head around the math right now (nor did I the other 800 times I have read it). I'm just going to have to write it down and start doing calculations on paper before I understand. I am actually good at math, but just reading it makes no sense (I felt the same way with a lip balm recipe...so it is not the instructions, it is just the way my brain processes things I guess). I hoped to make the paste when I got home from work tonight, but I got stuck there later than I wanted to be, so now it is 2:30 am and my brain is fried. I have never made ls before, so I want to really be sure I got a good grip on it before I start.
I rubbed some of the meadowfoam on my hands and forearms a little while ago, so by all the great comments here about it, I fully expect my hands to look 10 years younger when I wake up tomorrow
I also have read over the recipe, instructions, and the rest of the thread for the 801st time LOL. I can't wrap my head around the math right now (nor did I the other 800 times I have read it). I'm just going to have to write it down and start doing calculations on paper before I understand. I am actually good at math, but just reading it makes no sense (I felt the same way with a lip balm recipe...so it is not the instructions, it is just the way my brain processes things I guess). I hoped to make the paste when I got home from work tonight, but I got stuck there later than I wanted to be, so now it is 2:30 am and my brain is fried. I have never made ls before, so I want to really be sure I got a good grip on it before I start.
I rubbed some of the meadowfoam on my hands and forearms a little while ago, so by all the great comments here about it, I fully expect my hands to look 10 years younger when I wake up tomorrow
My SIL is now crazy about this soap; it is not drying like so many LS recipes tend to be! And it is so thick and creamyNot much soapy going on today, unless you consider finally getting mmmmmeadowfoam oil lol. It is the last ingredient I needed to make @IrishLass Creamy Coconut/Shea LS.
I also have read over the recipe, instructions, and the rest of the thread for the 801st time LOL. I can't wrap my head around the math right now (nor did I the other 800 times I have read it). I'm just going to have to write it down and start doing calculations on paper before I understand. I am actually good at math, but just reading it makes no sense (I felt the same way with a lip balm recipe...so it is not the instructions, it is just the way my brain processes things I guess). I hoped to make the paste when I got home from work tonight, but I got stuck there later than I wanted to be, so now it is 2:30 am and my brain is fried. I have never made ls before, so I want to really be sure I got a good grip on it before I start.
I rubbed some of the meadowfoam on my hands and forearms a little while ago, so by all the great comments here about it, I fully expect my hands to look 10 years younger when I wake up tomorrow
I also had to write down the steps and amounts into a single recipe page that I could follow while making it. I rephrased a few things for brevity and to match how my brain works. I can't attach it as a Word doc that you can modify, so I've inserted it here as a Google Drive link.
If you can't access the link and download it in Word, then pop over to Post #205 in the original tutorial thread, here, where I posted the contents of the document. I recommend comparing her instructions to what I wrote, and revising them so it works for you.
PS - I used the easier method of dissolving the KOH first in an equal amount of DW, then adding the glycerin. Works so well without having to heat the glycerin or worry about the off-gassing. I SB'd to a thick paste stage (past the flying bubble stage) in about 4 minutes. So that's how my instructions are written.
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Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Here's how I test fragrances and colorants in CP.
Testing FOs/EOs & Colorants in CP
HTH
Cut a batch of GM-ZNSB that I made last night for a dear friend who always wants it scented with White Tea & Ginger. Her original favorite maker (Peak Fragrances) is no longer is business, so this time I tried CCS's White Tea. It smells very similar, but nowhere near as strong.
The good news is that it didn't accelerate like the Peak version. The bad news is that it is apparently a heater, as the soap has a wicked partial gel. Fortunately my friend doesn't care about that, but for next time, I'll gel it all the way on a heating pad.
Because the Peak WT&G always caused a ton of soda ash, I did rewrap all but one bar of this loaf after cutting. It will stay wrapped for the next 4-6 days, since this works well to prevent ashing. The one unwrapped bar will show me whether CCS' WT causes the same kind of ashing as the Peak WT&G, and whether I need to keep up the post-cut wrapping of soaps made with this FO. Fingers crossed that it won't be necessary!
For today's soap, I decided to play around with some random red palm oil that's been in my soaping cabinet for awhile. I don't normally use palm since palm soaps feel almost like plastic to me. But I figured at 15% it shouldn't be too noticeable. Anyway, I really didn't remember how fast palm moved, either. In my mind, it was a middle of the road mover. Hoooo boy. Even with a blend of Sweet Orange EO + Blood Orange FO, I barely poured one set of sunflower molds, and quickly put the rest into a loaf mold. They are both on the heating pad right now, so my soap room smells fantastic.
The good news is that it didn't accelerate like the Peak version. The bad news is that it is apparently a heater, as the soap has a wicked partial gel. Fortunately my friend doesn't care about that, but for next time, I'll gel it all the way on a heating pad.
Because the Peak WT&G always caused a ton of soda ash, I did rewrap all but one bar of this loaf after cutting. It will stay wrapped for the next 4-6 days, since this works well to prevent ashing. The one unwrapped bar will show me whether CCS' WT causes the same kind of ashing as the Peak WT&G, and whether I need to keep up the post-cut wrapping of soaps made with this FO. Fingers crossed that it won't be necessary!
For today's soap, I decided to play around with some random red palm oil that's been in my soaping cabinet for awhile. I don't normally use palm since palm soaps feel almost like plastic to me. But I figured at 15% it shouldn't be too noticeable. Anyway, I really didn't remember how fast palm moved, either. In my mind, it was a middle of the road mover. Hoooo boy. Even with a blend of Sweet Orange EO + Blood Orange FO, I barely poured one set of sunflower molds, and quickly put the rest into a loaf mold. They are both on the heating pad right now, so my soap room smells fantastic.
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I've been in Minnesota since the beginning of the year filling a short-term secretary position. Now I'm home, and I made soap today for the first time since November. I began by trying this facial soap recipe by Tweak and Tinker (photo below) , and it was so fun to be soaping again that I also made a loaf using my normal recipe (not yet cut). It's good to be back at it!
I made another batch of transparent soap today and it's completely transparent this time! (Pictures will come when I can unmold it). I also made another batch of liquid soap; this time, it's Maple & Lard, made with maple syrup.
So..... I unmolded the transparent soap just now. Here's how it turned out...
I'm thrilled with it!!
I'm thrilled with it!!
Christa10
Well-Known Member
AliOop thank you so much for doing all this work and organizing the recipe. I wanted to try her recipe but also got a bit intimidated, so this will encourage me to try it I hope. I've only tried making LS once before and it was very time consuming, so I kind of backed away from it, but this gives me some hope to try it again.My SIL is now crazy about this soap; it is not drying like so many LS recipes tend to be! And it is so thick and creamy
I also had to write down the steps and amounts into a single recipe page that I could follow while making it. I rephrased a few things for brevity and to match how my brain works. I can't attach it as a Word doc that you can modify, so I've inserted it here as a Google Drive link.
If you can't access the link and download it in Word, then pop over to Post #205 in the original tutorial thread, here, where I posted the contents of the document. I recommend comparing her instructions to what I wrote, and revising them so it works for you.
PS - I used the easier method of dissolving the KOH first in an equal amount of DW, then adding the glycerin. Works so well without having to heat the glycerin or worry about the off-gassing. I SB'd to a thick paste stage (past the flying bubble stage) in about 4 minutes. So that's how my instructions are written.
- Joined
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Stunning!!!
Wow, just unbelievable!
You are so welcome! @IrishLass truly did all the hard work of figuring out the recipe, esp the dilution rate, and putting together the long-form tutuorial with pics. I don’t think I would have tried it without all of her detailed info about stages, etc. I needed all that detail so I could feel confident with it. But once I go to make a recipe, I need it in more of a traditional recipe format.
That doesn’t in any way negate her work; my hope is that it further supports those who want to give that recipe a go. It is truly the nicest LS recipe I’ve ever made: thick, creamy, non-drying, and great lather. Home run from Irish Lass!
Catscankim
Well-Known Member
The pictures and very detailed explanation @IrishLass certainly are awesome. Between that and the word format printout, it really gave me confidence for my first LS. Guess I needed both sides of my brain to make it LOL. I was making it anyway, but I might have still been staring at the math without the written instructions lol.
I kept going back and forth between the two to make sure I had it correct every step of the way.
Thank you Irish Lass for an awesome recipe. The jars are in the canner as we speak...not canning, it was just all I had big enough for my jars lol. I know you posted it years ago, but thank you for all your hard work on this. I was always intimidated by making LS, plus I really wasn't sure about the regular liquid-y soap. I like a creamier one and this totally fits the bill (assuming I made it right, which I won't know for a few hours LOL). I am glad the recipe was revived on the forum because I would have never looked for it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you....I really needed this recipe.
Edit: So I had two jars of ls in the pot. I came up with a great idea to combine them both into a large bowl to sb them and pour them both back into the jars if any blobs remained...I dropped one of the jars and now I have a soapy mess on my counter. I proceeded with my original plan and added a bit of dw, but I'm sure that it is not going to work now, or at least not like it was supposed to.
I kept going back and forth between the two to make sure I had it correct every step of the way.
Thank you Irish Lass for an awesome recipe. The jars are in the canner as we speak...not canning, it was just all I had big enough for my jars lol. I know you posted it years ago, but thank you for all your hard work on this. I was always intimidated by making LS, plus I really wasn't sure about the regular liquid-y soap. I like a creamier one and this totally fits the bill (assuming I made it right, which I won't know for a few hours LOL). I am glad the recipe was revived on the forum because I would have never looked for it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you....I really needed this recipe.
Edit: So I had two jars of ls in the pot. I came up with a great idea to combine them both into a large bowl to sb them and pour them both back into the jars if any blobs remained...I dropped one of the jars and now I have a soapy mess on my counter. I proceeded with my original plan and added a bit of dw, but I'm sure that it is not going to work now, or at least not like it was supposed to.
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I'm also joining the Irish Lass LS club! My mmmmmeadowfoam oil and EDTA are still en route. I'm not sure if I'll wait for them or go ahead and use citric acid and another superfat oil like apricot kernel oil or jojoba oil........
I've just made the paste so far, and it's currently cooling down. My first try used the pharmacist's method of cooking the KOH in glycerin. I mixed them together, put the mixture over the heat and it did not dissolve like the picture showed. It was thick and gloppy, and instead of being liquidy and becoming clear, it foamed up and started to scorch. I kept stirring it, as at one point it started to loosen up and I thought, maybe this is one of those phases things go through, where it's weird for a while, then calms down and acts like I expect it to. Welllll.........that didn't happen. I was standing there at the stove trying to figure out why it was doing what it was doing, and stirring all the while.
And then the smoke alarm went off.
Fortunately, there was no fire. But the detectors on both the first and second floor were going off......and the security alarm panel was going off.....it was all so loud. I brought the pan I was cooking in outside to the patio table and set it down, all the while the smoke alarms were continuing to beep, and loudly......and then the security company called to ask if everything was all right.......I just told him I had a mess-up while cooking, and that we were fine, LOL. I scraped the mass of now-completely-burned mixture out of the pan and it's soaking now. The pan is a mess but it's stainless steel. I think with some good scrubbing it'll be ok.
While all of this was happening, I kept thinking about what had happened and what went wrong. Why did it not look like Irish Lass' did? Well, whatever. I still had a pot of melted warm oils and wanted to give this another shot, as my husband has been struggling with eczema and dry skin and I really wanted to have him try this. So I went with the alternate method of dissolving the KOH in DW and then adding glycerin. I'd put some of my bottles of stuff away prior to starting the first batch, and so I went back to the room where I store all my stuff to get the bottle of glycerin. That went fine (and I'll definitely be using that method in the future as it was just easier overall) although I was a little disappointed that I didn't get the Lawrence Welk bubbles
, and after all the whisking I was putting my things away.....and noticed there were two bottles on the counter. That was weird.......I looked at one of the bottles....the one I'd used the first time and thought to myself, "this glycerin is thinner than I expected it to be"........IT WAS JOJOBA OIL!!! Clear jojoba oil so I at least have that, but geesh.
Moral of the story: When you pay attention and actually read labels, your recipes will work much better!!!!!
And a piece of advice: When you're making a recipe for the first time, scale it back in size, you know, just in case something goes wrong. I'm glad I did!
I've just made the paste so far, and it's currently cooling down. My first try used the pharmacist's method of cooking the KOH in glycerin. I mixed them together, put the mixture over the heat and it did not dissolve like the picture showed. It was thick and gloppy, and instead of being liquidy and becoming clear, it foamed up and started to scorch. I kept stirring it, as at one point it started to loosen up and I thought, maybe this is one of those phases things go through, where it's weird for a while, then calms down and acts like I expect it to. Welllll.........that didn't happen. I was standing there at the stove trying to figure out why it was doing what it was doing, and stirring all the while.
And then the smoke alarm went off.
Fortunately, there was no fire. But the detectors on both the first and second floor were going off......and the security alarm panel was going off.....it was all so loud. I brought the pan I was cooking in outside to the patio table and set it down, all the while the smoke alarms were continuing to beep, and loudly......and then the security company called to ask if everything was all right.......I just told him I had a mess-up while cooking, and that we were fine, LOL. I scraped the mass of now-completely-burned mixture out of the pan and it's soaking now. The pan is a mess but it's stainless steel. I think with some good scrubbing it'll be ok.
While all of this was happening, I kept thinking about what had happened and what went wrong. Why did it not look like Irish Lass' did? Well, whatever. I still had a pot of melted warm oils and wanted to give this another shot, as my husband has been struggling with eczema and dry skin and I really wanted to have him try this. So I went with the alternate method of dissolving the KOH in DW and then adding glycerin. I'd put some of my bottles of stuff away prior to starting the first batch, and so I went back to the room where I store all my stuff to get the bottle of glycerin. That went fine (and I'll definitely be using that method in the future as it was just easier overall) although I was a little disappointed that I didn't get the Lawrence Welk bubbles
, and after all the whisking I was putting my things away.....and noticed there were two bottles on the counter. That was weird.......I looked at one of the bottles....the one I'd used the first time and thought to myself, "this glycerin is thinner than I expected it to be"........IT WAS JOJOBA OIL!!! Clear jojoba oil so I at least have that, but geesh.Moral of the story: When you pay attention and actually read labels, your recipes will work much better!!!!!
And a piece of advice: When you're making a recipe for the first time, scale it back in size, you know, just in case something goes wrong. I'm glad I did!
I made soap today! Two loaves of my Spring Clean, because I was down to 3 bars. We're traveling soon and it was my last window to soap. Love the time savings of masterbatching and 1 color.
Here's another guy on Team @IrishLass ! Her details on honey soap was a gamechanger and I also use her lip balm recipe.
Here's another guy on Team @IrishLass ! Her details on honey soap was a gamechanger and I also use her lip balm recipe.
Blue1969
Well-Known Member
Wow! What did you do different from last time?
Last time, I had to sub one ingredient and I had it on heat the entire time. This time, I had all the ingredients, watched the video several times, and took my time. And no continuous heat applied.
My LS is a complete and total disaster. I don't know what I did wrong now, but it's definitely not liquid. I'm just really mad about it right now.
@VikingChick maybe add some more dilution water? I had to add quite a bit more this last time, myself.
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