Thanks, I’m pretty sure someone here posted about it - I’d give them credit if I could remember who. But I’ve slept since then.
What soapy thing have you done today?
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Today I made a first attempt at making a soap that doesn’t bother my husband’s skin (his “baby skin” as described by my sassy daughter….don’t know where she got her sassiness from 
). Anyway, I’d made a high OO soap a while ago, thinking it might be good for him. He’s not sure, as I’ve got several of my various soaps around the house, using EOs, FOs, and various colorants around. High OO might or might not bother him. I‘ve usually stuck to a standard recipe, so we’re trying to figure out what’s bothering his skin. Today, I made a batch using a recipe based on thoughts from @AliOop using high lard, using GM in place of water. He asked for no colors and no fragrance ………DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT WAS???? I made a small batch, so I scratched the itch by putting a dusting of sparkly mica on the single-cavity molds I used. It’s processing in the fridge as we speak….like really cold processing! Lol
). Anyway, I’d made a high OO soap a while ago, thinking it might be good for him. He’s not sure, as I’ve got several of my various soaps around the house, using EOs, FOs, and various colorants around. High OO might or might not bother him. I‘ve usually stuck to a standard recipe, so we’re trying to figure out what’s bothering his skin. Today, I made a batch using a recipe based on thoughts from @AliOop using high lard, using GM in place of water. He asked for no colors and no fragrance ………DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT WAS???? I made a small batch, so I scratched the itch by putting a dusting of sparkly mica on the single-cavity molds I used. It’s processing in the fridge as we speak….like really cold processing! Lol
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Argh - math 
. I’m not terrible at it, but I certainly wouldn’t call myself a math wiz…..
I made soap today, thought I was soooo smart, but alas, math and details got me.
I was making one batch with 1400g of oils, so I could split the batter for 2 different sized molds. I needed the batter from 400g of oils for one mold and the remaining would fill my 1000g of oils mold. I did the math/calculations on the amount of batter to split off a few times to be sure, but I knew something just wasn’t right. I always doubt myself so I said, it’s math and it’s the soap calculator, so trust it and move on. I ran the calculator with 1400g, 1000g and 400g of oils to check the total batch weight but I didn’t catch that my 100% liquid AVJ was increasing my liquid weight so my total batch weight was off. I split off too much and while it seemed wrong, I went with it.
On the bright side, all the oils, liquid and lye numbers were correct. My soap will be soap - WHEW!
On the bummer side, my small batch filled the mold and I had to use 3 individual molds for the excess. My FO went from medium scented to light, and my color plan didn’t end up all in the mold. My big frustration is that my regular mold ended up only 3/4 full
and went from light to medium scent.
Lesson learned, again….. mostly frustrated because I knew to check the liquid and additives but didn’t catch it. So today I blame math!
. I’m not terrible at it, but I certainly wouldn’t call myself a math wiz…..I made soap today, thought I was soooo smart, but alas, math and details got me.
I was making one batch with 1400g of oils, so I could split the batter for 2 different sized molds. I needed the batter from 400g of oils for one mold and the remaining would fill my 1000g of oils mold. I did the math/calculations on the amount of batter to split off a few times to be sure, but I knew something just wasn’t right. I always doubt myself so I said, it’s math and it’s the soap calculator, so trust it and move on. I ran the calculator with 1400g, 1000g and 400g of oils to check the total batch weight but I didn’t catch that my 100% liquid AVJ was increasing my liquid weight so my total batch weight was off. I split off too much and while it seemed wrong, I went with it.
On the bright side, all the oils, liquid and lye numbers were correct. My soap will be soap - WHEW!
On the bummer side, my small batch filled the mold and I had to use 3 individual molds for the excess. My FO went from medium scented to light, and my color plan didn’t end up all in the mold. My big frustration is that my regular mold ended up only 3/4 full
and went from light to medium scent. Lesson learned, again….. mostly frustrated because I knew to check the liquid and additives but didn’t catch it. So today I blame math!
I updated my fragrance spreadsheet. I was horribly behind, not just on newly ordered f.o.s that I've gotten recently, but older ones that I've used and currently have for sale.
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These soaps are really scrumptiousIn an effort to avoid soda ash, I left small hand soaps in the silicone cavity molds for 6days. Today when I popped them out, they were discolored. By that I mean, it appears the color from the mold itself bled onto surface of the soap.
Normally wouldn’t be a big deal but they were for friend’s birthday, In favorite colors. They were supposed to be green (one set) & the other half yellow. They are now blue green & pale yellow with red.
I should also add the molds were gifts so don’t know maker. I’ve used them previously without issue but soap was popped out day2 vs day6
View attachment 71358
I modified my wire cheese slicer. Again. I originally just had a skinny shim board taped down with masking tape, but dh saw it and surprised me a couple days later when he brought me a piece of wood from something or other he cut to size for me. I lightly sanded the sides and replaced the ugly thing I had contrived on my own. Everything is still totally removable, but it's sturdy and beautiful and I just love love love it!
I nearly choked on my coffee this morning when I read your post. With a name like that, I am almost hesitant to ask you what fragrance you used.
Yea I get that reaction usually followed by a giggle. I didn’t pleuralize the name so it is really just a ball that’s blue. They are scented with aqua di Gio.
Soda ash is my arch nemesis. It ticks me off so much.
The inside looks almost the same as an old batch of Blue Ball. I’m holding a bar of the last batch.
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Ash or no ash, that is beautiful!
Christa10
Well-Known Member
Do you cover each bar individually, so they are air tight, or just put the plastic wrap loosely around them?
@Christa10 - I cover my cut bars as a group, not air tight, based on @AliOop good advice - it’s helped reduce soda ash a lot
Like @dmcgee5034, I cover the entire loaf after cutting, with the bars loosely pushed together. I typically reuse the same piece of plastic wrap that I used to cover the loaf after pouring, so it's not 100% airtight, but it pretty well covers most surfaces of the bars. Even with a 40% lye concentration, my room-temp soaping does encourage ash, and this loose covering for a few days does cut way back on ash for me. HTH!
Christa10
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. I just made soap today, so I'm going to try this after I cut it in a couple of days.@Christa10 - I cover my cut bars as a group, not air tight, based on @AliOop good advice - it’s helped reduce soda ash a lot
Christa10
Well-Known Member
I'm in Southern California, in the same area as cmzha (sp?) and right now it is cold and rainy for the next day or two. I just made soap today, so after I unmold it, probably in a couple of days, I'll try this method. Does the weather make any difference do you think? Humidity, cold, etc.? Thanks for such a quick response.
I'm tired I made a couple of batches of soap today. I was hoping to do some more swirling but these FOs speed up trace the reviews say otherwise. So I'm a little bummed out cause I'm having so much trouble finding good FOs for swirling I have no experience with this. So my soaps are in layers now oh well next time. If anybody has any good advice for what FOs are good for swirling I will try them. Hope everyone has a good night 
.
.I think I've finally got a plan in place for the two soaps I'm making in time to give dh for his birthday. I couldn't find the fragrance I know he prefers for the bath soap, but I did run across a dupe of the BBW scent (discontinued) that he used to wear in a body spray when we first met over 20 years ago, so guess what I'm ordering today? 
I just cut my soap today I'm not thrilled about them but they are ok I wanted to swirl and I just didn't get to, my soap is in layers now. I bought 10 FOs to try for swirling only 3 work so far I have 2 more to try. Well I will go post pics on my gallery.
Eggstravagant
Member
That second pic reminds me of lemon meringue pie
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