What soapy thing have you done today?

[melinda48]

Popping in to share that I'm finally done with my new workbench, almost exactly a month after starting. Here are a couple of snapshots. I'm about to make a small batch of peach-scented soap to inaugurate the new bench.

This first shot is 'face on' as seen from about 5 feet away, standing at my computer desk 'office'. The desk is where I work from home, and I also moved my personal desktop machine here (glad to have it out of the dining room).
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This side-angle view shows the milk crate drying stacks I'm trying out. I have a few more crates that I need to pressure wash, and those will go in behind the lye buckets.
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I like the LED shop lights so much that I'm going to add one to my woodworking bench (my old soap work area), which is diagonally across the room. This room is REALLY crowded, what with the treadmill, shelving, and a vertical freezer, but it's actually coming together as a useful room, not just a conglomeration of clutter.

Like your space!! Please let us know how he peach soaps comes out. I made some recently and, initially, it smelled great but after two weeks, there was no scent at all. I need to know if it is possible to make a peach soap that retains fragrance. Thanks! Enjoy that new space - nothing better than have a workspace that works!!

 

[Gaisy59]

It's here

Sorry @justsomeguy i tapped on your link but didn’t see your soap

 

[justsomeguy]

Sorry @justsomeguy i tapped on your link but didn’t see your soap

My bad. User error. Here it is

 

[Gaisy59]

My bad. User error. Here it is

Wow! Ya mine was lots of oil and when it cooled and i tried to discard nothing would stick together and it looked more like cheese curds lol.

 

[ewhitake]

Baking bread today. Not sure if I'll soap. I am, however, testing soaps I made at the beginning of my soaping journey to see if I like them enough to rework them. I've only been soaping for 3 months and almost everything made in the early months is "wrong" to some extent. I've learned quite a bit through a lot of trial and error. This journey has been fun . Still don't know if I'll ever sell. For now, I just give everything away!

 

[Gaisy59]

Oh no!! Can you run to the hardware store? I'd go get some for you if I were close by

EDIT: do you have any KOH? You could make a dual-lye soap!

Omg i just read the edit…yes i do have KOH but too late. Bought more lye and redid the batch. It looks much better and my hot process went extremely well. In fact this is the best hot process performance since i started soap making WOW! Funny thing tho, it took maybe two minutes to get to emulsion. I could have just stirred without the stick blender. Never had it so this before. Interesting .

 

[Elise]

Baking bread today. Not sure if I'll soap. I am, however, testing soaps I made at the beginning of my soaping journey to see if I like them enough to rework them. I've only been soaping for 3 months and almost everything made in the early months is "wrong" to some extent. I've learned quite a bit through a lot of trial and error. This journey has been fun . Still don't know if I'll ever sell. For now, I just give everything away!

I hope you found one you like and want to remake. Don't give up now that you've learned so much . I'm sure you could make a good bar of soap that you'd love if you'd decided to make some right now.

 

[ewhitake]

I hope you found one you like and want to remake. Don't give up now that you've learned so much . I'm sure you could make a good bar of soap that you'd love if you'd decided to make some right now.

The more I make the better I get. I’ve made a few bars I really like!! My favorite ones are made with lard, tallow (or a mix of both) or Kokum. And no more than 18% CO.

 

[Elise]

The more I make the better I get. I’ve made a few bars I really like!! My favorite ones are made with lard, tallow (or a mix of both) or Kokum. And no more than 18% CO.

I also like low coconut oil soaps. Never tried Kokum, what is it like in soaps ?

 

[Deb's mess]

I attempted a green and red swirl bar with Christmas tree scent. The green turned darker than I wanted, and started to thicken! It smells amazing, but I'm going to name it "ugly sweater contest"....it's always amazing to me the difference between what I picture in my mind, and how things turn out. Lol

 

[Servant4Christ]

I made a test batch tonight using jack frost fragrance. I got impatient and soaped at 125° F with a palm heavy recipe and was pleasantly surprised at how long I had to work with it. Of course, I didn't color, swirl, or texture... Just mixed, poured, covered, amd called it a night.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I made my first attempt at goat milk soap!
After trying out the new base recipe I'm playing with in the above Jack Frost test soap and loving how creamy and hard it already is, I decided to use the same base recipe with goat milk and colloidal oats.... Yikes, it traces significantly faster! It's in the freezer now. I used the powder in oil method. I would've made the milk and frozen it into cubes instead since I already use this method with my aloe gel, but once again.... Impatient.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Well, I find myself researching breast milk soap. My newest grandbaby was born 7/2 and now My daughter wants soap made with breast milk.

I've made it before (for new mums).

 

[Elise]

I made a small test batch coloring with Manjistha (also called madder root I believe) + senting with Patchouli EO. While pouring I felt like the batter was ricing a little bit. I wonder what caused it and hope it won't affect the soap.

I also spent a bit of time peeling, blending and freezing in icecube trays an aloe vera plant that my boyfriend grew as an indoor plant. Or at least part of it, I'll have to continue an other day. It was quite big and he liked it a lot, but it got accidentally crushed while moving furnitures. It wasn't that good looking after that. So I get free aloe juice for soap making !

I thought I would show you the result, since I end up liking it I like the blend of patchouli with the natural smell of the indian madder root powder. The color is nice too, the picture doesn't make it justice (less brown in real life). I used one tablespoon of powder for 250g of oil. I tried a piece yesterday and the soap lathers well. I'm happy with this result, although I think it is because I managed to get the soap to gel. The tiny soap that you can see on the picture isn't as good looking and more of a dusty orangey pink.

Making tiny soaps is my new way of keeping tracks with all my tests. This way I can use all the bars made from the same batter and still get something to monitor (for DOS, scent fading, color...). The downside seems to be that it may not gel while the bigger portion of the test soap does.

 

[Servant4Christ]

Anyone know how long I should leave goat milk soap in the freezer? It's been over 14 hours now. For those wondering why the freezer: I had room in the freezer, not in the fridge so that's where it went.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Anyone know how long I should leave goat milk soap in the freezer? It's been over 14 hours now. For those wondering why the freezer: I had room in the freezer, not in the fridge so that's where it went.

You just reminded me that I had goat fat in my freezer @Servant4Christ. It’s now thawing and about to be rendered for GM, OM & honey soap. Thank you! (I now have more room in my small freezer.)

 

[ewhitake]

I also like low coconut oil soaps. Never tried Kokum, what is it like in soaps ?

It has a similar profile to lard so I really love it. I will swap out 1:1 lard/Kokum in recipes. I also use it it body lotions. very conditioning

 

[justsomeguy]

Chopped up a brick of mango butter

 

[Servant4Christ]

Anyone know how long I should leave goat milk soap in the freezer? It's been over 14 hours now. For those wondering why the freezer: I had room in the freezer, not in the fridge so that's where it went.

Update: I couldn't help myself. At 18hrs, it was frozen solid and already clearly pulling inward from the sides, so I just had to unmold and see my beautiful swirled goat milk soap! Fast forward to the cut and lo and behold.....

Not exactly what I had in mind. I am so glad this was only a small test batch and not a 5lb loaf.

 

[bookworm42]

Not exactly what I had in mind

May not have been what you were going for but I think that looks awesome!