2 batches of soap made! A 400g loaf of goat milk soap (first time! Used goat milk powder) and a 1000g loaf trying a new swirling technique, a practice for my challenge soap.
What soapy thing have you done today?
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After staring at my BIG aloe plant for a very long time, I finally took the leap, harvested my own home grown aloe gel, then combined it with my usual frozen goat milk. The liquified aloe was frozen, as was the goat milk, when I added the lye. I wasn't prepared for how fast it heated up!!!!! Normally, I have lots of time to mix the oils and colors while the milk/lye mixture is doing its thing. Not this time! I also used indigo powder hoping for a light bluish tint. Well...maybe it will change...hopefully, because right now it looks like aged guacamole! Now I have to leave it alone to do its thing - my biggest challenge!
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Today, actually yesterday I made soap, 1/2 batch of Choc/Orange, smells amazing, definitely chocolate and definitely orange, it's a hangar swirl. Photos later - not ready yet.
I heat my oils and let them start cooling down BEFORE mixing my lye solution. I use an icebath and slowly add the lye to the water and frozen aloe to prevent the sugars from scorching. Otherwise, the natural color of my soap is more yellowish than it's usual creamy off-white.
I sat and rolled little pieces of white soap dough between my fingers while reading posts on SMF and watched a couple videos. Then I dumped what I made on the table and asked my husband if they looked like seeds. He said "What do you mean, they are seeds."
after getting his nose within 10 inches of them. 
But they are soap, then he asked if I was going to put some down cellar and see if the mice would eat them.
after getting his nose within 10 inches of them. But they are soap, then he asked if I was going to put some down cellar and see if the mice would eat them.
Tried making beer soap. Walked away from it singing "And I know things now many valuable things".
Boil your beer.
I found a thread afterwards that explained the alcohol will make the soap to seize. Good thing I had a slow moving recipe cause as is I barely had time to put it in the mold once I realized what was happening.
Boil your beer.
I found a thread afterwards that explained the alcohol will make the soap to seize. Good thing I had a slow moving recipe cause as is I barely had time to put it in the mold once I realized what was happening.
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My very first soap was beer and and a very high percentage of deer tallow. Instant pudding. Seriously, I accidentally made floating soap!
AliensrReal
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Great job matching the colors to the FO names!
Are bath bombs a soapy thing? I bloomed some dye to make embeds. Said I would not make embeds again, I’d buy them, yet here I am. Never say never.
The trays I was looking for last week arrived today and they are such a great investment!!! Doubling my real estate is SO exciting!
The trays I was looking for last week arrived today and they are such a great investment!!! Doubling my real estate is SO exciting!
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I e had mice eat my soap! Little jerks!! But only unscented.I sat and rolled little pieces of white soap dough between my fingers while reading posts on SMF and watched a couple videos. Then I dumped what I made on the table and asked my husband if they looked like seeds. He said "What do you mean, they are seeds."
View attachment 79899after getting his nose within 10 inches of them.
After seeing your recipe, I can't really blame them. Tallow and avacado oil are probably good sustaining food for survival!
I made a small batch of liquid soap paste using a very different method than I've used before. It was straightforward and stress-free. I may never use the stovetop or crockpot method again. Thank you for all your help @IrishLass and @AliOop!
The first time I used beer, it was frozen - and I had really hard time dissolving lye in it, not the same as using frozen milk at all. Since then, I've only used chilled beer from the fridge - before I add NaOH to it I dissolve citric acid, a little sugar and salt - and I stir it really well. The stirring gets rid of the bubbles (salt probably helps too), and the solution behaves well and moves relatively slowly. I never boiled the beer, I hate extra effort
@Ekuzo I thought that I would be okay not to boil based off what I had read. I disloved some sodium citrate but skipped sugar. I had also let it go flat in my fridge for a week and thought I'd be okay. I boiled some last night and am interested to make some soap again and see the difference. Ya know for science 
Now that I know I think I could get away without boiling and just move quicker and don't SB. I love learning this stuff!
So many experiments... I'm gonna need more beer...
Now that I know I think I could get away without boiling and just move quicker and don't SB. I love learning this stuff!
So many experiments... I'm gonna need more beer...I made liquid soap and now I remember why I gave up on liquid soap over a year ago. It hurts. My hands are on fire and they HURT hurt. I think I might've figured out why, though. I think the increased amount of castor in my liquid soap is causing me to have an allergic reaction. I'm allergic to latex and shea butter so it makes sense that 20% castor in liquid soap could be why my hands are burning like raining fire and brimstone. I'm going to test my theory tonight by making my first soap ever sans castor and see what happens. 
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Well all my soap is unscented!
You may want to wait for your hands to heal before torturing yourself more!I made liquid soap and now I remember why I gave up on liquid soap over a year ago. It hurts. My hands are on fire and they HURT hurt. I think I might've figured out why, though. I think the increased amount of castor in my liquid soap is causing me to have an allergic reaction. I'm allergic to latex and shea butter so it makes sense that 20% castor in liquid soap could be why my hands are burning like raining fire and brimstone. I'm going to test my theory tonight by making my first soap ever sans castor and see what happens.
I never heard of castor oil having a cross reaction with latex allergy, thankfully my latex allergy is mostly on the right side. (My body is weird, Dr. tested both arms.)
They tested me for nickel on the left side of my back, so now I have oral allergy on the left side of my mouth if I eat high nickel foods. At least I can tell what safe to eat now
Hope
you're hands heal quickly!I have learned that my heating temps and insulation that works great for my 400g batches of soap are a little too hot for a full 1000g batch of soap. Had some oil seepage and what looks like some amount of ricing at the bottom of the mold. Still pretty soft too but it’s holding together well enough to cut at least. This soap was made on the 19th so it’s been a few days. (Of course I might be incorrect about what’s on the bottom of the soap)
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I weighed out my oils and butters to make my challenge soap tomorrow and set everything else out. Mrs. Zing nixed both my design choices so we're going to Plan C. It'll be on her, not me, just sayin'.
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