What soapy thing have you done today?

[CaraBou]

I looked for my neem oil so I could make a solution to kill the mealy bugs on my house plants. I am sooooo frustrated because I did not find it! I am wondering if I gave it away or threw it out before moving rather than risk having the bottle leak during transport and stink up everything. I don't remember getting rid of it but that's all I can think of at this point.

I am really bummed because a neem solution appears to be the best treatment option, and I don't want to order more. I barely used what I had! I guess I will look for a small bottle at the local health food store when I am back in town this week.

 

[gigisiguenza]

Gigi, they are still can be used i guess? If I were you I'll find a machete and chop chop. Haha

Hahahahaha that is very likely what's going to happen. I'm gonna pulverize them and make my first batch of laundry soap. Eventually... right now they are in a bucket in the closet because the sight of them depresses me LOL

 

[gigisiguenza]

Nothing - I have done nothing soapy because I am currently disgusted with my soaping attempts and tired of wasting supplies to make bad soaps. So I'm going to watch the world series and crochet, and try to resist the urge to make soap tonight. I will try again in a few days. Right now I'm feeling too annoyed with myself for the mistakes to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.

 

[houseofwool]

Today I tried a week old sliver of soap from a new formulation. The FA profile is very close to my standard recipe, but this one is palm free. The cocoa butter in it does amazing things to my skin!

 

[Deedles]

I cut yesterdays GM soap today. Just plain soap with FO, no color. The only thing different with this batch was the GM that DH bought yesterday was canned evaporated milk. I reconstituted it 1:1 per the directions on the can. When I added the lye to it, it got pretty thick and turned a dark caramel color. It wasn't scorched, I was careful to mix slowly. After mixing it with the oils it lightened up just a bit, the cut bars look only slightly darker than previous batches using regular liquid GM.

 

[penelopejane]

At last - after 7 batches - a perfect bar of soap!

It's Castile Soap. 100% OO, no fragrance, no colour but I did sneak in 1 tbs of Manuka Honey. I didn't over trace it, it gelled all the way through and demolded perfectly. :-D

 

[jules92207]

Nothing - I have done nothing soapy because I am currently disgusted with my soaping attempts and tired of wasting supplies to make bad soaps. So I'm going to watch the world series and crochet, and try to resist the urge to make soap tonight. I will try again in a few days. Right now I'm feeling too annoyed with myself for the mistakes to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.

I've so had those days gigi. Hang in there.

 

[penelopejane]

Nothing - I have done nothing soapy because I am currently disgusted with my soaping attempts and tired of wasting supplies to make bad soaps. So I'm going to watch the world series and crochet, and try to resist the urge to make soap tonight. I will try again in a few days. Right now I'm feeling too annoyed with myself for the mistakes to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.

I feel for you gigi. It is so difficult to get everything right.

I have finally worked out how to get the batter "just on trace" and that has made the whole process a lot easier for me. Next I am going to try mixing colours. My solution to disasters is to watch soaping videos instead of TV!

 

[amd]

Finally got to make soap after a week of crazy! Carrot and coconut milk soap - hoping that the carrot will help my mom's psoriasis. Tomorrow night hoping to get to another coconut milk bar with midnight pomegranate fo.

 

[gigisiguenza]

I've so had those days gigi. Hang in there.

I feel for you gigi. It is so difficult to get everything right.

I have finally worked out how to get the batter "just on trace" and that has made the whole process a lot easier for me. Next I am going to try mixing colours. My solution to disasters is to watch soaping videos instead of TV!

TY ladies, appreciate the support. Been feeling very frustrated with my results lately, so time for a break and a rethinking of my approach. Might be time to simplify some, so I can just make some successful, pretty soaps.

 

[Susie]

Today, I'm going to make something soapy using ghee. With Nag Champa.

Ghee and butter stink in soap. Just warning you.

 

[penelopejane]

TY ladies, appreciate the support. Been feeling very frustrated with my results lately, so time for a break and a rethinking of my approach. Might be time to simplify some, so I can just make some successful, pretty soaps.

Your October comp entry soap looked pretty good!
You will notice my successful soaps are all very, very plain. Not 4 colour hanger swirls! Don't let the gremlins get you down. If it is a specific problem ask for help from the gurus here, if it's just gremlins l've always found chocolate and scotch chase them away - and pretty fast! [emoji41]

 

[shunt2011]

No soapy adventures, but made lots of whipped shea body butter. Worked in the yard to get leaves done too.

 

[gigisiguenza]

Your October comp entry soap looked pretty good!
You will notice my successful soaps are all very, very plain. Not 4 colour hanger swirls! Don't let the gremlins get you down. If it is a specific problem ask for help from the gurus here, if it's just gremlins l've always found chocolate and scotch chase them away - and pretty fast! [emoji41]

TY re the Oct challenge soap As for the gremlins, I'm not sure what happened with these last two batches. I'm pretty sure it's because I fell asleep and forgot them in the fridge for hours n hours, and then didn't get to cut them til a good 36 hours after pour. I think this is why they were so brittle and hard.

BUT.... I also used Shea butter. I've only used it once before, and if I remember correctly, that batch was harder faster too. Not brittle and splintering hard like these two batches, but definitely harder than my batches usually are when I cut.

I wonder if when using Shea butter you need to reduce the amount of other hard oils, like lard. Hmmmm. I reduced my OO by 5% to allow for the Shea. Maybe I should've reduced the lard instead.

Thinking.....

 

[amd]

I have to stop showing The Teenager my soap... he named the carrot coconut milk "If Bugs Bunny Had the Stomach Flu"! I'm not sure if he's making fun of my soap or he's a marketing genius... I'll post a pic of the cut when I get home tonight. Nothing fancy but the color is... um, interesting.

 

[nsmar4211]

Marketing Genius. I'd probably buy that soap just for the name !

Used up my last 1.2 oz of castor doing a test batch of oatmeal and honey. Test because I put the honey into the lye water instead of the emulsified batter, and I waited until everything had cooled to about 108ish. Right as I'm pouring out the castor oil....my housemate walks in with my box of sample scents! NOoooooo come on Bulk Apothecary I need my castor!!!

So far I've resisted the call of the $1/oz walmart castor..so far....

 

[kumudini]

TY re the Oct challenge soap As for the gremlins, I'm not sure what happened with these last two batches. I'm pretty sure it's because I fell asleep and forgot them in the fridge for hours n hours, and then didn't get to cut them til a good 36 hours after pour. I think this is why they were so brittle and hard.

BUT.... I also used Shea butter. I've only used it once before, and if I remember correctly, that batch was harder faster too. Not brittle and splintering hard like these two batches, but definitely harder than my batches usually are when I cut.

I wonder if when using Shea butter you need to reduce the amount of other hard oils, like lard. Hmmmm. I reduced my OO by 5% to allow for the Shea. Maybe I should've reduced the lard instead.

Thinking.....

Gigi, why not start a new thread about your brittle soap and try to troubleshoot?
36 hrs after being in the fridge is not too late to cut unless it's a high coconut soap we are talking about, which I think is unlikely given your skin situation. Shea butter doesn't make soap brittle despite hastening trace. I use it all the time. Why not try to find out what exactly did that to your soap?

 

[penelopejane]

Gigi this is not a definitive list but I've condensed a few articles & posts on brittle soap:
Too much lye not enough water
Soaped too cool for the solid oils used ie: lard try soaping at 120 degrees
Taking too long to cut after making
FOs, clay and salt can speed cure and require early cutting.

It happened to me after I left it too long to cure too and used a wide knife which effectively cleavered the slices off.

 

[songwind]

Last night I made a single pot's worth of shaving soap to finish off a vendor's order.

 

[gigisiguenza]

Gigi, why not start a new thread about your brittle soap and try to troubleshoot?
36 hrs after being in the fridge is not too late to cut unless it's a high coconut soap we are talking about, which I think is unlikely given your skin situation. Shea butter doesn't make soap brittle despite hastening trace. I use it all the time. Why not try to find out what exactly did that to your soap?

I hadn't actually intended to troubleshoot because I'm.pretty sure (or I was) what caused it, but I may now.

Gigi this is not a definitive list but I've condensed a few articles & posts on brittle soap:
Too much lye not enough water
Soaped too cool for the solid oils used ie: lard try soaping at 120 degrees
Taking too long to cut after making
FOs, clay and salt can speed cure and require early cutting.

It happened to me after I left it too long to cure to and used a wide knife wich effectively cleavered the slices off.

TY