What soapy thing have you done today?

[SuzieOz]

Sliced my first activated charcoal soap. I wasn't actually going for the planet-in-space look but that's what it looks like. And I think it looks kinda cool.

Got heaps of soda ash though, had to try and rub most of it off. The colour inside is black enough, but the grey bits I think are ash.

 

[LisaAnne]

Decided to change up what I'm looking for in my soap. I have been studying quite a bit on lower cleansing and superfat. But also have been planning a soap for my oldest brother who asked me to send him some in AZ. I've not really made a male specific soap or a soap for his climate. So been spending a lot of time reading.

 

[TeresaT]

Sliced my first activated charcoal soap. I wasn't actually going for the planet-in-space look but that's what it looks like. And I think it looks kinda cool.

Got heaps of soda ash though, had to try and rub most of it off. The colour inside is black enough, but the grey bits I think are ash.

Step away from the soap. DO. NOT. TOUCH. IT. Oh my gosh! That is fantabulous looking. I had no idea the grey was not part of it. If that is soda ash, it is an awesome effect. There are time when soda ash is your friend. This is definitely one of those times. Seriously, don't change a thing.

 

[McMomWV]

Sliced my first activated charcoal soap. I wasn't actually going for the planet-in-space look but that's what it looks like. And I think it looks kinda cool.

Got heaps of soda ash though, had to try and rub most of it off. The colour inside is black enough, but the grey bits I think are ash.

That looks fantastic. Don't change a thing!

 

[TeresaT]

OK. Tonight I made a test batch of avocado oil soap and scented it with poo. I scented it with "Pooch Smooch" from Natures Garden. As previously posted, the lot number is 20160426POO. I'll be laughing about that for a long time to come. I might have to buy Pooch Smooch by the gallon just to have "POO" lots. Or is that lots of "POO"? :think:

I labeled my pine tar soap and put it back in the curing room. While I was in there I checked the dead shrimp soap (Cannabis Flower). I am happy to report the dead shrimp smell is fading away. It is actually smelling more like the spirulina that I use as a colorant sometimes. It's more of an oceany smell when there's a lot of washed up kelp and sand crabs. It's not as unpleasant as it was yesterday. The mold doesn't stink anymore, either. I'm sure the fragrance will mellow out over the cure into something pleasant. It seems to be headed in that direction. (But, maybe my sniffer was overloaded with pine tar and I couldn't smell the dead shrimp anymore and just got the middle notes of brine and kelp.) What exactly does a cannabis flower smell like anyway? I'm going to have to grow some to find out. :twisted: I'll bet one of my neighbors will have some seeds...

 

[SuzieOz]

Well thanks TeresaT and McMom, I'm pretty happy with it.

Teresa, I do my batch numbers very similar but with the first letter of each word in the name, ie your Pooch Smooch would be 20160426PS rather than POO. I'm sure people would get what it meant though ... maybe ...

 

[Navaria]

Sliced my first activated charcoal soap. I wasn't actually going for the planet-in-space look but that's what it looks like. And I think it looks kinda cool.

Got heaps of soda ash though, had to try and rub most of it off. The colour inside is black enough, but the grey bits I think are ash.

I completely agree with Theresa! Leave that ash alone! it looks like a fully moon on a partially cloudy night. Reminds me of the sky scene they always show in scary movies!

 

[apples]

Sliced my first activated charcoal soap. I wasn't actually going for the planet-in-space look but that's what it looks like. And I think it looks kinda cool.

Got heaps of soda ash though, had to try and rub most of it off. The colour inside is black enough, but the grey bits I think are ash.

i want to make charcoal soap this weekend so i've been browsing pictures. i was just about to ask how you got those nice greyish cloud when i saw your picture! how did you get those ash? they look fabulous!

 

[galaxyMLP]

I too thought the ash was purposeful! I really love the soap.

In the last week I've made 3 soaps. Two were great successes and one was an utter failure. Number 1 was a drop swirl, 2 was supposed to be a Petra swirl but the batter was too thick and I knew it wouldn't come out properly so I did some extra swirling. 3 was supposed to be an ITP swirl but the batter thickened too quickly on me... Do you think I should confetti the failure? It smells great so I really don't want to rebatch it.

 

[LisaAnne]

I too thought the ash was purposeful! I really love the soap.

In the last week I've made 3 soaps. Two were great successes and one was an utter failure. Number 1 was a drop swirl, 2 was supposed to be a Petra swirl but the batter was too thick and I knew it wouldn't come out properly so I did some extra swirling. 3 was supposed to be an ITP swirl but the batter thickened too quickly on me... Do you think I should confetti the failure? It smells great so I really don't want to rebatch it.

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Like them all but especially the first one!

 

[Navaria]

I too thought the ash was purposeful! I really love the soap.

In the last week I've made 3 soaps. Two were great successes and one was an utter failure. Number 1 was a drop swirl, 2 was supposed to be a Petra swirl but the batter was too thick and I knew it wouldn't come out properly so I did some extra swirling. 3 was supposed to be an ITP swirl but the batter thickened too quickly on me... Do you think I should confetti the failure? It smells great so I really don't want to rebatch it.

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Honestly, when I looked at your pictures I thought the 3rd one was a coarse confetti'd rebatch. I was wondering how you got the edges of the pieces to blend so smoothly lol. I would leave it. Looks good to me!

 

[dixiedragon]

I gotta go by Cartridge World. I've used up all my ink printing labels for my lotions.

 

[Susie]

Yesterday I made confetti soap from my trial watermelon soap that ended up scentless, and new citrus splash/lemon EO to hold it together. I had enough for a 3 lb loaf plus a dozen 1.25 oz guest bars. I CPOP'd the whole bunch to ensure gel. It is going to smell good, regardless of how it looks. I hope the vanilla discolors soon.

Previous to this, though, I made a batch of IrishLass' LGS, a batch of citrus splash/lemongrass EO, 2 batches of Warm Vanilla Sugar, and a batch of Lemon Drop Cookies. I was cutting a batch in the morning, and making another batch every day for days. I really need another mold that I like. Has anyone tried that European rectangle bar mold from WSP?

 

[JuneP]

Teach her to soap. She'll get so addicted that she won't have time to look for dusty bunnies or anything else.

I cleaned 200 and eleventy million soap utensils, pots, pans and bowls. I may have fudged the numbers there. I think there was more. Felt like it anyway . Cleaning up because the Mother-In-Law is coming to stay. She will be doing her not so subtle inspection. Kill. Me. Now.

 

[Barbsbreakingbath]

Ordered the pink and red color sampler from Nurture Soap as well as the True Red.nThey are out of the True Red in everything but the sample size. Hope they get some more in time for Christmas Soaping.
Can't wait to try these- I want to make a soap with hemp oil in a tie dye type swirl. Maybe I can sell it to Grateful Dead fans!

 

[penelopejane]

I guess I joined the big leagues. I decided to assign lot numbers to all of my soaps. I did this after I wrapped some soaps and labeled them. Thanks snappyllama for the packaging and labeling inspiration.

ETA photo
Second edit: I may have to rethink my lot number logic. I decided to make it simple, the date followed by the first three letters of the fragrance I use (in this format: YYYYMMDDFRA). That shouldn't be a problem right? Yeah. Unless my fragrance oil happens to be "Pooch Smooch." Tomorrow's soap is going to be "20160426POO." I'm sure everyone's gonna want a piece of that action!!

What happens if you do two soaps on one day with the same fragrance? Or isn't this a tracking number?

 

[penelopejane]

In the last week I've made 3 soaps. Two were great successes and one was an utter failure. 3 was supposed to be an ITP swirl but the batter thickened too quickly on me... Do you think I should confetti the failure? It smells great so I really don't want to rebatch

I would confetti number 3 and do it in a layer or swirl.

 

[TwystedPryncess]

My box of colors came in from Nurture Soaps today! Che had fifteen teeth pulled yesterday so he isn't feeling so hot today. They didn't even put him to sleep yesterday for it and I was livid about it. Maybe I will go play in some soap and take a break from my chemistry books while he rests.

 

[TeresaT]

What happens if you do two soaps on one day with the same fragrance? Or isn't this a tracking number?

It is, actually. The first one (original batch) will be YYYYMMDDFRA and each subsequent batch on the same day with the same fragrance will be -1, -2, -3 etc. So, if I have 20160513CAN-5 that would be the SIXTH batch of soap made on May 13, 2016 with Cannabis Flower fragrance oil. (Like I'd ever make another batch of dead shrimp soap!)

The part where it would be tricky is if I make soaps on the same day with similar named fragrance oils: Black Canyon and Black Tie. There will be a problem with determining which BLA is which. So, I'll either not do something like that (which makes the most sense) or add the first letter of the second word to the lot number to distinguish them, BLA-C for Black Canyon and BLA-T for Black Tie (then I run into Black Tie vs Black Tuxedo).

Right now I'm not too worried about it because I'm not selling yet. I just want to get used to the idea of assigning lot numbers to every batch of soap I make so it will be an ingrained habit. I need to buy a new computer. Right now, I'm on a 4 GB laptop that is specifically made for WiFi and web surfing. My desktop is about 5 or 6 years old and running on Vista. I can't even download most new software.

I was originally thinking of getting a Mac laptop. But that was before I ever thought of selling soap. So now I realize I'm going to need to get something that is Windows compatible to be able to successfully use the Soapmaker Software (and make life easier for myself). From what I've read about it, I can enter my supplies, including their lot numbers, manufacturing info and expiration dates, and incorporate that info into my recipes and lot numbers. So I'll know that lot number XYZ was made with these specific oils, by these specific manufacturers (who assigned lot numbers to their products) and had expiration dates of ???. I'm assuming I will never need that information. However, just in case I do, it will be readily available for every product I have.

I could create a database or spreadsheet with this info, but I don't think Alpha 4 is available anymore. I'm too stubborn to learn Excel and Access and far too cheap to pay for it.

 

[Navaria]

I bought the first in my lifetime tub of lard. Since I don't fry anything, I have now committed to at least trying a lard soap. Cause I can't just let it go to waste!