What soapy thing have you done today?

[SuzieOz]

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I wouldn't rebatch that one, it looks nice, and if smells good too then it's a win-win.

Sorry I quoted the wrong bit of your post, don't know how

 

[Dahila]

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[Sagebrush]

Made a double batch today, made a double batch yesterday. Organized labels and such to wrap a finished double batch tomorrow. Washed the dishes and cleaned up after myself.

 

[Navaria]

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Those look like a pressed cookie! Very pretty!

 

[penelopejane]

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).

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.

I bought Microsoft office in 2007 and it is still current. Works with windows 10 : ) I have a soap diary - just an excel sheet with soap numbers, date and all the info. It wouldn't have to be on an excel sheet though - a book would achieve the same thing.

So my first soap is #1 etc. It doesn't tell you the date - I have to check the soap diary for that but I have a card that sits with each batch that identifies the batch #, the date and the type of soap it is, so I don't have to consult the diary a ll the time.

I don't know if this will work for you but it is an option.

 

[penelopejane]

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!

Just be careful with the hemp oil. It has great label appeal (in my opinion anyway) but it has a tendency to go rancid quickly. It has a shelf life of 3-6 months if it is frozen according to some literature.

 

[dosco]

I made a batch of shave soap this morning. It's been since October of 2014 since I last soaped...

Felt good to make something that I need, use, and enjoy.

I made some tweaks to the recipe ... went with 1% SF using HP, after no zap I added 5% (by oil mass) glycerine and 5% (by oil mass) shea butter.

I was able to cook it in very short order - maybe an hour - so I was able to use it for this morning's shave!

-Dave

 

[penelopejane]

I made a batch of shave soap this morning. It's been since October of 2014 since I last soaped...

Felt good.
-Dave

Welcome back to soaping after such a long break!

I made pure Castile soap. I love it. No additives. No colour. So easy!

 

[Dahila]

Packing, labeling, and packing. I am on Market every Saturday, so need to get ready, and the Craft shows are closer and closer .............

 

[shunt2011]

Wrapping, labeling, inventory, reorganizing my containers etc. biggest show to date next weekend.

 

[TeresaT]

I bought Microsoft office in 2007 and it is still current. Works with windows 10 : ) I have a soap diary - just an excel sheet with soap numbers, date and all the info. It wouldn't have to be on an excel sheet though - a book would achieve the same thing.

So my first soap is #1 etc. It doesn't tell you the date - I have to check the soap diary for that but I have a card that sits with each batch that identifies the batch #, the date and the type of soap it is, so I don't have to consult the diary a ll the time.

I don't know if this will work for you but it is an option.

Thanks for the tip, but I am not disciplined eno....LOOK, A SQUIRREL!!

(OK. Fun's over. Seriously, though. I did try keeping written records when I first started. That didn't last long. At all. I really don't have the discipline for something like that. I've spent far too much time at work on a computer and cannot function without one. It is so much easier for me to maintain everything in Evernote right now and I actually go back in and update each one with notes on observations about the soaps long after it was made. I never would have done that with handwritten notes. I barely took handwritten notes.)

 

[TeresaT]

Just be careful with the hemp oil. It has great label appeal (in my opinion anyway) but it has a tendency to go rancid quickly. It has a shelf life of 3-6 months if it is frozen according to some literature.

This is good to know. Thanks. I'll have to put it in the refrigerator. I just checked on my "dead shrimp" soap (hemp oil scented with Cannabis Flower) and I'm happy to report the funk has left the building!! Unfortunately, I'm back to not being able to smell anything again. I just washed my hands with the end piece hoping that once the soap got wet there would be some release of fragrance, but I didn't notice any. The good news, though, is that even though the soap is only four days old, it lathers very well and is not drying. At all. Usually when I test one of my soaps after only a few days, my hands are pretty dry shortly after using it and I have to run for the moisturizer. Not this one. It's been about 15 minutes since I tried it out and I'm still OK. That's actually an impressive record for one of my uncured soaps. Even my high lard bars are somewhat drying when they're "newborns." I never judge my soaps mildness until they've had a full six weeks cure, but I will make estimations based on how they're behaving during the cure. If this is feeling so nice at only four days, I'm looking forward to four weeks! This is how they turned out. I'm pleased with them in spite of the disastrous pour. The other soaps are the Grapefruit & Rosemary EO batch I made for a friend. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out, too.

 

[Guspuppy]

cleaned the kitchen to get everything out of the way so I could make soap. My kitchen is much cleaner these days than it used to be.... haha

Also, I discovered why you dissolve the sugar in the water BEFORE the lye. Not sure any sugar actually got into my lye water today!

 

[dibbles]

I tried Veronica Foale's diagonal ombre technique tonight. I used a 40% lye concentration to extend pour time, and that worked out very well. I started pouring a bit too thin I think. I also used Nurture's Raspberry Red, and I think added too much color on the first colored pour. Well, I'll find out when I can cut it. I'm not expecting it to gel, so it might be a few days. Which will just about kill me.

 

[CoolSuds]

Soap craziness!!!!!

Well a couple of weeks ago I made some soap & tweaked it...it came out very light & crumbly. It's soft, luxurious, but it is crumbs! Any ideas on what I can use soap crumbs for? I was thinking of making laundry soap, but that is only 1/3 cup of soap per 2 gallons of soap so it would take a long time to use it up! I am baking 2 loaves to see what that will do...love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Misschief]

Teresa, those soaps are great! I made some hemp & beer soap (Two Vices Soap) in January and they're still looking good... no DOS yet (keeping fingers crossed)... and lathering really well, too. I love it!

 

[dibbles]

Two Vices soap - that's great! I love hemp oil in soap. The lather is so silky. I only buy small amounts of hemp at a time, keep it in the fridge and use it fairly quickly. Haven't had a problem with DOS so far *knocking wood*.

 

[jules92207]

I haven't soaped much lately so today I am trying to catch up on all the forum threads I have missed the last few months. Between my job, some health challenges, and my two little ones it's about all I can do to just keep testing my vanilla testers and make my notes.

I am hoping to make a new oatmeal, milk and honey this weekend. I always use BB's OMH but the last batch I tried Sweet Cakes and I have Nurture's to try next. I read BB changed their OMH, anyone use a recent batch and notice a difference?

 

[penelopejane]

Thanks for the tip, but I am not disciplined eno....LOOK, A SQUIRREL!!

(OK. Fun's over. Seriously, though. I did try keeping written records when I first started. That didn't last long. At all. I really don't have the discipline for something like that. I've spent far too much time at work on a computer and cannot function without one. It is so much easier for me to maintain everything in Evernote right now and I actually go back in and update each one with notes on observations about the soaps long after it was made. I never would have done that with handwritten notes. I barely took handwritten notes.)

I meant I use a digital soap diary using excel on a computer. It sounds like I do the same as you. :mrgreen:

I love your soaps by the way

 

[amd]

Yesterday I did a small (indoors - thank goodness because it snowed!) farmer's market. Nice crowd, not much sales, but lots of people who stopped to talk. Lots of samples handed out with business cards. One lady went home and tried her sample and came back to get a full-sized bar and a sample for a friend! One of my cousins stopped by with her daughter, so I gave her a sample of the bubblegum scented soap. I had a message on my FB wall this morning that her daughter says I make the best soap I did finally run into the "oh, I can't use soap with lye in it" comment. I've practiced responses so that I would be prepared, but I'll be honest... it left me speechless for a few seconds!