What soapy thing have you done today?

[SunRiseArts]

Tested more soap made last December. OMG, the amount of lather is totally over-the-top incredible, far more lather than I would ever want unless I was shaving. And slightly greenish. Scratchy, too. I used walnut hulls for brown, which did produce a nice brown, but I won't be using this in the shower. I will have to take photos of this lather; it's very creamy, but just too too much of it and tinged with green. I am as yet not in love with this soap; a bit too drying as well as the skin on my hands and forearms are now itching! If the itching doesn't stop soon, I may not be getting any photos of this lather after all.

I was going for a slow-to-trace recipe and it was that for sure, but also too much CO & palm in the formula. But I also used some dandelion-infused olive oil in the formula as well. Next time I try that, I won't add walnut hulls, though, and not all that CO & palm. I was trying out the Spectrum Brand palm shortening because I wanted to see how it was to work with and it is impossible to find where I live. Too many variables in this soap to come to any conclusions about any given ingredient except the walnut hulls are too scratchy.

ETA photos:

Too much green-tinged lather:

What it looks like when not covered in lather:

This is wonderful, I love soaps that lather. Is it possible to share the recipe?

Also, how do you make your soaps more transparent?

 

[earlene]

This is wonderful, I love soaps that lather. Is it possible to share the recipe?

Also, how do you make your soaps more transparent?

I don't mind, but it's not a very good recipe really. Way too drying for me, anyway. I am sure you can make adjustments to improve the qualities you want. I just wanted a slow to trace recipe for the ribbon pour and to use oils I had on hand at the time, and to see what Spectrum Palm Shortening was like to work with. Here is the formula I used for this particular soap:

5% SF; [27% lye concentration] using masterbatched lye (at 50%)

40% OO - 10.2 ounces of dandelion-infused Olive Oil
25% CO - 6.375 ounces (I don't usually use this high a percentage)
25% Palm - 6.375 ounces Spectrum brand Palm Shortening
10% Almond oil - 2.55 ounces

88.5 gm vinegar (5% acetic acid) to reach the slightly under 1% SA goal
205.18 gm (50% masterbatch lye solution)
83.6 gm distilled water

FO - 1.2grams (it was a woodsy scent that smelled great at first, but didn't last)

EDTA - 0.5% (about 14.39 grams of 39% solution)

Black Walnut Hulls, ground - 1 gm
Hunter Green mica - 0.8 gm
Jungle Green mica - 0.7 gm

I think I used less vinegar than I wanted because I ran out, using up the last of the bottle I had brought with me to the Wisconsin Dells, where I was when I made this soap. (I went away for few days on my own and just made soap.)

It was a very small test batch as you can see. I only got 4 thin bars of soap out of it and used an improvised mini-slab mold for a ribbon pour. I was trying to perfect a wood-grain look like newbie showed in on of her soaps for the challenge. When it was new it looked a bit more like a wood grain than it does now, but in any case it was absolutely a slow-to-trace recipe. Almost too slow. But I don't like how the soap feels. And there is way too much lather for me. Plus the walnut hulls, although the brown turned out pretty much how I wanted, is too scratchy. This may be find for really dirty grimy hands, but not for body soap.

Do you see this soap as transparent? Well, it was definitely gelled via CPOP is all can attribute that to. The shine is because it was still wet after I rinsed off all the lather and sprayed again with rubbing alcohol. Dry it really has a nice sheen to it.

ETA: My husband just used it after doing yardwork and says he really like it for a full hand/wrists/arms-up-to-the elbows cleaning, and likes the lather. So it seems to be good for a heavy gardening type soap, for a man, or at least this man anyway.

 

[Kittish]

My stuff started arriving today.

I got sandalwood, bergamot, clary sage and rose geranium EOs, vanillin, my perfume bottles, and the (OMG this thing is gigantic!) roll of shrink film I ordered. I can smell the dry vanillin crystals through two layers of packaging.

 

[Kristianna]

I made a lemongrass EO soap this morning with a few embeds using natural colorants. (Annatto and wheat grass) My first go at embeds so I hope it looks alright, will find out in the few days I guess.

Oh, and I cut the soap I had made this weekend. It smells so good.

 

[penelopejane]

Made two soap batches today: sandalwood and coffee. Of course, the coffee soap is made with actual coffee and has the grounds for exfoliating. I wish there was a way to combat that nasty smell the coffee makes when it mixes with the lye!

If you do the split method you avoid the smell.

 

[penelopejane]

40% OO - 10.2 ounces of dandelion-infused Olive Oil
25% CO - 6.375 ounces (I don't usually use this high a percentage)
25% Palm - 6.375 ounces Spectrum brand Palm Shortening
10% Almond oil - 2.55 ounces

88.5 gm vinegar (5% acetic acid) to reach the slightly under 1% SA goal
205.18 gm (50% masterbatch lye solution)
83.6 gm distilled water

FO - 1.2grams (it was a woodsy scent that smelled great at first, but didn't last)

EDTA - 0.5% (about 14.39 grams of 39% solution)

I think I used less vinegar than I wanted because I ran out, using up the last of the bottle I had brought with me to the Wisconsin Dells, where I was when I made this soap. (I went away for few days on my own and just made soap.)

Earlene,
Why are you using vinegar and EDTA?
Don't they both make the soap hard?

 

[earlene]

Earlene,
Why are you using vinegar and EDTA?
Don't they both make the soap hard?

No, EDTA has a two-fold effect. First, when used in conjunction with ROE (which I add to my oils when I open the bottles), it helps prevent DOS. Second, it is for soap scum prevention.

The vinegar is for hardening the soap via the Sodium Acetate production.

 

[toxikon]

Just ordered a handful of new WSP fragrances to try for Christmas (and beyond): Peony, Green Apple, Clean Cotton, Sparkling Snowflake, Peppermint Stick, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Verbena & Lemon, Twilight Woods for Men

 

[earlene]

My husband said he would work on getting a piece of 1" by 11.2" piece of wood to fit into the space I want to turn my standard ED mold into a T&S mold. He thinks he has a suitable plank in the basement that will do, so I am looking forward to seeing results. I'll post a picture when it gets done. If he does it today, I may even do that technique I posted about earlier.

 

[Kittish]

More goodies arrived today! Got my copy of Scientific Soapmaking, more shelves for curing, oakmoss absolute and a ginger CO2 absolute.

Unmolded and cut the soaps I made Monday. Interesting differences between the two batches. I'll get pics up at some point today.

ETA: Pics here: First try at confetti

 

[earlene]

Converted standard ED mold into T&S mold

Done!

I thought I'd do a new thread post about this somewhere, but wasn't sure which forum to use. Shopping recommendations? General Chat? Lye? Beginners?

What do you guys think?

Anyway, as planned, my husband cut a piece of board to fit my standard ED mold so that I can insert it to convert the standard mold into a T&S mold. It worked out exactly as planned and I am so pleased!

I covered it in freezer paper and it is going to serve the purpose perfectly, I believe. It converted a mold that produces soap that is 3.25 inches wide into one that will produce soap that will be 2.2 inches wide.

The ED mold is perfect for this kind of conversion, because when filled to the top, the soap can be as tall as 3.7 inches with a smooth top. That excludes any fancy top treatment (which I've never done yet, but might one day attempt.)

Here are some photos demonstrating how easy this was:

Width before the insert:

Width After Insert (2.3 inches):

The Insert wrapped in Freezer Paper to go into the mold:

The result (a collage of the mold from different angles):

 

[Kittish]

That's awesome, earlene! Good job by your husband!

 

[Kristianna]

Looks great!

 

[jewels621]

Yay for handy hubbies who enable our passions! Can't wait to see the soap you produce in that mold!

 

[Cindy2428]

5 soap bubbles (A++) to your hubbie earlene!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Done!

HIP HIP HOORAY! That's quite an achievement, Earlene, and a long time coming. I know cuz I had my fingers crossed for you while, at the same time, knowing you would most likely find a solution! SO happy for you.

:clap:

Well done!

I thought I'd do a new thread post about this somewhere, but wasn't sure which forum to use. Shopping recommendations? General Chat? Lye? Beginners?

ETA:Other Crafts and DIY Projects Forum has DIY molds in there.
​

 

[earlene]

I was going to be packing for our trip today, but it looks like I'll be making soap instead. We can't alter our plans yet (Hurricane Irma is quite possibly going to hit the resort on the day we are supposed to check in) because both the resort & the airport where my husband is flying into are not cancelling reservations yet. The original plan was for me to drive to Charlston, SC to p/u the Hubs at the airport, then on to Hilton Head. So for a few days now we've been trying to prepare ourselves for an alternative plan. He has come up with several alternative ideas, but for now we await further developments.

So the Cosmic Shimmy in my newly converted T&S mold is the order of the day. Maybe I'll name it Irma. I have brought the colorants downstairs and will get started after I eat.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

So the Cosmic Shimmy in my newly converted T&S mold is the order of the day. Maybe I'll name it Irma.

LOL Too funny! And exciting! I'm looking forward to the pics using the Cosmic Shimmy named Irma!

 

[Kittish]

I mixed up some vanillin paste to try out. Mixed 50g of the vanillin crystals I got into 149g of glycerin. It made a white paste maybe about the same viscosity as Elmer's school glue. I would have tried to mix more in, but ran out of space in the jar I mixed it in. :???:

The vanillin powder itself is very fine and visibly crystalline. The fragrance isn't as strong as you'd expect, but it's very pervasive. Single note vanilla, big surprise.

It goes on my growing list of soap batches to make. I'm glad I got an extra set of shelves. I think I'm going to need them.

I also, last night, got the Lavender + ROE experiment set up. One 1/2 ounce bottle of Lavender 40/42 plus one drop of 25% ROE diluted in jojoba, and one 1/2 ounce bottle of Lavender 40/42 with no additive. Virgin bottles, stuck into a cool, dark corner where I can forget about them for a few months.

 

[earlene]

LOL Too funny! And exciting! I'm looking forward to the pics using the Cosmic Shimmy named Irma!

Irma is in the oven! The converted soap mold worked very well. While speaking with my son today I told him about my Hurricane Irma Cosmic Shimmy soap. He thought it sounded pretty cool. So I'll have to send him a bar or two when it's cured.

The colors I chose were white, deep blue and grey to create the storm colors that come with hurricanes. And I used Mad Oils Snow Witch as the fragrance. It smells pretty nice in my kitchen today.

Another new thing I tried is suggested by Anne-Marie Faiola in her books, which is to spray 3 times in 90 minutes (not the usual once and done that I've always done) with rubbing alcohol. Well, I actually did it 3 times in 2 hours, but close enough I hope. We shall see if it makes a difference.

Oh, and for the first time ever using the calculation w x h x l x 0.4 gave me the exact amount of soap batter to fill my mold completely to the top without any leftover batter. That almost never happens.

So our trip to Hilton Head is off and we're working on a replacement destination. It looks like it might be Las Vegas. I'm not a fan, but there is a nearby town with where wild burros roam the streets, and a few state parks and hiking trails that have really great views that make me forget I'm anywhere near 'Sin City.'