What soapy thing have you done today?

[Relle]

Hello everyone! Well, I finally set down and created my first batch of soaps. I used a honey mp with a blend of grapefruit fragrance and citrus essential oils. It was scary and exciting to create my own soaps for my first time. Everyone seems to love them and the way each one smells. I know as time go by, I will get better at this, but I’m so excited. Figuring out the right measurements seem confusing, but I’m getting the hang of it. I’m blind and I realized single molds work better for me at this point and pouring from smaller containers with a spout so as not to waste any of my product everywhere. I took photos and I’m already getting people putting in orders for soaps. Seems overwhelming, but I’m so happy!

Please do not sell your soaps until you know what you are doing, you are only new at this, you need time to figure out how it all works. Here is a link -
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/are-you-ready-to-sell-your-soap.16002/

 

[Chris_S]

@Dawni they look the same as my loaf molds and iv only ever had an issue when iv unmolded when the soap is too soft. i now tend to take the silicone out the wood box then give it a softness test through the silicone. Then only fully unmold once it feels ready to not get dented while releasing from the mold.

Not soaping but i made some coffee scented candles and some spearmint eo melts. Tomorrow or technically today given its nearly 3am ill be having a look at a local shop who apparently sell avocado oil. Then going to try another batch with a different fo.

Think my coffee soap is ready today so might wrap that up once iv sorted out the melts and candles

 

[SaltedFig]

Andalusian salt bars @ -25%

(I had some trials to run, including Zany's faux recipe, so I thought I'd throw this one in too ... it's been on the list for a while, don't think salt bars have been done in this style before?).

 

[Iluminameluna]

Yesterday afternoon I unmolded a recipe I posted about just recently in another thread. It hardened SO quickly, it was a pleasant surprise! It had a 95% frozen milk/5% plain water and the lye dissolved completely. No scorching and very little stink.
I was so pleased that today I made basically the same recipe, but instead of milk I added cucumber juice with 2 tbsp of raw sugar mixed in then frozen. I didn't let the juice thaw and added the lye flakes and STIRRED.
The batter came out a beautiful shade of light green and was a dream to pour! Then it became quite solid after it was in the mold.
Took copious notes for the next time I make it. Maybe tomorrow!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I made my first batch of soap in my new loaf mold. Split the batter into two and coloured half with blue - which looks like a browny-pink colour presently - and used a Winter Daphne fragrance oil (smells divine!) - the other half I left natural colour and scented with Ylang Ylang and Palmarosa EOs. I've had trouble with both these before causing acceleration, but because I was ready for it this time it didn't cause a problem. then with my newly purchased plastic coated wire clothes hanger I did a pattern! VERY EXCITED! Can't wait for it to set so I can cut it for my big surprise.

Edit next morning: I went to check on my 'baby' last night to see it was gelling! I got quite excited about that too, as my bar soaps that I usually make don't seem to gel -except once and I wondered what on earth was happening - lol. Is it more likely that loaf soaps will gel because of the heat build up in a larger mold? Anyway, thanks to the gelling process my 'pinky brown' has turned a lovely violet blue colour which I'm far more happy with.

 

[Dean]

Made a batch of 100% CO no SF liquid laundry soap this wkend. Previous batches had white stuff floating in it that wouldn’t strain out and would get on the clothes. The dryer would take care of it but it still annoyed me. This AM I filtered the soap thru a coffee filter. Hopefully that will do the trick.

 

[Chris_S]

Weighed out a batch of oils while waiting for my tea to cook. Just need to sort the lye then got to making it after i let my tea settle doctors advised i shouldnt get over excited too close to eating, just because im special like that.

The fo accelerated AGAIN this is getting boring now. Iv used that fo before and dont remember it accelerating but oh well made a note about it this time i think i just about saved it but should know in the morning if its presentable. Rinsed everything off and threw it all in the dishwasher to properly clean.

Input this and my last 2 batches into sm3 ended up sat at the desk swearing like a trooper because it was really confusing me. So i gave up on that and just for @shunt2011 i edited the cigar labels she told me were wrong the other day. Hope your happy now shunt

Does anyone here who sells in america do a nice apple scented soap? A friend who lives in america asked me if i would sell her an apple scented soap obviously i cant but i said i would ask here maybe via etsy or an independent website that i could send her a link too?

 

[Lorey]

I trimmed some Palo Santo Soaps I made, and also some Cocoa Butter soap, I used a nice strong chocolate smelling cocoa butter, cocoa powder and also cocoa essential oil in my recipe , turned out very nice, did a fluid hot process stick blender. Smells good.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Woot! I unmolded my first loaf soap - pattern wasn't as obvious as I would have liked but I'm still quite happy with it. No zap already - is that because it gelled?

 

[Dawni]

Nice! I love the color on that! And yes, I still do see a pattern

@Lorey, nice! Have you always done fluid HP? Does any of your soap warp after some time?

I tried @Chris_S recipe with beeswax after some tweaks... It was a dream to soap with and stayed nice n fluid til the end. I'm guessing it's from all the sugars keeping it hot.

Once again, I deemed it fluid enough for individual molds, so let's see what they look like after. I'm hoping for even just a shallow impression *fingers crossed*

 

[SaltedFig]

Woah! That's some serious purple happening @KiwiMoose ! Nice first loaf
(and yes, gelled CP can be just as saponified as a "cooked" HP soap - it can be completely zap free once it's set up)

Cute beeswax soaps @Dawni (I like your molds) - what thread was Chris's recipe in that you followed?)

 

[KiwiMoose]

Woah! That's some serious purple happening @KiwiMoose ! Nice first loaf
(and yes, gelled CP can be just as saponified as a "cooked" HP soap - it can be completely zap free once it's set up)

It's blue apparently, but both times I've used it, it's turned out purple.

 

[JanelleTrebuna]

Woot! I unmolded my first loaf soap - pattern wasn't as obvious as I would have liked but I'm still quite happy with it. No zap already - is that because it gelled?
View attachment 33795 View attachment 33796

Gorgeous soap!
I love the color.

 

[Chris_S]

Woah! That's some serious purple happening @KiwiMoose ! Nice first loaf
(and yes, gelled CP can be just as saponified as a "cooked" HP soap - it can be completely zap free once it's set up)

Cute beeswax soaps @Dawni (I like your molds) - what thread was Chris's recipe in that you followed?)

@SaltedFig This was the recipe i sent @Dawni that she mixxed up to suit her available oils ect. I have since changed this recipe to include sunflower oil and castor oil. But iv been leaving beeswax out the past few batch but iv just been experimenting to find my fave recipe

sweet almond oil 15%
coconut oil 20%
olive oil 30%
cocoa butter 8.5%
palm oil 25%
beeswax 1.5%

My new recipe without beeswax although if i included it i would take 1.5% out of the butter or sunflower oil and add in the 1.5% beeswax. This is definantly my fave recipe so far but ill take any comments on what might make it better

sweet almond oil 15%
castor oil 5%
coconut oil 15%
olive oil 15%
palm oil 25%
shea butter 10%
Sunflower oil 10%

 

[Dawni]

Thanks @SaltedFig! These were the cheapest molds I could find hehe.. I can share mine too if anyone's interested? Our numbers ended up slightly different due to me not having palm oil..

My only additives were diluted honey in some of the called for liquid, and rice powder added to the oils. Sugar to the water before the lye coz I used a lot of butters and wanted extra help with the bubbles.

Thanks again, @Chris_S!

 

[Loralei]

@KiwiMoose I love that colour!! Have no idea why it isn't blue, but it's beautiful!!

@Dawni I'm excited to see your soap when you unmold!

 

[amd]

This weekend: Cut and stamped the dead sea mud soleseife. Really happy with how it turned out.

Also made my vday soap. Very unhappy with my calculations. I wanted very clean even lines, but the calculations were off so I didn't have enough soap to make a complete layer. I probably would have been better off winging this one. And then the soap went through a hot gel, so the mp embeds look weird now (at least they look weird to me). Overall though, I think it's a cute soap and smells great.

 

[Loralei]

@amd I th7nk that they are both lovely! And I actually prefer wonky layers, when I see them.. my life in science is structured enough, lol!

 

[JanelleTrebuna]

I faced a conundrum; I wanted to make goat's milk soap for me and my daughter, but I had no room left on the three little baking racks stacked in my closet. So.... I decided to completely re-arrange my sewing room closet. I took the fabric and moved it out into the sewing room proper to take advantage of the marvelous long plastic coated wire shelves that it was previously sitting on for my soap. Now, with (2) 8 1/2 foot racks I can soap for days....

 

[Chris_S]

I faced a conundrum; I wanted to make goat's milk soap for me and my daughter, but I had no room left on the three little baking racks stacked in my closet. So.... I decided to completely re-arrange my sewing room closet. I took the fabric and moved it out into the sewing room proper to take advantage of the marvelous long wire coated wire shelves that it was previously sitting on for my soap. Now, with (2) 8 1/2 foot racks I can soap for days....

your not putting them on bare metal are you? if its not plastic coated you need to line it with something