What soapy thing have you done today?

[Loralei]

I've been madly busy with work, and prepping for a trade show, but I finally got to make some soap with stearic acid yesterday, to test some results in another thread. Like @amd , I used only 1%... I'm trying to make a moisturizing bar with good lather, haha!!

Coconut oil, shea and cocoa butters, avocado, jojoba, castor, and ricebran oils, with 1% stearic acid. I used alkanet root for colour (too much I think, at 2tbsp pop, but we will see) , and fragranced with rosemary, lavender, and sweet orange essential oils. So, test #1 will be to see how the stearic works in my soap, test #2 will be to see if my rosemary and lavender oils anchor the sweet orange, test #3 will be how the alkanet (infused in oil) behaves in my soap, and test #4 will be to see if I end up with a bubbly, conditioning bar...

 

[MGM]

Edit: Soap cut and I’m really happy with it!

View attachment 35063

It's beautiful! Your white seems pearlescent!

 

[JanelleTrebuna]

Making Confetti Soap tonight! I decided on a floral fragrance - a mix of any sweet smelling fragrances I have (lilac, fairy garden, honeysuckle, jasmine, ginger lime, vanilla). I paid NO ATTENTION to acceleration notes on the bottle! Nor did I pay attention to discoloration! I’m using TD to hopefully whiten the background/base. Fingers crossed! It could be a masterpiece or a total disaster!

Edit: Soap cut and I’m really happy with it!

View attachment 35063

Its beautiful!!! It reminds me of Mardi Gras.

Janelle

 

[JanelleTrebuna]

I finally got to use my goat's milk soap in the shower this morning. I love it. It feels so nice.
I did notice, however, that the fragrance was a bit more muted than it is in my usual recipe.

Janelle

 

[Hendejm]

Its beautiful!!! It reminds me of Mardi Gras.

Janelle

Yes!!! I think I’ll call it “Mardi Gras Bouquet”. Thanks for noticing that!

 

[cmzaha]

U

The Escali does have a tare function. I use it for all oils hard and soft in a single container. Always have. With soft oils I pour slowly, very slowly and the total weight is usually pretty close to the soapcalc total. At least as much maybe a tad over. Sometimes two tads. I wonder if I used separate small containers for soft oils how much I would leave behind when pouring into the pot? A gram? More? Less? One for all and all for one pot has never been a problem for me.



.
I like your style.

I do the same and measure all oils in the same bucket. One thing I do is write the tare weight of my bucket on the bottom of my bucket in case I goof up, which I have certainly been known to do

 

[Alien]

More photos: Picture of the trace I got and the split; soap in mold after scraping out/adding a few more bits of soap; 1st pass clean-up and now just sitting. View attachment 35013 View attachment 35014View attachment 35015

Isn’t soapy fun?

 

[Alien]

Thanks for all this.

Found my receipt and the sandalwood was $13.49 at Natural Grocers. Was surprised -- must not have 'noticed', which happens sometimes. Sort of a 'whim' purchase.

Using a homemade wood mold lined with freezer paper. I will do your tests and hope i can detect 'warm'.

I'm going to try paprika one of these times! It should go well with calendula flowers.

Paprika with calendula sounds very nice...I tried paprika with carrot purée for one of my first batches and was pleased with the results.

 

[Alien]

I do the same and measure all oils in the same bucket. One thing I do is write the tare weight of my bucket on the bottom of my bucket in case I goof up, which I have certainly been known to do

Good idea about putting the weight on the bottom, simple fix for a frequent problem!

 

[Alien]

I generally wait only about 8 hrs before unmolding. Then I let it sit another few hours and then I cut the loaf. I mostly get full gel even when I don’t want it!

Did you say you soap at room temp?

 

[Hendejm]

Did you say you soap at room temp?

I usually soap between 100-110 F.

 

[Zing]

I do the same and measure all oils in the same bucket. One thing I do is write the tare weight of my bucket on the bottom of my bucket in case I goof up, which I have certainly been known to do

Duh!! Why have I never thought about doing that?! This is a great idea. This happens frequently to me, like when I have to go get a new bottle of oil after running out while weighing. Thanks!

I have not gotten brave enough to use one container for liquid oils. I do use my melting pot to measure both palm oil and coconut oil in. If I put too much in, it's easier to remove a bit of solid oils. This was a game changer for me and saves a lot of time.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Making Confetti Soap tonight! I decided on a floral fragrance - a mix of any sweet smelling fragrances I have (lilac, fairy garden, honeysuckle, jasmine, ginger lime, vanilla). I paid NO ATTENTION to acceleration notes on the bottle! Nor did I pay attention to discoloration! I’m using TD to hopefully whiten the background/base. Fingers crossed! It could be a masterpiece or a total disaster!

Edit: Soap cut and I’m really happy with it!

View attachment 35063

Oh WOW. That's amazing! How much TD did you use to get it that white?

 

[KiwiMoose]

I do the same and measure all oils in the same bucket. One thing I do is write the tare weight of my bucket on the bottom of my bucket in case I goof up, which I have certainly been known to do

Very clever - I'm going to start doing that.

 

[Hendejm]

Oh WOW. That's amazing! How much TD did you use to get it that white?

Great question! That would imply that I measured it.....NOT! If I guessed I would say about 2 tbls....not much more than that.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Great question! That would imply that I measured it.....NOT! If I guessed I would say about 2 tbls....not much more than that.

LOL - you soap like I cook - "that'll be about right". I note no glycerin rivers though? Every time I've used TD I get glycerin rivers.

 

[jcandleattic]

Every time I've used TD I get glycerin rivers.

Do you soap with full water, and gel? I only get rivers lately when I use full water and gel my soap.
Usually I gel my soaps, but I soap at a water discount and rarely get rivers.

 

[Hendejm]

I think/hope I’ve learned my lesson with TD....steep water discount - mix TD into fragrance oil and then mix into main soap oils. And maybe also - don’t let it get too hot. I used to put towels around to gel - now I just put a piece of cardboard on top and that’s it.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Do you soap with full water, and gel? I only get rivers lately when I use full water and gel my soap.
Usually I gel my soaps, but I soap at a water discount and rarely get rivers.

I've never understood the 'full water' concept. I use 30% lye concentration and 5% superfat usually. It tends to gel if I make it in a loaf, yes. And it's only in the loaf that I've had the rivers.

 

[Meena]

I think this is a pretty standard feature but that strategy was one that my soap workshop instructor cautioned against, especially for liquid oils... If you pour too much castor oil into your olive oil, it's really hard to get it out .. Back to SoapCalc.....

Good point. I will remember to be really careful. Funny thing is, I did pour my Castor first, lol. I recall getting too much water in the lye pitcher and having to back some out, but I did the oils perfectly. Beginner's luck?