What soapy thing have you done today?

[Meena]

Yay! Congrats! I have a mold I do 17 oz of oils for and it does seem to cook faster than a bigger batch in a bigger crock.

Here is my Aloe and Green clover
View attachment 35349

Thanks, and oh man are your soaps Gorgeous!!! You are the Queen of HP!!

If I do this again (and I might), I will use a bit more water than full water (perhaps because our Colorado climate is so dry) and remove soap from heat at about 85% gel because I think I saw some dry bits and streaks, so may have overcooked a little... and also, I didn't see where you said you put extra water because of all your stirring until after i was done!.

NOW my only 'issue' is how to get these out of the PVC molds ... :/ So far they are not budging!!! HELP!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Thanks, and oh man are your soaps Gorgeous!!! You are the Queen of HP!!

If I do this again (and I might), I will use a bit more water than full water (perhaps because our Colorado climate is so dry) and remove soap from heat at about 85% gel because I think I saw some dry bits and streaks, so may have overcooked a little... and also, I didn't see where you said you put extra water because of all your stirring until after i was done!.

NOW my only 'issue' is how to get these out of the PVC molds ... :/ So far they are not budging!!! HELP!!

I literally pull my mould inside out to get it off. Scarey stuff.

 

[Misschief]

NOW my only 'issue' is how to get these out of the PVC molds ... :/ So far they are not budging!!! HELP!!

Try popping them in the freezer for a while.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

When I made my first batch for the challenge it accelerated too quickly for me to use as challenge soap. It's still soap, and it smells yummo! I used a combo of Jasmine and Anjou pear. Anyway I had some leftover 'paint' from the challenge soaps, so i thought I may as well do these too:
View attachment 35353

you do amazing work

 

[Chris_S]

Looks like my charcoal soap gelled because it was ready to unmold after about 10-12 hours.

Nothing special this time but its an entirely new recipe and a first for clay poppy seeds charcoal and a soap without either palm or animal fat in more because thats the recipe i fancied trying. meant to be a face soap but will see when its ready to test in a few weeks. i know it needs longer than that for a cure but i often wait a few weeks to try new soaps for personal use only i may add

 

[Meena]

Tried the freezer trick but I think i left them about 20 minutes, due to distractions.
I first went around the circumference with a hot butter knife and tried getting them out, then put them in the freezer; and then SO )happybirthday) tried to pull them out, but no go. I didn't see what he did next, but he jimmied them out with some breakage -- the second one was stuck the worst and made a mess.
Won't be using unlined PVC again!

 

[Dean]

Hid my Zany no Zlime Zoap from myself so I would stop compulsively lather testing them.

 

[jcandleattic]

Tried the freezer trick but I think i left them about 20 minutes, due to distractions.
I first went around the circumference with a hot butter knife and tried getting them out, then put them in the freezer; and then SO )happybirthday) tried to pull them out, but no go. I didn't see what he did next, but he jimmied them out with some breakage -- the second one was stuck the worst and made a mess.
Won't be using unlined PVC again!

Is that a ridge in the mold? That would probably make it hard to get out even with the freezer trick.
I typically let my pvc pipe in the freezer for the entire sapoinification process (18-24) hours, then when taking out of the freezer, they should pop right out. But my pvc doesn't have that ridge. (Maybe I'm seeing something that's not there?)

 

[Chris_S]

Contemplating soap making or mega procrastination again just about to put my charcoal soaps on curing racks. Think ill dig out my diary and update that with cure dates i keep forgetting to make a record and end up scrolling through here or my phone gallery to see when i took pics

 

[Meena]

Is that a ridge in the mold? That would probably make it hard to get out even with the freezer trick.
I typically let my pvc pipe in the freezer for the entire sapoinification process (18-24) hours, then when taking out of the freezer, they should pop right out. But my pvc doesn't have that ridge. (Maybe I'm seeing something that's not there?)

You're seeing right, dear J. I mentioned that to SO when he came home with those, but he said they all had them.
*sigh*, he tries ... but he doesn't always realize what's required. I may look for other ones myself later on.

 

[jcandleattic]

You're seeing right, dear J. I mentioned that to SO when he came home with those, but he said they all had them.
*sigh*, he tries ... but he doesn't always realize what's required. I may look for other ones myself later on.

No, they don't all have it. Maybe end pieces like the ones you show all have them, but tbh, I've never seen any with ridges like that.

Home Depot or any home improvement/plumbing store will have them.

 

[Meena]

No, they don't all have it. Maybe end pieces like the ones you show all have them, but tbh, I've never seen any with ridges like that.

Home Depot or any home improvement/plumbing store will have them.

I thought so, too. He got these at Lowe's ... so ... dunno what happened. Like I said, he tries!!!

 

[Meena]

Cut yesterday's soaps into bars, smushed all the errant bits together into a very rustic bar and hoping they'll stay put (still a bit putty-like, so it's probably lucky that that batch was HP), and set them in front of a fan to speed-evaporate a bit before setting them to cure. (Hoping this is an okay thing to do?)

SUPER happy with yesterday's recipe -- this will be my standard recipe for my own skin, now. Going to work on shampoo bars for SO and liquid hand soap for the house.... BUT ... Putting together an order from my local soapmaking supplier and they DON'T HAVE KOH!!! What the heck?? (Darn meth-heads)

Still waiting for my silicone molds. My order from Chemistry Connection/Make Your Own shipped today, with my ROE, larger plastic beakers with that long pour spout (yeah, technical jargon at its best!!!), mango butter, and 6-pack of assorted .5 oz micas.

Probably enough soap stuff for one day!

 

[Chris_S]

just had my first go at shampoo bars been on my list to try for a few months now but found a recipe earlier and was curious to how it would turn out with 22% castor oil in it only ever tried castor oil at 5% or lower so was more an experiment more than anything. Im pretty happy with my regular recipe and dont feel it needs much changes so for something different and an experiment decided this shampoo bar was worth a punt cant see why it cant be used as a hand soap if its no good for a shampoo bar.

Made made on dates in my diary while i was waiting for the lye to cool and made some notes too.

 

[Meena]

just had my first go at shampoo bars been on my list to try for a few months now but found a recipe earlier and was curious to how it would turn out with 22% castor oil in it only ever tried castor oil at 5% or lower so was more an experiment more than anything. Im pretty happy with my regular recipe and dont feel it needs much changes so for something different and an experiment decided this shampoo bar was worth a punt cant see why it cant be used as a hand soap if its no good for a shampoo bar.

Made made on dates in my diary while i was waiting for the lye to cool and made some notes too.

You're much better at swirls than i am. These look great!

 

[Chris_S]

You're much better at swirls than i am. These look great!

Its actually just the one just from different angles and i moved it from the shelf to the desk for the second photo for better lighting. I use a metal kebab squewer for the top i mixed rhe batter a bit thicker than i intended but i tried something i saw on youtube which would be better with a wooden spoon with a round handle the one i used was a rectangle and you drag it around the outside of the mold so i did that then did my usual swirls then changed my mind and changed the top i think i used about 4 different techniques in total not all went to plan. I have been soaping since july now so got quite a bit more experienced over that time. Youll get there with time just be patient. some of my best soaps have been the result of an accidentally unsuccessful success lmao

Thats one my faverate soaps iv done and it was meant to be a split half and half from each end so i just guessed how to sort it and got that as a result i absolutly love the blue in that too think it looks kinda like the sea with waves underwater nothing like i visioned before making it lol

 

[Dennis]

We buy our coconut oil at BigLots. Every three months they have a 20% off sale. Their 101 oz. is usually $12.00. We got it for $9. Didn’t know Walmart carried Shea butter. Please let me know how it is.

I will and thanks for the heads up on Big Lots coconut oil. That's a much better deal than WalMart. There are several Big Lot stores here so will definitely be checking them out.
Here's the shea butter. White or yellow, available in 8 or 16 oz sizes. I don't need much and if you do the cost is high in these sizes.

 

[Dawni]

Thanks, and oh man are your soaps Gorgeous!!! You are the Queen of HP!!

I keep telling her something to that effect too hehe.. I always love seeing your soaps @msunnerstood, and this one is no exception

@Meena, I see I do it a bit differently than you guys. I don't stir much at all after trace, and I don't take temps other than by hovering my hand in the beginning before combining oils n lye, and I turn the pot off at around 90% (not sure about percentage, but it's when there's only a small island of "raw" left) gelled, and I add some of the water called for very hot after the cook for fluidity. I say, if you like your results, stick with your method. And I see your HP "technique" is a success, and the unmolding is a minor issue

Looking good @Chris_S! Both soaps look great.. Charcoal one nice n smooth and swirl one very pretty! Can't wait to see cut pics

@KiwiMoose you already know what I think of your soaps, and your dots

@JanelleTrebuna I will wait for cut pics, even now I'm already loving the colors in that, even though they're not what you planned

 

[Donee']

6 loaves
and housework
BOOOJAAAA

Tomorrow is wrapping and labelling

So chuffed with myself - found out that if i pour high and thin I can get bubbles in the MP. Gives it that swampy look.
Will post pics of the new ones. First time getting fancy.

 

[MGM]

Using SOAP to clean out the tub after last night's bath bomb disaster! Made bath bombs with my son the other day: two-tone, with a shimmery pink and a dark amethyst mica. Well, the amethyst looked a lot like cement as soon as we mixed it in. Then the first two we unmolded collapsed entirely. Waited another 12 hours and the rest unmolded ok (but not great. I am using the flower soap mold, not a proper BB mold). Last night, Milo had a bath and I dumped the 2 fallen-apart bath bombs in with him. There was one huge fizz and he immediately became covered in dirt-coloured oil. Looked like he'd been playing in black sand. And the tub was a disaster. I kind of don't get the appeal of bath bombs at the best of times, but these really bombed.
They sure smelled great though!! Mango-Pomegranate from NDA. In fact, the whole house smelled great!