What soapy thing have you done today?

[msunnerstood]

Meant to post this this morning after the cut but a giant severe thunderstorm knocked out power for 6 hours.

Here is the Black Ginger Bamboo soap. I used Yogurt powder in this batch instead of fresh yogurt for fluidity and it work well.

 

[runnerchicki]

I made rice milk soap today. I did one with tallow and one with palm to test side by side (this was my first tallow recipe). They are in the molds now and look like they are gelling so I will hopefully unmold tomorrow and I'll post pictures. My rice milk lye solution got pretty thick, but blended in okay. I hope.

Here's the cut. The first picture shows the teeny tall/skinny mold I used for one of the batches. I put a 12-in t/s next to it for reference. It's so tiny!

The bars on the right with pink salt topping are my regular basic recipe using rice milk for half the water, and 5% RBO for part of the OO. I used Rice Petals & Shea fragrance oil from NG. The plain bars on the left are almost the same recipe except I used tallow (first time) instead of palm. I wanted to be able to compare the recipes side by side. This is the simplest soap I have made yet, and I am so glad I didn't use colorants. The creamy white color goes perfect with the fragrance.

I can't wait for the cure because I am dying to see how the rice milk affects the soap.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Here's the cut. The first picture shows the teeny tall/skinny mold I used for one of the batches. I put a 12-in t/s next to it for reference. It's so tiny!

The bars on the right with pink salt topping are my regular basic recipe using rice milk for half the water, and 5% RBO for part of the OO. I used Rice Petals & Shea fragrance oil from NG. The plain bars on the left are almost the same recipe except I used tallow (first time) instead of palm. I wanted to be able to compare the recipes side by side. This is the simplest soap I have made yet, and I am so glad I didn't use colorants. The creamy white color goes perfect with the fragrance.

I can't wait for the cure because I am dying to see how the rice milk affects the soap. View attachment 40415

They look nice and it will be interesting to hear what you think of the tallow versus palm comparison.
What are the dimensions of the tiny tall skinny mold? I make a lot of small batches and would love to have one that size. I’m still using cardboard boxes for my 1 lb of oil batches.

 

[runnerchicki]

They look nice and it will be interesting to hear what you think of the tallow versus palm comparison.
What are the dimensions of the tiny tall skinny mold? I make a lot of small batches and would love to have one that size. I’m still using cardboard boxes for my 1 lb of oil batches.

The tiny tall skinny interior dimensions are 6" long x 2" wide x 3" tall. I used 15 oz. oils for the bars pictured. I got the mold from Micas and More. The bars actually fit really nice in my hand. It would be great for testing recipes. I liked it so much I bought a second one.

 

[cmzaha]

I actually made 2 more batches of soap today. One Patch with DB the other BRV. Both are with my high palm recipe with vinegar, sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA and Sorbitol. Nothing fancy, but I am liking the colors. Of course, the Patch with DB is going to darken more.



Black Raspberry Vanilla

 

[Lin19687]

100 F here the last 2 days, today too. So no soaping

 

[Cutetaxguy]

Yesterday I made a batch of hot process soap. I have decided to go heavy on the avocado oil for a while I’m hoping to eventually start selling. I used tallow, avocado oil, olive , coconut, castor , kokum butter and added cocoa powder, oatmeal, and beer.
The day before I made a vegan version of the base recipe and added avocado fruit, oatmeal and almond cream

 

[Dawni]

Here is the Black Ginger Bamboo soap. I used Yogurt powder in this batch instead of fresh yogurt for fluidity and it work well.

View attachment 40403

That swirl is so cool

I actually made 2 more batches of soap today. One Patch with DB the other BRV. Both are with my high palm recipe with vinegar, sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA and Sorbitol. Nothing fancy, but I am liking the colors. Of course, the Patch with DB is going to darken more.

View attachment 40425

I love that one on the right.. Excited to see it cut

 

[Kari Howie]

I used micas for the first time. So easy, so colorful, no fading...

View attachment 40396

And so beautiful!

 

[earlene]

I am testing my salt soap. I started an experiment of sorts last year in Hawaii and since we are here again, am continuing the same experiment. I made a batch of salt soap with 1:1 salt to oils on May 1, 1018. I wanted to test a theory that I have that humidity affects how my skin reacts to some soaps. Although it was too young to do a solid evaluation of the soap I brought a bar along on our trip to Hawaii knowing we would be in a very humid environment without any Air Conditioning in our unit. This also gave me the opportunity to test my observations (another theory, but based on the limited experience of Illinois humidity) I had that ambient water in the air interacts with soap when left out in the open to the humidity.

As a result of how the soap behaved in the environmental conditions in Hawaii, at about 4 weeks of age, I felt it only fair to re-visit this experiment when we came back now that the same batch of soap is about 15 months of age. I brought 2 bars with me this trip. Both have been wrapped in shrink wrap and stored inside a cardboard/paperboard box for the past year, so this morning I unwrapped both and used one to wash my hands (testing the lather and how it will affect my skin, as the jury is still out when it comes to how I feel about salt soap on my skin). The other bar remains unused for now. Both bars are on the lanai with the ceiling fan turned on; the reason for that is to simulate the environment last year when we stayed in a resort without indoor AC; only ceiling fans and open windows for the sea breeze to cool the internal environment. This resort has indoor AC, so the lanai is the closest I can come to duplicating the same environment. Both resorts are on the ocean, and perhaps not quite the same exact distance from the water, but pretty close. And although they are two different islands, and the charts list relative humidity as slightly different between the islands, it's still pretty close.

NB the humidity on the Hawaiian Islands has always felt different to me than it does in some other places. To me it feels different than the Florida Keys humidity; different than the Illinois humidity in which I now live; and perhaps different from the humidity in the Rain Forests of Mexico. And I grew up on the West coast of the US and although some people report humidity, I rarely felt or noticed it much while living there day-to-day for 50 years. I suspect that my have to do with familiarity more than anything else, although I do recall noticing that it did get muggy sometimes.

I am sure I would also notice differences in the humidity in many other countries, but these are the ones with which I am most familiar when it comes to humidity.

 

[cmzaha]

Finally got around to pouring my salt bars after 2 weeks of preparing the oils for the batch. I fragrance with Salty Mariner. I really like Salty Sea Air from Soap Supplies but wanted to use up the last of my Salty Mariner. I cut these in an hour with an outside temp of 133º F so still pretty warm. These are made with 100% fine salt and some oatmeal

 

[Zany_in_CO]

with an outside temp of 133º F

Seriously???!!! Oh my... you must be close to the Desert?

 

[earlene]

Seriously???!!! Oh my... you must be close to the Desert?

I think she meant the outside temperature of the soap.

 

[cmzaha]

Yep, outside temp of the soap, not the air. Since I pour salt bars in 6 lb loaf molds I cut when they are still very warm

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I actually made 2 more batches of soap today. One Patch with DB the other BRV. Both are with my high palm recipe with vinegar, sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA and Sorbitol. Nothing fancy, but I am liking the colors. Of course, the Patch with DB is going to darken more.

View attachment 40425

View attachment 40452 Black Raspberry Vanilla

Those are super pretty soaps. Look pretty fancy to me!

Finally got around to pouring my salt bars after 2 weeks of preparing the oils for the batch. I fragrance with Salty Mariner. I really like Salty Sea Air from Soap Supplies but wanted to use up the last of my Salty Mariner. I cut these in an hour with an outside temp of 133º F so still pretty warm. These are made with 100% fine salt and some oatmeal

View attachment 40453

Why does it take so long to prepare the oils?

100 F here the last 2 days, today too. So no soaping

It’s almost 8 pm here in Virginia and the heat index is still 105F. Thank goodness the weather report calls for temps in the high 80s, lower 90s later this week. It’s been brutal.

The tiny tall skinny interior dimensions are 6" long x 2" wide x 3" tall. I used 15 oz. oils for the bars pictured. I got the mold from Micas and More. The bars actually fit really nice in my hand. It would be great for testing recipes. I liked it so much I bought a second one.

Thank you for this information. That is the perfect size for the test batches I make, too.

 

[cmzaha]

Why does it take so long to prepare the oils?

I batched up 10 buckets of oils and 1 for the salt bars. I finished the other batches but the salt batch stared at me for 2 weeks.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I batched up 10 buckets of oils and 1 for the salt bars. I finished the other batches but the salt batch stared at me for 2 weeks.

I’m so accustomed to making 1 and 2 lb batches that It’s hard for me to even imagine working with the quantities that you use and have to measure! I don’t think my back would hold out.

 

[runnerchicki]

Today I attempted a pumpkin spice swirl soap. Um... I don't think it is going to look very nice and it makes me sad. We will see tomorrow or the next day when I unmold it. I need to practice swirls more obviously. I also made a small loaf of a single color (for obvious reasons!) to use up the last of my 50/50 lye master batch that I didn't think should sit for another week. I tried CPOP for the first time today as well. Freaked out most of the afternoon wondering if I can ever cook food in my oven again.

Finally got around to pouring my salt bars after 2 weeks of preparing the oils for the batch. I fragrance with Salty Mariner. I really like Salty Sea Air from Soap Supplies but wanted to use up the last of my Salty Mariner. I cut these in an hour with an outside temp of 133º F so still pretty warm. These are made with 100% fine salt and some oatmeal

View attachment 40453

Really pretty! I so want to try salt bars.

 

[cmzaha]

runnerchicki, if you cap cooled lye contained in a #2 or #5 container your masterbatch will actually last for years.

Your soap just might surprise you. I have had some that I th0ught would be hideous and have actually turned out pretty. Soap Queen actually has a good tutorial for pumpkin soap. This is coming from someone that is not her greatest fan. https://tinyurl.com/yxb4hhcs

When you decide to try salt bars I recommend using individual cavity molds for unmolding purposes. I have to cut while they are quite warm so they do not badly crumble on the bottom edge. I know my recipe and know I have to cut around 45 minutes after gel.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Me and hubby are fasting tonight, so he was preparing something for dinner for his son (adult, don't ask me why he can't get his own dinner...but anyways...) and I was sitting in the lounge. Suddenly I rushed into the kitchen after a sudden realisation. "Have you got the oven on?" I asked him? "Yes, he replied. I hastily opened the oven door and rescued my 16 bars of CPOPping soap before they were turned into miniature volcanoes. Luckily he had only just turned it on.
#First world soaping problems.