What soapy thing have you done today?

[LadySarah370]

Yesterday, i made a batch of Cucumber Melon bath bomb cupcakes!

The other day I opened my etsy store, was annoyed at avery bc of the business cards I ordered and setup an Instagram account for my store.

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.


Really pretty! I so want to try salt bars.

I want to try the salt soap eventually too!

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.

Oh boy! Good save there lady!

 

[runnerchicki]

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.

I have my lye in a #5 capped container - it's a clear plastic, not opaque. So it should still be fine for long periods of time?

Thank you for the link to the pumpkin soap tutorial. I cut my soap just a few minutes ago. It's a good swirl - but the colors are dull. The black portion looks like charcoal gray (I used a mica.)

I appreciate the tip on molds for salt bars! I have one that is individual round molds that should work. I've only used it for leftover batter before, but it makes a good sized bar.

 

[newlee]

I used a liquid colorant from a craft store to swirl but it didn't have the effect I wanted. A liquid is easier to use but the colors are not vibrant at all but it's good to give soaps a subtle color without pulling out a mica.

 

[RobinRogers]

I cut two batches of soap. The green one is Almond and the blue one is Bay Rum. Both of these soaps have lard.

 

[Nanette]

I made an all coconut bar w aloe vera juice, lemongrass eo. And an in the pot swirl of indigo w sandalwood eo...and aloe vera juice. It is terribly hot and humid here now. Yuck

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.

Have you ever been to Turtle Bay- N shore Oahu....my one trip to paradise!

Have you ever been to Turtle Bay- N shore Oahu....my one trip to paradise!

Nothing to do with soap, ignore me for changing subject!

 

[cmzaha]

I have my lye in a #5 capped container - it's a clear plastic, not opaque. So it should still be fine for long periods of time?

Thank you for the link to the pumpkin soap tutorial. I cut my soap just a few minutes ago. I can tell it's good soap - but the colors are dull. The black portion looks like charcoal gray (I used a mica.)

I appreciate the tip on molds for salt bars! I have one that is individual round molds that should work. I've only used it for leftover batter before, but it makes a good sized bar.

Yes, your lye will be fine. If you have the same round molds I have they work well for salt bars.

I used a liquid colorant from a craft store to swirl but it didn't have the effect I wanted. A liquid is easier to use but the colors are not vibrant at all but it's good to give soaps a subtle color without pulling out a mica.

Not all craft store and most likely no craft store is a high ph colorant which you need for CP soap. Craft stores usually just carry supplies for m&p.

 

[newlee]

Yes, your lye will be fine. If you have the same round molds I have they work well for salt bars.


Not all craft store and most likely no craft store is a high ph colorant which you need for CP soap. Craft stores usually just carry supplies for m&p.

Yeah, I pretty much knew that but I wanted to experiment. It did color my soap so I can still use it. It wasn't a total waste.

 

[Mooicle]

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.

View attachment 40403

Wow!!! SO pretty!

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

I also thought you meant temp outside but thought there is no possible way it could be that hot outside!!


I finally just finished making soap after not soaping for over a week. My daughter was home getting her wisdom teeth out and I was taking care of her and thoughts of soap went to the back of my mind. She left Saturday and soap thoughts have been POURING into my brain. I just did a pour I have never done before and switched up my recipe, adding in some more liquid oils and decreasing my hard. Holy cow it made a big difference in my pour...I had TONS of time to work. I soap pretty high temp so it seems my batter is always moving quickly. AND I tried a new FO and OH...MY...GOODNESS! The best smell of all time...
Iced Tea Twist from WSP.... If I could have something to drink that smelled like THAT then I would be the happiest camper of all time.

 

[Rembetissa]

I made this hot process "flower swirl". First "pretty" soap I'm happy with. The smaller flowers were where I tried to pipe. The larger ones were where I gave up and just plopped in the red like a long

 

[runnerchicki]

I cut a 1-lb batch of soap made with tallow today. The fragrance was NG Lavender Martini and it is not smelling very pleasant. I don't know if it is the fragrance itself, or the fact that I have tallow in the recipe and it isn't playing well with the FO. This is only my second time soaping with tallow so I don't have a whole lot to compare. The tallow is not strong smelling on its own and it didn't interfere with my fragrance the first time I used it. The soap doesn't smell beefy ... it just smells like cheap cologne.

Maybe it will improve as it cures, but I think I will keep looking for a different lavender or break down and use my lavender EO from now on.

 

[earlene]

Have you ever been to Turtle Bay- N shore Oahu....my one trip to paradise!

No, but we have a new nickname for my granddaughter: La niña que nada con tortugas. She swam with 6 yesterday.

Back to my salt soap/humidity experiment. It appears that a one year cure has made my salt soap much more impervious to the humidity now than it was at 4 weeks. I find that quite interesting. Sitting out in full-on humidity on the lanai for 24 hours and no water beads appeared - no a one. At 4 weeks multiple beads of water. So the lengthy cure seems to have prevented that. The exterior of the soap was wet, yes, but a smooth overall moisture as opposed to the pooling of beads on the surface that I saw last year. I sure wish I had taken photographs of it last year!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Yeah, I pretty much knew that but I wanted to experiment. It did color my soap so I can still use it. It wasn't a total waste.

Pretty color! What kind of colorant did you use?

I made this hot process "flower swirl". First "pretty" soap I'm happy with. The smaller flowers were where I tried to pipe. The larger ones were where I gave up and just plopped in the red like a long View attachment 40481

Those are super pretty. I’m always amazed when I see what other people can get with HP. I get lumpy, lumpy soap...

 

[Rembetissa]

... it just smells like cheap cologne.

I hope it improves! I used to think I hated the smell of lavender until I started growing it. Turns out, it's just lavender fragrance that makes my nose crinkle.

 

[Lin19687]

I cut a 1-lb batch of soap made with tallow today. The fragrance was NG Lavender Martini and it is not smelling very pleasant. I don't know if it is the fragrance itself, or the fact that I have tallow in the recipe and it isn't playing well with the FO. This is only my second time soaping with tallow so I don't have a whole lot to compare. The tallow is not strong smelling on its own and it didn't interfere with my fragrance the first time I used it. The soap doesn't smell beefy ... it just smells like cheap cologne.

Maybe it will improve as it cures, but I think I will keep looking for a different lavender or break down and use my lavender EO from now on.

Lav will smell off at first, just give it time and it will even out in a few weeks
My Lav/Sage does this all the time

 

[newlee]

Pretty color! What kind of colorant did you use?

Just something I got from Michael's. I don't think I'm going to use it for CP because I just did a PH test on this soap and the water was tainted pink. I probably used too much.

 

[Audreegrl74]

Hi, all... Today I'm watching my fave YouTubers... Ariene Arsenault, Royalty Soaps, Royal Apple Berry, Tree Marie, Kapia Mera, Ophelia's Soapery... Etc... Wish I could be soaping but I ran out of NaOH Waiting on an internet order to come in. Hurry up, UPS! Why is this craft so darn addicting??? Lol

 

[runnerchicki]

Today I beveled some soaps - first time I've done it (using a potato peeler). Some bars look great! Some bars less great. Those will be mine lol. The lavender martini scented soap is slightly improving and I am optimistic that it will keep getting better as it cures.

 

[Dawni]

I didn't get time last night even when I thought I would.. So I made my challenge soap today but no way am I entering this one, nor am I showing any of you lol.

Lemme just say... Fugliest soap ever. I used the same recipe that gave me great results last challenge and I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong this time.

If this ever miraculously unfuglifies itself in the mold maybe I'll post it. Maaaaybeee....

 

[KiwiMoose]

I didn't get time last night even when I thought I would.. So I made my challenge soap today but no way am I entering this one, nor am I showing any of you lol.

Lemme just say... Fugliest soap ever. I used the same recipe that gave me great results last challenge and I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong this time.

If this ever miraculously unfuglifies itself in the mold maybe I'll post it. Maaaaybeee....

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Today I beveled some soaps - first time I've done it (using a potato peeler). Some bars look great! Some bars less great. Those will be mine lol. The lavender martini scented soap is slightly improving and I am optimistic that it will keep getting better as it cures.

My attempts to use a potato peeler always seem to go off course and in the worst cases I would end up making a gouge in the edge of the soap. I switched to using the back of my peeling knife to bevel. I’m dragging the knife rather than cutting the soap. I can go back and forth a few times if I want a wider bevel. I’ve done it when the soap is fairly fresh and also after a week or two and the results have been similar.

I didn't get time last night even when I thought I would.. So I made my challenge soap today but no way am I entering this one, nor am I showing any of you lol.

Lemme just say... Fugliest soap ever. I used the same recipe that gave me great results last challenge and I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong this time.

If this ever miraculously unfuglifies itself in the mold maybe I'll post it. Maaaaybeee....

If you haven’t even cut it yet, how do you know this? I’m keeping my hopes up for you