What soapy thing have you done today?

[amd]

I made soap on Monday night! And learned some very big lessons... like, when you know the oils are too hot don't make soap. Although I seem to have to keep relearning this lesson. I used an FO that I know is well behaved, but my oils were much hotter than I usually soap at (120F, so I don't think abnormally hot for some soapers, but for me this is REALLY hot), so everything seized in nanoseconds. Thanks to some advice from this forum, I threw a towel over the bowls and walked away for 5 minutes to let things start gelling, and then I was able to stir in color. Note to self: next time premix color in oil, you have time to do that, and mixing will be much easier and you won't have little blobbies of powder in your soap. Anyways, cut soap yesterday and it doesn't look horrible considering what I was dealing with. Tonight I'm making a Cool Water dupe, i think with an Ione Swirl, oils should be at proper temps by now (hahaha).

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

Well I finally finished the chicken and egg soap project last night and cut it. A few things need tweaking. My eggs lost their yellow color and went more tan. My inner egg white doesn't quite match the outer egg white but that could just be because it's freshly cut. Overall for a first try it's not bad. It's made with goat milk, fresh eggs from my chickens and scented with linden lime blossoms from Nurture. When cut just right there's an egg on one side and a chicken on the other.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

When cut just right there's an egg on one side and a chicken on the other.

My, my, aren't you clever! LUV it! Still doesn't answer the question tho. Or does it?

 

[rdc1978]

I got my first slicer and now feel like a real soaper and am happy as a little boy on Christmas morning! Thanks to @rdc1978 who recommended one that shipped for free instead of an arm and a leg. I unmolded and cut WITH MY NEW SLICER my gardener's soap, photos are Gardener's soap

I'm so excited for you! And for me! Looking at your photos gets me all hyped! Mine is arriving tomorrow!

 

[earlene]

This morning I placed an order with Soaper's Choice (Columbus Foods) and have already received a text from UPS that my order will be delivered tomorrow!!! I think this is the fastest I have ever had an order from anyone, even Soaper's Choice. They are usually pretty fast, but this is unprecedented!

 

[Katy Brown]

Not today but over the course of my Quarantine I have made 5 small batches of soap. Tried out HP for the first time and it turned out great. Took pictures and started a binder of my batches and recipes so that I can keep track of which ones I like and which ones I don't.

 

[shunt2011]

This morning I placed an order with Soaper's Choice (Columbus Foods) and have already received a text from UPS that my order will be delivered tomorrow!!! I think this is the fastest I have ever had an order from anyone, even Soaper's Choice. They are usually pretty fast, but this is unprecedented!

I love their service and NG's. I can order today and have it tomorrow in most cases. I need to place an order with SC. I need more shea butter.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Took pictures and started a binder of my batches and recipes so that I can keep track of which ones I like and which ones I don't.

That is SO smart! I wish I had done that from the beginning!

My, my, aren't you clever! LUV it! Still doesn't answer the question tho. Or does it?

This was in my email today. Thought I would share it here.

I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know.

 

[shunt2011]

Made two more batches of soap. I wasn’t happy with two I made for shower favors. Ended up with glycerine rivers, think I used too much TD. I don’t use it often now remember why. Oh well, I can sell the others as misfits or something.

 

[Arimara]

My soap lathers like a dream for a two-day old soap but it looks like trash. Thank God I don't sell and I learned a valuable lesson in layering attemps (and honey soaps).

 

[tspin]

Good morning, its been a long time since i posted. I pray everyone is safe and sane.
I havent been doing much. I have tried more soap swirls with my m&p. Didnt turn out the way i wanted but i love the colors

 

[earlene]

I love the vibrancy of the colors of this soap, tspin.

Good morning, its been a long time since i posted. I pray everyone is safe and sane.
I havent been doing much. I have tried more soap swirls with my m&p. Didnt turn out the way i wanted but i love the colorsView attachment 46042View attachment 46042

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Didnt turn out the way i wanted but i love the colors

WOW! Wait until I put on my sunglasses! Well done!

 

[earlene]

Late last night I started repackaging my 50 pound block of hydrogenated palm oil/palm shortening into manageable sized containers. I could barely get the box up over the front step and into the house yesterday, then I pretty much dragged it from the front door into the kitchen. I used to be able to carry a 50-pound bag of dog food over my shoulder like it was a big sleeping kid (you know when they faked falling asleep in the car and wanted mom to carry them inside?) Sure, a square block of hard oils is much more compact and more difficult to lift & carry, but I'm telling y'all, I couldn't lift a 50 pound bag of dog food anymore than I could that block of oils. Got Hubby to lift it onto a small wooden table so I can reach in and do this re-packaging thing. He's loosing his strength as well. In 10 years time, we may have to think of alternatives to these types of heavy lifting activities.

Anyway, 16.5 pounds done and 33.5 pounds to go! It's going to take awhile with the size of available empty containers I've got on hand. I only have 4 more containers that will hold 45 ounces each, then it's smaller sized containers. At least I have not had to go out and buy containers, at least not yet. I think I also have a couple more pretty large containers with lids that I can use as well, but I won't look for them until I've got these ones filled.

It's sort of fun scooping out this palm shortening, it's sort of reminiscent of pre-packaged cake icing, then also of vanilla ice cream fresh out of an ice cream maker, but not so cold. Hmm, hungry, am I? Also it's impossible to do this without getting some palm oil on my hands, so I take a break to rub some into my skin every few containers & rest up between times. After all, I hate it to go to waste by just washing my hands; why not moisturize?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Sure, a square block of hard oils is much more compact and more difficult to lift & carry, but I'm telling y'all, I couldn't lift a 50 pound bag of dog food anymore than I could that block of oils. Got Hubby to lift it onto a small wooden table so I can reach in and do this re-packaging thing. He's loosing his strength as well. In 10 years time, we may have to think of alternatives to these types of heavy lifting activities.

I hear that! Me too! I've down-sized quite a bit. I can no longer lift my wood molds once filled, so I use 2 silicone loaf molds that hold 40 oz soap each. Crockpot is retired due to the weight once filled.
Hey, whatever works, yes?

I take a break to rub some into my skin every few containers & rest up between times. After all, I hate it to go to waste by just washing my hands; why not moisturize?

Wonderful moisturizer! I found that out rather late in my soaping career. Who knew?!

ETA: For in the future, MMS ships their palm oil in buckets.

 

[earlene]

I hear that! Me too! I've down-sized quite a bit. I can no longer lift my wood molds once filled, so I use 2 silicone loaf molds that hold 40 oz soap each. Crockpot is retired due to the weight once filled.
Hey, whatever works, yes?

Wonderful moisturizer! I found that out rather late in my soaping career. Who knew?!

ETA: For in the future, MMS ships their palm oil in buckets.

Yeah, a bucket would be nice, but MMS cannot beat my bottom line cost from Soaper's Choice. Including shipping, this costs a mere 9 cents per ounce; well really it was $0.088 per ounce. I don't mind re-packaging to smaller containers.

 

[amd]

At least I have not had to go out and buy containers, at least not yet. I think I also have a couple more pretty large containers with lids that I can use as well, but I won't look for them until I've got these ones filled.

I hear ya girl, I've got half a block of Palm sitting in my front porch that I need to move before it gets warm. I also do the portioning with my big blocks of oils - tallow, Cocoa Butter, Shea... it's so much easier to manage and makes masterbatching a breeze. I use plastic gallon ziploc bags for mine, rather than containers. I can fit 48 oz of tallow/lard/palm in a gallon bag and squish it flat. I have the added bonus that squishing it flat saves me a lot of shelf/freezer space too. Someday when I move the soap dungeon to the bigger room, I'll go to a more "green" alternative with containers, but for now ziploc bags work great! If you're not opposed to it and have some handy, I recommend the fill, squish and stack method. It's also nice because I can write the contents and the amount right on the bag with a Sharpie.

Weekend soap plans... yes please. I have a few orders from this week to fill and mail. I have lots of pictures, packaging and labeling to do. But I really hope the dungeon isn't too hot to make soap, as I have quite a few restocks and new soaps to make. I told myself I wasn't going to put myself into the position of making soap during the summer, but here it is mid-May and I'm getting dangerously close to not having my soapmaking done. Also, I should probably follow Earlene's example and finish that block of Palm.

 

[earlene]

I hear ya girl, I've got half a block of Palm sitting in my front porch that I need to move before it gets warm. I also do the portioning with my big blocks of oils - tallow, Cocoa Butter, Shea... it's so much easier to manage and makes masterbatching a breeze. I use plastic gallon ziploc bags for mine, rather than containers. I can fit 48 oz of tallow/lard/palm in a gallon bag and squish it flat. I have the added bonus that squishing it flat saves me a lot of shelf/freezer space too. Someday when I move the soap dungeon to the bigger room, I'll go to a more "green" alternative with containers, but for now ziploc bags work great! If you're not opposed to it and have some handy, I recommend the fill, squish and stack method. It's also nice because I can write the contents and the amount right on the bag with a Sharpie.

I should do that with the gallon size zip-lock baggies! I like that idea. It had crossed my mind, but I am down to 2 gallon sized baggies right now, so I'll have to buy a box. I was actually quite surprised when I got home from Texas and saw there wasn't a new box somewhere in my stash of extra supplies. We just went shopping a couple of days ago and I didn't even think of buying baggies because I forgot to add it to my list. Okay, off the kitchen to start a new list!

 

[IslandSoap]

Just cut 2 loaves. Beer soap turned out great. So did my Nag Champa/tiger striped one.. only I think I cut it too soon and/or it’s because of my cutter and having to slide it off. My fine TD lines smeared a bit

 

[SoapSisters]

My head is still stuck in the April pull-through challenge , so I gave it another try with only 2 colors. I used activated charcoal for the black and left the rest of the batter uncolored. The top row is cut horizontally, and the bottom row is cut vertically. I did a faux funnel pour (not really through a funnel) and used shelf liner as the pull-through tool. I'm happy!