What soapy thing have you done today?

[shunt2011]

This is what soapy thing I’ve done so far today...soap making hack...
For those who order large blocks of Cocoa Butter. I bought these mini ice cube trays at the dollar store and melt portions of the block in a double boiler, refrigerate for an hour or so til they are hardened and store them in bags or Tupperware in the fridge. Makes it so much easier when adding it to a recipe. I have 6 of them some round and some rectangular shape. They sell them in 2 packs...or maybe 3? I can’t remember. Lol.

I've been doing that for years. I just use 2 oz individual molds. Makes it so much easier than trying to chip off 10 lb or 25 lb blocks.

 

[Arimara]

@msunnerstood and @earlene, but that's the thing! I didn't use any FOs, not even EOs. Even the colorants I used weren't for the first time. I just can't figure it out lol

Anyway, I cut it earlier. Not so bad, but not pretty, and definitely not what I wanted lol
View attachment 49446
And check out the horrible side lol
View attachment 49447
Colors are indigo, annatto and spirulina infusions. White is how white my lard soap is.

That soap reminds me of an avocado and egg breakfast combo where the egg yolk is running all over the place.

 

[The_Phoenix]

I've been doing that for years. I just use 2 oz individual molds. Makes it so much easier than trying to chip off 10 lb or 25 lb blocks.

Gives a new visual to "chip off the old block."

Picture a dimly lit garage with a woman hunched over in a dark corner, wearing goggles, gloves, a red mica-stained butcher's apron, raising her hand up and down, the sound of splintering, armed with a sharp ice pick...slashing and hacking...only to discover that she's chipping away at a massive block of cocoa butter to make soap...

 

[Susie]

@msunnerstood and @earlene, but that's the thing! I didn't use any FOs, not even EOs. Even the colorants I used weren't for the first time. I just can't figure it out lol

Anyway, I cut it earlier. Not so bad, but not pretty, and definitely not what I wanted lol
View attachment 49446
And check out the horrible side lol
View attachment 49447
Colors are indigo, annatto and spirulina infusions. White is how white my lard soap is.

We've all had soap that looked like that. I am using a bar right now that accelerated on me (new FO that did NOT live up to the reviews!). You can either use it up on family, or shred it for other uses. But don't feel bad. We've all been there.

 

[amd]

Lazy is definitely not how I would describe you! Just take a quick glance at your posts to see otherwise!

Haha, thanks Zing! That's definitely not how I feel after my decadent summer of doing almost nothing. I promised myself last year that I would only make soap in June/July/Aug if absolutely necessary, and I did very well not following that. It's a little overwhelming to see my to do list these days... I'm going to be a busy girl for a few weeks! I sometimes forget how much I do work at this biz until I have to remind customers that I don't do this full time, it's a side gig to a full time job and 4 kids... and then they look at me with big "holy crap" eyes, lol.

Lotion making last night was far too enjoyable - I meant to make two bottles, but then enjoyed myself so much that I made two more. MUST.NOT.HOARD.THE.LOTIONS.
Tonight I'm making OMH Lavender Sage soap. This weekend I'll be making 4 soaps for the brewery, all repeats although one of them they did ask for a fragrance switchup so I gotta figure out what goes with that beer.
And then I'll be working on doing some cleaning in the dungeon.

 

[SPowers]

I made the oven rebatch recipe today... used 24 oz of soap bits but should have used double that to fill my mold. It's very rustric but I guess that's what rebatched soap is all about. This is only my 2nd rebatch and like the first, I don't particularly like the colour which all seems to meld together in one murkey mess. Last one looked like concrete... this one is more green. I'd be interested in seeing pics of other's rebatched soap and any other tips regarding the colour, etc.

I also made a Pumpkin Latte soap which didn't turn out as expected... the FO's made the batter accelerate... boo hoo!

 

[Savonette]

I made this a couple weeks ago but TODAY I finally found the picture! That's my soapy thing.

 

[Arimara]

View attachment 49471 I made this a couple weeks ago but TODAY I finally found the picture! That's my soapy thing.

Kinda appropriate too since they're selling that stuff in the stores now.

 

[Catscankim]

Stalking two batches that i made yesterday lol.

Plus i got a binder with plastic inserts so that i can keep my recipes organized instead of constantly rummaging through my notebooks. I made pre-printed pages so that i can fill in the blanks so i dont forget anything important. I just put all of that together just now.

 

[LilianNoir]

I also made a Pumpkin Latte soap which didn't turn out as expected... the FO's made the batter accelerate... boo hoo!

Ah I'm looking to make a pumpkin latte soap today myself, but I am prepared for the acceleration!
I'm doing two layers, so hopefully the acceleration will work in my favor!

 

[Catscankim]

This is what soapy thing I’ve done so far today...soap making hack...
For those who order large blocks of Cocoa Butter. I bought these mini ice cube trays at the dollar store and melt portions of the block in a double boiler, refrigerate for an hour or so til they are hardened and store them in bags or Tupperware in the fridge. Makes it so much easier when adding it to a recipe. I have 6 of them some round and some rectangular shape. They sell them in 2 packs...or maybe 3? I can’t remember. Lol.

Thats a great idea! I purposely bought cocoa butter pastilles from BB to make measuring easier, but the package was delivered while i was at work, and well its Florida. They melted into one giant brick.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Did two soapy things today and I have a feeling there will be more!
Cut yesterday’s batch of Mysore Sandalwood from OT and tried another new to me FO from FB called Citrus Tree. It’s a dupe of Lush’s Orange Blossom. It was my first ever single colored soap after 111 batches! I used orange peel powder for a light exfoliation and added just a touch of Tangerine Dream from MM as the color from the OPP really comes through and the FO is an orange color as well. It was the most relaxing batch I’ve made but now I feel I need to do another batch of something swirly. Lol.

 

[Dawni]

Only to discover that she's chipping away at a massive block of cocoa butter to make soap...

I take out all my frustrations and anger on my cocoa butter lmao. Same with my beeswax. The butter comes in 3kg blocks and the beeswax in 1kg blocks.

We've all had soap that looked like that. I am using a bar right now that accelerated on me (new FO that did NOT live up to the reviews!). You can either use it up on family, or shred it for other uses. But don't feel bad. We've all been there.

Parts are already shredded lol and some bars will be for us here at home. These, cleaned up, maybe will go to some friends. They're not so bad.

I'd be interested in seeing pics of other's rebatched soap and any other tips regarding the colour, etc.

There's some pretty rebatched soaps here. And if you do a search there's several threads within the last one year that have tips embedded in them hehe

 

[GemstonePony]

My second attempt at a Marble soap has been cut and beveled. My plans went off the rails and found new rails about 6 times during the course of making it, so it's not what I set out to make, but I think it might be better. Second time working with hard apple cider, first time using slippery elm bark. Used an accelerating FO, and cut the bars at 12 hours, so I'm hoping the bars dry/cure to a rocky/ bumpy texture, sort of like real rock. Can't post pics because then I can't enter it in the challenge.

 

[msunnerstood]

Went to a Farmers Market today (masks required, one-way traffic and floor markers) on the way home stopped at a garage sale and found a triple crockpot and a pampered chef grinder with all the blades cheap. There were 2 soapers there but was stunned at the prices of their soap. 2-ounce size bars for $7 I know for some areas that might be that high, but out here? very high for very little.

 

[Arimara]

Went to a Farmers Market today (masks required, one-way traffic and floor markers) on the way home stopped at a garage sale and found a triple crockpot and a pampered chef grinder with all the blades cheap. There were 2 soapers there but was stunned at the prices of their soap. 2-ounce size bars for $7 I know for some areas that might be that high, but out here? very high for very little.

Even for NYC, that's very expensive. If that's a suburban or rural area, they need to either make bigger bars, cut their prices, or do some research and find a more feasible means for their soap to be worth $7 at that size.

 

[The_Emerald_Chicken]

Lilac in the mold. Not thrilled with the middle color, but overall it went well....so I won't complain

Also made English Rose (yep, it was the day for florals!) It started out so seamlessly that I started wondering what would go wrong. Then I over-stick-blended and had to scoop it into the mold in globs. Sigh.

A first for me: both batches include tussah silk. Excited to see the difference that makes.

 

[msunnerstood]

Even for NYC, that's very expensive. If that's a suburban or rural area, they need to either make bigger bars, cut their prices, or do some research and find a more feasible means for their soap to be worth $7 at that size.

Rural Wisconsin. I love to talk soap with other soapers and one of the vendors was really nice but both of them had the small bars.

 

[Misschief]

Went to a Farmers Market today (masks required, one-way traffic and floor markers) on the way home stopped at a garage sale and found a triple crockpot and a pampered chef grinder with all the blades cheap. There were 2 soapers there but was stunned at the prices of their soap. 2-ounce size bars for $7 I know for some areas that might be that high, but out here? very high for very little.

That IS high. My soaps are about 110 grams (almost 4 oz) and I sell mine for $7 or 3 for $20 and my market is in an upscale area. Nice scoop on the crockpot and the grinder!

 

[SPowers]

I made a remake of my Autumn Leaves soap... the colours in the first batch were very muddied and dull - very disappointing. I think this one will be better - going to keep it in the mold for 48 hrs (if I can

manage it)! Looks pretty good so far but then so did the first one.