What soapy thing have you done today?

[GemstonePony]

My soapy thing for this evening was soap cupcakes! I'll post better pics tomorrow once they're unmolded, but I'm super thrilled I was able to pull this off! They're 72% mango butter, 15% coconut oil, 7% castor oil, with WSP Secret Wonderland FO (accelerator, but smells amazing!). Twice my usual amount of Slippery Elm Bark because I wanted the uncolored base to look like it has spices, and I hope the Micas in the "frosting" will be enough to carry the color, even with a tan undertone. Right now it's still a bit orange, but I expect it to finish lightening by... Checks time... Later on today.
There isn't as much frosting on a few of the 5 cupcakes because I thought I was running out of frosting (Which was all the same batch, and used up my mango butter). The weird flower thing is made of excess frosting batter, so it turns out I did have enough, but that's knowledge for next time.

 

[earlene]

While traveling home from my roadtrip with Kitty Baby to Texas & back again, I made a T&S loaf of soap, and masterbatched some NaOH with cornsilk. I probably should have done neither than night because I suspect I was too tired (driving all day) to be doing such activities. My soap formula was not conducive to pouring at emulsion even though I only hand stirred with a whisk. It thickened up too fast and I had to change my design plan. Then when I made the MB lye solution, I made a stupid mistake and did not premeasure the NaOH to ensure I had the right amount of water. So I ended up with [36% lye]. Not a big deal, but definitely not my usual 50:50 ratio for the [50% lye]. So I'll be making a few soaps with a straight-up 36% and corn silk. Oh, and the corn silk didn't really want to dissolve. It was harder to get to dissolve than regular silk. Of course I was pretty much running on empty by the time I was trying to get the corn silk to let go of it solidarity. In spite of my exhaustion, I drove to a store at 6:30 am (I had been up all night - stupid stunt on a roadtrip!) and bought yet another mesh strainer so I could pour the lye solution through and strain out the corn silk stringies. I finally got the mb lye solution into the bottles & packed up for transport home in an insulated cooler in my car.

Well that was several days ago; I'd have to look bag to check the date, but today I finally decided to unmold and cut the soap. Amazingly it was perfect for un-molding and cutting, but too soft as yet for beveling That's okay; I'm too tired for that right now anyway. I love how the colors came out though and it's looking like the Bitter Creek North Vanilla Stabilizer is really doing a great job of holding back the Dragon's Blood discoloration that I normally get.

Normally I like how DB discolors, because it turns colors into a deep rich jewel shade of whatever color it is mixed into and enhances the colors in that respect. But I wanted to experiment with it because it is the first time using it, having only just purchased it recently. So I'll be keeping an eye on these bars of soap for some time to come.

The Easter Egg soap I made a few years ago, my pastels became gorgeous jewels, that I re-named Dragon's Eggs. They were beautiful and rich and smelled divine. But it will be good to know how well this works because maybe I can make pastel Easter Egg soap that will maintain their pastel shades. That would be really nice, too.

 

[Dawni]

No soap again today, but I did make a batch of mini lotion bars for a lady who wants to include them in her care packages. Check out my hand cut/punched/written tags

And yes, that's a plantable pen

Those are beautiful! I think you only use ‘natural’ colorants right? Can I ask you what you used? I’m trying to learn more about them. Thanks!!

Thank you! Colors are:
Yellow: annato infusion
Brown: cocoa powder in water
Light brown: black bean infusion
Purple: ratanjot, indigo and manjistha infusions
And zince oxide for their lighter shades.

There are several threads on natural colorants around the forum, some old, several newish, all with good info on these and several other colors

 

[Basil]

There are several threads on natural colorants around the forum, some old, several newish, all with good info on these and several other colors

Thank you! I’ve read some of the threads but don’t think I’ve hit them all. I’ll look more. I bought a book that just came out recently on natural soap color and it explains infusions in more detail than I’ve seen in any other book. I haven’t tried them yet as I’ve just started exploring more colors the last 6 months. I’ve learned spirulina turns brown in one soap but stayed green in another and it’s older! I have some other soaps over a year old where some colors have morphed, others have stayed....none have been with infusions :-(I like your colors. Can I ask how long you’ve been making soap?

 

[Dawni]

Thank you! I’ve read some of the threads but don’t think I’ve hit them all. I’ll look more. I bought a book that just came out recently on natural soap color and it explains infusions in more detail than I’ve seen in any other book. I haven’t tried them yet as I’ve just started exploring more colors the last 6 months. I’ve learned spirulina turns brown in one soap but stayed green in another and it’s older! I have some other soaps over a year old where some colors have morphed, others have stayed....none have been with infusions :-(I like your colors. Can I ask how long you’ve been making soap?

Oh yes, natural colorants are finicky! That ratanjot I mentioned gives me green and blue aside from purple, and that too in varying shades haha. Some fade to a very light version of themselves, if not brown or a light tan. You'll know manjistha as madder, that sticks for me. Annatto is great at staying put, turmeric not so much. They do need a lot of experimenting.

I've been soaping a lil less than 2 and a half years

Ok so I'm productive today haha.. Stamped my green clay soaps just now. Later if the lil dude sleeps early maybe I'll get on that dish soap I keep saying I'll make lol

 

[msunnerstood]

4 Penguins down, 10 to go

 

[TashaBird]

It happens I have used all those things. The thing with the balls is meant to be pointed straight down, and then squeeze while turning it back and forth as you pull it up. It leaves a ball- shaped space in the center, that can then be filled with other piping or decorations.
The flat-tipped points are a dollop technique.
I strongly recommend practicing with all of them before piping on top of something you care about. Sadly, I don't have pictures of any of my finished items on hand.

Have you ever used the piping bags/tips to make embeds?

 

[GemstonePony]

Have you ever used the piping bags/tips to make embeds?

Haha, thus far only as an ill-advised component of my last marble soap, where I was rushed and didn't wait for it to set up before piping it, resorted to freezing it, and placed the frozen batter pieces in the loaf. Most of the definition was lost in the final result, but if you know what you're looking for you can see the remains of some of my efforts.
One of the things I did a lot of with buttercream frosting was piping lavender flowers (among other things), so at some point I want to do a Lavender soap with piped lavender flowers on top.

 

[TashaBird]

Haha, thus far only as an ill-advised component of my last marble soap, where I was rushed and didn't wait for it to set up before piping it, resorted to freezing it, and placed the frozen batter pieces in the loaf. Most of the definition was lost in the final result, but if you know what you're looking for you can see the remains of some of my efforts.
One of the things I did a lot of with buttercream frosting was piping lavender flowers (among other things), so at some point I want to do a Lavender soap with piped lavender flowers on top.

That’s a great idea! The real flowers look yucky usually. I always have some batter left from my pull throughs, and I’m about to do a big batch, Maybe I’ll try and pipe them into some individual cavity molds, instead of making more soap dough. I’m up to my eyeballs in soap dough right now.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Happy Halloween
Ive been trying different CP formulas & playing w/ design & colors. Im perplexed tied between the two worlds of CP & HP Soaping. Today i'm ordering more soap supplies & make face moisturizing lotion w/ hyaluronic acid, absorbing oils & cocoa butter, i've ran out.

 

[Misschief]

I've set this up in my kitchen for a couple of friends who want to get started on their Christmas shopping. One will be here sometime this morning and the other, and a friend, will be coming over tomorrow. I put together a sampling of my products for them.

 

[Catscankim]

I've set this up in my kitchen for a couple of friends who want to get started on their Christmas shopping. One will be here sometime this morning and the other, and a friend, will be coming over tomorrow. I put together a sampling of my products for them. View attachment 51093

Your display is beautiful!!

 

[Misschief]

Your display is beautiful!!

Thank you, Kim. My friend has been and gone and it was definitely worthwhile setting it all up.

 

[Zing]

Boo!

I've been soaping a lil less than 2 and a half years

This really took me aback! I think of you as a long-time veteran and thought you were on this forum long before me. Your soaps are so advanced and all that natural colorant stuff. You must have had a super steep learning curve! And how old is your little one? Like were you learning soaping while parenting a baby?!

@Misschief Awesome display!! What products are in the jars and bags? And are those baby feet soaps?! You are a good friend to do that.

So many firsts for this soaper today! First time using my mini-column mold to make a moon for tomorrow's soap. First time not using my stick blender and just hand stirring to emulsion (as always, fingers crossed it's truly at emulsion!). First time CPOPing (must. not. open. oven. door.) It's a white and gray in the pot swirl.

It was so weird to soap with such small volumes! Everything cooled so quickly. And I didn't have 1/16 teaspoons for the colorants. My learning is that next time I will make enough for a mini-cylinder and a loaf mold. And I don't usually soap in the mornings. When can I have my post-soaping wine? Isn't it after 5 p.m. somewhere?

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I've set this up in my kitchen for a couple of friends who want to get started on their Christmas shopping. One will be here sometime this morning and the other, and a friend, will be coming over tomorrow. I put together a sampling of my products for them. View attachment 51093

Thats so awesome' All your products look amazing, great Idea for sales.

 

[Mellicious]

so I need a bit of practice but here is my first penguin attempt

View attachment 51065

Cute

 

[msunnerstood]

whew, finally have enough. some have one leg up, others have both and some both feet down. the soap will be a little silly but hopefully fun

 

[Catscankim]

@Zing All i do is cpop anymore, except my little guest cavity molds for extra batter. Kinda neat to see the difference in gel vs non gel from the same batch too.

I have the benefit (if you call it that), working second shift, so i soap when i get home from work then go to bed, so no peeking here lol. But i have peeked. If you leave the oven light on, it stays at a nice warm temp

whew, finally have enough. some have one leg up, others have both and some both feet down. the soap will be a little silly but hopefully fun

View attachment 51096

These are super CUTE!!!!

 

[The Park Bench]

whew, finally have enough. some have one leg up, others have both and some both feet down. the soap will be a little silly but hopefully fun

View attachment 51096

Amazing!

@Zing All i do is cpop anymore, except my little guest cavity molds for extra batter. Kinda neat to see the difference in gel vs non gel from the same batch too.

I have the benefit (if you call it that), working second shift, so i soap when i get home from work then go to bed, so no peeking here lol. But i have peeked. If you leave the oven light on, it stays at a nice warm temp

I've yet to cpop, but I am intrigued! I am waiting for today's batch of charcoal sea salt bars to finish baking while I peruse the forum

 

[AliOop]

Haven't soaped yet today, but I did mix up a new batch of toothpaste. Normally I use fractionated CO to mix up the powders, but I accidentally grabbed the little bottle of vodka that I keep in that same supply box for mixing room sprays. Happy mistake! It mixed up more easily, and now the toothpaste is non-greasy and washes right down the sink, too. I'll just have to wait and see if the bentonite clay turns the whole thing into a brick after it sits for awhile.

Next up is a new batch of hyaluronic facial serum. I normally mix it with AVG but am out of that, so may have to use plain distilled water instead. My favorite EOs for that are carrot seed, rose hip, and geranium. A small batch of this lasts me a year, so I split it into two small pump bottles, add a preservative, and keep the second bottle in the fridge till I've finished the first one.

Once I am done with that project, I am planning another go at a pull-through soap, this time with Christmas colors. I haven't yet tried out my shortened PVC molds that are now 12" and 6" respectively (two of each size). Since the post on the pull-through is just over 12" long, having a shorter mold should make the process much easier. That's my hope anyway!