What soapy thing have you done today?

[KiwiMoose]

I am thinking about pure white soap more and more (honest!). I think I will make it in cavity moulds so it doesn't gel - and that way it should look creamier. Do you think a lye concentration of 28% would be less likely to get soda ash than that of say, 33?

 

[Dean]

I dunno bout the lye concentration but I soap in cavities and dont get ash if I 5% SF, spray top b4 freezing for 1 hr, spray tops again after removing from freezer, spray other sides after unmolding.

Have u been spraying with alcohol?

Wish there was a miniature lazy susan for spraying unmolded bars.

 

[KiwiMoose]

@Dean - I always spray, and always use 5% superfat.

 

[SYT]

Whipped up this puppy this morning:
View attachment 36097

That's beautiful!

I unmolded my first attempt at a hanger swirl and cut. Not happy with the pattern or bland color quality. I used mica coloring. It appears to have some areas that have partial gel. What do you think?

 

[Meena]

Gee SYT, I think they look great.

Don't see any partial gel in the pic, but you have them in person. There's an oven technique to fix partial gel - let me know if you want me to post the video to you.

 

[DWinMadison]

Well, I’ve been away from soaping for about a year....finally used my supply down and needed to make some more. Today, I christened my newly constructed wooden mold with a slide-out bottom. It works great! I lined with simple freezer paper. Slid out the bottom and the loaf dropped like a brick.

 

[SYT]

Thanks Meena. I'd appreciate it. What I think is partial is in the area where it's slighty darker in the cream color. I only have cream, and 2 pinks.

 

[Meena]

My first soaps will be 6 weeks old on the 23rd!!!! After that, they start falling like dominoes. ..

 

[GeezLouise]

I made a test batch of CP soap with lanolin in it. This soap is intended for my mom, who purchased a bar that she liked for dry skin some time (years?) ago from someone at a farmer's market. She thinks it had lanolin in it.

 

[Zing]

Whipped up this puppy this morning:
View attachment 36097

Cut it now and post pics!!

View attachment 36101 I unmolded my first attempt at a hanger swirl and cut. Not happy with the pattern or bland color quality. I used mica coloring. It appears to have some areas that have partial gel. What do you think?

Looks great! Just in time for Valentine's Day.

 

[Loralei]

@SYT I think that your soap is beautiful!

Oh Loralei!! How terrible! I know about addled brain lately. Have done some dumb stuff, myself.
Feel better soon!

Thanks, @Meena ! Finally started to feel human today, and was able to eat real food, woot!

 

[KiwiMoose]

View attachment 36101 I unmolded my first attempt at a hanger swirl and cut. Not happy with the pattern or bland color quality. I used mica coloring. It appears to have some areas that have partial gel. What do you think?

Do you think it could be glycerin rivers? Did you use TD in the white part @SYT?

 

[SaltedFig]

It looks like glycerin rivers to me @SYT

Kiwi - you'll get more at 28% (the lye is free-er to move around, get to the soapy surface and find some CO2 to make beautiful ash with )

 

[KiwiMoose]

It looks like glycerin rivers to me @SYT

Kiwi - you'll get more at 28% (the lye is free-er to move around, get to the soapy surface and find some CO2 to make beautiful ash with )

Thanks Figgy - that's contrary to what my mind thought was logical. OK - so plain white soap with a little more lye than usual, and in cavity moulds so they don't gel. Watch this space..

 

[Micchi]

I was a little upset when I went to check on my soap and had a bit of an overheating crack in the top...but after unmolding and cutting, I'm actually okay with it. Got a partial gel, and the bars ended up looking like little slices of goth pound cake.

As much as I love these kitty soaps, I am going to be glad when I am done with them.

 

[Hendejm]

Whipped up this puppy this morning:
View attachment 36097

Really pretty! Is the inside pure white or did you swirl the colors there?

 

[SYT]

Clingfilm and a rubber mallet is what iv seen suggested Cling film im guessing so bits dont get stuck inbetween the letters and not sure why the rubber mallet but iv got one to try.

I made some little cards yesterday to be given out with my soaps for ingridients and little tips for lopking after the soaps.

Feel like crap today not sure im safe for going out in public in an absolutly foul mood and got a headache but no painkillers

I hope you feel better soon. Do you stamp right after the cutting? And where do you order stamps from?

I'm running my tools that I used 2 days ago through the dishwasher a second time. All but some silicone molds which I hand washed last night. I didn't wash with any dish soap first time, my thinking being I already had soap on every bowl etc. But came out with film on every thing. Running a second time short cycle.

 

[jiroband]

I am patiently waiting for my order of 32 oz. of Moringa Oil ($$$$ Cha-ching!) from LotionCrafter and my order of fresh Stinging Nettles from Etsy. I will be steeping the Stinging Nettles in the Moringa Oil to add to my hair growth stimulating shampoo bars. (It kills me to buy weeds -- I sure wish Stinging Nettles grew in South Florida!)

Yes, I truly am that weird!

 

[SYT]

You can easily grow stinging nettle in a pot. It grows wild in the Carolinas. You don't want it in your yard, it's invasive and painful. No kidding right? We have it wild out here Cali , but rather than forage for it I bought a seedling at a herb nursery. I finally quit raising mine though. We didn't use it often enough to warrant using that pot for it exclusively. Mountain Rose Herbs online from Oregon is a great source for herbal leaves etc.

 

[Chris_S]

I hope you feel better soon. Do you stamp right after the cutting? And where do you order stamps from?

Im feeling a little better thanks

I got my stamp from the joom app think it was about £2-3. Im still trying to get to grips with the best time to stamp tbh i lost the stamp for a few weeks so not done much testing. I think it really depends on your recipe and how quickly it hardens when i have stamped them about a day after iv cut but i gel my soaps and they seem to harden pretty quick