What soapy thing have you done today?

[Mobjack Bay]

@KiwiMoose @Dawni I can hardly wait until tomorrow so I can more more soap with soy wax

@runnerchicki @Misschief I fast forwarded my way through countless videos since yesterday. I watched FuturePrimitive make soap after @Soulboy1973 mentioned her channel on another thread. She’s FuturePrim on Instagram. In some of the videos, she drop pours and then uses a chopstick to add more swirls. She also makes the soft billowy, layered top swirl I have been yearning for. That’s more than enough inspiration for this weekend.

After all that I couldn’t resist ordering a little mold for making tiny snowflakes and a second square “tester” mold. It holds just over 500 g of oils and makes 4 bars. I’m finding it works well for trying techniques like drop pours and swirls.

 

[KiwiMoose]

@Mobjack Bay - will you please stop posting that picture of me at my tap dancing class!

 

[Relle]

I thought you were doing ballet, with some jazz thrown in .

@Mobjack Bay - will you please stop posting that picture of me at my tap dancing class!

 

[runnerchicki]

@KiwiMoose @Dawni I can hardly wait until tomorrow so I can more more soap with soy wax

@runnerchicki @Misschief I fast forwarded my way through countless videos since yesterday. I watched FuturePrimitive make soap after @Soulboy1973 mentioned her channel on another thread. She’s FuturePrim on Instagram. In some of the videos, she drop pours and then uses a chopstick to add more swirls. She also makes the soft billowy, layered top swirl I have been yearning for. That’s more than enough inspiration for this weekend.

After all that I couldn’t resist ordering a little mold for making tiny snowflakes and a second square “tester” mold. It holds just over 500 g of oils and makes 4 bars. I’m finding it works well for trying techniques like drop pours and swirls.

I have never watched FuturePrimitive ... I am going to have to put that channel on my watch list! I can't wait to hear about your next swirling adventures! If you haven't done a chopstick swirl yet - give it a try. It's easy and I think the tapered end makes a wispy tip and just might give you the look you are after.

Today I managed to stay off Youtube because I have been reading my new book "The Magic of Soap Dough" by Bee Iyata of Sorcery Soap. I'm completely entranced with soap dough creations right now and wondering if I could ever make anything myself. I have zero artistc talent. The book is a gem and I think I'm going to buy her other two books as well. She doesn't live too far from me and I like to support local business.

 

[Dawni]

I wish shipping would not cost too much for me, I'm just too far lol.... But then I tell myself, if it didn't I'd have stocked up on so many molds, colorants, additives that I don't need lol

Books too, been looking for soaping books locally (online) but I think I'd be better off looking by foot. That's if I ever get time.

Soapy thing:
My curing rack is all cleaned up. I've updated a couple of experiment posts here but I have a couple more I took pics of. I did an "inventory count" for the couple of soaps I do sell. Not too bad for one afternoon while the baby and grandma are napping.

 

[sirtim100]

Got half a kilo of shea butter in the post (rubs hands briskly and makes dark plots )

Did a salty and sweet project: one batch of honey soap with organic honey from a friend's village, and one batch of unscented salt soap.

The honey soap temperature went through the roof when saponifying, almost glowed blue in the dark, but then dropped and is now behaving itself.

Strange thing with the salt soap. Did in two identical silicon pans with individual flowery shaped moulds (comments on the forum about the frustrations of making salt soap with loaf moulds led to that decision). One lot came out a lovely pale pearl colour, the other has a faintly yellowish tinge to it. Can't think why.

Happy soaping, everyone

 

[Kari Howie]

Our church pastor said he’s coming to visit so he can get to know us better since my husband and I are new. So the only soapy thing I’ve been doing this week is using it (well, detergent) to clean the house from stem to stern and find storage for my Soapmaking equipment that was overflowing my Hoosier cabinet. The good thing is the upcoming visit has finally motivated my husband to finish all the repair projects like the woodwork where puppies/beavers gnawed it. He’s finally been a big help. God works in mysterious ways!

 

[Mooicle]

I normally try that too but when the mailman rang the bell yesterday because their were 6 big boxes, it didnt work so well

It's hard to hide a soapy addiction

 

[Baqn]

Finally I managed to make Oatmeal, Milk & Honey soap. I used Orange, Patchouli an Lavender as EOs. Smells great. Thank you all for sharing the information about scenting such soap. The smell is awesome.

 

[SoapingWet]

Hi SoapingWet! And Welcome!
If it's not too much trouble, could you please supply a link to MicroNaturals? The site that came up when I googled only offered a few products, no oils. What am I missing?

https://miconaturalsco.com/

I see my typo...its "Mico", not Micro. Just noticed that!

They seem like a new distributer so I didn't buy much from them yet, a 16oz bottle of babassu, 4 oz bottles of kuikui nut and rosehip and some sodium lactate. I've been emailing back and forth with their customer service and they've been very responsive so far, helpful with info and acid profiles. I'll post an update when I get my hands on the oils and a sample batch made!

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

It's hard to hide a soapy addiction

while I might get a little lonely sometimes its nice that I dont have to hide anything from anybody

 

[MGM]

Rushing home from work and down to the melt and pour factory! A friend is visiting other friends with kids {who I've never met} and they requested more soap and lip balm! Good thing m&p is ready pretty quick: tomorrow morning filled with cello and wrestling {no, I don't do either} and he's leaving at noon!

 

[Liesel Atwood]

I finally made the soap, using the Rose hip oil I was able to make several weeks ago. A few observations I will never forget....#1 less than 1 oz of rose hip oil will discolor soap batter to a lovely pink, even with the addition of TD. #2 Something caused my batter to rice, accelerate and turn almost powdery. I fear the culprit must be my E.O. and FO blend, which included peppermint, chamomile, geranium, pear FO and something else which eludes me at the moment without my notes. I have never seen anything accelerate so fast! This was to be a swirled recipe with piping on top. Obviously, my plans went out the window. I ended up packing the batter (thickening by the second) into my mold, and by the time the last bit was in, the consistency was almost like melted crayons. (Sad face) So the next day I made a batch of frosting and piped flowers, leaves, dollops and stars all over the soap. It started off kind of wonky, but the end result wasn't bad at all. Today I cut the soap. There were layers inside where some of the batter had dried very quickly, and the rest had stayed fluid for a longer time. When I cut it, the first bar broke. I managed to save some of them, but the "fault line" ran throughout the entire loaf. This batch will have to be a "family use" only! I won't call this a soap fail....just a happy little mistake that I will correct the next time. I'll stay away from that scent blend, for sure! Not sure yet if it was mixing FO's with EO's, or if it was simply a tricky E.O. somewhere in the mix. At least I learned something, right?! If you want a white soap, don't use rose hip oil! LOL Have a great evening, Soap Chics!

 

[sirtim100]

Finally I managed to make Oatmeal, Milk & Honey soap. I used Orange, Patchouli an Lavender as EOs. Smells great. Thank you all for sharing the information about scenting such soap. The smell is awesome.

Hi Baqn

Great minds think alike



Would you be willing to share the recipe? An oatmeal and milk soap was exactly what I was planning for my next project. And the honey can only make it better.

 

[SYT]

Argh! I cut my second attempt at the mini drops. It too accelerated, the FO? Used a different one this time. I'll think about it tomorrow! Like Scarlett.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I seem to have acquired entirely too many FOs that discolor to dark brown, which means the brown soap journey begins... Peppermint mocha seemed like a good place to start. If things go as planned, there will be two brown tones, but I’m not calling this a latte because I was too lazy to make white soap for the top.



ETA: It looks like I might get my two tones.

 

[Mistrael]

I watched Future Primitive vids on YouTube after the mention here, too...

And I played with SoapCalc while contemplating future soaps and looking through my soap books...

And then I lost all my willpower and washed my face with my castile even though it's only a month old. (I think castile might become my go-to facial bar, but I'm not sure yet.)

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Mobjack Bay - will you please stop posting that picture of me at my tap dancing class!

We call it “clogging” in Virginia.

 

[penelopejane]

What soapy thing? A disaster apparently. I was trying for spearmint/peppermint soap and ended up with this! Crumbly bottom, soft top, gel-looking middle. Can anyone suggest what went awry? I used a recipe that I have used before without problems. Here are some photos. All/any comments welcome!

Did you put this on a heat mat?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have never seen anything accelerate so fast! ... I ended up packing the batter (thickening by the second) into my mold, and by the time the last bit was in, the consistency was almost like melted crayons.

TIP: The next time that happens, set the timer for 5 minutes and walk away. When you come back, the batch will be going into gel and it's easy to stir and mold up.