What soapy thing have you done today?

[sirtim100]

I've rested on my shaving-soap-tycoon laurels long enough. It's time to get back to basics.

Today, goat milk CP soap with a soupçon of mandarin and something spicy. Be ready for 2020.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I was thinking something with Seas in it too but I suck at naming soaps I am really becoming a fan of Basil in soap--I just shrunkwrapped a Grapefruit/Basil that smells awesome,
you will love making the syndet bars--I just made 3 batches yesterday using EOs that are supposed to be good for the scalp (my scalp hasn't cleared up totally but the shampoo bars have helped, but they helped even with an FO--so hopefully the EOs make them a little better even with a wash off)

Rosemary?

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Rosemary?

I use Rosemary/Spearmint, Lavender/Lemon and I made a Tea Tree/Lavender and a Eucalyptus/Spearmint/Peppermint yesterday. I tried the Tea Tree/Lavender yesterday and really liked it

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@bookreader451 @KiwiSoap I opined above that aloe juice is mostly water and sugar, which was based on an analysis I found in a food database or a research paper. This afternoon I looked at the container I have in the frig, which lists nothing nutritive other than salt. So scratch the sugar for the bottled stuff from Walmart.

My soaps for the day were supposed to be blue, but seem to be green. Two different blue micas both went green (Nurture Sky Blue and Baby Blue; I decided this color shift may have been due to an FO that discolored a bit on the yellow side). A third one (Nurture Klein Blue) stayed blue, but I forgot to add it to the slab mold . I used 37% lye concentration and wonder if it’s a pH effect and they just need time. I also went all out to make the tops pop. Did I overdo it in the slab mold?

 

[KiwiMoose]

@bookreader451 @KiwiSoap I opined above that aloe juice is mostly water and sugar, which was based on an analysis I found in a food database or a research paper. This afternoon I looked at the container I have in the frig, which lists nothing nutritive other than salt. So scratch the sugar for the bottled stuff from Walmart.

My soaps for the day were supposed to be blue, but seem to be green. Two different blue micas both went green (Nurture Sky Blue and Baby Blue) A third one (Nurture Klein Blue) stayed blue, but I forgot to add it to the slab mold . I used 37% lye concentration and wonder if it’s a pH effect and they just need time. I also went all out to make the tops pop. Did I overdo it in the slab mold?

View attachment 42791

Not at all - no such thing as overdone in my book. They look fab.
I always use my own aloe puree - made from whizzed up and strained peeled aloe ( previously from my friend's garden, but now growing in my own garden thanks to her giving me three generous pups - more like full sized dogs!)

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @KiwiMoose I actually intended to do a blue on blue swirl. Then friends came over and wanted to watch me make soap. While we were chatting, my nice thin batter started to set up and wouldn’t swirl. I had to do something to impress them, so Plan B was splattering the leftover mica on top and swirling. They seemed to like it

When one of my other friends was here to pick up soap the other day, she asked for some “pretty” soap. I know she likes my soap, but apparently she doesn’t think any of what I had out was pretty enough for her niece. So now I need to learn how to make purty soap

 

[Zany_in_CO]

So now I need to learn how to make purty soap

Egads! (shakes head)

 

[Millie]

Then friends came over and wanted to watch me make soap

Gutsy gal!

When one of my other friends was here to pick up soap the other day, she asked for some “pretty” soap. I know she likes my soap, but apparently she doesn’t think any of what I had out was pretty enough for her niece. So now I need to learn how to make purty soap

Ask her what she means. She's probably thinking of old lady soap, the intricate molded stuff that sits in a bowl collecting dust because everyone knows its FOR DISPLAY only

 

[Quilter99755]

@bookreader451 @KiwiSoap I also went all out to make the tops pop. Did I overdo it in the slab mold?

View attachment 42791

No. It is lovely and very sophisticated IMHO. Now I can put that on my list of "wanna dos" in the future. I love them both.

 

[bookreader451]

@bookreader451 @KiwiSoap I Did I overdo it in the slab mold?

I love a swirled top and I don't think you overdid it at all.

I can relate to the color morphing. Every time I use a green I freak until after it gels. I did a dark navy Saturday and it was fugly gray until 2 days later.

And since I left work early today because of snow I made soap!

 

[MGM]

Finally made some soap! Bottom 1/4 with ground coffee; middle 1/2 with honey/oat confetti; top 1/4 unscented with TD for foam. FO is Mocha Coffee from NF with some Chocolate FO from NDA added...I don't love this fragrance, so what do I do? Make a whoooole loaf with it.
Also, New Year's resolution....every 2nd batch of soap must have confetti. I used my largest batch of confetti in this one, but I have *at least* 20 baggies of confetti. At least.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @Quilter99755 and @bookreader451

I doubt the soap with the baby blue mica and the discoloring FO is going to turn blue, but we’ll see. The best performer of the three blue micas was the Klein Blue. It made a perfect cool sky blue at ~1/2 tsp ppo and without any FO added.

 

[MGM]

@bookreader451 @KiwiSoap

View attachment 42791

Hey, this looks a lot like my slab mould!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Hey, this looks a lot like my slab mould!

Pretty! Your top definitely pops!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Top of the Pops

 

[Dawni]

Packaged some soap

 

[sirtim100]

"Rebatched" some shaving soap that didn't reach my stringent QA requirements (i.e. it didn't smell enough). Bought some more stearic acid, some lanolin and other bits and bobs for my next experiment, and tonight I might just buy a crockpot that's going cheap in Mediamarkt (29.90€). Got a small one but it's all about bigger, bigger, bigger.

This soaping "hobby" is getting a bit out of control...

@Dawni, like the soap, and the packaging

 

[Dawni]

This soaping "hobby" is getting a bit out of control...

@Dawni, like the soap, and the packaging

Lol it's never going to get back n control I think

Thank you.. I figured it would be nice to have the tops showing of the bars that aren't plain, like the one I showed in the other thread. But like that one, the paper is recycled, the jute is biodegradable and even the ink is

 

[sirtim100]

Bought the crock pot, now it's self-flagellation for at least two days ("Why oh why do I buy these things? Think of the bills, think of the bills!"). Just to help me really wallow in those guilt feelings, I also bought a small bottle of rosemary EO (for testing, but "oh dear oh dear what have you done?") and some almond oil (good price, but "oh you spendthrift fool, you'll have no money soon and you'll end up eating the soap").

I use jute thread and brown paper wage packet envelopes, sometimes with a brown paper label saying what's inside.

Happy (and guilt-free) soaping, everyone

 

[Quilter99755]

Love your packaging, Dawni. It's cold up here in the North country so all of my recycled paper gets used up for fire starter these days. I have lots and lots of fabric scraps but it is very hard to write on them...especially the print fabric. But love the jute. I could use the selvedge edges that I cut off my fabric instead. I'll have to think about that some more. I definitely have to start with colors in my soaps...they are truly boring compared to yours.