What soapy thing have you done today?

[Mobjack Bay]

Puppy got me up early, I’m a night shifter. So what do I do? Make Soap!! 1 pound of soap colored with indigo powder and scented with essential oils of Bergamot, Patchouli, YlangYlang (Serenity on EOCalc at 5%). Nice scent, waiting to see if it makes it through the saponification process and lasts. Anyone use this scent before? What did you think?

That sounds like a nice blend. I don’t recall it showing up on the eocalc blend review thread.

 

[Jackie Tobey]

That sounds like a nice blend. I don’t recall it showing up on the eocalc blend review thread.

I will look for it. Don’t remember seeing it. But I have decided to start trying the ones that interest me and add to the EO call review thread.

That sounds like a nice blend. I don’t recall it showing up on the eocalc blend review thread.

I can't find the EO blend review board. Is there one set up like the FO spreadsheet?

 

[Dawni]

Made @Dawni 's Neem Soap! My kids can't stand Anise, so my EO mix was:
cedarwood 20%, lemongrass 30%, sage 10%, tea tree 40%. On the day I made it, strange parts of the house smelled like Neem. Not the basement kitchen where it was, but the upstairs bedrooms or the back room or something. On the first day I smelled more lemongrass than Neem but that's faded back a bit. I'm surprised to not smell much TTO, given the quantity.
Pleased so far, but we'll have to see how it works.

Love that color!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Puppy got me up early, I’m a night shifter. So what do I do? Make Soap!! 1 pound of soap colored with indigo powder and scented with essential oils of Bergamot, Patchouli, YlangYlang (Serenity on EOCalc at 5%). Nice scent, waiting to see if it makes it through the saponification process and lasts. Anyone use this scent before? What did you think?

I made one recently with Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, and Cedarwood - very nice earthy floral.

 

[Shereen]

Thank you. I love photography and soaping, these two make a very nice blend.
You have a lovely soap as well, I like the prints on them

 

[Dawni]

Soleseifes.. No color.
View attachment 43424

Finally unmolded everything.
See the difference between unmolding after 3 days, on the right, and unmolding after 6 days, on the left.

The ones unmolded sooner have ash.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I can't find the EO blend review board. Is there one set up like the FO spreadsheet?

It’s here:

I can find it in a search if I type in “eocalc.com,” but using just eocalc doesn’t work for me.

Finally unmolded everything.
See the difference between unmolding after 3 days, on the right, and unmolding after 6 days, on the left.
View attachment 43510
The ones unmolded sooner have ash.

Maybe that’s what caused the ash on my recent flower soaps. I don’t think I’ve ever left soap in the mold for 6 days!

 

[Dawni]

Maybe that’s what caused the ash on my recent flower soaps. I don’t think I’ve ever left soap in the mold for 6 days!

Also. In general, even the one with ash has less compared to the previous batch. I used 75% ACV as my liquid... need to test this out more if it does help with ash.

 

[cmzaha]

Also. In general, even the one with ash has less compared to the previous batch. I used 75% ACV as my liquid... need to test this out more if it does help with ash.

I do not find that ACV really helps with ash, which I usually always soap with. But, I usually pour at emulsion and de-mold in 8-12 hrs. I pour in log molds and I simply cannot cut my soap if they stay in the mold longer. To comply with this thread I have done nothing soapy for a month or so other than selling soap.

 

[Misschief]

Probably not simple, but... Simply elegant!

It really wasn't difficult, @Mobjack Bay

The swirl to the left is done with a chopstick. The peaks to the right are done with the back of a spoon when the soap is at thick trace, thick enough to hold its shape.

As far as soapy things I did... I cut the Salt & Pepper soap last night. Then, I put the Charcoal Castile soap back in the oven overnight in an attempt to "fix" the partial gel. It made no difference.

 

[Dawni]

Soapy thing: rebatch confetti. And yes, it's also brown lol

And I made a batch of lotion bars for an order.

I do not find that ACV really helps with ash, which I usually always soap with. But, I usually pour at emulsion and de-mold in 8-12 hrs. I pour in log molds and I simply cannot cut my soap if they stay in the mold longer. To comply with this thread I have done nothing soapy for a month or so other than selling soap.

There goes that theory lol.

I've not tested it in any other CP aside from soleseifes but it's noticeable in those. The ones with none have thick ash (which happen to be in loaf form so I agree, impossible to unmold after 6 days) and the more vinegar I use the less they have.

So maybe not touching it, if you can get away with it, is the key? Haha.. That is of course, if it bothers you.

 

[GML]

I cut a loaf of oatmilk and oatmeal HP soap this morning that I made last night. Skipped adding yogurt to the soap after the cook (no yogurt on hand) and even though sodium lactate was added,the soap was not as fluid as it is when yogurt is added. I also forgot to add the granulated sugar to the liquid which is a good thing because this soap does not smell as "oaty" as it does when oatmilk and oatmeal is used.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Also. In general, even the one with ash has less compared to the previous batch. I used 75% ACV as my liquid... need to test this out more if it does help with ash.

I’ve been so focused on testing recipes, learning techniques and playing with natural colorants, that I haven’t focused enough on what might be causing ash on my soaps. It seems to pop up in a very random way. A loaf may have no ash, while the little bit of extra soap in an individual mold gets ash, or sometimes it’s the reverse. So weird...

My soapy thing for the day was looking at the soaps I made this past weekend with various blends of indigo and madder. The colors have shifted a bit, but I still have a range of purple hues. It’s going to be very interesting to watch these soaps over time.

 

[StormyK]

First time try at a mica line and first time including a fragrance. The rivers were an accident, but I kinda like them.

Any suggestions as to how to get a line straight at the edges?

 

[cmzaha]

First time try at a mica line and first time including a fragrance. The rivers were an accident, but I kinda like them.

Any suggestions as to how to get a line straight at the edges?

View attachment 43520

Your soap looks very pretty, but it is not advised to use coarse or even medium grain salt as decoration. If you or anyone else that uses the soap forgets to remove the salt they can get a nasty laceration. Himalayan salt can be quite sharp. Nothing over fine salt should be used on or in soap. Sorry I cannot help you with the mica line question as I do not do mica lines.

 

[StormyK]

@cmzaha This one is just for me and I mostly just wanted to experiment with adding something large to the top. I had large Himalayan on hand so that's what went on. That said, I appreciate the heads-up and will be knocking everything off before using.

(Do people not do this anyway? I've always knocked off any "decor" that was on a purchased soap before using it!)

 

[cmzaha]

@cmzaha This one is just for me and I mostly just wanted to experiment with adding something large to the top. I had large Himalayan on hand so that's what went on. That said, I appreciate the heads-up and will be knocking everything off before using.

(Do people not do this anyway? I've always knocked off any "decor" that was on a purchased soap before using it!)

Never count on what people will do. Just an example I shrink wrap all my wood soap decks and had a customer come back and complain they do not work. After talking to her I asked her if she un-wrapped it. Nope, she did not. So never depend on someone taking off the big pieces of salt they will think it is for exfoliating. You can use clear m&p to add pretty chunks on top of the soap. My theory is if it can potentially hurt you it does not belong on a soap.

 

[StormyK]

I shrink wrap all my wood soap decks and had a customer come back and complain they do not work. After talking to her I asked her if she un-wrapped it. Nope, she did not.

BWAHAHAHAHA! That's amazing!
No matter how jaded I become I still manage to be consistently shocked (impressed?) by the sheer idiocy of the human race.

Either way, you present a good rule of thumb to follow. And, should I ever reach a point of soap-competency that I delve into sales I'll have to remember to consider the lowest possible denominator!

 

[cmzaha]

BWAHAHAHAHA! That's amazing!
No matter how jaded I become I still manage to be consistently shocked (impressed?) by the sheer idiocy of the human race.

Either way, you present a good rule of thumb to follow. And, should I ever reach a point of soap-competency that I delve into sales I'll have to remember to consider the lowest possible denominator!

 

[Misschief]

BWAHAHAHAHA! That's amazing!
No matter how jaded I become I still manage to be consistently shocked (impressed?) by the sheer idiocy of the human race.

Either way, you present a good rule of thumb to follow. And, should I ever reach a point of soap-competency that I delve into sales I'll have to remember to consider the lowest possible denominator!

Consider them but, please, don't cater to them. That drags everyone down to their level.