What soapy thing have you done today?

[Kari Howie]

tried some colors todayView attachment 44010

They look great! Photo set up is very nice, too.

 

[SmockingRN]

I made a recipe with honey and beeswax. It was from a really great YouTube soaper, Katie of Heart's Content Farmhouse. I always have the best results with her videos/recipes.

 

[Relle]

Yup, practice makes perfect, right? We should start a thread for knit/crochet projects; I'd love to see your shawl.

I'll have to take some photos now that the rain has stopped. I took my most recent shawl to crochet today and showed them at the table of knowledge and they all like it.

 

[Adobehead]

I am the trapezoidal queen. For many years now I have been using this same cutter and always get bars that are totally uneven. I used to stress out about it and look for better cutters, but they are so expensive...... my distributor said she likes it because they look so "handmade" so that's what she tells people.

Also, I suggested that she not put the smaller bars on the table next to bigger ones.... she just puts one at a time, no comparison problems! And if they have ash on one narrow side, no problem, it washes off. My bars are plain except for speckles and they are stamped and wrapped in paper to keep them clean. The paper helps hold the scent of the essential oils I use, so customers love that. These are pachouly EO with red Moroccan clay and powdered pachouly leaf.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I am the trapezoidal queen. For many years now I have been using this same cutter and always get bars that are totally uneven. I used to stress out about it and look for better cutters, but they are so expensive...... my distributor said she likes it because they look so "handmade" so that's what she tells people.

They look fine! But I get what you mean - the loaf moves as you are cutting. I have started using a bit of baking paper to push against the end of mine so that it doesn't move when I am pushing the knife down.

 

[GML]

I followed the advice from another thread and packed my soaps to cardboard boxes. I'll have a few hundred pieces all safe and snug.

 

[amd]

Filling out show apps for the year, chasing down contacts for more information on some shows, and trying to look like I know what I'm doing...

Also still cussing at this weird soap that refuses to harden properly. When I cut it the FO went all weird on me and I didn't like it, but now the FO has bounced back I really like it, but Immabe so mad if this soap is scrap.

Hoping to make soap tonight.

 

[Dumfrey]

No soapy things done in a while still. Puppy is settled in, growing up, and has learned to play responsibly with our other dog.
I feel like I could leave them closed in the main part of the house and not come back to rubble!

So, planning my next project, to involve color. Thinking just pot swirl. I am looking for suggestions on good, bright purple pigment or mica.

 

[MGM]

Didn't make these today (over the Christmas holidays, in fact) but I don't think I ever posted about them.
3 takes on lavender:

Brown is lavender + vanilla lace with unknown confetti.
Pink is lavender + mint with peppermint confetti.
Yellow is lavender + frankincense with Frankincense and Myrrh confetti.

 

[KiwiMoose]

ITP psychedelic swirl with four colours plus the base colour. Fragranced with Love Spell by candle science which I have had in soap a year old and still sticks well. Poured into PVC pipe and some leftovers into a cavity mold. Will cut tomorrow .

 

[msunnerstood]

Soapy thing plus - Im assembling two gift baskets im donating to the missing persons conference in March. I also have 300 sample lotion tubes to fill and label for it but im going to wait a couple weeks to make the lotion for that part.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Love Spell soap cut

 

[rdc1978]

I tried a silicone mat technique and I'm an eager beaver who doesn't want to wait two days to see how the design turned out!

But, I kinda like what I did with the extra soap + some purple mica dispersed in oil on the other side!

I'm nervous to see how the other side with the silicone mat turned out. I was fairly confident to the point of.....dare I say....feeling competent.....when I realized I had forgotten to add the fragrance oil and had to try to add it while the soap was in the mold

 

[KiwiMoose]

I tried a silicone mat technique and I'm an eager beaver who doesn't want to wait two days to see how the design turned out!

But, I kinda like what I did with the extra soap + some purple mica dispersed in oil on the other side!

I'm nervous to see how the other side with the silicone mat turned out. I was fairly confident to the point of.....dare I say....feeling competent.....when I realized I had forgotten to add the fragrance oil and had to try to add it while the soap was in the mold

View attachment 44085

Can't wait to see the other side! but if it doesn't work - this side looks good too!

 

[user 25582]

That should work just fine. Salt soap has to be cut while still warm or they don't cut well at all and crumble. I cut mine at 3 hours. I only use 50% salt. I cure mine for 6-12 months but prefer them more even longer.

Can l ask why salt bars should be cured for so long? Thankyou

 

[Dawni]

Can l ask why salt bars should be cured for so long? Thankyou

It's not technically a "should" but it definitely gets better at that long a cure. If you try a salt bar at 2 month intervals til a year is up you'll notice a difference in lather and skin feel for sure.

 

[shunt2011]

Can l ask why salt bars should be cured for so long? Thankyou

They become milder and the lather is better, they're magical. I've been making them for 9 or so years. They are truly one of my personal favorites.

 

[Shereen]

Hi
I made a cp soap with 70% olive oil. 25% coconut oil and 5% castor oil.
I left it over night and in the morning I noticed that it hit a partial gel phase so I heated the oven and helped it to reach a full gel phase. When it cooled down white dots appeared on it what do you think is that? And how its solved.
Thanks ⚘

 

[Adobehead]

I am experimenting with changing over from Sustainably Grown Palm Oil to Tallow. So, for the first time, I am actually doing 1 pound test batches, this is the first one, 100% Tallow. Next will be half tallow 25% Olive and 25% Coconut. Etc. etc. I used a milk carton for a mold, it worked fine, but the sides are a bit rounded. There is absolutely no smell.

I get the fat free from the butcher but it is quite a process to render it and clean up. However I found that kind of relaxing, so I don't mind. The fat is the dry crumbly kind from around the kidneys, in México where I live, it is called "cebo" I don't know what it is in english. My first try was a failure because I lacked that particular name and some kind person on this list gave it to me. Thank you.

Laurel

 

[rdc1978]

I just love, love, love the idea of reusing and recycling and not wasting things. So the idea that you're able to get the fat free from the butcher and then re-use it for sometime useful like soap is awesome, IMO.