What soapy thing have you done today?

[Jersey Girl]

I made unscented soap this morning with honey, aloe and liquid from oatmeal cooked in excess water. It’s a new twist on my soy wax recipe and I’m hoping for a very mild soap with plenty of bubbles even though I kept the CO low. The honey is from a friend’s bees and is fairly thin. I added it to the oils because the only other time I tried to make honey soap, I added it to the lye water and ended up with a ball of burnt honey. The soap gelled quickly, but did not overheat. Right now it smells lovely, like honey. I’m wondering if the scent will hold.

Sounds heavenly.

 

[The_Phoenix]

I really wanted to make soap today, but I set my chores goal way to high! I was a pretend plumber and replaced two bathroom sink faucets and drains, tried to replace my broken shower knobs and re-sealed my kitchen sink drain! No leaks so far. I’m beat! And I still have my trail of messes to clean up. Then I’m going to go shower and try out the liquid shampoo and conditioner I made yesterday! Fingers crossed I like it as much as my solid bars. It’s more for the kids though. Lol!

A girl after my heart! I love fixing stuff around the house. When we went into lockdown, I went on a home improvement rampage, starting with bathroom faucets. Funny how certain things are easier to do than you think, and you save a bundle! Hope your shampoo and conditioner turned out to your liking.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Just made this lemongrass, kiwi and cassis scented soap! Smells yummo!
Now I’d better catch up on this thread...

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Oh sounds lovely. I add honey to our regular family bars and the scent remains after 4 months, by the time we use the last bar. The scent does calm down pretty fast - by the end of a 4 week cure - but it does remain as a perhaps unidentifiable lovely sweetness, if that makes any sense.

Oh good. It still smells nice this morning.

@KiwiMoose you always come up with the most interesting scent combinations. i read one description of cassis FO that described it as berry fruit with wood type base notes. Does that sound close?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

The honey is from a friend’s bees and is fairly thin.

That's the best a beekeeper can give! I hope you didn't throw it all into the soap.
A friend of mine loves creamy honey, so a beekeeper friend of us gave her a glass of honey which was – clear and runny ! With the comment, she'd better wait a week or two. Et voilà, it magically solidified into exactly that whitish cream honey she had asked for.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

That's the best a beekeeper can give! I hope you didn't throw it all into the soap.
A friend of mine loves creamy honey, so a beekeeper friend of us gave her a glass of honey which was – clear and runny ! With the comment, she'd better wait a week or two. Et voilà, it magically solidified into exactly that whitish cream honey she had asked for.

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a couple of good size jars. The honey in one jar is toast-spreadable consistency at room temperature. The honey in the second jar is much thinner and would make a big mess on toast, but works well for tea . There was something about how the honey in the second jar was (or wasn’t?) processed compared with the first, but it’s been almost a year since she told me and I need to ask her again.

 

[Fenchurch]

I just stamped my latest soaps and cut their edges.
pH is already pretty good, 7.5 to 8...

Happy bubbles!
Stéphanie

 

[Quanta]

I just stamped my latest soaps and cut their edges.
pH is already pretty good, 7.5 to 8...

Happy bubbles!
Stéphanie

The pH of soap will always be a minimum of 9. If you try to add pH adjusters to make it lower than that it will turn into a mushy goo because the soap molecules fall apart (which means it isn't soap anymore). Unless you are talking about syndet bars? A bunch of us make those but the pH of a syndet bar needs to be at most about 5.5 or 6.

Unless you're using paper strips to test your soap, in which case you have to shift up by 2 to compensate for the inaccuracy of that type of pH measuring method with soap. (Soap causes the dye those are made with to display the wrong pH, it's always too low). So if you used paper strips, your soap is really about 9.5 or 10, which is more realistic and probably a really lovely soap.

However, the pH of soap will always be what it is and you can't change it, not really. The only time it really matters is if you accidentally measured something wrong and it's lye heavy. Otherwise you don't even need to check it.

With syndet bars, the pH matters very much because an alkaline bar will destroy your hair (they are normally used as shampoo). The pH is normally adjusted by using ingredients that are acidic in the first place, or adding a tiny amount of citric acid. The pH should be somewhere around 5 ideally, but between 4 and 6 is fine.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Dropped my husband off at the airport yesterday. Waiting to find out when the funeral will be and then decide when I’ll fly out. I hate that he’s dealing with this loss without me.

Sunday is usually our day together so I’m feeling a little...lost...after seeing him every single day for a year+. Came “this” close to making him a cup of tea this morning. Keep in mind I’m an independent woman perfectly capable filling my time with my own adventures and time-filling activities. It’s just...well...I’m really fond of him.

In the meantime, I’m making the CUTEST embeds.

 

[Vicki C]

The pH of soap will always be a minimum of 9. If you try to add pH adjusters to make it lower than that it will turn into a mushy goo because the soap molecules fall apart (which means it isn't soap anymore). Unless you are talking about syndet bars? A bunch of us make those but the pH of a syndet bar needs to be at most about 5.5 or 6.

Unless you're using paper strips to test your soap, in which case you have to shift up by 2 to compensate for the inaccuracy of that type of pH measuring method with soap. (Soap causes the dye those are made with to display the wrong pH, it's always too low). So if you used paper strips, your soap is really about 9.5 or 10, which is more realistic and probably a really lovely soap.

However, the pH of soap will always be what it is and you can't change it, not really. The only time it really matters is if you accidentally measured something wrong and it's lye heavy. Otherwise you don't even need to check it.

With syndet bars, the pH matters very much because an alkaline bar will destroy your hair (they are normally used as shampoo). The pH is normally adjusted by using ingredients that are acidic in the first place, or adding a tiny amount of citric acid. The pH should be somewhere around 5 ideally, but between 4 and 6 is fine.

Great info thank you!

 

[Fenchurch]

The pH of soap will always be a minimum of 9. If you try to add pH adjusters to make it lower than that it will turn into a mushy goo because the soap molecules fall apart (which means it isn't soap anymore). Unless you are talking about syndet bars? A bunch of us make those but the pH of a syndet bar needs to be at most about 5.5 or 6.

Unless you're using paper strips to test your soap, in which case you have to shift up by 2 to compensate for the inaccuracy of that type of pH measuring method with soap. (Soap causes the dye those are made with to display the wrong pH, it's always too low). So if you used paper strips, your soap is really about 9.5 or 10, which is more realistic and probably a really lovely soap.

Yes I use paper strips. I didn't know I had to shift up by two with this measuring. THANKS for the information!

However, the pH of soap will always be what it is and you can't change it, not really. The only time it really matters is if you accidentally measured something wrong and it's lye heavy. Otherwise you don't even need to check it.

Okay, that's very weird because I thought (because I read it) the pH changed during the cure for CPed soaps, as the saponification process finishes...
So you mean it's not the case? After unmolding, the pH will remain the same?

With syndet bars, the pH matters very much because an alkaline bar will destroy your hair (they are normally used as shampoo). The pH is normally adjusted by using ingredients that are acidic in the first place, or adding a tiny amount of citric acid. The pH should be somewhere around 5 ideally, but between 4 and 6 is fine.

Again, thanks for this information!

Hapy bubbles!
Stéphanie

 

[Quanta]

Yes I use paper strips. I didn't know I had to shift up by two with this measuring. THANKS for the information!

You don't even need to measure it normally. Soap is what it is. The only reason for measuring pH is for things where you can actually adjust the pH to the range you need, and soap isn't one of those things.

Shampoo is something you'd need to measure because the pH can be anything depending on the ingredients used, and the pH can and should be adjusted to acceptable levels. For my shampoo I use a proper pH meter, not strips, just so I can measure more accurately. I've never even used my meter to measure the pH of the soap I make.

Okay, that's very weird because I thought (because I read it) the pH changed during the cure for CPed soaps, as the saponification process finishes...
So you mean it's not the case? After unmolding, the pH will remain the same?

No, it does change. But it changes from 14 to about 10-ish. Certainly no lower than 9.

Again, thanks for this information!

Hapy bubbles!
Stéphanie

You are very welcome! A lot of people become upset when they hear that their soap isn't as low a pH as their strips tell them and won't believe their strips aren't accurate, I'm glad you're not one of them and that you're open to new information.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Oh good. It still smells nice this morning.

@KiwiMoose you always come up with the most interesting scent combinations. i read one description of cassis FO that described it as berry fruit with wood type base notes. Does that sound close?

I can't claim credit for that FO Mobjack - it's from a local supplier here. It smells really nice - there's the fresh/fruitiness of the lemongrass and kiwifruit, and then the cassis is - yes a sweet berry/woodsy smell.
ETA - here's the cut:

 

[AliOop]

Voted: best use of glycerin rivers!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Voted: best use of glycerin rivers!!

I always get those when i use TD.

 

[AliOop]

I always get those when i use TD.

Well, yer workin' it good!

 

[AAShillito]

I can't claim credit for that FO Mobjack - it's from a local supplier here. It smells really nice - there's the fresh/fruitiness of the lemongrass and kiwifruit, and then the cassis is - yes a sweet berry/woodsy smell.
ETA - here's the cut:
View attachment 56513

Sounds amazing! What did you use for the kiwi fragrance

 

[KiwiMoose]

Well, hello there.
The FO made some weird bumps that smoothed out w my finger. I imagine they’ll reabsorb over the cure. The details in this plate, when I can get the batter right, aremy super fave!!
Mostly well behave FO Somali Soul from NS.

Just gorgeous!

 

[Katie68121]

I cut my newest batch today, still not 100% satisfied... but happy with it. First time using Soy wax. I can’t seem to avoid the soda ash...I used Tea tree, peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender EOs. I also tried the line pour technique but ended up with this.

 

[bookworm]

You could put her to work

I laughed till I cried!!