What soapy thing have you done today?

[melonpan]

My soap thing of the day was checking on my pine inspired soap. I'm curing a few bars under a thick cotton cloth and the others under a cardboard box (so they are in the dark) to preserve the botanical green colour, and at 2 weeks I think I can see a slightly difference! The ones under the box seem to remain darker. The box seems to also help a bit with scent retention but only time will tell, I guess

 

[SPowers]

It is a joy to use! I’ve found that I like the more simple routing key designs. The fancy ones seem to take away from the soap. But it’s easy to use and my soaps look so pretty! I’m glad I finally splurged on it! Good luck!

I just ordered one! The price even with shipping is incredible!

 

[hlee]

I have not made soap weeks. I should have time to make a little in a couple weeks so just browsing here is the only soapy thing.


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[Zing]

I finally broke down and bought a soap cutter. It is a game changer!

Right?! I got mine just in the last year and it is definitely a game changer. I get a simple joy every time even now -- love that 'thwok' noise and no more crooked slices! Your soap is really, really beautiful, @MarnieSoapien . Is it 2 greens and uncolored? Really nice.

I have intended to soap on a weekend for like forever and seriously getting withdrawal symptoms. Employment and redesigning a garden are in the way. We've got a special reunion coming up and I am in denial about the 6 week cure time. Yikes!

We have had weekend overnight guests (so missed that! Yay for vaccines!) that demanded to see my 'soap factory.' My soap shop is in the basement. And my trick to clean the house for house guests is to throw all clutter into the basement. So there went that plan....

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I haven't been making soap much because I rarely have the apartment to myself. Yesterday I had a chance to make a batch. I planned on doing a drop swirl but my batter thickened up on me, so I did a hanger swirl. I love hanger swirls, they are so forgiving.

I finally broke down and bought a soap cutter. It is a game changer!

Gorgeous soap! Your swirl is beautifully crisp.

I made my first soap dough today. Due to upcoming vacation time in California, “have dough, will travel” is the only plan I have for making an entry for this month’s challenge. Is the TSA familiar with soap dough?

 

[dibbles]

Gorgeous soap! Your swirl is beautifully crisp.

I made my first soap dough today. Due to upcoming vacation time in California, “have dough, will travel” is the only plan I have for making an entry for this month’s challenge. Is the TSA familiar with soap dough?

They definitely don’t like regular soap bars in carry on. I get pulled aside every time - even when I had the soaps out of my bag in a separate bin. My daughter also had an issue with it in carry on. I just put it in my checked bag now to save the hassle. I wonder if the cold temps would affect soap dough in the baggage area of the plane.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

Right?! I got mine just in the last year and it is definitely a game changer. I get a simple joy every time even now -- love that 'thwok' noise and no more crooked slices! Your soap is really, really beautiful, @MarnieSoapien . Is it 2 greens and uncolored? Really nice.

Thank you! Yes, it's 2 greens and white. I used a mojito fragrance.

We were hoping friends would get to visit us this summer but we're not sure when international travel for tourism will happen. I think at best we might try to go camping. Europe has been much slower on the vaccine rollout than the US.

 

[GemstonePony]

Yesterday/today, but attempted a re-do of my Lily of the Valley soap. Higher lye concentration and just Lily of the Valley FO led to much faster trace, and I over-blended it because it traced so slowly last time, which meant my layers weren't as smooth. I thought that meant it might heat up more, and scaled back the CPOP, which led to partial gel, which led to me reassembling the loaf and putting it back in the oven to gel. Anyways, more vivid green and a more subtle/feathery swirl on through the top layer and visible on top, versus the previous with a mild green and a mica coating on top. Previous batch on left, new batch on the right. I also tweaked the recipe, because I did not like the feel of the previous batch.
Also, my first cream soap/shave soap attempt, a 0%-ish SF recipe hot processed yesterday with a skin-mild FO that separates horribly and absolutely forces you to heat/stir your mixture until it is almost completely saponified. Then, and only then, will the FO incorporate. I don't normally HP, so it's a great motivator. I reheated the mixture today, added a little babassu oil and some glycerin, and then poured it into a plastic wrap lined bowl. I intended to let it "rot" as a little paste wheel, but then while I was cleaning up I realized I really liked it as it is, and played with dilution rates using 10 grams of paste, and now I've got a tiny bottle of creamy shave soap. Pic of the paste after glycerin and superfat, and pic of the paste wheel.
(Not pictured) I also made face lotion, and I made lotion bars with a blend of WSP FOs Wild Honeysuckle and Vanilla Oak.

 

[earlene]

Gorgeous soap! Your swirl is beautifully crisp.

I made my first soap dough today. Due to upcoming vacation time in California, “have dough, will travel” is the only plan I have for making an entry for this month’s challenge. Is the TSA familiar with soap dough?

Soap dough will look like an organic mass (similar to C-4) and somewhat suspicious on xray, which can lead to a bag search if you put it in your carry-on. Think of Play-Doh, which also alarms. You may be told you cannot take it in your carry-on. I strongly suggest you put it in your checked luggage.

Checked baggage is different as to what is allowed, but when in doubt read the TSA rules of what is allowed. But remember this caveat:

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Soap dough will look like an organic mass (similar to C-4) and somewhat suspicious on xray, which can lead to a bag search if you put it in your carry-on. Think of Play-Doh, which also alarms. You may be told you cannot take it in your carry-on. I strongly suggest you put it in your checked luggage.

Checked baggage is different as to what is allowed, but when in doubt read the TSA rules of what is allowed. But remember this caveat:

View attachment 58483

Thanks Earlene! Sending the dough via USPS might be the better option. I made it in a six cavity mold that is the perfect size for a bubble wrap priority mail envelope.

 

[dibbles]

Yesterday my wonderful aunt turned 90 and there was a small open house for family and a few other people close to her to celebrate this milestone. One of my cousins (who lives out of state) is married to a minister, and her church does some work with homeless people. I filled a large box with soaps for my cousin to take home for their church, made gift bags for my two aunts and my cousins that were attending, and took a box of miscellaneous bars for everyone else to choose from. I've only made one batch of soap in the last month, so right now my curing shelves are pretty empty, and most of my storage boxes are empty. I have a small gift bag to put together today for a friend, my daughter will be taking a bag of bars to a friend of hers in a couple of weeks. I'll still have plenty of well cured bars for hubby and I, and for miscellaneous gifting. It feels great to feel like I 'need' to make some soap!

 

[earlene]

Thanks Earlene! Sending the dough via USPS might be the better option. I made it in a six cavity mold that is the perfect size for a bubble wrap priority mail envelope.

I actually thought of recommending that, but then left it out. If it is convenient in your situation, I do think it's the safest bet if you don't want to risk leaving it behind. I once mailed home some of my soaps that I made on my travels and they did fine. I have also packed young soap in my checked baggage and had no problems, either.

 

[Ladka]

Completed rendering and final purification of raw beef suet. What I got was not only the fine fat from the kidney region but pieces of all sorts with blood, meat and liver bits. I selected the fine pieces and dumped the majority of "unclean" material in the bin. So that about six kilograms of the raw material gave me about 700 grams of fine rendered beef tallow - white, odourless, water-free, hard, glossy.

 

[MrsZ]

I just checked a batch of ZNSC that I made 10 days ago. I can't believe how rock hard it is! Can't wait to use it. I've made a castile soap as my second ever batch of soap, and it is still rubbery after about 2 months. The ZNSC is amazing.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

LOL That is, if you don't mind waiting 3 months to cure! Not me! No thank you!
Look at the "Recipe Properties". Compare the values of your formula with the recommended range. An INS of 132 falls waaay short of the ideal INS 160, so-called "perfect soap".

Today I learned that I obviously did everything wrong all the time! More often than not, I'm not even inside the tolerance interval (136–165), let alone close to the holy 160. My OPW soap (May challenge) was rock hard after a few hours CPOP, at a dreadful INS of 123. The “canology” shattered into pieces at INS 115 two days after unmoulding. That lovely Abyssinia castile is stuck at meager INS 79.

What now? Besides INS, I can't find anything wrong with bars that give abundant lather, agreeable firmness, don't get mushy quickly, and last for a decent time. But math tells me it's all wrong? Should I believe the numerology mysticism of Robert McDaniels et al., or should I trust my own perceptions and experiences?

 

[KiwiMoose]

Today I learned that I obviously did everything wrong all the time! More often than not, I'm not even inside the tolerance interval (136–165), let alone close to the holy 160. My OPW soap (May challenge) was rock hard after a few hours CPOP, at a dreadful INS of 123. The “canology” shattered into pieces at INS 115 two days after unmoulding. That lovely Abyssinia castile is stuck at meager INS 79.

What now? Besides INS, I can't find anything wrong with bars that give abundant lather, agreeable firmness, don't get mushy quickly, and last for a decent time. But math tells me it's all wrong? Should I believe the numerology mysticism of Robert McDaniels et al., or should I trust my own perceptions and experiences?

Someone needs to watch/read 'Horton hears a Who'

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Might well be the case too. I'd have to ask him. He brought back a lot of fun stories, and a ton of envy-arousing photos. Some of them were definitely about Kiwis.


I wouldn't use nail files on proper knives (with free-standing blade), when whetstones are so suited/fun/meditative to work with. For the “hidden” safety blades, I used a stiff metal nail file, to exert steady pressure at a constant angle.

Ok

 

[Tara_H]

More often than not, I'm not even inside the tolerance interval (136–165), let alone close to the holy 160.

I thought the 160 was something to aim to be 'below', not to hit?

A little while back I ended up reading about INS (will paraphrase from memory so be kind if I misspeak!) What I came away with was that the 'iodine' value is a numerical outcome of a specific 'iodine test' which determines (something chemistry-ish that I hesitate to even try to paraphrase) but it's basically directly related to how quickly it oxidises and therefore the risk of rancidity.

I know I have a link to it somewhere, I have a busy day ahead but I'll dig it out if I get a moment at some point.

My "soapy" thing so far was I discovered tinkercad, and designed a new stamp with a hand drawn/written design! It's currently printing and I can't wait to see it

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Yesterday I made soap labels & wrapped soap getting orginzed & deciding what soap I'll gift to Grandson for his College Graduation Gift & Money of course, his Graduation Party is this Saturday. I'll bring my Daughter Soap too & Lotion which I haven't started' hopefully tomorrow I can start that, I'm planing on using @KimW lotion recipe' that she graciously shared w/ me, Thank you so much .

I need to box & wrap soap & have it ready to go.
I wanted to finish my Daughter's Cologne body spray' but I don't think I'll have enough time.

My Friend contacted me' wanting more soap' yay so sent her pictures of soap that is available & ready. Ive been busy busy as of late.

Completed rendering and final purification of raw beef suet. What I got was not only the fine fat from the kidney region but pieces of all sorts with blood, meat and liver bits. I selected the fine pieces and dumped the majority of "unclean" material in the bin. So that about six kilograms of the raw material gave me about 700 grams of fine rendered beef tallow - white, odourless, water-free, hard, glossy.

View attachment 58487 View attachment 58488

That really looks like "Prime Beef Tallow" I bet your soap is gonna be wonderful.

 

[earlene]

Gathered organic material from my garden, cleaned & placed on sheets to dry in oven. Darn, I wish I had known I was out of parchment paper. I looked all around and my stash where I keep the extras (in the garage) has about half dozen boxes of plastic wrap, a couple of aluminum foil, 1 waxed paper, but no parchment paper. So it's now on my shopping list and I lined my trays with waxed paper. I don't think it's a problem in a low heat oven, but if I start to smell wax, I have to remember why. Anyway, I had meant to do this harvest last month, so I am glad this month's challenge requires a garden ingredient (and it cannot be a fragrance oil)

Oh, yeah, I can smell the wax now. I may go to the store and replace the waxed paper. I don't want my house to smell like parafin wax.