What soapy thing have you done today?

[TashaBird]

I prepped a bazillion batches of soap a month ago, but yesterday decided I wanted to make some moons in my new pvc mold I made. So I took a pull though recipe and divided it in 4. I’d used that 1/4 recipe volume of water to test it in the pvc, and it was just a bit over. Apparently I don’t math so well when I go off the cuff. I have two pvc tubes that I wanted to fill and should have divided the recipe in half, not in quarters. It sure would have been easier! But, if there’s one thing I’m good at it’s making things more difficult for myself! Also, I was making a moon but wanted to swirl a smidge of grey, yellow, and orange in it. It may have been too much. And, I blended it too long and it got thick. So.... who the heck knows what I’ll get. If I can get it out of this 1” wide 18” long pvc, I’ll still call it a win!

 

[amd]

I made my challenge soap! I've been trying not to make soap during the summer months for the last two summers, but as my hubby predicted, I couldn't stay away, lol.

I also priced out 5lbs of foot scrub for a local salon, and talked to another salon about wholesale for some of my soap and body sets. I'm also heading over to a local GM soapmaker's place, as she is closing up shop and destashing her supplies. I'm hoping to pick up her slab mold and cutter for a good price. We'll see what the measurements end up being if I can make it work for my product lineup.

 

[TashaBird]

Well. 4th time is a charm? The embed took a few tries, but my pvc moon embed didn’t work out so good. I’ll have to line it with parchment paper next time. It got stuck and I had to beat it to get it out. Got a small cut on my hand and couldn’t figure out what the orange/pink/red was on my soap dough! Needless to say I threw that bit away.

 

[mamansavon]

I'm super happy bc I made a perfect-sized (and free!) mould and matching reusable liner!
Naturally, I had to make some soap to test it out and I'm looking forward to seeing how it's worked

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

@TashaBird
Sorry to see this happen' gosh darn it.

I've read one soaper doesn't line her PVC she will put it in the freezer then pound it on a rolled rug' & it comes right out.
I've always lined my PVC & usually I'll stick something in the end to push it out the other end far enough so I can grab & pull it the rest of the way. Once it starts sliding out its easily removed. Unfortunately cause of the paper & heat thats generated it leaves a slight ridge type texture on soap' not bad just not a smooth finish like the pipe has.
4th time is a charm .

 

[TashaBird]

@TashaBird
Sorry to see this happen' gosh darn it.

I've read one soaper doesn't line her PVC she will put it in the freezer then pound it on a rolled rug' & it comes right out.
I've always lined my PVC & usually I'll stick something in the end to push it out the other end far enough so I can grab & pull it the rest of the way. Once it starts sliding out its easily removed. Unfortunately cause of the paper & heat thats generated it leaves a slight ridge type texture on soap' not bad just not a smooth finish like the pipe has.
4th time is a charm .

That’s how I do my 3” pvc, works great! But this is 1” and 18” long. It just doesn’t work the same.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

That’s how I do my 3” pvc, works great! But this is 1” and 18” long. It just doesn’t work the same.

Good to know' yeah my PVC Is 3 1/4" I may try it un- lined next time. If you line your 1" it it should come out in one piece.

 

[TashaBird]

Good to know' yeah my PVC Is 3 1/4" I may try it un- lined next time. If you line your 1" it it should come out in one piece.

My guess is that lining it is gonna take all my patience. But anything beats the wrestling I had to do to get it out of there!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Time to work the recycling soap dough!
The colourful balls are well into for some two weeks by now, they're a bit sticky to the touch and not homogeneous yet (but I don't want them smooth on the inside anyway).
One week ago, I also wetted the whit(ish) soap residues/scraps/planings with aloe juice, and today was the day to combine the sticky, mushy flakes into about a pound of proper, smooth dough!

Looks like asparagus, lol

One can hardly see it, but the dough is still not totally smooth. A few of the input soaps still were more brittle than clayey. So this was only the first kneading step (I hope I wouldn't get sore muscles tomorrow from the working).
They'll get another week or two to properly steep, and then everything is combined again. I shaped them finger-like to increase the surface from which they can exchange moisture, but still easier to handle than a big clump of clay.

So far, it seems that the convert-soap-scraps-to-soap-dough route (at least for notorious low-INS schmoo) is going strong!

@The_Phoenix : How are your cheerful OPW balls/ovals doing?

 

[KiwiMoose]

I decided to make some ‘black forest’ soap today. It’s confetti soap with BRV fragrance

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I decided to make some ‘black forest’ soap today. It’s confetti soap with BRV fragrance
View attachment 58567

So pretty' love the colors.

 

[TashaBird]

It finally happened. I forgot my FO! I thought the harder part was over. I was distracted having the hubs help for the first time. He did a great job piping some soap into the gap under my embed, I think it might prevent a gap. I put the satsuma FO in the bottom 1/3 layer. I could smell the rest of the FO as it sat there. Also, I’ll admit. I was SUI.

So a “lightly scented” soap is on the heating pad.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I decided to make some ‘black forest’ soap today. It’s confetti soap with BRV fragrance
View attachment 58567

What is particularly Black Forest-y with raspberries or vanilla? I'd rather guess the signature scent of Black Forest would be fir/spruce, cherry, and cuckoo clock grease. But then again, I guess I was more often to the Black Forest than your average customers

 

[KiwiMoose]

What is particularly Black Forest-y with raspberries or vanilla? I'd rather guess the signature scent of Black Forest would be fir/spruce, cherry, and cuckoo clock grease. But then again, I guess I was more often to the Black Forest than your average customers

Ha! I'm not talking real Black Forest here - I'm thinking more of the cake. So, yeah, I guess cherry would have been better but it's not a very popular scent in soap I have found.

 

[TashaBird]

This is the first soap I’ve made with my master batched oils. I had to use some extra liquid oils to mix my mica. The soap is hardening super slow! It’s almost 20hrs and it’s still real soft. So it’s either the extra oil, or the warm humid weather.
Either way it’s SUPER HARD NOT TO CUT IT!!!
So, I got some satisfaction cutting up the extra embeds to put in bath bombs. And they look really cool!!

 

[KimW]

@TashaBird on lining your small diameter PVC. I wonder if you could soak a rag with mineral oil and pull it through the PVC to "grease" the mold? I hope the 4th time turns out to be the charm!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Ha! I'm not talking real Black Forest here - I'm thinking more of the cake. So, yeah, I guess cherry would have been better but it's not a very popular scent in soap I have found.

Here’s the cut @ResolvableOwl

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Ohh, that's beautiful! Yet I have to ask – this looks neutral black, like AC and/or black oxide. Why not cocoa powder? And don't call for artistic liberty, as you did with arguing in favour of your questionable ketchup/mayo junkfood topping .
Well, in the end, as long as it sells good, nobody can complain. As a matter of fact, Black Forest gâteau is kind of a junkfood as well.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Ohh, that's beautiful! Yet I have to ask – this looks neutral black, like AC and/or black oxide. Why not cocoa powder? And don't call for artistic liberty, as you did with arguing in favour of your questionable ketchup/mayo junkfood topping .
Well, in the end, as long as it sells good, nobody can complain. As a matter of fact, Black Forest gâteau is kind of a junkfood as well.

I don't like cocoa in my soap. And I had plenty of mayonnaise and ketchup to use up, so that's what you get!
Enlarge the pic and have a look at the confetti - it came up really well in this.
Perhaps I should just call it Black Raspberry and Vanilla then? It actually suits the soap I guess.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Well, in the end it's your decision how you call it. If there are people who know it as Black Forest, than it might be worth keeping that name against the snarky comments of some internet stranger. Calling it after its scent isn't particularly innovative, but if that makes it easier for your customers to confide in your taste for soapy smells, then why not?