What soapy thing have you done today?

[amd]

After spending last week on B&B, packing for the show, and doing said show... I'm exhausted. Very much looking forward to stepping away from soapy stuff this week (well, after I unpack from the show) and helping my daughter play with resin. Will return to normal soapy things on Sunday and Monday as US has holiday and my Saturday is full with family things. But where to start? On the list:

• Pumpkin Beer
• "Red Truck" (this is my winter themed soap with the pine tree that I did last year)
• Frankincense & Myrrh Soap
• Cupcakes - I had a few odds and ends that I put out at the market this weekend and they sold out in the first hour. Will be doing this venue again in November, so I think will sell well
• OMH Dandelion & Pear
• Japanese Cherry Blossom restock - I'm down to my last 9 bars (I've made 54 bars in the last 10 months so it seems to be popular?)
• Whatever else is on my new soap list for the next year...

Quite a few of these have a lot of moving pieces - the Red Truck and F&M soaps will have a couple steps to make the embeds before I can make the soap. The JCB soap will need to evaluate how I make the flower embed on top - I have a single cavity mold so I pour mp one.stinking.flower.at.a.time. Wondering if making a batch of white soap dough and molding the dough would be faster. Very likely most of the two days will be spent making embeds and only the pumpkin beer soap will get made (it's a simple pumpkin puree with wheat beer, no FO, no design). But it will all be soapy fun!

 

[Babyshoes]

Made soap with a visiting friend who we haven't seen in person for nearly 2 years! I sent her down a soapy you tube rabbit hole, after recommending a lye safety video to watch before she arrived. At least that meant she had a good idea of what we were going to be doing.

She chose to mix 2 FOs, one of which accelerates significantly so we "tempered" the fragrance mixture with a little of the warmed batch oils. It did still thicken a lot quicker than the base recipe, but we had time for an ITP swirl and poured at medium trace. She also did some mica in oil swirls on top, just for fun.

We used a pringles tube as a mould so she could take it home with her, to unmould and cut tomorrow. I popped a little of the batter in a tiny mould which will stay here, to see how the FO combination works as it cures. It's very sweet, creamy and fruity, I'm thinking it'll be called "unicorn farts" if I use it again!

Here she is proudly posing with her first soap.

 

[violets2217]

Wondering if making a batch of white soap dough and molding the dough would be faster.

Was looking for my frosting tips and bags in the forgotten cabinet above the fridge and found an old cookie press that came with some stainless steel disks and even some piping tips. I was thinking of using it for some flower embeds to decorate the top of a soap. it’s made some pretty flowery cookies if I remember correctly. Or some column embeds for inside some soaps. I’ve never made soap dough so I might experiment one day.

 

[melonpan]

This is my soapsy ting today...
I got these tiny figurines that is for model trains. I wanted to have some for when I am taking pictures of my soaps when I get my blog up.

Yes, it is a bit of silly, but I want to do things my own way

View attachment 60476

This is brilliant, love this idea!

My soapy thing today was finally making that dish soap I've seen on a YouTube video and wanted to try. It has baking soda and coffee grounds, and I've used some of the used rapeseeds oil I've got saved up to try and recycle. I did a very small batch just to see how it comes out, and it's now resting.

It has been a very messy soapy session (just to mention one thing, I accidentally toppled the glass container with my just-lovingly-measured-out EO blend while I was trying to put the cap back on to prevent it from spilling over!, and almost half of my EOs finished on the scale... so frustrating! ), so I was happy that I managed somehow to finish. A learning for another soaping session!

 

[bookworm]

Was looking for my frosting tips and bags in the forgotten cabinet above the fridge and found an old cookie press that came with some stainless steel disks and even some piping tips. I was thinking of using it for some flower embeds to decorate the top of a soap. it’s made some pretty flowery cookies if I remember correctly. Or some column embeds for inside some soaps. I’ve never made soap dough so I might experiment one day.
View attachment 60485

I remember this, we used to make tons of cookies. I used to use the piping tips too until someone lost the plastic disc for the press.

 

[Catscankim]

I made my first soap in probably months. I went kinda simple omh soap with no colors etc. Waiting for it to set up a bit so I can decorate the top a little. Good to be back to making soap after a hiatus.

Ordered a bunch of fo for the next season.

 

[Vicki C]

Very pretty! I love the soft colors. Did you use some of colorants you’ve been testing?

Thank you! I went with micas , chrome oxide, TD, and charcoal. It’s fragranced with peppermint EO and vanilla FO so I used ZCS but maybe not enough? I’ll watch what happens. I think I might try another round with plant colorants. The one on the left was suggested by my DIL, was supposed to be peppermint candy, I used a swirly disk from a cookie press I scored at goodwill, but the swirls didn’t quite come through. The ones on the right were a pull through disc I bought and a wooden snowflake I was trying out - I have six different designs and they seem promising. The colors all look a little sickly because my workspace has fluorescent shop lights that are frankly ghastly, but that’s what I have. For now.

 

[Vicki C]

After planning a soap for my new mold, I’ve decided that I’m too tired to make soap today. I didn’t sleep well last night and have two big days coming up for new student orientation on Monday and Tuesday. I’m not as good with 10 hour go,go,go days as I was when I started this job 10 years ago. This is why I should retire!

Good to follow the instinct to hold off on making soap when you are worn out, I have made my worst mistakes when I forge ahead. And I recommend retiring as soon as you can! I love it so much. Happiest I have ever been. Don’t tell my kids.

 

[Vicki C]

Yay! This is NOT to brag, just share some happiness that the experiment went well. So I got feedback from hubby today. (post #22,997 that I posted a couple of days ago)
He was supposed to shave the day after I made it, but he wanted to wait.

Pheeew. It was all thumbs up, and he said his skin became soft and supple, the razor glided through the foam with the greatest ease (even more so than the regular recipe actually). And the after-feel of the skin was so smooth.
I stroke my hands on his face, and he was so soft and smooth, I was really surprized. My earlier recipes never dried him out, but he hasn`t been this soft before.
He doesn`t like to use anything after his shave, no cream or lotion or anything, so I have always made sure the shaving soap is not to drying. And this wasn`t. I used 20% coconut.

Now he can keep using his sample, and I`ll let him use it for a 14 days straight. If it still doesn`t give him any adverse reactions, no soreness, no rash or anything, next in line is my brother and dad. My brother has eczema, and my dad has very dry skin. The ammount of essentil oils is just 1% of oil weight, and they have never had any reactions to my other soaps with 5%. If they are positive to the soap I will expand on more testers to my male friends. I am not giving out soap to everyone at once, I want to have full control during testing, to keep track of any reactions.

If family and everyone else are positive too the soap, then this is surely going into the folder as a possible CPSR soap.

I have a few more recipes to test out, one witout castor and another one with. So not sure if castor makes a difference, but it is sure interesting to see where we end up!!

Your great photos have inspired me to try making shaving soap!

 

[Vicki C]

I need to start using the olive oil I infused with the calendula I grew, and I had a small amount of rosewood EO, purchased years ago (before it was protected, and before I knew better), so I made a small batch of soap just for me! I blended my bit of rosewood with patchouli and Hungarian lavender. It smells lovely, but mostly lavender at this point. It's all tucked in for the night.

I’ve posted this before, and maybe you are well aware, but howood aka ravintsara (not ravensara) is a really nice substitute for rosewood and is reasonably priced.

 

[dibbles]

I’ve posted this before, and maybe you are well aware, but howood aka ravintsara (not ravensara) is a really nice substitute for rosewood and is reasonably priced.

Thank you.

 

[SoapDaddy70]

Planned my next soap. Going to try an alternating wall pour with 4 colors. Cabaret, Material Girl and TD from Nurture Soaps and Pow Pow Purple from Mad Micas and then FO will be Cavalier from Nurture. Keep flip flopping in my head if I should use Activated Charcoal instead of the TD. I am thinking the Black against those colors might look more striking than the White. Wish me luck!

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Good Morning Soaping Family
Trying to decide what soap to make? I should work on my "Cigar Bar" is the name' per request Future Son In-law. its a Manly soap scent with hints of cigar' leather' woodsy.
oh a heads up NG having a FO sample sale' just received E mail this morning.;

sorry for the messed up txt ' im on treadmill .

 

[TashaBird]

Made a couple batches of bath bombs with a new mold. I want to make matching soaps and bath bombs soon! Now these can be drying while I master batch (master prep? I prep a bunch of batches at once) up a whole buncha soaps!! I’m excited to airbrush these when they’re done!! Scented with butterfly garden from NS, which I love! But I read it doesn’t stick well in soap. Maybe soaked in clay first…

 

[amd]

h a heads up NG having a FO sample sale' just received E mail this morning.;

Just be aware that the NG sample sales are gimmicky. They only offer it on the Fragrances listed when you click the image:

Notice that when you use the "quick pick" listed under the image, the sample price is the full price:

The price will not be corrected at checkout. I complained about it last time they charged me full price and I was told "sorry not sorry".
It's snakey and it makes me angry.

 

[Vicki C]

Just be aware that the NG sample sales are gimmicky. They only offer it on the Fragrances listed when you click the image:
View attachment 60510

Notice that when you use the "quick pick" listed under the image, the sample price is the full price:
View attachment 60511

The price will not be corrected at checkout. I complained about it last time they charged me full price and I was told "sorry not sorry".
It's snakey and it makes me angry.

That’s bs and is a bait and switch.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Just be aware that the NG sample sales are gimmicky. They only offer it on the Fragrances listed when you click the image:
View attachment 60510

Notice that when you use the "quick pick" listed under the image, the sample price is the full price:
View attachment 60511

The price will not be corrected at checkout. I complained about it last time they charged me full price and I was told "sorry not sorry".
It's snakey and it makes me angry.

Wow' thx for the heads up.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

That’s bs and is a bait and switch.

Agree' we consumers shouldn't be swindled' its hard enough trying to make a few bucks off our craft' w/ out being ripped off in the process. UGH

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Vicki C I think you need to put those soaps away and come back to them with fresh eyes .

 

[violets2217]

Scented with butterfly garden from NS, which I love! But I read it doesn’t stick well in soap. Maybe soaked in clay first…

I used that FO in my butterfly pull though…. I made it around June 20th, I only use FO at 3% and it still smells pretty strong. But it has been only 8 or nine weeks.