What soapy thing have you done today?

[Catscankim]

Absolutely nothing soapy going on lately. I have been sick for a month almost...tested negative x2 for covid, so it isn't that. We are all sick at the hospital and everybody has tested negative. So I guess we are just not used to being regular sick. I had so many soaps made for xmas and I just never got around to selling them. Started with my partner at work being sick, then I got sick...then the whole ER and Trauma departments are sick.

Started coming around I thought on Thursday. So I went to a party on Saturday and was fine. Went to our trauma xmas party yesterday and everybody is sick. I felt great yesterday. Today I feel like death again. Just made chicken soup. I think I am going to just get a bath and go to bed.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@Ladka
@Mobjack Bay has started that thread to present the results from her & her testers from lather additives (sugar, sorbitol, aloe vera). We pondered if dual-lye would increase lather too.
If you have any outcomes (positive or negative) from your dual-lye soaps with varying KOH percentages, these are IMHO easier to find/reference over there than, say, in this thread. (Unless you want to start your own thread, of course!)

@Catscankim
Ginger tea!

 

[Catscankim]

@ResolvableOwl I will try that tomorrow. I don't have any ginger atm. I just made up a batch of lavender bath salts. Will be soaking in that when my tub fills up.

I been taking zinc, vitamin C, plus my regular multivitamin. On my third batch of mucinex. As much as I felt like crappola all day, I managed to make chicken soup today.. I've done tea with honey. Honey with cayenne "pills" for my throat. Only today am I coughing up gross stuff, so I guess its time to visit my NP. I thought it was going away until this morning.

What I wouldn't do for some tylenol 3 right now LOL. I was up all night coughing. Some tessalon perles would be nice too LOL.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Ladka
@Mobjack Bay has started that thread to present the results from her & her testers from lather additives (sugar, sorbitol, aloe vera). We pondered if dual-lye would increase lather too.
If you have any outcomes (positive or negative) from your dual-lye soaps with varying KOH percentages, these are IMHO easier to find/reference over there than, say, in this thread. (Unless you want to start your own thread, of course!)

Actually, the thread you linked above was started by @dibbles. I‘m still gathering results for the soap I have out for testing.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Idk what's up with me and names lately.

 

[Ladka]

@ResolvableOwl I'm not testing varying percentages of KOH for lather (I've decided on sugar), it's hardness I'm interested in. Pure tallow or high percentage tallow soap feels somehow too hard to me, I'm after a bit gentler "tactile experience". If I get richer lather alongside it will be a collateral benefit.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I have not done straight recipe comparisons using different percentages of KOH, but I did make a few dual lye (95% NaOH and 5% KOH) soaps in early November using recipes set to longevity = 31, with sugar added. The lather is not strikingly different from the lather of my current “standard” soap recipes, which are formulated for longevity = 29 and made with 100% NaOH (and sugar or aloe). I would need to do blind testing to decide if the 31 longevity bars have a different hand feel or if there are subtle shifts in lather qualities compared with the 29 longevity bars. Right now my impression is “maybe” but it’s subtle.

 

[Ladka]

I gathered the rubbish left from the four batches, more older small pieces of soap and also a few bars, grated it all very finely (time consuming, but at the moment I'm not in the possession of a less fine grater), placed into two containers and steamed it all for several hours. I wonder what the mixture will look and feel like tomorrow.

 

[Ugeauxgirl]

I unmolded my water soaked soap scrap bar. It was getting pretty firm on the outside, but was still a little soft inside. I froze it first and it came out pretty cleanly, but not perfect. I should have waited, but it's actually very attractive for a rebatch. I'll use that method again.

I also made another batch of salt soap. Everyone loves those and I always seem to be almost out because they take so long to cure. I used a new FO called "Beach" from WSP. It smells like suntan lotion. I am not a fan.

 

[Dawni]

Ok this was technically my last night lol
Sent out a big-ish order of gift sets and lotion bars

Pardon the messy counter lol

 

[Misschief]

Ok this was technically my last night lol
Sent out a big-ish order of gift sets and lotion bars
View attachment 63242
Pardon the messy counter lol

Those bags!! Love!!

 

[Dawni]

Those bags!! Love!!

Right? They're made of sinamay, from the abaca plant. Comes in so many sizes n colors, and not expensive either especially in bulk.
Left is woven, right is what they call scrunch

Best thing? Made locally. I had them shipped from down south, and were made by small time weavers. No middle men.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Dawni just perfect!

 

[Dawni]

@Dawni just perfect!

I try to help in what little way I can.

Those guys need all the help they can get. They're constantly battered by storms - speaking of which, check out the one currently over us now

Can't even see the land mass below it

So once again I'm asking for prayers for my countrymen. Already were getting reports of drowning, houses being toppled over, rivers overflowing. It's a mess. And so close to Christmas.

When I was younger we never got storms this bad. It really puts all the hullabaloo on climate change into perspective.

As for soapy thing.... Wrapped up some orders, but the customer wanted them just in regular packaging coz she already had her own.

 

[violets2217]

Packages and photos 4 new soaps. Trimmed up and steamed the ash off the individual cavity soaps I made from the left over batter and odds and ends.

What plate is the purple soap? I really like the shape of the design! Beautiful! All of them!

 

[Bbh001]

Right? They're made of sinamay, from the abaca plant. Comes in so many sizes n colors, and not expensive either especially in bulk.
Left is woven, right is what they call scrunch
View attachment 63243
Best thing? Made locally. I had them shipped from down south, and were made by small time weavers. No middle men.

How can I find these bags?

 

[Dawni]

How can I find these bags?

Hallo! I am from the Philippines so fortunately for me they are bought locally.

I do know however that we have several companies who export so if you do a search for "sinamay bags" or "abaca bags" just maybe you'll find someone who can ship to you from close to where you are

I'll see if I can find some links for you.

 

[Tara_H]

Hey all! Been away for a bit with life being mental and haven't been doing much other than keeping the house supplied with toothpaste... On the upside I finally heard yesterday that the job I've been trying to get is almost certainly mine, bar some (hopefully) straightforward red tape to get through. A great way to start the holidays!

Alongside the more standard xmas presents I'm making a hamper for my family to share, which is a great excuse to make things like beard cream and runner's balm that I wouldn't normally have a use for
My plan is to get everything made this weekend and drop it off to them tomorrow night. So far I have Frankincense and Orange bath bombs:

And Smoky Orchid and Cacao bubble bars:

The colours on those didn't come out quite as intense as I wanted, but the dough was getting too soggy with adding the dye so I had to stop... still I think you can just about make out the spiral pattern.

Looking forward to a nice long break now and maybe even making some soap again! I'm almost out of salt bars, so that counts as a 'needing more soap', right? (even if I have more than I can use in a lifetime of other kinds? )

 

[dibbles]

@Dawni your packaging is perfect

 

[AliOop]

Hallo! I am from the Philippines so fortunately for me they are bought locally.

I do know however that we have several companies who export so if you do a search for "sinamay bags" or "abaca bags" just maybe you'll find someone who can ship to you from close to where you are

I'll see if I can find some links for you.

I saw some on Etsy for about $2.50 per bag, unless you want to buy 250 at a time for $1900 which works out to over $7 per bag. Reverse pricing - more per unit for the bigger lot, lol.

I also saw some here on Nashville wraps for $2.50 per bag.