What soapy thing have you done today?

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

@AliOop That's 11 years for you. I made my first batch November 2019. I think that is ~2.5 years. I've been saving bacon grease for 5 though, so I have been thinking about it for a while...LoL.

 

[AliOop]

@AliOop That's 11 years for you. I made my first batch November 2019. I think that is ~2.5 years. I've been saving bacon grease for 5 though, so I have been thinking about it for a while...LoL.

Five years is a long time to think about it - glad you finally made the leap.

I save all our cooking fats and clean them for soap. Well, not all... I don't save fat from cooking fish, and I use the fat from chicken (schmaltz) for making cornbread. Anyway, my cleaned fats are only used for our household bar soap, which I call Barnyard Medley.

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Any frying oil, hamburger grease anything other than bacon grease either gets thrown in the garbage or every now and then gets poured on a brush pile to light and burn.

 

[AliOop]

Any frying oil, hamburger grease anything other than bacon grease either gets thrown in the garbage or every now and then gets poured on a brush pile to light and burn.

You are wasting perfectly good soaping fat there, my friend...

Well, I personally don't like using frying oil, because I can't ever get the smell all the way out. But the fat from cooking hamburgers, ribs, roasts - all that is good stuff. Just save it in a ziplock bag in the freezer till you are ready to clean it, just like you clean your bacon grease.

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Thanks for the tip. Actually 95% of the beef products and pork chops that we eat are cooked on the grill so we really don't see much of it. I would like to make some TALLOW soap sometime. I think I can get the butcher at the Grocery Store to give me a big pack of raw beef fat.

 

[Misschief]

I cleaned/sorted/tidied my soap/craft room today. By the end of next month, I'll be working at home full time and my "office" is in what was out spare room. It's become my craft room over time and, more recently, my soap room. Last week, we had a garage sale to reduce my yarn stash, the remainder of which is now in our storage shed until we have another sale.

I managed to make enough room for a desk (picked up at last week's neighbourhood garage sale) and tidied up the rest of the room. The box on the desk is filled with knitting books that I'll be getting rid of at our next sale. Now, it's wine time.

 

[AliOop]

Any frying oil, hamburger grease anything other than bacon grease either gets thrown in the garbage or every now and then gets poured on a brush pile to light and burn.

I may be cheap, but I'm not going to collect any grease from cooking on the grill, either.

 

[armadalesoap]

I made a rainbow soap today. It took three hours but I couldn't think of any other way to get the layers even. I used Imperial Oud as the fragrance, I just discovered there's an entire website dedicated to Oud! I'd love your thoughts on this video....

 

[armadalesoap]

I cleaned/sorted/tidied my soap/craft room today. By the end of next month, I'll be working at home full time and my "office" is in what was out spare room. It's become my craft room over time and, more recently, my soap room. Last week, we had a garage sale to reduce my yarn stash, the remainder of which is now in our storage shed until we have another sale.

I managed to make enough room for a desk (picked up at last week's neighbourhood garage sale) and tidied up the rest of the room. The box on the desk is filled with knitting books that I'll be getting rid of at our next sale. Now, it's wine time.

View attachment 66434

Love it!

 

[Relle]

I made a rainbow soap today. It took three hours but I couldn't think of any other way to get the layers even. I used Imperial Oud as the fragrance, I just discovered there's an entire website dedicated to Oud! I'd love your thoughts on this video....

It's not a good idea to use glass and add the lye to it, it can shatter, also using a metal tea strainer and metal spatula is not good either, you would be better to use plastic. You don't need to strain the lye ( I've never strained lye) if you dissolve it all until it is clear.

 

[armadalesoap]

Thanks, you're right. You'll notice that I changed to a plastic jug after the first layer.

 

[Trinbago27]

I sold at my first farmers market yesterday! It was fun, stressful, fun, and stressful!

Still recuperating…

 

[armadalesoap]

I sold at my first farmers market yesterday! It was fun, stressful, fun, and stressful!

Still recuperating…

There's one near me in two months and I'm thinking about going. Would love to hear all about it! What would you do differently next time etc....

 

[Dan9250]

To update: today I made my test batch with Chlorophyllin. I’ve attached a photo taken right after I poured into my mold. I poured at a light to medium trace. The temperature of the oil was just over 120 degrees F. The temperature of the lye solution was room temp about 67 degrees F. I like this arrangement and the temperature evens out right around 97 degrees once I mix the lye into the oil.

 

[Zing]

Because a friend of a friend unexpectedly bought an entire batch of my favorite soap, I soaped today. However, I was 100 grams short of palm oil -- gah! why is that inventory guy still working here?! -- and had to run out to the store. It's my fave, scented with rosemary and lemongrass. I was channeling @Jersey Girl 's hanger skills, fingers crossed.

Also, I am chagrined to say that after several years of soaping, I just now discovered a hack. I'm not brave enough to use one pot to weigh all my oils. I previously have only used one pot for just the solid butters and oils. But today I first measured out my castor oil and then added all the solids. One less dish to clean -- yay!

 

[AliOop]

My soapy thing today was using @earlene's Blacksmith soap to wash my hands after oiling a piece of furniture. Love how that stuff cleans off the grime! Then I did a test whip of my recent shave soap; it's improving as it cures, but still too much pitting for my liking. It was fun to wash my hands with the shaving "cream" tho.

Finally, I finished up with @Dawni's rice soap. If anyone remembers from a past post, I was worried that this soap took so long to trace, and my measurements were wonky, etc. Well, I sure hope I can duplicate this one, because that lather is fantastic - big fluffy bubbles that are so silky to the touch and non-drying to the skin. Check it out!

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Today I had to go to W-mart to purchase a replacement candy thermometer. ~$6- each. I bought two to have a spare in an emergency. Also I happened to see right beside the thermometers, Anchor Hocking glass measuring cups. I got a 1 oz one. Perfect size for measuring FOs. 97 cents plus tax.

@Dan9250 What is Chlorophyllin ?

 

[armadalesoap]

@Dan9250 What is Chlorophyllin ?

I'd like to know what that is as well. Like the colour though.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have posted links on this forum to AFRA requirements and other sources that address safety issues.

Correction: "IFRA" not "AFRA"

@SoapLover1 I came across this while shopping at MMS today. Since Clove EO is a known "heater" and sensitizer, I'm curious to know if the reference (Essential Oil Safety by R. Tisserand) you shared agrees with the info provided below? Go to #9 for Bar Soap.

MMS
48th Amendment IFRA Conformity Statement

Clove Leaf Essential Oil

 

[MiscellaneousSoaper12]

Today I redid the feather swirl design which sadly crumbled when I cut my first attempt last week. I got overconfident with the stick blending and the mixture got a bit too thick to pour, so I had to coax it with the spatula. Still, it went smoother than last time, which says something LOL

I don't even want to think about the cleanup, but it was a lot of fun!