What soapy thing have you done today?

[BWt]

How cool! You know, I travel all over the place for work…..it’d be fun to try to do some soapy swaps as I go.

@VikingChick An outstanding suggestion!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Your soap looks so inviting and beautiful!
Was it this post, @Mobjack Bay, where @Zing had Mouse Poop Lavender…

Yes, that’s the one. Thanks! @Catscankim yes, I had browning when I was using a lower lye concentration.

 

[Misschief]

They’re going to ash up no matter what you do

I've had plenty of soaps ash up before but never my salt bars.

 

[Catscankim]

It’s curious how colors can prompt a sense of scent and vice versa. Sometimes it seems that a color does not match a scent when making soap.

I always match the color with the scent. Or at least try to to what I perceive the scent to be. I am currently making pineapple mango, which yellow is going to be the predominant color, or so i plan LOL. But I am also adding a reddish color in there because that's what mango colors are. I was going to add green, but I was trying to make this a simple soap LOL

 

[VikingChick]

I’m still fighting with my LS, lol……..Yesterday I added the rest of my paste to the watery soap, then tried diluting it using the stovetop method. I didn’t add any water bc I’d added so much before. Well, it turned completely solid, with some watery stuff at the bottom of the jar. So today I threw it all in my soaping crockpot and am hearing on warm. I’ll check later and determine whether I need to add more water or not. I’m beyond measuring at this point; I’m just trying to get it to a usable consistency so all of these lovely ingredients don’t go to waste. This has really been a trial! All to have my sensitive-skin husband, who was the reason I tried this in the first place, say he thinks it might be bothering his skin! Geez Louise…..

On another note, we’ve lived in our house about a year now and are now working on organizing closets & stuff. An IKEA delivery yesterday, followed by many hours building, gave me a new organization for all of my soap, lotion, candle, and bath bomb stuff! The dog treats are because this is also the room where the dogs sleep. I keep going in there because I’m so proud of myself for being organized! Also, I realized I have fewer FOs than I thought. It might be time to go shopping! LOL

 

[Servant4Christ]

There’s no need to cover salt bars made in cavity molds. They’re going to ash up no matter what you do and they get hard really fast. If you decide to make a batch using a loaf mold, be vigilant. I vaguely recall reading a detailed post, possibly by @IrishLass , where the maker described how they decided when to cut salt bars made in a loaf mold. As I recall, the soap was cut after it had gelled, but while it was still quite warm.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I unmolded this morning (roughly 8hrs ago) and I'm not seeing any ash yet.

 

[Janewoc17]

I made my first ever batch of Neem Oil Soap this morning, and decided not to add any EO’s. It was funny really, as at the last minute I decided to add a little Matcha, not realising how such a little bit of this stuff (quarter tsp) would make my soap such a dark Khaki Green … But, I ended up really liking it, as when I look at this colour, it makes me think that the smell of Neem Oil matches it.

May I ask what recipe you used? Looks like I’m in the market for a neem oil soap.

 

[Janewoc17]

My soapy thing was finally being able to shampoo and condition my hair with my own Syndet bars this morning for the first time since my shoulder repair surgery 4.5 weeks ago. So nice to smell like me instead of a salon where I’ve been getting my hair shampooed—very grateful that was an option!!, Just happy to use my own products again.

 

[Jaxx59]

May I ask what recipe you used? Looks like I’m in the market for a neem oil soap.

Hi … I got the recipe from the Lovely Greens website

 

[Janewoc17]

May I ask what recipe you used? Looks like I’m in the market for a neem oil soap.

Thank you!! I have a few of her recipes and will add this one to my book.

 

[Janewoc17]

Hi … I got the recipe from the Lovely Greens website

Thank you! I have a few of her recipes and will happily add this one to my Book of Soaps

 

[Blue1969]

What a weekend! I must really make a plan with this purifying of tallow. After struggling to find tallow, a guy phoned on Thursday, offering me 120kg at a bargain price - desperate, I took it. What have I gotten myself into!
Needless to say, I spent the whole weekend rendering and purifying and I am still not done. It s currently 3:30 am in South Africa and I am having a beer and going to sleep. At least managed to render all of it, then managed to purify about 30% of it - the rest will have to happen this week. Also fitted in a big batch of old-fashioned "Boerseep" while waiting for the tallow to set in the overloaded fridge. And all of this happened during Stage 6 loadshedding! Hopefully by next week and can just do what I really enjoy - make soap!

 

[Zing]

I’m still fighting with my LS, lol……..Yesterday I added the rest of my paste to the watery soap, then tried diluting it using the stovetop method. I didn’t add any water bc I’d added so much before. Well, it turned completely solid, with some watery stuff at the bottom of the jar. So today I threw it all in my soaping crockpot and am hearing on warm. I’ll check later and determine whether I need to add more water or not. I’m beyond measuring at this point; I’m just trying to get it to a usable consistency so all of these lovely ingredients don’t go to waste. This has really been a trial! All to have my sensitive-skin husband, who was the reason I tried this in the first place, say he thinks it might be bothering his skin! Geez Louise…..

On another note, we’ve lived in our house about a year now and are now working on organizing closets & stuff. An IKEA delivery yesterday, followed by many hours building, gave me a new organization for all of my soap, lotion, candle, and bath bomb stuff! The dog treats are because this is also the room where the dogs sleep. I keep going in there because I’m so proud of myself for being organized! Also, I realized I have fewer FOs than I thought. It might be time to go shopping! LOL

View attachment 71109

That is a fantastic shelving unit. Feel free to organize our home anytime. And congratulations on successfully reading Ikea-ese.

 

[VikingChick]

That is a fantastic shelving unit. Feel free to organize our home anytime. And congratulations on successfully reading Ikea-ese.

Ha! Over the last several years I’ve become pretty fluent in ikea-ese! Must be my Swedish heritage.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

I made my first ever batch of Neem Oil Soap this morning, and decided not to add any EO’s.

How did your Neem Oil soap smell? Was the smell noticeable without the addition of other scents to mask it?

 

[Catscankim]

I literally hate the itp swirl. But I do it all the time! And it is always a last minute decision.

So yesterday I made a soap batch that was supposed to be a one-color soap that would appeal to the "oh I can't use it, it is too pretty" club. But at the last minute, like literally the last minute, I decided to add colors and do a "simple itp".

Am I happy with the cut today? NO I am not. Its not ugly or anything...I just personally hate it LOL. Why oh why did I not stick with the original plan? I looked over at my other soap from last week, and it looks the same, just a different smell and color. Maybe a hanger would have made it better, I dunno.

I guess it makes me feel better that I did something with it other than one color. So now off to the drawing board to make a SINGLE color soap LOL.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I literally hate the itp swirl. But I do it all the time! And it is always a last minute decision.

So yesterday I made a soap batch that was supposed to be a one-color soap that would appeal to the "oh I can't use it, it is too pretty" club. But at the last minute, like literally the last minute, I decided to add colors and do a "simple itp".

Am I happy with the cut today? NO I am not. Its not ugly or anything...I just personally hate it LOL. Why oh why did I not stick with the original plan? I looked over at my other soap from last week, and it looks the same, just a different smell and color. Maybe a hanger would have made it better, I dunno.

I guess it makes me feel better that I did something with it other than one color. So now off to the drawing board to make a SINGLE color soap LOL.

This makes me laugh because DH recently asked why I'm making such fancy looking soaps (more than 1 color). He wants soap, not a Picasso!

 

[Catscankim]

My soapy thing that I just finished:

So I decided to satisfy my need to make some kind of design since I tried making something plain last night and plain doesn't work for me apparently LOL.

So I went for a butterfly swirl, because i love this design...which I discovered it from one of our challenges and have made it a few times.

I am probably gonna be happy with my design, but I ended up short with batter in my mold. I always have extra...but everytime I do a swirl with multiple colors I always end up short or just enough. Very frustrating.

And I get it...more spatulas in and out of the containers, and more containers. I just never account for it, and this time I came up significantly short so I am mad lol. I used every drop of batter that I had, and its about a half inch short of filling the mold.

 

[BWt]

That is a fantastic shelving unit. Feel free to organize our home anytime. And congratulations on successfully

My soapy thing was finally being able to shampoo and condition my hair with my own Syndet bars this morning for the first time since my shoulder repair surgery 4.5 weeks ago. So nice to smell like me instead of a salon where I’ve been getting my hair shampooed—very grateful that was an option!!, Just happy to use my own products again.

Hope your shoulder is healing nicely! Long time ago broken wrist and remember feeling helpless to put my hair in a twist! Be well.

 

[Catscankim]

I unmolded and cut my butterfly swirl from last night. I love the colors. Black Raspberry Vanilla. Sorry for the photography on my stove lol