What soapy thing have you done today?

[AliOop]

Today I did a 3500g mini-masterbatch of oils so I could get a few pending things completed. I don't normally use shea butter in my soap recipe, but decided to use up some that had gone grainy and ended up with almost 20% shea in the recipe. It will be interesting to get user feedback on this pretty significant change from my usual recipe.

Next up was completing an order of Gardner-Mechanic Soap. This is my interpretation of @earlene's Blacksmith Soap, using her borax + pumice mix but with my oil recipe, with sorbitol instead of honey, and without the dual lye. Scented with d-limonene at 1% and Orange 10x EO at 3%, it smells really nice. I soaped hot because I wanted a medium-thick trace to suspend the pumice, so it was a quick batch. Now it is tucked into the boxes with the heating pad underneath.

I wish I had time to get a few more soapy things done, but as they say, tomorrow is another day, Scarlet.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks! I make an OMH soap for a friend and have to ship it off right away as I can’t even have it in the climate controlled room in our shop. Vanilla is another no but I may try coffee and chocolate again.

Wow, no vanilla? and maybe no chocolate or coffee??? I am so sorry to hear that, and am not sure which of the three I'd miss the most!

 

[SSC Oregon]

I made borax soap today too, Alioop!

I didn't think about soaping hot to suspend the pumice
I keep forgetting little steps! Oh well, can't wait to see how you turned out too.

 

[AliOop]

@SSC Oregon as they say, great minds, right? I was actually soaping hot to speed up trace, since it is the thick trace that suspends the pumice. Usually the citrus EOs would slow down the trace, but soaping at 120F took care of that!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

View attachment 73459
Duck soap in the mold. Coconut Lemongrass fragrance. No added color! I’d be thrilled if it actually comes out this color when it’s time to cut, but I don’t wanna get my hopes up.

The Duck Soap is drying slowly in front of a fan. I was able to bevel the bars yesterday, but they are very soft due to the humidity in Boston. The color is significantly lighter than the batter, but still quite appropriate for a Rubber Ducky Soap with no color added. I’m contemplating putting them in the oven on a warm setting to see if the heat helps them dry out. What do you think?

My other project was working with Syndopour to create gentle shampoo bars. I read everything I could find on the forum before making them. Apparently it’s important to heat the Syndopour to 180° F, which I did. I then stirred the mix about once a minute until it was still clear, but reasonably cooled, before pouring into the ice cube mold. (Thank you for sharing, @KiwiMoose!) The white bar on the right was used right away, so it’s sort of mangled. The interesting thing is that it is larger than the cucumber melon bar on the left. Why is that you ask? I saw a post from @cmzaha on curing M&P soap in front of a fan for four days and decided to try it with the Syndopour shampoo bar. It clearly shrank due to water loss. It’s very firm, which is good because I read so many complaints about the soft shampoo bars created with Syndopour. I think I need to put my shampoo bar from the shower in front of the fan for a couple of days and see if the quality is better. And if curing melt and pour works, it blows the doors open for many other products for me to try besides the cloudy low sweat M&P. I could try the crystal clear!

Today I am trying out new recipes in 1 pound batches. I will start a new thread for those.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Wow, no vanilla? and maybe no chocolate or coffee??? I am so sorry to hear that, and am not sure which of the three I'd miss the most!

Yeah, it’s not great but it could be worse. Based on your fragrance sensitivities and digestive issues I am wondering if you have something similar to what I have. I finally got a diagnosis when I had a cough that wouldn’t go away and had a referral to a very good allergist. It’s called Mast Cell Activation and although it’s classified as pretty rare I think it’s just not diagnosed because the symptoms are often hard to put together. May be something to check out. There are many different levels, my allergist described my mast cells as twitchy - meaning they are just hanging out waiting to jump into action at inappropriate times. I have heard it described as a pseudo-allergy because my body produces an allergy response to things I’m not allergic to, and I don’t always get an allergic response to the same things. Makes for a fun time. It really could be worse though.

 

[SSC Oregon]

Love the duck fat duckie soap!!

 

[Servant4Christ]

Next up was completing an order of Gardner-Mechanic Soap. This is my interpretation of @earlene's Blacksmith Soap, using her borax + pumice mix but with my oil recipe, with sorbitol instead of honey, and without the dual lye. Scented with d-limonene at 1% and Orange 10x EO at 3%, it smells really nice. I soaped hot because I wanted a medium-thick trace to suspend the pumice, so it was a quick batch. Now it is tucked into the boxes with the heating pad underneath.

Will this small amount actually stick?!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Just finished a small batch of pine tar soap. My first using pine tar. It behaved quite nicely and is in the mold. Read the Classic Bells article about 5 times before diving in. Thank you @DeeAnna!

 

[AliOop]

Will this small amount actually stick?!

I normally cure these for four weeks before our mechanic starts using them. By that time, the bars don't smell strong when they are dry, but the fragrance is there when they are in use, although not super strong. Neither I nor the customer who is getting this really want strong scents since we are both pretty sensitive. Even citrus scents will overwhelm me if they are too strong.

@Tammyfarms yes, MCA is exactly what my daughter and I both have. It is further complicated by the MTHFR mutation, a sulfur processing mutation, histamine intolerance, and other fun fun stuff. I had significant pesticide exposure; she had significant black mold exposure and was very sick from that.

While buying towels recently, I was once again reminded that whatever stuff they put in/on fabrics (towels, bedding, and clothes) just wrecks me. Just being in the towel section and picking up a few of them made me miserable. I can never wear or use any fabric item until it has been washed and dried. I can't dry stuff on the clothesline because it will come inside with pollens, molds, etc.

Honestly, it's my normal and I'm just used to it. Sometimes I still eat things or soap with things I shouldn't, but mostly I don't. Not worth it.

 

[Shelley D]

Yeah, it’s not great but it could be worse. Based on your fragrance sensitivities and digestive issues I am wondering if you have something similar to what I have. I finally got a diagnosis when I had a cough that wouldn’t go away and had a referral to a very good allergist. It’s called Mast Cell Activation and although it’s classified as pretty rare I think it’s just not diagnosed because the symptoms are often hard to put together. May be something to check out. There are many different levels, my allergist described my mast cells as twitchy - meaning they are just hanging out waiting to jump into action at inappropriate times. I have heard it described as a pseudo-allergy because my body produces an allergy response to things I’m not allergic to, and I don’t always get an allergic response to the same things. Makes for a fun time. It really could be worse though.

Now that's interesting because I have had similar experiences! But no one believed me, they just said my explanations weren't consistent (reacting sometimes/sometimes not to the same things and reacting to things I'm not allergic to. What's weird is my mom finally had allergy testing done (because she has always had hayfever but it wasn't responding to the allergy medication) and they said she tested negative, no allergies

 

[AliOop]

@Shelley D she may want to be evaluated for MCA. That's a typical dx when reactions look like allergies, but the tests come back negative because they aren't true allergies. I don't test as allergic to anything, but I could give you a list as long as my arm of things to which I react - most of the time. Other times, there is nothing. But pictures of my hives and facial swelling do prove that it isn't all just in my head.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

MCA, describes my mother and what she has dealt with for the last four decades. Intermittent features make diagnosis and believing the patient very difficult. MCA may also explain some of my daughters ups and downs, so maybe all of it isn’t attributable to Autism and mental retardation. Her medical charts from the age of 5 list “atypical allergy reactions.” Her face will swell visibly, and her eyes will dilate. Thank you for sharing, @Tammyfarms! It’s wonderful to understand we aren’t the only ones and can learn from each other.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Now that's interesting because I have had similar experiences! But no one believed me, they just said my explanations weren't consistent (reacting sometimes/sometimes not to the same things and reacting to things I'm not allergic to. What's weird is my mom finally had allergy testing done (because she has always had hayfever but it wasn't responding to the allergy medication) and they said she tested negative, no allergies

Yep. That’s how it works. I typically takes 15-20 years to get a diagnosis. I was about 50 when diagnosed and had complained since I was a teenager about headaches and other issues. Finally just gave up. It wasn’t until I saw an allergist with mast cell experience that I got a diagnosis. Life has been much more pleasant since I have been managing my symptoms with diet, lifestyle modifications, supplements and medication. There’s a great website that is run by a medical researcher who also has mast cell activation. Here is a link Mast Attack. She has information for providers and patients. There are also some really helpful Facebook groups. Good books are Never Bet Against Occam by Dr Lawrence Afrin and Mast Cells United by Amber Walker. The first is bunch of case studies from Dr Afrin and made me feel not so alone. The second has some really good information on treatment options. I hope this helps!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Honestly, it's my normal and I'm just used to it. Sometimes I still eat things or soap with things I shouldn't, but mostly I don't. Not worth it.

Yeah, I get it. Occasionally I will eat something that I shouldn’t but I always do a risk assessment and medicate. Knowing my triggers and recognize my early warnings has really helped. Sorry you also have MCA. The good news is that it won’t kill us.

 

[Tammyfarms]

@AliOop, @Shelley D and @ScentimentallyYours it’s nice to meet you all!

 

[Shelley D]

MCA, describes my mother and what she has dealt with for the last four decades. Intermittent features make diagnosis and believing the patient very difficult. MCA may also explain some of my daughters ups and downs, so maybe all of it isn’t attributable to Autism and mental retardation. Her medical charts from the age of 5 list “atypical allergy reactions.” Her face will swell visibly, and her eyes will dilate. Thank you for sharing, @Tammyfarms! It’s wonderful to understand we aren’t the only ones and can learn from each other.

Tick off another symptom ~ random facial swelling

 

[Shelley D]

@AliOop, @Shelley D and @ScentimentallyYours it’s nice to meet you all!

Nice to meet you too!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Tick off another symptom ~ random facial swelling

It seems like MCA should maybe have its own thread? Not sure how to move these over, but it would be nice to have it all under a heading, such as “Sensitivity to Fragrances.”

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Just finished a test recipe of 70% shea, 20% coconut oil, 10% castor oil. Just those three oils gave me a very nice soaping profile. Also added sodium citrate, sodium, lactate, sorbitol, amaranth pink mica, and Lebermuth’s English Tea Rose fragrance from the Chemistry Store.

20 years ago I had the perfect Tea Rose FO, but it was discontinued. Since then I purchased many terrible, awful Rose Fragrances. They all smelled fake, even in product, and I know what I’m talking about. For 20 years I grew and hybridized and propagated roses! Lots of variation in scent, but none of the FOs smelled like my roses, except the Tea Rose FO from 20 years ago. A few days ago I received English Tea Rose from the Chemistry Store. (They carry Fragrances from Lebermuth.) It smelled great straight out of the bottle, and so far, smells wonderful in the soap.

Has anyone else tried a super high Shea percentage to test the soap qualities? Did you get stearic spots? Shea is supposed to have a high level of unsaponifiables. I’m making this soap for a family member. I don’t sell, so as long as the price isn’t terribly outrageous I’m willing to test unusual formulas for fun and learning.