What soapy thing have you done today?

[SSC Oregon]

Thank you for the rose scent recommendation! Most of them are fake chemical smelling yuck!

Today's soaping went well.
Testing Nurture soap fragrances continues..today I tested cherry almond, black raspberry vanilla, peace and love, bergamot and honey.
using my 3 lb recipe (25 each palm, coconut, olive, 20 sweet almond, 5 castor)

I Let the fragrances soak in some clay, added a tb salt. I'm not sure if I got the idea of a slurry correct, but we shall see.

Tomorrow Morning I have soap dishes and laundry, clean up and sweeping and mopping the work room. Then I'm going to make lye up and have my daughter weigh hard oils out for the last test batches.
I think I have five fragrances left to test out of my big FO order.


I liked their black raspberry vanilla (unexpected!) so well I did two batches.

i do have a dark patchouli eo that I'm going to mix with lavender and ?? Maybe grapefruit? I'm very open to suggestions.

excited to unmold in the morning

be blessed!

 

[Blufuz]

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.

I have a 100% Shea curing in my cellar I made a month ago, it’s so far solid and untarnished but don’t know how it is as a soap yet

 

[Jorah]

I'm wondering if you bought the absolute (?) or suppliers sometimes sell absolutes diluted at 10% in a carrier oil like FCO (fractionated coconut oil) that has a long shelf life?

Here's how I do it:

OAKMOSS ABSOLUTE DILUTED AT 10% IN JOJOBA OIL

I make it up in an amber brown glass bottle, add a label and store it with my soaping stuff box so it's ready to go any time I need it.

10% JOJOBA
90% OAKMOSS ABSOLUTE
USE RATE: 0.7%
(1/4 - 1/2 tsp. PPO)​

@Zany_in_CO , thanks for the details on your oakmoss usage (is that a typo in the centered label text? I think you've said before that it's 10% oakmoss in 90% jojoba).

My wife has had a lifelong interest in perfumery, so I've asked her to manage the scent side of my soap making. She's about to mix up a batch for me, and she asked if you handle the mix in a particular way. She's concerned because in her perfume studies they suggest that oakmoss will 'settle out' of the jojoba over time, leading to a layer of oakmoss at the bottom of the bottle; do you just shake the bottle before measuring it out? Does it not separate for you?

I'd appreciate any guidance!

 

[Servant4Christ]

@ScentimentallyYours There is a thread on here somewhere with @Zany_in_CO's recipe/experience with high shea soap. I haven't made it yet because my only experience with shea was.... smelly. I don't like the smell of raw shea and I haven't been able to bring myself to order the refined version after my experience.
Thank you for the FO recommendation. I love the scent of true tea rose

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@Zany_in_CO , thanks for the details on your oakmoss usage (is that a typo in the centered label text? I think you've said before that it's 10% oakmoss in 90% jojoba).

YIKES! Good catch! 10% oakmoss absolute in 90% jojoba is correct.

ETA: I used the Report button (lower left on every post) to request ADMIN/MODS to make the correction.

As for your other query, please go to the link in the bit you copied. It is best asked/answered there for the benefit of all members.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

@ScentimentallyYours There is a thread on here somewhere with @Zany_in_CO's recipe/experience with high shea soap. I haven't made it yet because my only experience with shea was.... smelly. I don't like the smell of raw shea and I haven't been able to bring myself to order the refined version after my experience.
Thank you for the FO recommendation. I love the scent of true tea rose

I love @Zany_in_CO’s recipes and will go check it out, thank you! I have unrefined Shea butter downstairs, but I have never used it. My refined Shea butter has been stored in the refrigerator. I had some that had previously been opened and stored in plastic containers that had gone rancid. They are now happily living in the trash. The WSP refined Shea that I just opened smelled and felt just fine. I’m not sure how I would check unscented Shea to see if it had gone bad because I don’t know what it would smell like.

The rose fragrance still smells good this morning after CPOP. It has some ash, but I have a little handheld steamer, so that doesn’t worry me. It will all come out with the heat and steam.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I love @Zany_in_CO’s recipes and will go check it out,

Here ya go :

Zany's 67% Shea Butter CP

 

[Kiti Williams]

I think a soap paste ducky would really set this off well!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I agree! The problem is that then the soap will never get used. Maybe just one with a soap paste ducky?

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

@Kiti Williams, you made me look and guess what’s on its way to my house next week? A ducky mold!

 

[Savage Daughter]

This week has been absolutely mental....masterbatching oils done....on top of 32 pounds of soap, then finished cutting & bevelling those 32 pounds / 120 bars of soap today....lord almighty I am but absolutely wired at the same time....may not sound like much but it was a whole lot for me to accomplish

Very grateful that's done, now I can relax by making several smaller batches in cavity molds this weekend

Yeeeehawww...git along little doogies Kinda wishing I drink alcohol at the moment so I could enjoy a beer right now hahaha Oh well, some relaxing herbal tincture & chamomile tea it is

Picking up another 100 pounds of coconut oil & +/- 50 pounds of lye tomorrow afternoon AND some potassium hydroxide, which I very much look forward to playing with! Thank you again to a fellow soaper in my community who mentioned a local supplier so I can stop getting this stuff shipped to me at stupid prices. Beautiful woman who will even bring in the 1 litre bottles of essential oils I need & am burning through like a fart on fire

Yes, it can be done, which someone demonstrated for me many years ago, generous soul....and I'll leave you with that fine example of class, refinement & culture Speaks a lot to the kind of people I used to attract into my life hahaha

 

[Savage Daughter]

Thank you for the rose scent recommendation! Most of them are fake chemical smelling yuck!

Today's soaping went well.
Testing Nurture soap fragrances continues..today I tested cherry almond, black raspberry vanilla, peace and love, bergamot and honey.
using my 3 lb recipe (25 each palm, coconut, olive, 20 sweet almond, 5 castor)

I Let the fragrances soak in some clay, added a tb salt. I'm not sure if I got the idea of a slurry correct, but we shall see.

Tomorrow Morning I have soap dishes and laundry, clean up and sweeping and mopping the work room. Then I'm going to make lye up and have my daughter weigh hard oils out for the last test batches.
I think I have five fragrances left to test out of my big FO order.


I liked their black raspberry vanilla (unexpected!) so well I did two batches.

i do have a dark patchouli eo that I'm going to mix with lavender and ?? Maybe grapefruit? I'm very open to suggestions.

excited to unmold in the morning

be blessed!

If you're speaking of essential oils, yes, patchouli, pink grapefruit & lavender are beautiful together. Ylang-ylang added to that is also spectacular, as is champaka, regular, white or red type - pick your favourite. Vetiver is also beautiful as a substitute for the patchouli, especially if you have some high quality vetiver. Play around with them. I use tiny little tins & put 1/2 a tsp of castor oil & drop a few drops of each essential oil in a tin as a test scent blend (MAKE CAREFUL NOTE of how many drops you are using of each!) then close it up & let it all marinate for a week or so, coming back to it & giving it a good sniff now & then to see if I am still drawn to it. If yes, then I begin working out proportions / percentages for my various batch sizes & make note of that in full. Percentages, as well as converted to grams.

I have found that since I have started using that slurry, which is a combination of what I was already doing (my clays, botanicals & essential oils soaking for as long as possible) PLUS @Zany_in_CO's suggestion to use castor oil (1 TBSP castor per 2kg batch of soap / 3 TBSP castor per 16 pound of soap), I have been able to bump DOWN the amount of essential oils I'm needing to use, yet still getting an amazing scent payoff even months after my soap has cured.

Essential oil slurry example:

• based on a 2kg batch of soap, with oil weight totalling 1360 grams (this is based on my own recipe)
• I now use approximately a 3 - 3.5% essential oil load with the slurry (whereas before I was sometimes using up to 4.5% dependent on safety levels of each essential oil, of course)
• so 1360 total oil weight x 3% = the total amount of essential oils for that batch (using whatever proportions of your essential oils you've worked out in the blend that you like)
• get your essential oils into a GLASS jar - NEVER plastic as the oils will dissolve / melt your plastic
• add to that 1 TBSP castor oil
• add 1 - 2 TBSP botanicals you are using (optional, but I find this helps retain even more of the scent)
• add up to 4 TBSP clay (you can use less, 2-3 TBSP, depending on your water ratio & the types of oils / butters you are using); I always use kaolin for this base for the entire batch because it's cheaper to buy / kilo
• I later add any other clays I might be using as colorants to the portions of my soap batter which I have split into individual containers, which also helps with scent retention
• cap it off tightly, give it a very good shaking, then allow to sit overnight at least - ideally longer if you want a really good result. and especially if you're using botanicals, ground leaves, herbs, spices, flowers etc as the castor oil helps soften the botanicals so you don't get drag marks when cutting your soap
• this WILL look milky & thick when using clay & castor oil together, which is normal - don't freak out as it will mix beautifully into your soap batter; give another good shake before dumping into your batter
• PRO TIP #1 (as if ): the more clay you use in your essential oil slurry, the quicker your batter will thicken up; if you don't care, proceed as usual - if you want a more fluid batter, you can either increase your water ratio OR adjust your recipe >> I am discovering that staying at my usual 2:4 ratio is a very good idea, as well as blending only til emulsion, even when I'm using extra virgin olive oil, because it gives me far more time to work on my design, which I learned quickly with my most recent 32 pounds of soap
• TIP #2: use a wide mouth jar for slurry making so that you can easily get a spatula in there to scrape out the thick, milky slurry; you can also put some of your melted oils in there, shake, then dump back into your oils

I will add the above information to the thread regarding this subject which Zany started.
•••••

RE ROSE OIL: I found a cheaper alternative to very expensive rose essential oils, which are rarely found in soaps with good scent payoff due to their cost (hence the putrid rose fragrance oils often used, which I too cannot tolerate) - rose de mai, 10% dilution in jojoba. It's not dirt cheap, but it is FAR more affordable than other types of rose essential oils.

I don't use fragrance oils, cannot tolerate them at all as they negatively affect my physical health very quickly, but I do know that when I have smelled them in the past & compared to proper essential oils - ie. lavender essential oil vs lavender fragrance oil - they smell nothing alike, so cannot advise on fragrance oils at all.

Good luck

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I will add the above information to the thread regarding this subject which Zany started.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...tellar-method-for-eo-blends-that-stick.90973/

AND some potassium hydroxide, which I very much look forward to playing with!

y
Just a head's up... there are about as many ways to make LS (Liquid Soap) as there are LS-ers! This post may help lay down a foundation for further exploration:

If You've Never Made LS Before

You would be wise to take advantage of the Recipe Feedback Forum before soaping to get input about your formula before giving it a go.

HAPPY LS-ING!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I set up my new soap drying station, just in time for the rainy weekend here in the Northeast. Unless the fan is blowing on it on high setting, all my CP bars are sweating like crazy. We have no air-conditioning and no dehumidifier.

I wanted a set up like this since I first saw it on a post over a year ago from John Harris. It uses silverware dish washing racks from a restaurant supply store, high enough for my bars, and with open sides for air circulation. It is topped off with a new Lasko fan. (New because dog hair, dust, and insects.) The new set up measures 16 inches high and 21 x 21” deep and wide. The fan operating on high in this set up is quieter than with the fan on the table. The new setup cost roughly $100.

 

[NewlyCreative]

I set up my new soap drying station, just in time for the rainy weekend here in the Northeast. Unless the fan is blowing on it on high setting, all my CP bars are sweating like crazy. We have no air-conditioning and no dehumidifier.

I wanted a set up like this since I first saw it on a post over a year ago from John Harris. It uses silverware dish washing racks from a restaurant supply store, high enough for my bars, and with open sides for air circulation. It is topped off with a new Lasko fan. (New because dog hair, dust, and insects.) The new set up measures 16 inches high and 21 x 21” deep and wide. The fan operating on high in this set up is quieter than with the fan on the table. The new setup cost roughly $100.View attachment 73608View attachment 73609

I think there chemical based de-humidifiers you can buy at hardware stores that may help in small enclosed spaces (like a closet).

 

[Servant4Christ]

@ScentimentallyYours That's so simple and absolutely brilliant!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I think they’re chemical based de-humidifiers you can buy at hardware stores that may help in small enclosed spaces (like a closet).

Thank you for the info @NewlyCreative. That’s good to know for when/if we finally getting around to building a new house. In the meantime, our house was built in 1940 and closet space is at a premium.

In the meantime, I set up a venting system of sorts to keep fumes from building up inside of the house. I have the soap dryer set up next to a window fan that vents the air out. I need another plastic file crate to stack on the one below, which will raise the fan and soap up to the window level.

I just saw the humidity build up on my window, despite the fact, the sun is shining on it!

@ScentimentallyYours That's so simple and absolutely brilliant!

I get no credit for being brilliant since I stole it from a post here on SMF. I do, however, recognize someone else’s brilliance when I see it. And then I’m a good copycat!

 

[Terri E]

This week has been absolutely mental....masterbatching oils done....on top of 32 pounds of soap, then finished cutting & bevelling those 32 pounds / 120 bars of soap today....lord almighty I am but absolutely wired at the same time....may not sound like much but it was a whole lot for me to accomplish

Very grateful that's done, now I can relax by making several smaller batches in cavity molds this weekend

Yeeeehawww...git along little doogies Kinda wishing I drink alcohol at the moment so I could enjoy a beer right now hahaha Oh well, some relaxing herbal tincture & chamomile tea it is

Picking up another 100 pounds of coconut oil & +/- 50 pounds of lye tomorrow afternoon AND some potassium hydroxide, which I very much look forward to playing with! Thank you again to a fellow soaper in my community who mentioned a local supplier so I can stop getting this stuff shipped to me at stupid prices. Beautiful woman who will even bring in the 1 litre bottles of essential oils I need & am burning through like a fart on fire

Yes, it can be done, which someone demonstrated for me many years ago, generous soul....and I'll leave you with that fine example of class, refinement & culture Speaks a lot to the kind of people I used to attract into my life hahaha

“Burning through like a fart on fire” you are hilarious!!

 

[NewlyCreative]

Thank you for the info @NewlyCreative. That’s good to know for when/if we finally getting around to building a new house. In the meantime, our house was built in 1940 and closet space is at a premium.

In the meantime, I set up a venting system of sorts to keep fumes from building up inside of the house. I have the soap dryer set up next to a window fan that vents the air out. I need another plastic file crate to stack on the one below, which will raise the fan and soap up to the window level.
View attachment 73612
View attachment 73613
I just saw the humidity build up on my window, despite the fact, the sun is shining on it!

Wow! That’s a lot of humidity!

I learned about chemical dehumidifiers when we sold a home (ironically that house was built circa 1940s (if not earlier) era too)!

The basement had an old well closet from before city water was connected in the 1940s/50s). Our real estate agent took one look at the closet -(unfinished floor, no insulation, a drain, and lots of rocks on the floor) and popped a musty area dehumidifier jar right in there . The well closet seemed designed to suck in and drain water.

I said closet in my post because I didn’t think the jar would work as well with a fan, but it might help pull humidity from other areas of your house outside of the fan air path.

 

[CLMP]

I've been making soap for the past 3 or 4 days. I just cut some more soap and posted it on my gallery for everybody and I was also taking soapy photos today for the challenge this month. Now it's time to take a little break for a few days!