YAY!!! 1st batch under my belt!! take a look!!

[IanT]

hehe preparing my second batch as we speak!

IanT

 

[mandolyn]

Congratulations!!!!!! I just took Bactch #3 out of the mold last night. Another successful batch!

I KNOW your excitement!! Ain't in grand??!!

So, we'll be sitting next to each other in a meeting for aholics, huh? Well, then again, maybe not. I'm not ready to admit I have a problem. :wink:

 

[IanT]

Yes!!! I know the feeling!!! Thanks for the congratulations!! and right back at ya for your third batch!! what kind did you make?? how did it turn out!?!? today Im going to do a blend i learned in the carribean for a sort of hair soap....will start a thread on it when its done but for now...its a suprise!!

now the only problem is...what do i DO with all of this soap!! Im going to send alot up north to my fam because theyre all interested in my new craft as well

 

[cambree]

I'm late to this soap party.... but just have to say that it's a really good looking 1st batch of soap.

Just have a few questions:

1. Would it be better to use dried lemon rinds versus fresh lemon zest?
I think dried might have longer shelf life. But fresh is easier more handy and might smell better.

2. Do you think you'll use more EO next time? Maybe 1 oz? Or is that too much?

Thanks for sharing with us, I am inspired to make a citrus bar soon

 

[IanT]

I'm late to this soap party.... but just have to say that it's a really good looking 1st batch of soap.

Just have a few questions:

1. Would it be better to use dried lemon rinds versus fresh lemon zest?
I think dried might have longer shelf life. But fresh is easier more handy and might smell better.

2. Do you think you'll use more EO next time? Maybe 1 oz? Or is that too much?

Thanks for sharing with us, I am inspired to make a citrus bar soon

No worries and thank you!!!

1. I think theres quite a debate about using fresh vs dried... i am leaning more towards the fresh side because i know that lemon zest has alot of essential oils that evaporate when the rind is dried...so i feel like id be losing it or something...didnt have any shelf life problems with my bars and ive still got a few...i feel like the rind bits were cooked in a way in the sap process, releasing all the eo's into the soap. kind of like making infused cooking oils with the herbs of your choice..that was the logic i used.

2; Yes Id use much more EO next time, I could barely smell anything in that batch...I think Id use 1 oz with some orris root powder in it so that it would fixate the scent a bit. I love the rinds inside the bar though for a little added scrubbiness ....

 

[Birdie]

Hey, man, it's soap!!!! The color is gorgeous. Yea-uh! You are definately hooked now! :wink:

Feedback not criticism- I think you will be, in the end, diappointed in the fresh zest. It'll wind up looking like mouse turds...uh..sorry. You may want to think about soaking the dried material in the eo overnight.
2-2.5% is good on EOs (.02 or .025 x amount of oils used) and you may want to mix the EO with a bit of your castor to help anchor it.

And I'm with Paula. Put one of those bars away for, say, 6mos. You will be amazed! :shock:

 

[IanT]

Yeah Ive been hooked for sure ....

I definitely made improvements on the next few recipes I did (this was only the first one I tried a few months back)... I like my 3rd batch the best so far...

as for the fresh zest, It didnt look like mouse turds at all! and it was what...5 months ago!??!! I definitely like the bar better now than I did before, but I definitely think Id add fresh zest again, I like how it came out

I havent tried with 2-2.5% of eo yet though, I think i might try that in one of the batches coming up ...still saving to start soaping again

 

[Godiva]

I'm late on this party, too. That is some nice looking soap. I'm definitely hooked on soapmaking. I like making candles, too, but soap is much more fun. I currently have 48 body safe FO's and have only soaped with 12. So there's still a lot more fun to have!

 

[Lane]

Looks great! Lemon scents are one of my faaaaaav ♥

 

[perfectsoap]

Looks great, awesome suds!
Congrats!

 

[georgiastray]

Good looking soaps you made there! I love the scent of fresh lemon, too.

 

[SoapyScrubs]

wow you did a great job. They look yummy or should I say relaxing. I think you did great for your first batch.

 

[SoapyScrubs]

I forgot to ask a question. What is lemon zest? I have seen it for soap and food recipies but I can never find it in the grocery stores. Noone knows what it is when I ask. Thanks in advance.

 

[cdwinsby]

Lemon zest is the shiny yellow layer of the lemons skin that has been very finely grated. Don't grate up the white part just the thin yellow layer.

You can do the same with oranges and limes.

When you're cooking with it, you get an intense lemon flavor and it increases the lemon scent. Very yummy if you like lemon...I really do!

In soap, it'll add to the fragrance a little bit, adds some color and gives a nice scrubby feeling. Plus it comes free with your lemons!!

I sometimes use a peeler to scrape strips off the fruit and then dehydrate them for later use. I just put a piece in my coffee grinder when I want some.

 

[IanT]

I loooooooove lemon scents... i want to make a soap that slightly resembles a lemon pez...that was the inspiration for making this one my first recipe a while back ...

Thank you for the compliments

 

[Sholdy]

Great first batch!

Ain't it exciting! I bet you never thought you'd be so turned on by soap. lmao.

There are so many things to explore - fragrance, colour, swirls, oils, shapes, molds....it'll never get old!

The best part, sometimes, is how your friends and family fall in love with your soaps. Great feedback, cuz homemade soap is so much better than commercial stuff. No comparison.

 

[IanT]

yeah... im working on a 4th batch now, just got to wait til i have enough money for ingredients...

 

[ghengis151]

Congrats on your successful batch! The soap looks sweet. Nice suds as well. I love the smell of lemons too. Have you ever smelled verbena eo? It smells like a fragrant version of lemon pledge. It doesn't trace as fast, so you have some time to work with it. In my experience, bars are ready to cut 24 hours after pouring. They may be a little harsh on the hands to wash with due to the lye. I agree with the other posts. As the bars cure, they get harder and the soap feels milder. Good luck with your soaping and I look forward to more successful batches.
-Rick

btw,
Did the lemon zest make a big contribution to the fragrance?

 

[IanT]

I dont think it made a huge contribution but i could definitely detect a little undertone from it...and its nice as a scrubbly additive too...

 

[CupcakeKisses]

I love that soap. I love citrusy