What soapy thing have you done today?

Got that confetti soap made today....did it in two batches: a bottom layer of black (AC) and white (TD) and then the top 2/3 is confetti mixed in to a bright raspberry colour! And I even put it in the oven with the light on to maybe introduce it to gelling ("encourage" might be too strong a word). Mainly we turned the AC (not activated charcoal) back on and the basement is freezing, so I figure it needed a bit just to get it to "room" temperature.
My piles of shavings are still pretty big, so another confetti soap may be around the corner....

I have my FM today. Glad today and not tomorrow with the HIGHER Humidity. Cuz it is darn muggy out already

Made two batches of soap - one a purple floral type and the other blue and white! Got a second hand soap cutter for my birthday last week and can't wait to use in a few days time for the first time!

had a Farmers Market today--I am tired--I have decided I no longer enjoy getting up at 5am. I really want to make some dandelion soap but I don't do well when I am tired. so I had better wait until tomorrow.

Today I made beer soap #2, because a lather test of my first one revealed a grainy texture (was not evident on the cut bars), the colorant was dripping all over, and the layers were wearing down at an alarmingly different rate. I must have not mixed the bottom (colored) layer very well - I remember it was accelerating fast and I did rush it to the mold. Also, in that batch I used a different fragrance oil on the bottom layer than on the top - the only difference in the two layers - so I am suspicious of that fragrance oil now.

Today I really took my time. I stirred more than SB, until I was sure that everything was incorporated without turning it to pudding. I used a tweaked recipe that has been behaving well, and a different fragrance blend that I have used before without trouble. So far, so good. This soap is going to be gifts for the men in the family, so if it doesn't work again I'm gonna be running short on time to figure out what the problem is.

MGM said:

Got that confetti soap made today....did it in two batches: a bottom layer of black (AC) and white (TD) and then the top 2/3 is confetti mixed in to a bright raspberry colour! And I even put it in the oven with the light on to maybe introduce it to gelling ("encourage" might be too strong a word). Mainly we turned the AC (not activated charcoal) back on and the basement is freezing, so I figure it needed a bit just to get it to "room" temperature.
My piles of shavings are still pretty big, so another confetti soap may be around the corner....

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Will you post a picture after cutting?

runnerchicki said:

Today I made beer soap #2, because a lather test of my first one revealed a grainy texture (was not evident on the cut bars), the colorant was dripping all over, and the layers were wearing down at an alarmingly different rate. I must have not mixed the bottom (colored) layer very well - I remember it was accelerating fast and I did rush it to the mold. Also, in that batch I used a different fragrance oil on the bottom layer than on the top - the only difference in the two layers - so I am suspicious of that fragrance oil now.

Today I really took my time. I stirred more than SB, until I was sure that everything was incorporated without turning it to pudding. I used a tweaked recipe that has been behaving well, and a different fragrance blend that I have used before without trouble. So far, so good. This soap is going to be gifts for the men in the family, so if it doesn't work again I'm gonna be running short on time to figure out what the problem is.

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Interested to see how it turns out

Mobjack Bay said:

My cute new test mold with a mini loaf of soap. The loaf is just 6” long.

View attachment 40559

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Maybe I need one of those....where did you get it? Is it a BB?

Mooicle said:

Maybe I need one of those....where did you get it? Is it a BB?

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It’s from Micas and More. Runnerchicki has one and pointed me in the right direction. I just had to have one . The top perimeter did bow just a little, but I filled it almost to the top.

Mobjack Bay said:

It’s from Micas and More. Runnerchicki has one and pointed me in the right direction. I just had to have one . The top perimeter did bow just a little, but I filled it almost to the top.

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It does bow a bit without support. I put mine inside a support box that I have for my regular size TS mold and stuff a folded cloth around it.

Mobjack Bay said:

It’s from Micas and More. Runnerchicki has one and pointed me in the right direction. I just had to have one . The top perimeter did bow just a little, but I filled it almost to the top.

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Hmmmm. I may have to look in to that. So it's good to use without a wooden box around it? It stands on its own and you can move it without it flopping around all over the place?

I made my first dandelion soap-scented with orange 10x, ylang ylang and lemon. it smells amazing in the house!! and turned out a pretty yellow. cant wait to see it after cure!!

Going to try and make soap today. Spent most of the weekend in bed and in pain but I just can let a weekend go by without making soap.
My ingredients for cream soap come in tomorrow so thats tomorrows new soaping experience.

msunnerstood said:

Going to try and make soap today. Spent most of the weekend in bed and in pain but I just can let a weekend go by without making soap.
My ingredients for cream soap come in tomorrow so thats tomorrows new soaping experience.

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Hope you feel better soon!

msunnerstood said:

Going to try and make soap today. Spent most of the weekend in bed and in pain but I just can let a weekend go by without making soap.
My ingredients for cream soap come in tomorrow so thats tomorrows new soaping experience.

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I hope you feel better soon.

After spending the better part of an afternoon labeling soap to send to my testers, I can see why people like to settle on a few base recipes.

Here's my soapy thing: I'm in the middle of making "eczema soap" for my daughter. I'm using coconut, palm, canola, olive, castor oils with a little finely ground calendula and oatmeal. I'm also using chamomile tea for my water and am using the aloe vera gel I laboriously extracted from my poor unsuspecting plants as part of my water substitute. In addition to all that, I am using eentsy, bitsy cut-up shred of Tussah silk in an effort to help my poor daughter. BUT, stupid me, I put the aloe vera gel in the lye water and now it just plain stinks. I don't really care about the brown color it turned, but do any of y'all know if that stench is going to dissipate after cure. I plan on using lavender EO and am hoping that helps. I was also debating whether or not to add another EO, like Roman chamomile or tea tree. I need help. (Oops! I just realized this might not be the place to post this. Answers still welcomed.)

Today I cut two soaps.

1) Beer soap #2 - I got some air bubbles in the top layer but I’ll just pretend I did that on purpose to look like foam. I lightened the top with satin white mica so I don’t know how if the vanillin will overtake it or not. We shall see. I'm hoping that this batch comes out okay. I used my favorite milk stout for the beer. I'm not very good at swirling yet - I just did a chopstick swirl.

2) Made my basic recipe with lard. First time I’ve soaped with lard. I think this will be my swirling recipe! I now have my tests of basic recipe w/palm, basic recipe w/tallow, and basic recipe with lard all curing so I can compare them side by side. Maybe I should do one with both lard and tallow just to be thorough.

I tried to do a ghost swirl. Another chopstick swirl. You can sort of see it, but the higher water portion got kind of bubbly looking - probably got too hot? You can totally tell by looking at the tops which part was water discounted. It is smoother and creamy. The other looks a bit buggly. I had a hard time managing the temperature during the gel. I'm not entirely sure the discounted portion didn't gel a bit. I still think it looks pretty and it was just for funsies. I’m going to try it again at some point. I’m really loving all white soaps.

runnerchicki said:

It does bow a bit without support. I put mine inside a support box that I have for my regular size TS mold and stuff a folded cloth around it.

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I tested mine in the wood box for my 2lb mold and it looks like that strategy will work

Mobjack Bay said:

I tested mine in the wood box for my 2lb mold and it looks like that strategy will work

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I'm glad! I do love this little mold. I think all TS silicone molds are prone to this. I might have my son build me a little box for it, but for now the workaround does me just fine.

Kari Howie said:

Here's my soapy thing: I'm in the middle of making "eczema soap" for my daughter. I'm using coconut, palm, canola, olive, castor oils with a little finely ground calendula and oatmeal. I'm also using chamomile tea for my water and am using the aloe vera gel I laboriously extracted from my poor unsuspecting plants as part of my water substitute. In addition to all that, I am using eentsy, bitsy cut-up shred of Tussah silk in an effort to help my poor daughter. BUT, stupid me, I put the aloe vera gel in the lye water and now it just plain stinks. I don't really care about the brown color it turned, but do any of y'all know if that stench is going to dissipate after cure. I plan on using lavender EO and am hoping that helps. I was also debating whether or not to add another EO, like Roman chamomile or tea tree. I need help. (Oops! I just realized this might not be the place to post this. Answers still welcomed.)

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Oh no. I hope you found a way to fix it.

runnerchicki said:

I'm glad! I do love this little mold. I think all TS silicone molds are prone to this. I might have my son build me a little box for it, but for now the workaround does me just fine.

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I was on the Nuture website the other day and noticed that they have a small TS wood mold with a silicone liner, which wouldn’t have the problem. The fix for this little one is easy enough and the price was good, so I’m happy with it. I am moving towards buying one of the larger lined wooden molds by Nuture or Workshop Heritage rather than the silicone mold with the ribs because I think it would be a lot more difficult to support the sides on a bigger mold.

Mobjack Bay said:

I was on the Nuture website the other day and noticed that they have a small TS wood mold with a silicone liner, which wouldn’t have the problem. The fix for this little one is easy enough and the price was good, so I’m happy with it. I am moving towards buying one of the larger lined wooden molds by Nuture or Workshop Heritage rather than the silicone mold with the ribs because I think it would be a lot more difficult to support the sides on a bigger mold.

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Totally agree. For the 12" TS ribbed mold that I got from BB I bought a support box for it (from Workshopheritage). But that is because I already had the ribbed mold. It solves the bowing problem, but if I was making a choice from the get-go I would just get a regular wood mold and not have to buy an extra piece.

I do have that TS small mold from Nurture on my wishlist though - because I like the size of the bar it will make. I just can't truly say that I "need" it at this point. I'm trying to be good.

@runnerchicki those are great looking soaps! That brown one is so cool. Ghost swirls are supposed to do that. The different water amounts will result in different temps for the batter hence the gelling and not gelling. It's a cool technique. I should try it again soon.