I read this incredibly inspiring soap PORN :wink: blog. Someone here on SMF posted the link a while back. (Sorry, I don't remember who posted it, I would so totally give you credit if I could!) I am so happy that I subscribed to it! WOW! Stunning stuff on here.
Anyway...reading over the update today, I came across a picture that made me curious. I'm a small town girl and haven't ever seen this "Lush" place that people talk about...but I understand that there are logs of soaps that can be cut to size for the customer.
Interesting concept.
...But then I seen this soaper's market display table:
(Scroll to the lower part of the page)
http://thesoapbar.blogspot.com/2011/09/ ... oap+Bar%29
Same concept, I guess. But that made me wonder a couple of things...
How does one cure that soap? I mean that's a huge log! How LONG would you have to cure that in order for it to be useful?
When you see the one kind of soap that is light colored in the middle but darkened on the edges...that makes me wonder about the cure. It's the one log that is in the lower center of the photograph.
Logic tells me that discoloration from like vanilla comes from exposure to the air, right? So...???...How? What? Please help me understand this. Does that mean that even though this log isn't completely discolored all the way through that it's still completely cured? Right?
I understand that curing means dehyrdration which makes a mild and harder bar and results in longer lasting soaps. Minimum cure time is 6 weeks for lots of soapers...but much longer would be better.
I'm not trying to question this soaper's process. She makes beautiful soaps and is clearly sucessful at it. I'm just trying to understand it.
Can you fully cure a log of soap in one piece like that? And slice it off as needed? Wouldn't it be kinda hard to cut?
Any insight you have to help this inquiring mind? :wink:
TIA!
Anyway...reading over the update today, I came across a picture that made me curious. I'm a small town girl and haven't ever seen this "Lush" place that people talk about...but I understand that there are logs of soaps that can be cut to size for the customer.
Interesting concept.
...But then I seen this soaper's market display table:
(Scroll to the lower part of the page)
http://thesoapbar.blogspot.com/2011/09/ ... oap+Bar%29
Same concept, I guess. But that made me wonder a couple of things...
How does one cure that soap? I mean that's a huge log! How LONG would you have to cure that in order for it to be useful?
When you see the one kind of soap that is light colored in the middle but darkened on the edges...that makes me wonder about the cure. It's the one log that is in the lower center of the photograph.
Logic tells me that discoloration from like vanilla comes from exposure to the air, right? So...???...How? What? Please help me understand this. Does that mean that even though this log isn't completely discolored all the way through that it's still completely cured? Right?
I understand that curing means dehyrdration which makes a mild and harder bar and results in longer lasting soaps. Minimum cure time is 6 weeks for lots of soapers...but much longer would be better.
I'm not trying to question this soaper's process. She makes beautiful soaps and is clearly sucessful at it. I'm just trying to understand it.
Can you fully cure a log of soap in one piece like that? And slice it off as needed? Wouldn't it be kinda hard to cut?
Any insight you have to help this inquiring mind? :wink:
TIA!