What soapy thing have you done today?

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St. John's Wort oil will be an infused oil; you'll need to know what oil it was infused in and use that for your saponification rate. Could I ask why you want to use SJW oil in your soap? Any benefits from the oil likely won't survive the saponification process.
It is mostly infused in olive oil. I want to use it for treating excema. If no benefits from orijinal oil wont survive after saponification, why do we use different oils in soapmaking then? Thanks for your answer, i will use 0.135 ratio then. That makes sense to me now
 
It is mostly infused in olive oil. I want to use it for treating excema. If no benefits from orijinal oil wont survive after saponification, why do we use different oils in soapmaking then? Thanks for your answer, i will use 0.135 ratio then. That makes sense to me now
If you're wanting to treat eczema, you'd be better off using it topically, as in a salve or a balm, and not in a wash-off product, which soap is. I've tried pine tar soap for my eczema and it made no difference whatsoever. Using a pine tar salve, though, did help a little. I've also tried SJW oil, among others, and it did nothing for mine; I do know, though, that different things work better for different people.
 
Dear soapers, i will be doing soap with st john's wort oil but could not find any information about its saponification ratio. Anyone has any idea?

Is it mixed with Olive Oil, as is common when sold as a supplement? You can probably find out by searching the brand online.

It is mostly infused in olive oil. I want to use it for treating excema. If no benefits from orijinal oil wont survive after saponification, why do we use different oils in soapmaking then? Thanks for your answer, i will use 0.135 ratio then. That makes sense to me now

Different oils bring different characteristics to the soap once saponified. Soapmakers tend to use pure oils as the main oils of soap, not oils with unknowns included because that would mess up the lye to oils calculations.

It is the fatty acid makeup of the different oils that affect the characteristics we look for in soap. Things like hardness, longevity, bubbliness, lather, gentleness, cleansing (AKA oil-stripping), and so on are going to be affected by the different fatty acid (FA) profiles of the oils we use in our recipes.
 
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Lovely soap photos :), but would love to see these posted in the Photo Gallery instead of here, it's a bit quiet over there :p.
Thought this was more for chat about what you did today and posted photos go in the gallery.
Today I taught a little girl about cold process soaping. Her parents came and we went into the soap lab. The little girl donned eyeware and gloves, with her long sleeves and tennis shoes. She is 10 and will probably be a chemist when she grows up! She loves science! I had premixed the lye and hard oils. I let her measure and weigh the liquid oils. She chose her colors and scent. I mixed the batter and let poured it into measuring cups. She whisked the colors in and poured the colors into a mold. I let her use the swirl tool. I had lines a cardboard box that fit the batch perfectly. She will have her parents help her cut the bars and then will cure them on a paper towel and cake cooking rack. It was fun, and with her parents there, doing it safely with a kid was surely a blessing to me! Can’t wait to see her pink and red jasmine scented bars!
 
Today I taught a little girl about cold process soaping. Her parents came and we went into the soap lab. The little girl donned eyeware and gloves, with her long sleeves and tennis shoes. She is 10 and will probably be a chemist when she grows up! She loves science! I had premixed the lye and hard oils. I let her measure and weigh the liquid oils. She chose her colors and scent. I mixed the batter and let poured it into measuring cups. She whisked the colors in and poured the colors into a mold. I let her use the swirl tool. I had lines a cardboard box that fit the batch perfectly. She will have her parents help her cut the bars and then will cure them on a paper towel and cake cooking rack. It was fun, and with her parents there, doing it safely with a kid was surely a blessing to me! Can’t wait to see her pink and red jasmine scented bars!

how cool is this!?!?! she will remember this for a very long time--she is gonna be so proud when she cuts it
 
Is it mixed with Olive Oil, as is common when sold as a supplement? You can probably find out by searching the brand online.



Different oils bring different characteristics to the soap once saponified. Soapmakers tend to use pure oils as the main oils of soap, not oils with unknowns included because that would mess up the lye to oils calculations.

It is the fatty acid makeup of the different oils that affect the characteristics we look for in soap. Things like hardness, longevity, bubbliness, lather, gentleness, cleansing (AKA oil-stripping), and so on are going to be affected by the different fatty acid (FA) profiles of the oils we use in our recipes.
It is best to use it as superfat then
Thanks
 
By 'today' I mean last Friday, I took 5 dozen bars to work for good-bye treats to my coworkers since tomorrow is my last day. They went like hot cakes except the rosehip/spearmint/clove was the slowest to move (my wife says soap shouldn't smell like toothpaste :) ). One coworker has been researching CP but is freaking out about lye -- I told her it's like bleach, it's a powerful substance and use caution but don't be freaking out (an analogy I got from this forum).

My wife and I had our good-bye party (we're moving out of state soon) yesterday and had loads of door prizes aka stuff we don't want to pack for guests and I offloaded all remaining lotion bars.

And, @DWinMadison , my sons also call me #breakingbad when I'm suited up in goggles, gloves, and bandana over my nose. :)
Where are you moving? Not giving up soap Ard you?
 
This weekend I organized my soap cabinet so everything is easier to access. I also masterbatched some oils, and placed orders for more base oils, essential oils and fragrance oils so I can get working on remaking some old favorites that have sold out and also experiment with new scents. Plus I did a bit of social media posting and worked on the inaugural newsletter for my business which will be mailing this week. Felt nice to be so productive this weekend!

Also, I finally took a full-sized bar of my own soap to use in the shower. I usually only use end pieces or leftover scraps, but I had a bar that unfortunately developed DOS, so since I won't be selling it, I decided to use it myself. It feels like such a luxury using a full-sized bar! ;)
 
I am looking at possibly ordering long-cuffed nitrile gloves. The disposable nitrile gloves I use now have such short cuffs, I don't feel like they are as safe as I'd like, especially when I reach into a soaping bowl to scrape out all the batter. I found one source where the gloves are only 12.5¢ per glove (counting the price of shipping), so really a good price! But I have to buy 1,000 of them to get that price and they don't sell them in smaller lots. This means I'll have to store 20 boxes of gloves, at least to start.
 
But I have to buy 1,000 of them to get that price and they don't sell them in smaller lots. This means I'll have to store 20 boxes of gloves, at least to start.

"Hi! Welcome to Earlene's Soap and Nitrile Glove Emporium.....we're a little low on the soap today....can I interest you in some GLOVES???"
 
"Hi! Welcome to Earlene's Soap and Nitrile Glove Emporium.....we're a little low on the soap today....can I interest you in some GLOVES???"

Yeah, right!?! I am in a quandary.

I also want to go to SoapCon this year. I missed it last year. I mean really missed it. First I kept putting off registering because of my husband making travel plans to Europe, then it was cancelled anyway due to low registration. I don't want to miss it again. So sent my husband an email to make sure the dates don't interfere with any vacation plans he hasn't tole me about yet. I'll double check with him tonight. Hopefully I and register tonight and confirm my space.

I love SoapCon. It's always so much fun and I get to meet so many other soapers there. Some from SMF, some from other places. And meeting and talking with some of the well-known soaping gurus around the industry is really quite a treat as well. Plus the HCSG always participates and gives us an update on regulations and bills in Washington, DC that are being considered. Dr. Kevin Dunn is always there and he is such a wonderful presenter. The workshops on the second day are a wonderful addition to the event, that started a couple of years ago, and so much fun. I even got to meet Clyde Yoshida of Vibrant Soap a couple of years ago after his presentation. Plus, so many of the vendors who always attend are so nice and helpful. Carrie of Nurture Soaps did a color mixing workshop a couple of years ago, that I attended. The staff from ED are always there and will deliver orders (with no shipping charges) if ordered to be delivered while at SoapCon. And the prizes and goodie bags that are given out are always fabulous!

Am I gushing? Yes. I do hope to attend again this year, and don't ever want to miss it again.
 
I am looking at possibly ordering long-cuffed nitrile gloves. The disposable nitrile gloves I use now have such short cuffs, I don't feel like they are as safe as I'd like, especially when I reach into a soaping bowl to scrape out all the batter. I found one source where the gloves are only 12.5¢ per glove (counting the price of shipping), so really a good price! But I have to buy 1,000 of them to get that price and they don't sell them in smaller lots. This means I'll have to store 20 boxes of gloves, at least to start.


Or I could go with these from Mamba Gloves, at about double the per glove price, but I can buy only one box at a time. Drawback (besides bottom line price) is they are only 3.5 mil, so not as sturdy as the others. Still undecided. The Mamba gloves get mostly good reviews and mostly from Cosmetology personnel, who say they last all day without any tearing. Since most hair salon workers I see (not many, I have to admit) have long nails, that's saying a lot.

I sure wish I could at least try a sample of the other glove. Well, I did send a request for a sample. We shall see.
 
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@DWinMadison I'm moving up by @Marilyn Norgart . Chicago has been my adult home but we're moving to Minnesota for family reasons. I'm going CRAZY because I have not been able to soap in weeks because I don't want to pack soap that is still curing. All oils and supplies are packed away. I'll get a batch made as fast as humanly possible.
 
You have been a busy beaver!

Unbelievably elegant! Care to share your technique?

Certainly. I did it the same way I do the Secret Rose Swirl (below from a previous post) but used gray and white and changed up the shape of the layers. I did an extra swirl in the center which gave it a different look. With the charcoal the batter is also different in texture so that changed it a bit also.

Secret Rose Swirl.jpg


Yeah, right!?! I am in a quandary.

I also want to go to SoapCon this year. I missed it last year. I mean really missed it. First I kept putting off registering because of my husband making travel plans to Europe, then it was cancelled anyway due to low registration. I don't want to miss it again. So sent my husband an email to make sure the dates don't interfere with any vacation plans he hasn't tole me about yet. I'll double check with him tonight. Hopefully I and register tonight and confirm my space.

I love SoapCon. It's always so much fun and I get to meet so many other soapers there. Some from SMF, some from other places. And meeting and talking with some of the well-known soaping gurus around the industry is really quite a treat as well. Plus the HCSG always participates and gives us an update on regulations and bills in Washington, DC that are being considered. Dr. Kevin Dunn is always there and he is such a wonderful presenter. The workshops on the second day are a wonderful addition to the event, that started a couple of years ago, and so much fun. I even got to meet Clyde Yoshida of Vibrant Soap a couple of years ago after his presentation. Plus, so many of the vendors who always attend are so nice and helpful. Carrie of Nurture Soaps did a color mixing workshop a couple of years ago, that I attended. The staff from ED are always there and will deliver orders (with no shipping charges) if ordered to be delivered while at SoapCon. And the prizes and goodie bags that are given out are always fabulous!

Am I gushing? Yes. I do hope to attend again this year, and don't ever want to miss it again.

It sounds amazing and I would love to go someday. I really like Dr. Dunn and bought his book. You met Clyde? Isn't he a wonderful person! So very nice, just like in his videos. I met him at the Rustic Escentuals open house and took a picture with him! It is in my media album :)
 
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earlene,
Do you have a Harbor Freight store near you?
Nitrile gloves with coupon for $5 per 100. That's 10 cents per pair for the 5 mil gloves.

I wait for the sales and buy a box or two. They work well as single use glove for me.

Steve, yes, there is one in the cities. Are they the kind with an extra long cuff? I want to try the ones with long cuffs, as I already use the ones with short cuffs, that barely cover my wrist joint.
 

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