Recent content by MaryWaldman

Orla, thank you for asking this question. I was trying Tussah Silk for the first time last month and couldn't find any measurements beyond 'a pinch'. What ended up working for me was 1 gram silk, chopped up finely, to 345 gr distilled water. I let it soak and then added the lye (2.2 ratio...

Hi JoeyG, sorry, I just saw your question. The resolution was that I mailed the molds back to Brambleberry and they refunded my purchase. I also included the tests you see above. I sent several follow up emails requesting they contact the manufacturer and they dithered - first it was Chinese...

These were my go-to molds and I invested in four of them last year (one to test and then another three). This past winter the more recent three began to discolor my soaps. I did a thread about it...

The reviews for this rebatch are really good - is there a CP formulation for it anywhere on SoapMakingForum? If not I can try and hash it out myself; the oils are Coconut Oil, Palm oil, Olive Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Castor Oil, Apricot Kernel oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, and...

Great questions. No: they've never been in the dishwasher, and have never been heated above the curing temperature. They have had several high-quality, body grade FO's (NG, BB, MMS) in them repeatedly since I purchased them. The discoloring problem seems to have started overnight. Tin or...

Zap test - the Goat Milk M&P didn't zap (and is actually kind of sweet). The CP had no zap. The yellowing seems to get worse with age, even after they've been out of the molds. My process is: pour CP, put to bed for about 24 hours at room temperature. I sometimes put a tray in the freezer for a...

I have to agree with you. I will try the stretch test.

The lingering FO might be an issue... but I haven't changed up my FO's in a while. They are all under a year old. And I just unmolded a batch of my foot exfoliating CP soap yesterday in its dedicated mold (about 2 years old, about 15 batches) and it's doing the same thing. BADWORDS. I only use...

I use the Brambleberry 12 cavity rectangular silicone mold for my cold process soap line. After each use I wash them in cold water, a little bit of dish detergent, rinse them, and allow them to air dry. I've never had a problem with this method, and have been using this set of molds for two...

Candles and Supplies in Quakertown, PA has a store front and a large shipping operation. I buy there when I'm nearby, and they carry Crafter's Choice and Stephenson, which is great. They are very nice, but I've had trouble with some of their FO's accelerating CP trace...

My real concern is that the product, Lavender 40/42, has an MSDS. Any product that is required to ship with a Material Safety Data Sheet is, by definition, somewhat unsafe. At any point along the long shipping journey there could have been a leak, the box would have been opened, and no one would...

I'm glad they sent you a pre-paid shipping label, that was the right thing to do. I order regularly from Brambleberry but have noticed a dramatic change, for the worse, in their shipping. My last order, delivered in early December, was supposed to include a 15 oz bottle of Lavender EO 40/42. It...

Making my own is the last resort, but this is a nice site and if they are helpful it might be the best way to go. I wonder who needs a life-size silicone rhinoceros mold.

My soap making business is at the point where I'm ready to invest in a custom mold to standardize my products. We have bees, so I'm looking for a hex shape. Each finished bar would weigh 5 oz. I know my exact dimensions and have made a demo out of wood, and one out of Super Sculpty. Now I...

Thank you for the ideas! The Dollar Store 10/$1 mini containers looks like they would work very well. I have about 25 test samples so far, about 3 ounces each, that would fit them very nicely. Maybe they could even be used for the mold? I think this is just what I'm looking for. I love my...