How long do you usually wait to cut your bars? (I'm doing CP, by the way)
Cheese scale... I'd say it was sharp cheddar/parmesan.
I am ordering one of these right now! Thank you :)
I think you're right, now that I think about it. How long do you usually wait to cut your bars? (I'm doing CP, by...
Hi all, I am having a problem on a consistent basis and I can't figure out what's causing it. When I cut my bars, they fracture and crack. Usually the bottom corner breaks off but sometimes it's a bigger chunk of the bottom half. Please see attached photos. The middle of the bars have all these...
@szaza There might be something to that. It's the same batch of shea. I bought it in bulk over a year ago.
@IrishLass Thank you, yes fatty acids and high temps seem to be the culprit...
@Mobjack Bay This is beautiful info! I'm writing all your words down, thank you!
@penelopejane The consensus...
Soaping around 100, eh? Okay, I'll try that next time. I've been soaping a little while but I still have lots to learn so I take copious notes and take temps on everything constantly. :) Thank you for the info!
Thank you for this. But now I'm really confused... I've read in lots of places that 120-130F is the ideal range for soaping... (source: Brambleberry, etc.) Is that incorrect? I soaped once around 90F as I was using goat's milk and that batch went all wrong, didn't go through gel phase etc and...
Hi DeeAnna! I added the sugar before the NaOH. I mixed it thoroughly for quite a while before adding the NaOH. However, one thing that was slightly different was that the lye solution was ever so slightly slightly slightly orangish... which I'm guessing would be a bit of caramelization...? But...
Hello atiz! My lye solution was about 122 degrees and my oils were around 130 degrees. Everything was liquid until the mix. Then... boom! It was chunks.
Hi KiwiMoose! No, I didn't even get to the fragrance or additives. When I saw this, I decided not to waste any additives on it. When you did yours, did you know what the chunks were? Is it just un-saponified oils?
Hi all, I'm wondering if I can get some advice. I've been soaping for about 2 years and it's been a long time since I had a batch run wild on me without knowing what I did wrong. About 1 year ago, I made a batch of shea butter soap that worked wonderfully. My friends have been begging for more...
Thank you all so much for the feedback! This is my first stab at a shampoo bar so there are a lot of variables for sure.
@steffamarie You're right there's a lot that could have combined strangely. It was all mixing fine until I added the FO so that was my first guess.. but from your reply and...
Hi all,
I was making a walnut oil shampoo bar. All was going perfectly until I added my FO's and then it became solid in seconds. I spatula'ed the stuff into a mold and hoped for the best. But then the next day I checked on it and it absolutely STINKS... the walnut comes out hugely and is mixed...
Hi dixiedragon, thank you! That helps a lot. If you have used aquarium charcoal and did not have any issues with the soap or with your skin, then that tells me a lot! I'm thinking of getting a cheap blender to use just for charcoal. Powdered charcoal here seems to be imported and expensive, only...
Hi BrewerGeorge, I agree completely. But there's going to be some chemicals in there most likely, it's not "pure" right? So I guess that's the basis of my question: would technical grade make bad soap or even possibly irritate/harm the skin?