Recent content by wendy_m

Re: Congrats Thanks. :lol: I hope to soon, even though most of what I make is really boring and utilitarian. I was going to start a batch yesterday, but ended up getting two more Great Danes so I think I'll live vicariously through the soapers here while working on the girls' basic...

Yes, aloe powder is a great styptic but it doesn't act at all like fresh aloe either in soap or in direct form. The powered aloe can be irritating to skin in even very moderate amounts, but in small amounts .3-.5% in a soap it has some soothing properties and makes a good additive when...

My first soap looked exactly like that for about 3 weeks (it was December and I stirred forever.) I ended up pouring it back into the pot and heating it on the stove (a few times.) It finally started tracing, and was fine. Since then I've used a stick blender (even with the same recipe) and...

Not at all, if the soap has a relatively high glycerin content then it'll soften it somewhat and produce a mildly translucent (but not clear) soap. If you're not used to adding alcohol to a batch of soap, you can steep your spices in it, then freeze it, then pour off the alcohol and make up the...

Wow, she's a little thing. I love her markings and color.

You might just try "charcoal", I know people who seek it out because it's supposed to relieve some of the weirder skin fungi and yeast problems (also mechanics like it-- not sure why, but they do.) Otherwise just translate into french (which usually sounds good on soap labels) : "savon de...

Thanks :) Is that a little nubian in your picture? So cute!

I don't know what went wrong with adding the honey, but it sounds like something has spoiled in your soap (maybe the sugars from the honey reacted with some unsaponified oils or the oil was already starting to spoil a little before you used it, and the honey or soapmaking process just amplified...

And I have been known to make a candle or two, and sometimes even some body scrub or mix my own cosmetics. I also spin yarn, knit, sew and garden. I make mostly CP and HP soaps, usually castile-- but I'm starting to experiment with other bases.