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Well, this is a first for me. A few minutes after I poured this newly made soap into the mold, it began to crack and then "erupt". Clearly, it overheated, but I can't figure out why exactly. My process is the same as it normally is...except I needed to reformulate the base oils since I was...

I made a batch of CP soap a month ago and is has been cut and curing for the past 4 weeks. However, the tops of the bars are damp - they have that slightly slippery/slick feel of a bar that's been used in the shower (like hours after it has been used and has been left to dry). I have not seen...

I know that saponification is a chemical process and that all the various ingredients used in various recipes add complexity to the issue, but are there any general guidelines about what sort of color changes to expect? Are there there known chemical reactions that can be referenced? Or known...

Hard to believe it's been over half a year since I last made soap! I somehow just lost the inertia. But since my supply has dwindled down to the last few bars, I was forced to action today. Hopefully the soap I have will last until this batch is ready. The following recipe is just a...

I noticed the other day that my local herbalist shop carried a bunch of clays...including bentonite and French green clay (among others). I understand that some of these clays can be used to color CP soap, but really don't know how to use them. Which clays are useful in CP soap (for color or...

Just wanted to share my latest batch. I just finished pouring it into the mold...still need to clean up the kitchen. I used both dandelion and calendula flowers in this one - olive oil infused with dried calendula and a tea made from fresh dandelion flowers picked from my back yard (pesticide...

I'm gearing up to make some soap on Friday. I want to use the abundant dandelions in my yard, so I picked a bunch and am currently making a tea with them to use in place of my water. I think I'm also going to use some of the calendula-infused olive oil I made a few weeks ago. As I was making...

A few weeks ago I infused some oil with dried herbs/flowers to later use in some soaps. I made four different batches: lavender, calendula, hibiscus, and lemon verbena. I filled glass jars half-way with the dried herb/flowers and then added olive oil. I heated everything up for several hours...

Hi all...I've made 4 batches of CP soap and, for two of them, I used some EOs I had lying around the house for DIY cleaning supplies. They came out nice (cedarwood and lemon...pine and orange), but I recently ordered a bunch of new EOs from Bulk Apothecary. I chose oils that I thought I would...

Just wanted to add to the knowledge base here. After some searching, I realize now that some soaps, like some that use milk, can end up with an ammonia-like smell. Well, the soap I made with peach rooibos tea also has an ammonia smell. It is definitely not strong, but since there is no other...

In my first batch (a whole two weeks ago) I used some oat bran at trace and it turned out to be much too abrasive to use as an everyday shower soap. So, I just finished up a batch (my 4th) using oat milk instead. Here's the recipe I used: 306g Olive (45%) 136g Palm (20%) 136g Coconut (20%)...

I am very intersted in making the Genny's shampoo bar (http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946), but I don't have any shea butter laying around and am hesitant to buy some just for this purpose. Is there a substitute for shea butter? I was thinking lard. Based on it's properties...

I've had this 3lb tub of Crisco in my pantry for years. I have no idea why we bought so much. It's just been sitting there. It is opened...and was clearly used at one point...though there is probably 2.9 lbs of it left! On the bottom of the can it says "Best if used by September 03, 2011"...

Well, I couldn't wait any longer and went ahead and used a bar from my first batch in the shower today (13 days curing). I know I shouldn't be surprised, but it worked!! Nice lather and easily rinsed. I guess I should wait to see how my skin responds to it, but at the moment, everything seems...

I know you can use100% olive oil to make a nice gentle soap , but I was thinking of making a batch with 80% olive oil and 20% coconut oil to help with the lather and speed of hardening. How's this look? 520 grams Olive oil 130 grams Coconut oil 250 grams of water 90 grams of lye 10 ml (2...

I'm only three batches into making soap...but I have noticed on my last two there is this thin light-colored layer across the top of the soap (the side exposed to the air when in the mold). This photo below shows pretty clearly what I mean. The layer is solid, covering the entire top area. Is...

I know there a lot of threads about when to unmold and cut CP soap...but I have a slightly different version of the question (I think): Is it possible to unmold and cut too soon? If the soap has sat in the mold for 12-24 hours and can be popped out of the mold, is it ready? Or should it be...

I'm looking to purchase a loaf mold and I came across this one at Bulk Apothecary - http://www.bulkapothecary.com/product/soap-making/soap-molds/silicone-production-molds-cutters/silicone-loaf-soap-mold-10-inch/ Anyone use and recommend this? Any other suggestions for a small loaf mold? Thanks.

My first batch has been curing for less than a week and several of the bars are cracking. I noticed when I cut the soap it was crumbly (you can still see some of the crumbs in the photos below) and then I noticed some hairline cracks the next day (but the soap was still soft enough that I could...

This is my second batch this week. This is really too addicting...I would have made yet another batch today if I hadn't run out of coconut oil (I thought about trying something without it...then thought about running to the store for more...then realized I had to eat lunch and then pick up the...