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FYI, I think the discount maxes out at $20. Just tried to order some bulk oils. Thank you so, so, so much for posting this!!

I've soaped with Basil EO a few times, and a little bit goes a loooooooong way! It overpowered my batch even using a small amount. As others have noted, some EOs just tend to linger a little longer than others.

I think it must be an oversight. Nature's Garden and WSP both list Lavender 40/42 at 5% usage rate for Category 9 bar soaps.

What a beautiful and fairly simple technique. Thanks for sharing!

I'd also go with Rice Bran Oil, as fuzz-juzz mentioned. You don't have the price volatility that olive oil often has, and you can substitute a fair amount of olive oil for RBO in your recipes. Just make sure to run it through a lye calculator to double check.

I'm newer to lotion making than soap, but I would think that original Optiphen may be a good option as well? It's paraben and formaldehyde free, and is suggested for pH levels from 4-8 (although apparently the pH guidelines are relatively new with this product?). Where is Swift Crafty Monkey...

Hey Stacyspy, I think that EcWid will allow you to add products to your Facebook or website for free (up to 10 products). I'm not sure how it compares to Shopify otherwise, but might be worth saving a few bucks if you're just as the "dipping your toes in the water" stage.

My biggest pet peeve is other soap sellers who claim that their products cure various ailments (I've seen everything from local sellers including claims to "cure" eczema, the bumps on the backs of the arms, PUPPP pregnancy rash - you name it). My other peeve is when customers ask me "what's my...

Some essential oils have higher or lower safe usage rates than others (Cinnamon is one that can be irritating to skin, even in small quantities. A little goes a long way, but it smells delicious!). Checking the IFRA sheets is a great start, and here are a couple of blog posts that address EO...

I haven't tried their EO's, but I've ordered other things from them with good results. Seriously, the freebie bag is chocked full of all sorts of goodies (and in usable quantities, too!). I'm going to be ordering more from them, I think, especially since WSP did their big price adjustment...but...

The first time I tried making lotion it was a recipe similar to the one that Earthen_Step shared. It's definitely not "lotion" as we think of it, and probably has very limited application use (especially with no preservative!). After that naive first little experiment I found that lotion making...

I like the apple and rose combo. WSP does a nice FO called Gingham Apple that I've used with Fresh Cut Roses for a nice, feminine blend.

Carolyn, are the heavy stearic areas the ones that look kind of ashy? I tried melting down a 28 lb. bucket of palm, and it was such a pain that I've been basically doing what you do. It seems like the drier, "ashy" parts seem to contain the most stearic acid for me, but I'd love to hear your two...

Soap Queen has a nice post about Tussah silk here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-liquid-silk-tussah-silk-fibers/ You can also get Tussah silk at SMR: http://www.soap-making-resource.com/tussah-silk.html Long story short, it wouldn't be vegan, but it...

...and the only cure was an ever-increasing supply of more FOs!

Another soap maker that I know (a friendly competitor who I don't think is on this forum?) does a series of Game of Thrones soaps. Here's the link: http://soapandclay.com/shop/seasonal-items/game-of-soaps-game-of-thrones/ I just want to reiterate that these are not my soaps. I do know the...

It makes me really grateful for those few show organizers that are organized, advertise well, and understand the craft business. The other side of the spectrum can be incredibly frustrating! I did a few shows months ago where I really enjoyed the people organizing it, but they did a really...

Gorgeous! The tops really look fantastic, even if you did have to suffer for your art on this one. :-)

I had to go back and look again. Still looks like soap to me! LOL

Don't feel bad, Marshall. None of this stuff is bad practice, it's just not always necessary for a successful batch. As you play around with soap making you'll find the "rules" that you're comfortable bending and breaking. :-)