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Thanks for comments, everyone. I had seen that SK have tallow, but it's more than double the price of dripping bought locally. As my branding relies heavily upon local produce (and the shaving soap will potentially be added to my product line, in due course), I would prefer to use a local...

Thanks Deanna - I'll be using stearic as well, I'm looking forward to starting testing (as soon as these kids are back at school - which is tomorrow!) Thank you also Primsore, and lsg. I'm going to assume that the difference is merely down to UK / US terminology, and use the dripping.

Thanks Zany, I did search, but there were so many threads related to soap dripping various fluids all over the place, it was hard to narrow it down to dripping as a specific type of fat, being used in a shave soap. Perhaps there are additional filters that I'm not aware of, to narrow down search...

Thanks for replying - it's not sourcing the raw fat that's the problem though. I'd really prefer to avoid rendering myself, for the reasons mentioned, but I can do it if I have to. I was really trying to establish whether dripping would be a suitable replacement :)

Hello soapers. UK soaper here. I want to try making some shaving soap, and after reading through this monster thread: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/my-first-shaving-soap-is-a-success.34264/ I'm about ready to try some test batches, and want to try the initial recipe (stearic acid and...

I'm part-way through reading the original thread, also finding it fascinating! Will keep an eye on this thread too, and possibly be back to comment when I've tried it :)

Gemmali, I just wanted to say well done for putting in all the effort, you are absolutely going about it the right way! It sounds like you've done lots of research, and your first batch has been an excellent learning opportunity, and it might turn out to be an excellent soap, in time. Stick...

SaltedFig Yes, true, the olive oil / pomace could be a factor, as could the age of the EO. I think extensive testing is necessary, if I want to properly pin it down. My head is spinning now, with all the different batches I'd need to make in order to figure it out.

SaltedFig I make the lavender & lemon one a lot, the bars I made in February are still good.

Check the packaging for your AC, does it contain any other ingredients? I did have this problem once or twice, when I was buying AC capsules, and emptying them out to use the charcoal in my soap. The soaps would be soft and a bit of an odd texture. It turned out the capsules contained other...

True, I had assumed that as citrus EOs tend to fade, it wouldn't be that anchoring the lavender. Although maybe there is something about the combination that makes them both stick? The lavender is definitely the more noticable fragrance in that bar. The plain lavender bar I'm using at the...

Lavender EO - do you find it sticks or fades? Has anyone noticed different results based on base oils used? In one of my recipes the scent sticks fine, but in another it fades. I'm using the same bottle of EO at the same fragrance ratio, so I know it's not that. My lavender & lemon soap -...

Hi Billy, and welcome. You'll find lots of useful information here. I've never made shaving soap, but I'm curious, so I might go and check out that link too :)

I have wondered the same, about painting the inside with silicone. Logically, it seems like it should work, but I wonder how easy it would be to get the soap out? (If the mould doesn't have any removable pieces, that is.) I find that if my silicone pieces fit together very neatly with no...

Both really useful videos, thanks for linking those. I'm currently using silicone sheets to line my wooden moulds, but they are in separate pieces, so there is a tiny bit of leakage at the corners. Not much, but obviously over time it's not going to do the wood any favours, so I want to make...

Hope nobody minds but I have a quick question - this seems like a good thread to get the answer, or at least a better understanding. A few times when reading about laundry soap, I've seen that people superfat with a negative figure, eg -2%. Does this mean it's lye-heavy? Wouldn't this destroy...

I use a recipe with a high proportion of hard fats, also high stearic, and it does move fast. I don’t stick-blend this recipe AT ALL, just stirring with a long spoon or spatula is enough. I pour at very thin trace – sometimes even if I’m not sure that emulsion is complete – and then continue...

Thanks Stacy, that's a whole lot more information than I had before, so I'll call that a win! :D

I've acquired this bath bomb press, and I'm having a hard time producing bath bombs with it. I've been looking online for some kind of user guide, but I'm drawing a blank, so I thought I'd ask if anyone here has any ideas. The only brand name that I can see is "ruth" - this is on the top of...

The moisture on the surface has crystallized. I sliced off the worst part, but there are a few tiny pockets of liquid inside the bar, too. I also now know what a Zap feels like, although I did test the freshly cut side, I'm not sure if this makes a difference. This soap was only made 9th...