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Yes, cocoa (high dosage) makes the suds a bit tan. Other than that, sugar is good for bubbliness, and better not talk about the smell 😎 In my experience, adding chocolate early (like in CP soap) alters the colour and scent, not to the better. But when you are adding it, practically, as a...

You can do this, yes. Maybe you get the hang of it. I wish for the best, but can't give any guarantee. Another idea might be to just drown the inconsistent discolouration, by enforcing the brown. Dissolving a piece of chocolate after cook? Cocoa as a colourant is temperamental all by itself...

Update on the soap from post #1: I've planed one bar into soap sheets (for further use as one-time/guest/travel soaps, totally not because planing is addictive). Wehn backlit, it's actually quite evident that there is going on actually a lot in terms of glycerin rivers in there; just with a bad...

Sorry, yes, I meant the zap test, not the clarity test. That one has its own merits, but not to determine when the cook (chemical reaction) is over. Yes. Water loss in HP is a real troublemaker, especially with small batches (depends on weather, if you have your window open or shut...)...

I can imagine that you are unhappy with them. It's weird and frustrating when things refuse to be reproducible. Your oil blend sounds actually quite trouble-free, without stearic acid etc. to make HP more complicated than it already is. I guess you're adding the FO after the HP cook has...

Even then, it wouldn't explain why it happens with the shea too. 🤪 @Catscankim Can you take & post a photo (or better, a video) of your observation?

I love these mini Gugelhupf moulds! They look cute and indeed have a handy format. I just somehow dislike how they feel when rubbing between hands. That hole thingie is awkward and somehow scratchy, at least in the beginning. For the time being, my set of silicone Gugelhupf moulds is reserved...

Make Soap, Not War! 🕊

Sounds like you're quite late. I just planed&bevelled mine. 😏 But ye know, No Pressure.

I've successfully made CPOP-after-HP soap! The hanger swirl wasn't the prettiest ever, but it did work, and has hardly any of the infamous “rustic” look to it. Leaving the plopped soap in the hot oven for some time (letting it re-heat to a more fluid state) really helps to correct that “candle...

Nigella makes for a great topping for flatbread and rolls. Anything beyond that? Well, scroll through that website, you'll find a lot of “May…”'s. Decide for yourself if you want to believe it. Be aware that it's your belief that is effective, not the botanical. Keep in mind that the whole “X is...

High-oleic oils (HO sunflower, olive, etc.) have a surprisingly high melting point.

My lard has mold My mold has lard.

😳🤫 Finally the end of The Empty Cupboard campaign? Were you allowed to restock mango butter? Are those soaps, or holes in my monitor? It might be just alright. Don't expect a lather explosion, but you might be pleasantly surprised. Such “wrong” recipes that ignore the usual rules aren't...

Am I recognising Tara trees here? Great job! A bit of a wintery look, though, which might become obsolete with the blooming and flowering spring imminent.

Yes. In my conception, it was burnt umber (leaving a Kremer link here, in the hope you don't make mischief with it), which is the strongest and most neutral shade, but others might be at least as appropriate for toning down special colour ranges. I'm not that deep into an oil painter's practice...

I'm hand-cleaning everything with hot tap water and dishwashing soap (boooo! commercial syndet stuff), usually right after usage (safety goggles still on). I've found that my dishwashing machine has, for whatever reason, a hard time to remove soap residues. And soap batter/oils can soak into...

Have you realised that Soapee (just as SMFriend and SoapCalc.net) lists the KOH SAP of carrot seed oil as 0.144, i. e. the NaOH SAP = 0.103?

Umbra. Neutral pigments like white/grey/black blend into colours to give them a dirty, cold look. And you aren't always in control of the opacity. Generations of art teachers recommend umbra as the pigment of choice to “break” a paint, i. e. tone down its brilliance, with less weird colour shifts.

That smells so strongly like Japan wax! 😃 (80% palmitate, 1% myristate, 7% stearate). Weren't there the SAP which is a bit higher for Japan wax (0.153), which I find remarkable, since Japan wax actually has more long-chain (stearic) and less mid-chain (myristic) FAs, hence should have the lower...