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Hi all, I'm attempting yet another experimental batch - a salt bar with tomato juice. I'm aiming for a 15% superfat to keep the bar smooth. Here are the ingredients that I've used: Lye Liquid: 6.10 oz. tomato juice 2.22 oz. lye Soap Fats: 14 oz. coconut oil 2 oz. castor oil...

Hi all, A number of years back, Crisco reformulated their shortening products to result in fewer trans fats. They switched from this ingredient list: to this ingredient list: For those who soap with Crisco, did this affect the performance of the soap after using the reformulated Crisco...

Hi all, What kinds of experiences did you all have using store-bought food coloring for cold process soap? Does the color turn out vivid, and does the coloring cause the soap to seize? The store-bought colordings use water and propylene glycol as its base. Thanks, --Metal Substance

Hi all, I have followed various discussions on using juices instead of water when mixing in lye, with great interest! Now, I am interested in making a tomato juice batch. Here are my questions for those who have done this before: 1. Do I measure out the same amount of tomato juice as I...

I can't stay off this forum, and I can't stop making soap!! I wonder if I should join Soapers Anonymous? :) --Metal Substance

It's the ChefMate "Digital Nutritional Scale" that I just got from Target. It has an accuracy of +/- 0.05oz. or +/- 1g. Is this good enough for weighing lye? --Metal Substance

I thought for a second that it may have been because those batches are 100% vegetable sources without lard, or that I've been using a hand mixer or stick blender instead of mixing by hand. But something dawned upon me...I poured my first three batches into glass molds, and my last three into...

Hi all, Lately I've been hearing more about a type of plant oil known as "sea buckthorn": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Buckthorn I'm wondering if any attempts have been made to create a soap from this oil, what kind of properties the soap may have, and whether this oil can be found...

Hi all, Along with soapmaking, my other major hobby is working with computers. One of my pet projects is to work on a soap recipe database program complete with a lye calculator. I am looking for a comprehensive and up-to-date list of NaOH sap values that I can incorporate into my program...

Hi all, I've just finished pouring batch #6 into a mold (and I'll have to post pictures later on!) and now onto batch #7 -- a shampoo bar! This is the oil blend that I'm considering making: 10 oz. Olive Oil (light) 4 oz. Coconut Oil 2 oz. Castor Oil 5% lye discount Eucalyptus...

Hi all, I'm currently a newbie at soap-making, having made a total of 6 one-pound batches so far. I'm loving this hobby and I'm finding myself making more soap than I can use in a year! :) Is anyone else from Colorado? --Metal Substance

Wow, this is such an engaging hobby, that I'm making far more soap than I can actually use in a year! :) I'm attempting a vegetable shortening-based soap to see how it will turn out. Here is what I used: 2 sticks of Crisco (for a total of 12.5 oz.) 4 oz. LouAna Coconut Oil 2.22 oz. lye...

Hi all, After making three successful batches of soap using lard and coconut oil, I have attempted to experiment with a pure-vegetable-oil soap blend using 75% soybean and 25% coconut (refined) oils. While the soap cleans and lathers well, I noticed that as it continues to dry and cure, it...