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When I started soaping I was mixing my lye solution in an old pyrex measuring cup, a big one. After many batches I noticed a crack in the bottom so I threw it out. I think I remember reading here everyone uses plastic, or was that rubber? Rubbermaid pitchers? I went the plastic route...

Say I was to make a CP soap and used (chilled)brewed coffee instead of water, and added coffee grounds at trace. If I added in an FO at trace would the coffee/lye solution and/or coffee grounds kill the FO's scent? Does that make any sense? I've never made a soap with coffee and have been...

I've seen bars of hot process soaps with polka dots. Instead of swirls they're decorated with dots. They're really cute. How on earth do you do that? Could it be melt and pour, molded in a long small pipe mold and placed in the mold while pouring the HP? That's the only way I can think of...

I just got an order from Columbus Foods/Soapers Choice. One of the oils I purchased was: Palm Oil - refined, bleached and deodorized On the label it said "melt and mix before using." Something like that, it's not infront of me at the moment. Why do I need to melt and mix this? What...

Hello! I am new to candle making and looking for people's suggestions and/or preferences as to what type of wax they use for what: for tarts, container candles, for pillar candles. While browsing wax for sale online, I've seen beeswax listed. Where does that come in for candles? Can you...

I made a bunch of soaps with this fabulous MP base, no sls, sles, or anything nasty. I've been storing them in a spare room of the house, uncovered and unwrapped. This soap base is fairly moist, so I was expecting them to dry up a bit, like my cold process ones and some other ones I made with a...

I must have been absent the day this was taught. :lol: Which digit do I round off? Say I need to use 8.36 of water, do I round off the 3 or 6? Say I need to use 2.238 of lye, again is it the 2, 3 or 8? What I do know is that if the number is 5 or higher round it off to the next...

Or if there's a problem, I just don't know. This is the recipe: 5oz coconut oil 10 oz olive pomace oil 5 oz palm kernal oil 1oz shea 3oz hemp 4oz lard 10 oz water 4oz lye I added Dark Tanning Oil FO, which smelled fabulous in the bottle, on the soap no smell at all. The oils were...

I think there may be a problem with my scale. Maybe it doesn't handle small amounts well? Here is what happens: I put the cup to measure oils on the scale, press tare, it reads 0, I start adding oil, say I need 8 ounces, it'll go to say 7.2 so I keep spooning coconut or liquid into the glass...

I have a tub of shortening, it's a thick, opaque, white sort of goop. Not crisco brand, its the store brand. Where would I find that or the equivalent on the list on soapcalc? There's no shortening there. I have no other use for this in my kitchen, I'd like to use it in some soap. What is...

Up late with lots of questions. In my attempts at cold process I've been using regular tap water. I remembered hearing somewhere to use distilled water. For those who do not have distilled water on hand, do you boil tap water and use that?

Where would I find different colors for soaps, like black or red? What natural ingredents can color soap? I think candula will color soap yellow, what else is there?

I forgot the name, but I got it on the last batch I made. I read that it's harmless and you can scrape it off, how could I scrape it off of soaps from intricate molds? How do I prevent it from forming in the first place? Thanks in advance.

The third time is not a charm as I was hoping it would be. My first try at making soap was hot process kit. I think it siezed or something, it was very lumpy and sort of waxy. Ewwghh. 2nd try I used coconut oil, olive and store brand vegetable shortening, the thick white stuff in the can...