Another batch of ZNSC complete

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My most recent 22oz oils batch of ZNSC in silicone cavity molds made 7/9 are still too soft for successful removal so I’ve only removed the “extras” bar & one other. Normally these bars, this recipe produces HARD bars super quick. This is 1st time I have ever had a soft ZNSC loaf or cavity. So I just double checked & ran recipe thru soapcalc again assuming I’d made a mistake along the way. Everything looks good. 🤔
I used a combination of two lavender FO & a lavender EO. I knew one of the FO to accelerate so left it at just a few grams. Still had THICK trace in a flash once the FO was added to batter & when pouring the last few it more plop & smooth time! They smell wonderful but Im just so surprised they are still a bit soft. Since they are a special request I’m not going to remove the remaining until much harder. I don’t want to muck up the flower design.
 
Still had THICK trace in a flash once the FO was added to batter & when pouring the last few it more plop & smooth time!
My guess is there wasn't enough time to stir to fully incorporate the fragrance.

TIPS: I would add the EOs & FO together and add them to the warm oils before adding the lye solution. If the batter seizes, it's best to walk away for 5 minutes to give the batch time to go into gel (what usually happens) then it's easier to stir and pour into your mold. :thumbs: ;)
 
My guess is there wasn't enough time to stir to fully incorporate the fragrance.

TIPS: I would add the EOs & FO together and add them to the warm oils before adding the lye solution.
Gr8 tip! 💜 I’d read & then forgot about that very useful nugget of advice! I did get just over 30 swirls “one thousand one, one thousand two” (me counting in my head after adding the FO 😂) with a whisk after adding the FO before I knew I absolutely had to start pouring. I’ll use the warm oil method for any naughty FO/EO in the future! 😊 Thanks.
 
Finally popped this lavender batch out off the silicone molds. As mentioned batter was THICK so they are by no means perfect. 😞 In a week or so Im going to “paint” leaves with a little sparkly purple mica, as requested.
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Thrilled with how dark the soap is after adding just a bit of activated charcoal to half the batter.
You should be thrilled. Well done!

I think it may be the faux sea water that causes natural colorants to fade. I'm wondering how well the color holds a month from now. 🤔
 
You should be thrilled. Well done!

I think it may be the faux sea water that causes natural colorants to fade. I'm wondering how well the color holds a month from now. 🤔
You may have figured out by now that I love to “test” soaps. Thanks to you & your words of wisdom in a thread somewhere, I now keep a bar from every single batch in a kind of “soap museum” so I can watch & smell (I’m a big SNIFFER) how time changes the bars. 🙏 😊
My brother has requested some grey soap with black bees (inside joke soap). So if the color does fade, then I’ve found the additive for his soaps, no Mica required.😍
 
I made whipped sugar soap for the 1st time ever using shreds of a ZNSC batch that was soft due to FO not getting fully incorporated. The recipe was from Abra Evans “Surfactant Free Whipped Soap”booklet that calls for shredded CP soap.
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Very Cool! How do you use whipped soap? I've never made it and don't really know how it is normally used. Is it for shaving (I guess I can envision shaving my legs with this) or as a body wash or something else in particular?
 
@earlene It could definitely be used as a shave soap. It’s nice and creamy. As mentioned, this was 1st time making a whipped soap. The main reason I decided to venture this direction was out of curiosity. My DD’s are not huge bar soap fans but they do like body wash & scrubs. The “whipped soap” was supposed be a whipped sugar scrub but it needs more sugar. That being said the pro for one child was that they could “pinch” off a desired amount of soap to use. The added glycerin does leave skin feeling soft. I am definitely going to play around with this a bit more. 🤩 Fun!
 
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