My First FO!

[TeaLeavesandTweed]

I soaped today with the NG Fresh Cut Roses FO I bought last week. I used my 80% lard, 20% CO recipe that I used for my first batch since I know both that the batch behaves itself and that the soap itself is nice to use.

The only other change I made was to use aloe vera juice in place of the distilled water and I colored it with a bit of rose clay dispersed in aloe juice. I also made sure to let the temperature of the lye water and oils come down to below 120F before mixing. Then, I SBed to emulsion, added the dispersed clay, and SBed to thin trace. Finally, I hand-stirred the FO in, making sure to get it all mixed in, and then poured into oval silicone molds.

I have to say, I was fearing the worst, since it's a floral FO, but the soap batter was thin and lovely and if I'd wanted to, I could have done some swirls. And now my soaping room smells like roses! I'm not insulating it because I used a bit too much rose clay and I want to keep the bars as pale as possible.

So yeah, FO achievement unlocked. Next level: mica swirls.

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm glad it worked out for you! I have had similar results with this FO -- it has been very nicely behaved. I thought it smelled a little odd in the soap right at first, but as the soap cured, the fragrance settled down to a nice, fresh rose scent with a hint of garden green-ness. Even my husband likes to shower with it.

Would love to see a cut photo!

 

[lsg]

Congratulations. Just a suggestion, you might read the descriptions and reviews to find out if an FO behaves well in CP soap. It can save a lot of frustration.

 

[TeaLeavesandTweed]

Congratulations. Just a suggestion, you might read the descriptions and reviews to find out if an FO behaves well in CP soap. It can save a lot of frustration.

I actually did read the description and the reviews. NG said there was no acceleration in their tests, but some of the reviews said they got acceleration, so I decided to prepare for the worst.