Ok, I give in

[Jestheshipe]

I’m breaking my lurker status to join in this wonderful community/site. Hundreds of questions have been answered just by my lurking.
I got started about 3 months ago by a wild hair to make my own lotion, although I’ve made bathbombs for years. Everything has snowballed to a kitchen of supplies/toys. I’ve managed to formulate a few decent lotions, a beloved sugar scrub, and now have about 9 batches of C.P. soap curing. Those still have 5 weeks before I can test them. First one I made should be fine since it was RoyaltySoaps run through a few lye calculators. The second was mine, and run through a few soap calculators, too. / fingers crossed
I’m looking forward to contributing and hopefully not adding too many newbie issues. ( granted, I did just zap test a new soap AND learned very fast not to do that /facepalm)

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Jesthehipe!


IrishLass

 

[Relle]

Welcome Jesthehipe .

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and welcome!

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum. Better get in some storage racks. Your B&B adventures have just begun.

 

[earlene]

Welcome to the Forum, Jestheshipe. I am curious about your user name.

 

[Jestheshipe]

Welcome to the Forum, Jestheshipe. I am curious about your user name.

It’s an old joke from my high school friends many moons ago. Plural of sheep is “shipe”. I’m Jessica, made of many sheep. Stuck with the screen name because I can remember it, lol.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

( granted, I did just zap test a new soap AND learned very fast not to do that /facepalm)

Good thinking! Here's what Kenna of Modern Soapmaking says about newbies using the ZAP test:

https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/how-to-ph-test-handmade-soap
An extremely common recommendation I found as a method of checking the soap pH is to touch a bar of soap to your tongue. If touching the bar of soap to your tongue zaps similar to touching your tongue to a battery, it indicates a soap is lye heavy. Obviously, this doesn’t actually indicate the pH level of a soap, it simply indicates the presence of free alkali.

I know plenty of soapmakers who use this method in their process, and while I won’t argue its efficiency or efficacy, I will argue it’s safety. If a new soapmaker comes across this advice and has not yet familiarized themselves with the appearance of lye heavy soap, tongue testing could result in serious injury.

 

[Jestheshipe]

Good thinking! Here's what Kenna of Modern Soapmaking says about newbies using the ZAP test:

Fantastic article! Thank you. It also looks like the site is another resource I can study like there’s a test at the end on my journey.

And just because I feel so silly, I knew not to zap test. I knew I was being dumb. I knew it was going to hurt. It was like the red burner on a stove when I was little. I had to touch it to prove it was hot. Same with the soap, lol.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

And just because I feel so silly, I knew not to zap test..

For me, the ZAP test is just another tool in the soaper's tool box and I have used it a few times over the years. Where I do have a problem is when Newbies think they need to do that every time they make soap and when they aren't smart enough to wet the soap, get a little on a gloved finger and touch it lightly to the side of the tongue, not on the top where the most sensitive taste buds are. YIKES!

 

[Relle]

It’s an old joke from my high school friends many moons ago. Plural of sheep is “shipe”. I’m Jessica, made of many sheep. Stuck with the screen name because I can remember it, lol.

Is that the joke, that the plural of sheep is shipe ? because the plural of sheep is sheep.

 

[RusticSoaper]

When I started soaping one of the books I read said to try a zap test and I had seen that on other websites as well. I was never brave enough to try it. Since I have a background in science I decided to make my own pH indicator using red cabbage. It has never let me down! And, by the way, I completely understand the "Hmm.. wonder what will happen if I touch it?" mentality lol