I'm new in this forum-- and relatively new to soapmaking. TONS yet to learn!
I much prefer doing things naturally/organically. And, as we have some wonderful goats, I prefer to make most of my soaps using our does' milk.
I'm trying to get some basics under my belt as far as coloring my soaps.
I've gotten some red sandalwood powder and, not knowing any better, have tried to infuse this in olive oil, as I've done with organic annatto seed (putting the olive oil in a jar and heating it, double-boiler style, to app. 150F, keeping it there for app. 1/2 hour, and allowing it to sit for several hours). As of yesterday, I've got probably about a cup-and-a-half of slightly reddish-colored olive oil with a lot of powder ("dregs"??) sitting at the bottom. I can stir this up, and the oil then looks the deep red I'm desiring for the next batch of soap I want to make. But, of course, it doesn't stay that way.
My mentor has been quite sick-- she's thankfully starting to get better now. But she's now told me that infusion won't work with the sandalwood powder.
As I don't want to bother her further right now, I'd like to ask you here two things. First, what can I possibly do with this oil and sandalwood powder right now? Also, I do still have some powder left-- and I've found that it looks like I should use app. 1 tsp of this per pound of soap added at light trace. Have you found this works for your soap making? Being a "newbie" in this, I must ask as well-- what exactly is "light trace"?
Thank you so much in advance!
- Cathy
I much prefer doing things naturally/organically. And, as we have some wonderful goats, I prefer to make most of my soaps using our does' milk.
I'm trying to get some basics under my belt as far as coloring my soaps.
I've gotten some red sandalwood powder and, not knowing any better, have tried to infuse this in olive oil, as I've done with organic annatto seed (putting the olive oil in a jar and heating it, double-boiler style, to app. 150F, keeping it there for app. 1/2 hour, and allowing it to sit for several hours). As of yesterday, I've got probably about a cup-and-a-half of slightly reddish-colored olive oil with a lot of powder ("dregs"??) sitting at the bottom. I can stir this up, and the oil then looks the deep red I'm desiring for the next batch of soap I want to make. But, of course, it doesn't stay that way.
My mentor has been quite sick-- she's thankfully starting to get better now. But she's now told me that infusion won't work with the sandalwood powder.
As I don't want to bother her further right now, I'd like to ask you here two things. First, what can I possibly do with this oil and sandalwood powder right now? Also, I do still have some powder left-- and I've found that it looks like I should use app. 1 tsp of this per pound of soap added at light trace. Have you found this works for your soap making? Being a "newbie" in this, I must ask as well-- what exactly is "light trace"?
Thank you so much in advance!
- Cathy