salt, chocolate soap, pringles can and cp/hp.

[cynsofdm]

Lots of questions....

I'm really interested in making a salt bar. I am really afraid of anything with sugar in it, as I like baths and fear the yeastie beastie will have a blast with a sugar soap. But the salt bar recipes that I've seen still have sugar, as well as bath bombs. Anyone know of salt soap or fizzy bath bombs without sugar recipes?

I recently made some cocoa soap, as in I made a soap and colored it with cocoa powder. I was apparently a bit over enthusiastic with my heaping tablespoons, and I ended up with a batch of soap that turns EVERYTHING brown. I was thinking of chopping or shredding this and mixing it with some white soap, do ya'll think that will solve my problem or is this a batch I just need to live with turning my bath water into hot cocoa?

I've heard lots of folks rave about the Pringles can mold, and it seems a really awesome idea, but I've not tried it because Pringles can's smell they aren't really washable and I really don't want to end up with pringles scented soaps. Does the soap kill the Pringles smell?

Finally, for some reason i can't seem to manage CP soap. I have botched almost every batch I've ever tried to make. So mostly I just make CPHP. But there is just something so elegant about the kind of swirls and smooth satiny bars that CP can make. Mostly I seem to make soap that dislikes the trace stage. I have either ended up with False trace and an oily gooy mess, or it goes from thin and watery to very thick custard on it's way to applesauce or lumpy mashed potatoes before I can even blink. Any advice? Commiserations?

Thanks!

 

[Maria]

If you continue to HP, trace doesn't really matter. Sometimes I walk away to answer the phone and come back to a very thick mixture. The heat takes of it.
I had the same problems with cold process. Now I use a digital scanner to measure the temp of both the lye and oils right before mixing and immediately after adding together. The temperature starts to climb a little at first. Then it drops down. Right before trace it starts to go up again. That is when I add the fragrance and whatever else and can get it in the mold before it turns to something not pourable. A thermometer will do the same thing.

 

[honor435]

Lots of questions....

I'm really interested in making a salt bar. I am really afraid of anything with sugar in it, as I like baths and fear the yeastie beastie will have a blast with a sugar soap. But the salt bar recipes that I've seen still have sugar, as well as bath bombs. Anyone know of salt soap or fizzy bath bombs without sugar recipes?

I recently made some cocoa soap, as in I made a soap and colored it with cocoa powder. I was apparently a bit over enthusiastic with my heaping tablespoons, and I ended up with a batch of soap that turns EVERYTHING brown. I was thinking of chopping or shredding this and mixing it with some white soap, do ya'll think that will solve my problem or is this a batch I just need to live with turning my bath water into hot cocoa?

I've heard lots of folks rave about the Pringles can mold, and it seems a really awesome idea, but I've not tried it because Pringles can's smell they aren't really washable and I really don't want to end up with pringles scented soaps. Does the soap kill the Pringles smell?

Finally, for some reason i can't seem to manage CP soap. I have botched almost every batch I've ever tried to make. So mostly I just make CPHP. But there is just something so elegant about the kind of swirls and smooth satiny bars that CP can make. Mostly I seem to make soap that dislikes the trace stage. I have either ended up with False trace and an oily gooy mess, or it goes from thin and watery to very thick custard on it's way to applesauce or lumpy mashed potatoes before I can even blink. Any advice? Commiserations?

Thanks!

I messed up my first batch of cp, but now check temp on oils and lye mixture and it works ,they both have to be between 90-110, when the stick blender is lifted and the mixture leaves "trails" its at trace, then add color and frag.
I made hp in crock tonight, put in pringles container, i'll let ya know if it comes out of there ! I washed and it didnt smell like chips.

 

[cynsofdm]

yes the temp is probably my problem with CP I rarely monitor it, probably because I am so used to HP thanks for the advice.

Also I'd love to know about the pringles can, thanks. And I know what Trace looks like... it's just that I either get false trace or it goes from trace to the next stage SOOOOOO fast I can't get it into a mold before... it would have been better just to keep going and HP it. again it's probably a temp thing.

 

[honor435]

yes the temp is probably my problem with CP I rarely monitor it, probably because I am so used to HP thanks for the advice.

Also I'd love to know about the pringles can, thanks. And I know what Trace looks like... it's just that I either get false trace or it goes from trace to the next stage SOOOOOO fast I can't get it into a mold before... it would have been better just to keep going and HP it. again it's probably a temp thing.

I dont know what false trace is, i always get a thicker mixture after stick blending.
The pringles can was not so good, i did hp, but i had to cut it off it didnt slide out! But saved the soap.

 

[opalgirl]

pringles can

I used a pringles can once and it was a nighmare. The bottom totally busted out and poured soap all over my counter. Uggh. Won't do it again. I switched to PVC pipe. I'm just not crazy about round soap though. I don't like holding it in the shower. I never feel like I have a good grip on it. It does look really cool though. Just my 2 cents.
Opalgirl

 

[carebear]

1. I've never seen a salt bar recipe with sugar in it. So I'm thinking maybe we're talking about two different things? My salt bar is 100% coconut oil with about 0.8 pounds of salt per pound of oil.

(nor have I seen sugar in a bath bomb recipe. Bath bombs are general baking soda + citric acid perhaps with some clay or cornstarch but generally not)

2. Shredding and then "diluting" your brown soap MIGHT work - can't tell till you do it really. You could make a white batch and mix in just a FEW shreds for impact maybe.

3. I've made soap in a Pringles can. Don't recall any scent issues. Be sure to wipe it our really well with a damp cloth and then let it dry. Do it twice if you wish.

4. CP - watch your temps - you will want to be between 90 and 110 degrees probably. And watch your recipe, some will trace faster than others - try to keep your had oils below 60% for now. And no beeswax - that'll screw up a new soaper. Actually you need to get to know your oils and how they perform. Palm accelerates trace a bit, lard and olive are very slow...

 

[unmouton]

I can't answer the other questions, but the pringles can I can help you with. I do wash it out, I squirt a little liquid soap in it and use a scrub brush to get in it. Then I rinse it til there is no soap left and shove a small dry rag to the bottom of it to dry it out. I try to avoid getting the outside cardboard part wet, and inevitably it gets a few splashes anyways but it dries just fine.

Then I roll up freezer paper, drop it into the can, and it expands out. I also spray the very bottom of the can with pam. Be prepared to tear off the pringles can with some scissors and tearing, though, because sometimes it just won't release the soap!