What soapy thing have you done today?

[Johnez]

One trick I’ve used with molds is to “grease” them with a small amount of soap batter using a gloved hand prior to pouring the batter into the mold. It forms a much cleaner seal without the air bubbles. Has anyone else tried this?

Thanks! I'll give this a shot next time. I believe the bubbles in this case were amplified by some clumsy stick blending combined with waiting too long after I hit thin trace. I should have poured as soon as I hit it... Argh. I'll try your suggestion on my next attempt.

 

[Arimara]

I finally got around to making soap but I messed up my second batch royally.

 

[Vicki C]

I didn’t make this, but I could have! Love this

 

[Zing]

Well I've unmolded my Himalayan Rhubarb soap, and am somewhat disappointed. While the side exposed to air had colored up nicely (though nothing like Tree Marie's fantastic fuchsia), underneath has remained and underwhelming tannish color. I'm hoping everything evens out. Smells great though. I went easy on the rose FO as every time I opened the bottle it seemed to stick in my nose for hours afterward.

View attachment 62244

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That's a great pink in the first photo -- I hope it travels all the way through. But it still sounds like you've got some good smelling soap out of it, plus those molds are nice.
Also, am I going crazy or did you change your name?

I didn’t make this, but I could have! Love this View attachment 62247

LMAO!! These 2 photos define my every soaping batch!! It is so funny and on the mark. I inevitably get soap batter on my entire spatula and therefore my gloves and therefore everything I touch.
And I absolutely love the television show Nailed It -- I swear it could cure depression. When are we soapers going to get our own reality show?!

As for my soapy thang today, see the soap showcase thread.

 

[dibbles]

One trick I’ve used with molds is to “grease” them with a small amount of soap batter using a gloved hand prior to pouring the batter into the mold. It forms a much cleaner seal without the air bubbles. Has anyone else tried this?

I haven't tried this but I sure will! Thanks.

@Vicki C You just gave me the best laugh I've had in a long time! Thank you!

 

[Johnez]

I didn’t make this, but I could have! Love this View attachment 62247

This made my day!

That's a great pink in the first photo -- I hope it travels all the way through. But it still sounds like you've got some good smelling soap out of it, plus those molds are nice.
Also, am I going crazy or did you change your name?

You're crazy Zing. That's ok though, we're all a little nuts. Yeah I can't wait to check on it when I get home from work, looks like it has potential.

 

[Zing]

This made my day!


You're crazy Zing. That's ok though, we're all a little nuts. Yeah I can't wait to check on it when I get home from work, looks like it has potential.

#CovidBrain

 

[ResolvableOwl]

My soapy thing last night was that I eventually gathered the notes of all the batches of the last month or so, and assigned celestial constellation names to them. I've got two left . That means 86 batches of soap (= different recipes; not counting some very early attempts, in the times when I wasn't yet neurotically documenting everything). Not quite as much a round milestone as @Ugeauxgirl, but a good time to come up with a new naming scheme.

@Johnez
Ombré swirl for free!

@Ugeauxgirl
I've heard that neem allegedly works wonders to cover tea tree scent.

@Zing
Hah! You have exposed @Johnez as the alter ego of @TheGecko. Ohh, those telltale rose silicone moulds!

 

[TheGecko]

@Zing
Hah! You have exposed @Johnez as the alter ego of @TheGecko. Ohh, those telltale rose silicone moulds!

Hey now...don't be knocking those molds, they are very popular with my 'crafting weekend' crowd.

 

[Johnez]

My soapy thing last night was that I eventually gathered the notes of all the batches of the last month or so, and assigned celestial constellation names to them. I've got two left . That means 86 batches of soap (= different recipes; not counting some very early attempts, in the times when I wasn't yet neurotically documenting everything). Not quite as much a round milestone as @Ugeauxgirl, but a good time to come up with a new naming scheme.

@Johnez
Ombré swirl for free!

@Ugeauxgirl
I've heard that neem allegedly works wonders to cover tea tree scent.

@Zing
Hah! You have exposed @Johnez as the alter ego of @TheGecko. Ohh, those telltale rose silicone moulds!

LMAO. It was quite difficult finding an oval rose mold, I'm almost tempted to learn how to make molds as a result.

Interesting and original naming scheme BTW. I've yet to figure one out yet. Of course I've made things harder by clogging up my SMFcalc recipe database with recipes not made yet and "ideas." Time to clean house.

 

[violets2217]

I’ve been wanting to play around with my manual press and new bar press molds… so I made shampoo bars. Do I need shampoo bars? No! But it was fun, needed to try a new fragrance oil (blue chamomile) and they won’t go to waste… so why not?
I made some homemade vanilla yogurt and then whipped some shampoo bars up!

 

[Ugeauxgirl]

@ResolvableOwl a Neem and tea tree oil soap sounds repulsive!

I visited my mom today and she mentioned that she was going to "quilting camp" with her friends on Monday and said she wished she'd thought to ask me to bring her some soap to give them. So I'm packaging some bars I made a while back, scented with Fresh Bamboo from WSP. I'll run them to the post office in the morning.

 

[Johnez]

Purchased some sesame oil for future experiments. Had to stop myself from buying hemp and pumpkin oil, maybe when funds free up.

 

[Vicki C]

I made my first batch of syndet bars yesterday - it was an adventure! This was supposed to be a pourable recipe, but I couldn’t keep it hot enough to do anything but glop it into the mold. I seem to remember someone talking about making syndet bars via sous vide or boil in the bag method, maybe @KiwiMoose? Maybe @AliOop? In any case I mostly made a gigantic mess but I did like the way it performed.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I made my first batch of syndet bars yesterday - it was an adventure! This was supposed to be a pourable recipe, but I couldn’t keep it hot enough to do anything but glop it into the mold. I seem to remember someone talking about making syndet bars via sous vide or boil in the bag method, maybe @KiwiMoose? Maybe @AliOop? In any case I mostly made a gigantic mess but I did like the way it performed.

Wasn't me. But I do make pourable ones.

 

[Vicki C]

Wasn't me. But I do make pourable ones.

May I ask how you keep it hot enough to pour? I was using a glass measuring container and a microwave, but my soaping microwave is a stupid tiny one that I hate, so there were a million trips back and forth. I got it to the consistency of a thick gravy but as soon as I went to pour it would turn solid in the measuring cup spout. It didn’t match my vision in any case.

 

[TashaBird]

I’ve been wanting to play around with my manual press and new bar press molds… so I made shampoo bars. Do I need shampoo bars? No! But it was fun, needed to try a new fragrance oil (blue chamomile) and they won’t go to waste… so why not?
I made some homemade vanilla yogurt and then whipped some shampoo bars up!
View attachment 62277

Blue chamomile is one of my all time favorite EOs! May I ask where you got the FO?

Got to cash in my rewards for making a ton of reviews on Nurture Soap!

 

[AliOop]

I made my first batch of syndet bars yesterday - it was an adventure! This was supposed to be a pourable recipe, but I couldn’t keep it hot enough to do anything but glop it into the mold. I seem to remember someone talking about making syndet bars via sous vide or boil in the bag method, maybe @KiwiMoose? Maybe @AliOop? In any case I mostly made a gigantic mess but I did like the way it performed.

I remember DeeAnna talking about a sous-vide soap method - not sure it was shampoo bars, but that might be a fun thing to try. I also am on the hunt for a larger microwave for my soap room- which is at the opposite end from the kitchen where the microwave is located (which microwave is about 1” too short for my soaping pails).

 

[ResolvableOwl]

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/smf-april-2018-challenge-sous-vide-hp-soap-swirling.69725/

 

[AliOop]

Yup @ResolvableOwl thats the thread I was remembering. Thanks!

My soapy thing yesterday was doing a mountain of soapy dishes - including the M&P cleanup from making soap with one of the grandsons. He picked the molds, colors, and scents - and has been fondling the soaps many times daily since then. His parents may not be happy that I’m getting him hooked so young.