What soapy thing have you done today?

[DeeAnna]

I can't stand listening to the news media -- they're all blithering about the snowstorm that is supposed to hit most of my state of Iowa (north-central part of the USA) this coming Tuesday. The current forecast is for 8-12" of snow to drop on my part of the state. It might only be 1-3" of snow instead, but we never know until it's over.

The Iowa political party caucuses (caucusi?) are scheduled for Tuesday evening, so the political machine is an a frothing mad tizzy about how the bad weather is going to help or hurt Donald, Ted, Hilary, Bernie, and all the rest. Ugh, ugh, ugh....

Think I'll have an intelligent conversation with my soap pot tonight rather than listen to the mindless blather on TV. I am interested to try an 78% lard, 15% CO, 5% castor, 2% stearic recipe that I created as a riff on Irish Lass' coco-shea LS recipe. I'm curious to see how a recipe similar to what I would typically make as a bar soap works when made as a liquid soap -- how does it look, clean, and lather? Letcha know how this conversation goes!

 

[paillo]

"Oh man I'm out of lemongrass, and all I have is this stuff I got from WF med before I figured out they're awful. Well maybe this oil of theirs isn't terrible and it was just the peppermint"

One five second burst later I had literal soap on a stick(blender)

Oh man, sorry to hear this, lemongrass is usually so well-behaved. I've had no problems, been pleased with, and no industrial stinkage from their Lavender 40/20 (though hated the French lavender), Rosemary, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree. Plan to reorder the Lav 40/20 soon. Have used up a few others that were fine for me, but can't remember what they were.

Anyone else have specific WF med EOs that have been good/bad?

ETA: I should also mention that's a big reason I use a wire whisk instead of stick blender. I'm prone to experimenting, and in recent memory EOs that seize almost immediately without the most delicate whisking: White thyme, one of my all-time faves, rose geranium (SMR cut with carrier oil) and spices.

 

[BlackDog]

I can't stand listening to the news media -- they're all blithering about the snowstorm that is supposed to hit most of my state of Iowa (north-central part of the USA) this coming Tuesday. The current forecast is for 8-12" of snow to drop on my part of the state. It might only be 1-3" of snow instead, but we never know until it's over.

The Iowa political party caucuses (caucusi?) are scheduled for Tuesday evening, so the political machine is an a frothing mad tizzy about how the bad weather is going to help or hurt Donald, Ted, Hilary, Bernie, and all the rest. Ugh, ugh, ugh....

Think I'll have an intelligent conversation with my soap pot tonight rather than listen to the mindless blather on TV.

Monday! I'll be at the check-in desk in my township but I feel your pain, I'm ready for it to be over! I was out for dinner in Dubuque tonight and volunteers for four different campaigns came in for dinner, sporting their buttons and stickers.

I wish I could soap through it, as I will probably be out of school at least a day this week. Alas, I'm out of lye! The horror!

 

[DeeAnna]

My stepson has been doing door-to-door canvassing and will be working at his local caucus too. So I have a pretty good idea what you're up to, BlackDog! DS is tired of the whole thing too, even thought he's a very political animal. It just drags on so long is the problem -- everyone gets beat down and tired.

If you're near Dubuque, you're all but next door to me -- I live about 1/2 hour east of Decorah.

My liquid soap paste is at trace and gently saponifying in a closed container on the kitchen counter. We had a quiet, non-political evening together.

 

[Saponomancer]

Oh man, sorry to hear this, lemongrass is usually so well-behaved. I've had no problems, been pleased with, and no industrial stinkage from their Lavender 40/20 (though hated the French lavender), Rosemary, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree. Plan to reorder the Lav 40/20 soon. Have used up a few others that were fine for me, but can't remember what they were.

Anyone else have specific WF med EOs that have been good/bad?

ETA: I should also mention that's a big reason I use a wire whisk instead of stick blender. I'm prone to experimenting, and in recent memory EOs that seize almost immediately without the most delicate whisking: White thyme, one of my all-time faves, rose geranium (SMR cut with carrier oil) and spices.

I've never had lemongrass seize on me before, it was really startling, I've pretty much been disappointed with them enough I wont do business with them anymore, their eucalyptus is okay and I haven't had any trouble with the orange 5x or the lavender, but the peppermint stinks of solvent and all the soap I put it in has gone off- not just spots, the whole bar yellows and smells rancid, the lemongrass seized, and the patchouli and frankincense & myrrh EOs had barely any scent at all

I work with the clove and cinnamon EOs (not from them) all the time, so I'm used to acceleration and working around it, but this was literally complete solidification in the time it took to take a breath.

 

[snappyllama]

I made a couple of batches of CP.

Rosemary EO as a request for a friend. He sent me the EO so I hope he likes it. To me, it's like a herbal assault that makes me want chicken. I was going to do a spin swirl (this was before I saw the challenge posted), but it sped up. I hope he likes a faux funnel with a chopstick dragged through it.

WSP Apple Mango Tango in a loaf mold using that technique where you use a squirt bottle to build up alternating dots of color. I forgot why I never use squirt bottles... So much waste and I'm dreading washing them. Neat effect though.

 

[gigisiguenza]

I daydreamed about making soap... does that count?

 

[Saponomancer]

Knocked out two batches with my favorite blends tonight, CPOP is a lovely thing that lets me marathon my soap making

 

[shunt2011]

Beveled 400 plus bars of soap. Now all cleaned up and back on the curing racks. Didn't get to make soap this weekend though.

 

[amd]

I filed taxes this weekend. Kind of counts as a soapy thing as I learned all the things I was doing wrong. It made my sister the CPA cry but we got it all straightened out in the end and I learned what to do for 2016. This week I plan to do masterbatching for oils, tackling the Feb soap challenge, shipping out valentine orders, and finish the book I'm reading. I'm probably over stretching myself...

 

[Arimara]

I'm not sure this counts but I showed my sister two experimental soaps I made yesterday. I also shaved slivers of them to try over the few weeks but I may be following fuzzy logic.

 

[paillo]

Made a batch each of lemongrass/litsea and lavender/clary sage, both soleseife. So far very pretty, CPOPing in the oven

 

[handavaka]

I made more shampoo bars today, along with restocking my Beer Soap and a pretty little Love Spell Layered soap as shown

 

[Soapsense]

Love the Gecko!

 

[MySoapyHeart]

1) Smelled the new fragrance I got from Natures Garden - Green Irish. Smells sooo fresh, I really like it! Do NOT need a lot of this one in my soaps, propably enough with 0.5oz ppo on this one, but will have to test it first.

2) Got my fairtrade Soapstamps from Etsy - I friggin` love them, sooo cute!!! (pictures coming)

 

[kchaystack]

1) Smelled the new fragrance I got from Natures Garden - Green Irish. Smells sooo fresh, I really like it! Do NOT need a lot of this one in my soaps, propably enough with 0.5oz ppo on this one, but will have to test it first.

This is the new name for their Green Irish Tweed dupe (men's cologne from Creed). It is amazing, soaps really well (no acceleration or discoloration), and sticks like crazy. I like it a bit stronger than .5 (but I like strong scents). Everyone I have given this scent to has LOVED it!. I have looked at getting some of the real deal - but it is REALLY expensive.

It is just as good in lotions, btw.

 

[handavaka]

Love the Gecko!

Thank you!

 

[MySoapyHeart]

This is the new name for their Green Irish Tweed dupe (men's cologne from Creed). It is amazing, soaps really well (no acceleration or discoloration), and sticks like crazy. I like it a bit stronger than .5 (but I like strong scents). Everyone I have given this scent to has LOVED it!. I have looked at getting some of the real deal - but it is REALLY expensive.

It is just as good in lotions, btw.

Thank you so much for that info about it, and also good to know it is not an accelerator!
It`s always that creepy feeling of uh-oh, what is happening now when adding a fragrance you haven`t tried before:mrgreen:
Also really happy to hear that is sticks well!! I am not fond of those scents that just mellow out and *pft* disapears after a coupple of months, seems such a waste. My friends and family (hubby included) seems to drool more over soaps that they feel smell really good, as in sthe scent stays put in the soaps. Lemongrass/Lavender is a big hit. The soaps can perform really well etc, but the scent seems to play a huge role too, so trying to focus on purchasing stronger scents so I get more out of them since shipping is so high. I can`t order very often because of it.

 

[kchaystack]

Thank you so much for that info about it, and also good to know it is not an accelerator!
It`s always that creepy feeling of uh-oh, what is happening now when adding a fragrance you haven`t tried before:mrgreen:
Also really happy to hear that is sticks well!! I am not fond of those scents that just mellow out and *pft* disapears after a coupple of months, seems such a waste. My friends and family (hubby included) seems to drool more over soaps that they feel smell really good, as in sthe scent stays put in the soaps. Lemongrass/Lavender is a big hit. The soaps can perform really well etc, but the scent seems to play a huge role too, so trying to focus on purchasing stronger scents so I get more out of them since shipping is so high. I can`t order very often because of it.

You are welcome. Perfect Man from Nature's Garden is also great. Plays well, sticks, and is strong.

Also Bonsai from Soapaloosa. http://soapalooza.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=804 it is an evergreen, clean scent - really amazing. And I even use it at about 3% it is so strong.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

You are welcome. Perfect Man from Nature's Garden is also great. Plays well, sticks, and is strong.

Also Bonsai from Soapaloosa. http://soapalooza.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=804 it is an evergreen, clean scent - really amazing. And I even use it at about 3% it is so strong.

Perfect Man, hmmm, sounds good, I checked it out, I liked the notes in there *adds to wishlist*.
Soapalosa had really high shipping unfortunately, a small bottle of that Bonsai became around $50. But it had some interesting notes in there too, that I know I like. Citrus, Cedarwood and slight floral sounds great!

Sorry if this is asking to much, but you don`t happen to know a fragranceoil that is a dupe, or at least reminds of Obsession fragrance from Calvin Clein, and have a flashpoint of 200?
My husband, big brother AND my brother in law just love that scent, and use it as aftershave and/or Edt. Would be so much fun to give them soaps that smells like that.
I did find one at NG - it`s called "Obsessed", but wouldn`t you know, the flashpoint was below 200, so I couldn`t order it (so close though, it was 190...)