What soapy thing have you done today?

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Dawni made banana bread.......
View attachment 40300
Not very happy with this at all. I like it less than my previous soap. Good thing it will be good soap, even if it does look like bread :confused:
Here I am wondering why I'm unable to unmold after about 8hrs when I usually am able to much before that.... I realize I didn't add salt to this soap. Ha! My first lol
 
Here I am wondering why I'm unable to unmold after about 8hrs when I usually am able to much before that.... I realize I didn't add salt to this soap. Ha! My first lol

looks better than the neem soap I just made and probably smells better!! I wonder how long your soap will take to unmold with out the salt? how much salt do you add? you dissolve in the water before lye right? does it speed up trace?
 
Acceleration - Discoloration - Separation
Slight - Light Tan - Moderate

And these are the 3 things that would stop me from buying it from them.
But at least they do have it listed.
There are other Apple scents that behave better.

No soapy things this weekend :(
Never had any problems with any of those - a bit of discolouration but only slight and it still worked with the colourway:
fullsizeoutput_4f35.jpeg
 
looks better than the neem soap I just made and probably smells better!! I wonder how long your soap will take to unmold with out the salt? how much salt do you add? you dissolve in the water before lye right? does it speed up trace?
I unmolded this morning, a good 12hrs after the soap went in. The last soap I made used the exact same recipe, only the additives were different, and ambient temps coz it wasn't raining last time.

I'm convinced it's the salt (and a small extent, the weather) and this one is way softer than the previous soap, and most my others, even at this young age. My minimum is 3.5% salt dissolved in the lye water, but I've tried more, and I've also used brine as 20% of my total liquids. All turn out nice n hard, but the downside is rapid color fading. Didn't notice a difference in trace.

I'll wait a bit more to cut it..
 
Last edited:
I'll be soaping tomorrow! Deo gratias. I received an order today from "a fan" for 2 loaves: 1 Savon de Marseilles (type) Castile made with comfrey infused oil, scented with Tea Tree; 1 Grandma's Old Fashion Lye Soap. It's been a while...
happy-feet-penguin.gif


Any suggestions on French milled soap are most welcome!
Hiya Daisy! Good question! You'll get more responses if you post this as a separate topic. ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'll be soaping tomorrow! Deo gratias. I received an order today from "a fan" for 2 loaves: 1 Savon de Marseilles (type) Castile made with comfrey infused oil, scented with Tea Tree; 1 Grandma's Old Fashion Lye Soap. It's been a while...
View attachment 40315
Can't wait to see it :)

Cut the banana bread.... Still very soft. Here's hoping it hardens enough in time.
IMG_20190716_123226.jpg
 
Caught up on 8 pages of 'new posts'. New since I left home for this trip.

The trip has been quite eventful. First day out, I was caught in heavy storms in Missouri and ran over dead tire animals (names thus by my niece & nephew) as well as two-by-fours before I could even avoid them. Luckily my brand new tires were not damaged, as affirmed by my tire professionals.

Granddaughter and I traveled to our 2-day soap conference and made soap where she did the lye mixing herself for the first time ever. (Wearing safety glasses over her prescription glasses, face mask, gloves and apron.) She later told me that she really enjoys the chemistry side of it. Her chop stick swirl came out very nicely. She chose her own colorants and fragrance.

The next two days, we both took workshops and made soap, plus she made lotion in one of her workshops.

There were loads and loads of new and used items for purchase, from vendors as well as some de-stashes. I could not resist the call of a little-used 18-bar wooden soap mold by BrambleBerry (this one, but used) and a few other things, but that was the big purchase.

We have yet to photograph the soaps we made, but when done, I will include some photos. Not sure when that will be as we are bound for Hawaii in less than 2 days.
 
I made a cold process soap for my son-in-law's grubby hands -- supposed to be similar to Orange Goop? It had a wild orange tea as liquid, orange oil, and paprika for "scrubbiness". The tea was a beautiful cinnamon color, but when I added in the lye, it became a sort of muddy tan. Bummer. The paprika added some nice flecks of color -- in the end it looked just like pumpkin bread batter. We'll see how it looks when it comes out of the mold.

Ohhhh Pretty!

Me, Ive gone over to the dark side. Bar full of Packer fans right next door and I was asked to make some green and gold soap.. I caved.. Im still trying to wash the green off my hands. Vikings Forgive me. Skol!
That's a great Christmas idea for my Pack fans... make some Bears ones also and start a great family argument under the Christmas tree!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Made my third holiday soap - Peppermint Stick - and masterbatched 3lb or so of lye. I have some coffee grounds in my French press with distilled water brewing in my fridge right now, I will freeze that and make my coffee lye solution in the coming days for my coffee soap. I also mixed up some micas in oil for three more batches of soap I've drawn up sketches for. Exciting!!!
 
Caught up on 8 pages of 'new posts'. New since I left home for this trip.

The trip has been quite eventful. First day out, I was caught in heavy storms in Missouri and ran over dead tire animals (names thus by my niece & nephew) as well as two-by-fours before I could even avoid them. Luckily my brand new tires were not damaged, as affirmed by my tire professionals.

Granddaughter and I traveled to our 2-day soap conference and made soap where she did the lye mixing herself for the first time ever. (Wearing safety glasses over her prescription glasses, face mask, gloves and apron.) She later told me that she really enjoys the chemistry side of it. Her chop stick swirl came out very nicely. She chose her own colorants and fragrance.

The next two days, we both took workshops and made soap, plus she made lotion in one of her workshops.

There were loads and loads of new and used items for purchase, from vendors as well as some de-stashes. I could not resist the call of a little-used 18-bar wooden soap mold by BrambleBerry (this one, but used) and a few other things, but that was the big purchase.

We have yet to photograph the soaps we made, but when done, I will include some photos. Not sure when that will be as we are bound for Hawaii in less than 2 days.
Wow Earlene, it sounds like you are having some wonderful, high quality time with your granddaughter. She’s a lucky girl! I can’t wait to hear more about your trip to Hawaii. It’s such a beautiful place. I get to go there for conferences about once a decade.

Never had any problems with any of those - a bit of discolouration but only slight and it still worked with the colourway:
View attachment 40310
Nice! Seems like you just slipped this one in and I almost missed it. Is that pink mica?

Made my third holiday soap - Peppermint Stick - and masterbatched 3lb or so of lye. I have some coffee grounds in my French press with distilled water brewing in my fridge right now, I will freeze that and make my coffee lye solution in the coming days for my coffee soap. I also mixed up some micas in oil for three more batches of soap I've drawn up sketches for. Exciting!!!
Am I already behind on making holiday soaps? :beatinghead:

I unmolded this morning, a good 12hrs after the soap went in. The last soap I made used the exact same recipe, only the additives were different, and ambient temps coz it wasn't raining last time.

I'm convinced it's the salt (and a small extent, the weather) and this one is way softer than the previous soap, and most my others, even at this young age. My minimum is 3.5% salt dissolved in the lye water, but I've tried more, and I've also used brine as 20% of my total liquids. All turn out nice n hard, but the downside is rapid color fading. Didn't notice a difference in trace.

I'll wait a bit more to cut it..
And somewhere in my travels I read that someone else thinks salt helps with the natural colorants... do you think it causes them to fade more quickly? All of them?

I mixed up a new brew of madder powder. Details to be revealed when I figure out if and how I can use it. :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Earlene Sounds like you're having a grand time! How old is your granddaughter? Sure wish I learned how to make lotion at a young age. Woulda saved a bundle! Especially living here in Colorado with it's dry climate.
That's a great Christmas idea for my Pack fans... make some Bears ones also and start a great family argument under the Christmas tree!
:lol:
@Mobjack Bay And somewhere in my travels I read that someone else thinks salt helps with the natural colorants... do you think it causes them to fade more quickly?
I'm finding that salt causes natural colorants to fade... rather quickly. Haven't tried "all of them" LOL Not sure I will... or want to.
 
Last edited:
@Mobjack Bay I think it was sugar that helps with colorants, micas to be exact.... Salt seems to do the exact opposite. I've tried micas and natural colorants.... The micas became pastel shades (my test was a soleseife) and the colorants faded faster the more salt I used.

No soapy thing yet... But it's still early. Let's see.....
 
Speaking of Holiday soaps. I made 2
One was a Candy Cane but was so strong I added a bit of something else to calm it down. Then once cured think of a name. The Color didn't make it all the way down so Candy Cane is out lol.
Other I just need to figure out what it smells the most like so I can name it.
 
Woot! First time using glitter. How very exciting!
Fragrance is sugar plum:
View attachment 40340
Is this a bio glitter by any chance? Glitter will soon be banned in the UK as it is in the family of micro beads but I was wondering if bio glitter would just dissolve on top of soap batter?
 
I made soap today (finally!) using the Calendula-infused RBO I've had sitting on the window sill for 7 weeks. Otherwise nothing fancy but good to get something in the mould again!

How long has it been since your last soap?

Woot! First time using glitter. How very exciting!
Fragrance is sugar plum:
View attachment 40340

You WILL post inside pics right???
:goodbye1:

Speaking of Holiday soaps. I made 2
One was a Candy Cane but was so strong I added a bit of something else to calm it down. Then once cured think of a name. The Color didn't make it all the way down so Candy Cane is out lol.
Other I just need to figure out what it smells the most like so I can name it.

Anxious to see what it looks like!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top