What soapy thing have you done today?

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My first soap batch using colour!
Looks a bit like an ultrasound-y, but overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. That said, I ended up overmixing the trace a bit and was so anxious about getting it all into the mold I entirely forgot to add any scent. lol

Oh well, next time!

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Supercool! Great tops. Is that charcoal?
 
Mine are on their way!! They are so cute for samples.
I am also pureeing up a bag full of overripe avocados with some fruit fresh, I was given at market yesterday, so I will freeze the puree and use it for soap.
I actually have done a complete 180 about these molds now that I used them. I am debating about whether to order more to make soaps to give as gifts. They are pretty darn cute after all!
 
Mine are on their way!! They are so cute for samples.
I am also pureeing up a bag full of overripe avocados with some fruit fresh, I was given at market yesterday, so I will freeze the puree and use it for soap.
I really thought you might end up liking them. They are so darn cute. The only problem with them the darn molds are a tad pricey for only 4 little cavities and being sold on Aliexpress. Still, I had to break down and order a couple.
 
Bought Jackie Thompson's Liquid Soapmaking book and reading voraciously before I try this again. My first batch is not quite what I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to my next attempt armed with all this info.
 
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Here’s my first cold process soap. And the close up pic below it is to show what Anne George’s indigo powder looked like at the top of the pic as compared with the activated charcoal at the bottom of the pic.

My original post:
“I’m about to try my first cold process soap, and I’m really nervous about the process. I love hot process. Also, I’ve only ever used essential oils, but I’m taken back by the cost. So I’m trying the pull through method today in PVC pipes using an EO blend with two fragrance oils as well.
My question—will I still get a blue hue using Anne George’s indigo powder 1 tsp mixed in 1 tbsp oil just before adding to that portion of my batter, or do you find the blue hues only come out when from a heated (or long) oil infusion?”

I’m editing my post because I realized it might be impossible to answer my question. The types of oils I used, or EO/FOs, or whether or not I gelled the soap could all affect the color of the batter, and therefore the resulting color of any added colorants. I’ll find out from my own experiments! I was sooo excited to try Anne George’s indigo—it had just arrived in the mail.
 
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Bought Jackie Thompson's Liquid Soapmaking book and reading voraciously before I try this again. My first batch is not quite what I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to my next attempt armed with all this info.
My favorite liquid soapmaking book by far (and I have a few!) is from UltimateHPSoap.com. She only sells e-books and has one for liquid soap, HP, and CP. But the nice thing is that unlike many e-books, you can also print out a hard copy of it. I prefer having a real book in my hand.

Most importantly, she explains the science of making liquid soap, and offers a shorter method - that works!! - in addition to the traditional longer method. Highly recommend!
 
Bought Jackie Thompson's Liquid Soapmaking book and reading voraciously before I try this again. My first batch is not quite what I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to my next attempt armed with all this info.
it's a great book and very well written. I've used the methods in her book several times and they all turn out beautifully (I do tweak the oils sometimes though)
 
Today I rendered 4 kilos of Ostrich fat. Next week I will be making tiny batches of soap with it to give to the Ostrich farmer. I have no idea what the soap will be like but an interesting project :) Goat's milk and Ostrich oil maybe?
Please post the results when you can! I love hearing about new and unique ingredients. Even if I never get to try them, it's just fascinating!
 
I’m seeing a bunch of nice soaps ^^ up there! Inspiring, as always.

I’ve made a couple of soaps this week for Valentines Day. I know it’s a bit late for a good cure, so I used a recipe that will make a nice enough soap at the 4-5 week mark. I will be sending the soap to my sisters and sharing with a few other people I’ve learned are cp soap lovers. These soaps were my first opportunity to use the new Trial by Fire red mica sample I acquired during Nuture’s recent mica sale. Although I often dump mica directly into my batter, I pre-mixed this color with oil. Its a good thing I did because it took a little extra mixing to completely homogenize the color. I will post the two soaps tomorrow.

Next up, I can’t wait to make some spring soaps with oxides and the natural colorants that have held up well for me over the last 6 months. In anticipation, I’ve managed to accumulate a pretty good selection of “sticking” EOs to use in this series. I’m also looking forward to *trying* to make pastel soaps with micas. My first attempts were not entirely successful due to color shifts. By middle to late March I will be making small soaps for the guests at my son’s wedding in June. My fascination with making soap doesn’t seem to be subsiding, but at least I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not rushing the soap out of the mold!

@KiwiMoose I had to look up Niaouli! I know it as Melaleuca. I will be interested to hear what you think of it in soap.

@Kari Howie I am really sorry to hear about your bout of arthritis. It sounds very painful. I hope you can figure out a way to soap from a stool or find another arrangement that works. I miss seeing your pretty soaps!
 
Hello soapy friends! I still haven't done anything soapy lately (other than using my soap :)). I'm finally all moved in my new house, although it will take me months to unpack the last 10% of my things LOL. I am still up to eyeballs in soap that I made over the summer so I am exercising restraint and holding off of making more for a time (and until my bank account recovers from all the spending that goes along with a new home.) Just popped in to say hello.
 
Hello soapy friends! I still haven't done anything soapy lately (other than using my soap :)). I'm finally all moved in my new house, although it will take me months to unpack the last 10% of my things LOL. I am still up to eyeballs in soap that I made over the summer so I am exercising restraint and holding off of making more for a time (and until my bank account recovers from all the spending that goes along with a new home.) Just popped in to say hello.
Congratulations on the unpacking! It’s nice to hear from you. Shouldn’t you make some celebratory soap to mark the move to the new house?
 
Getting waaay behind on soap making... Sigh

I am putting together an order though, which includes the last 2pcs of my holiday stock. Yey! These were reserved last month but the lady wanted to pick it up personally and only now got the time. She's also my first customer for my balms - new product for the beginning of the year - so I'm making small batch while the lil guy naps
 
I've done nothing, absolutely nothing. Haven't even looked at recipes, no interest, no joy. Some kind of dreadful soaping ennui has set in. I think of EO blends to put in a shaving soap and my lip curls contemptuously. "Bah", I think, "won't smell good enough". I scroll through Amazon, looking at moulds and cutters, and think "why, why?". This is a bad existential soaping crisis. The ironic thing is that I tried one of my HP shaving soaps a la Silver Fox and it's fantastic.

Just a passing phase, surely. I'll soon be up to my elbows in lye and oils....

Had a quick scan of this thread to see if that way I could get over my appalling soaping/spiritual crisis, and I bumped into the heated debate about the relative merits of "reprimanding" new members.

@KiwiMoose uses a lovely quote in her profile and I just had to find out who it came from. It wasn't Plato, it was most likely a chap called the Rev. John Watson, whose words were "Be kind. Everyone you meet is carrying a heavy burden". Whatever the wording, the sentiment is fantastic because it gets to the heart of the matter. It also ties in with a lot of Buddhist thought on such issues. I just thought it would be worth bearing in mind when deciding whether a new member (I find the term "newbie" verges on the insulting at times) deserves to be reprimanded, castigated or informed, or whatever. We're all carrying our own very heavy rucksacks...

I'll say no more because this sort of thing makes me very stroppy and I'm on the verge of contradicting what I've just said.

I'm on a roll! :D

Shave soap in a cup! Just poured - and will go out to testers once cured.
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I want, must and shall have one! Me, me, me!

Looks great! And how did the process go? Did it all trace OK?
 
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This is not a soapy thing but it is within the parameters of this forum as a whole. AND I know this is a candle thing, but as an experiment and I don't intend to explore candle making as I have been soap, However last night I tried to make my first "emergency only" candles out of recycled candle wax. I used a toilet paper roller with duct tape on the bottom and the duct tape didn't hold. I poured the melted wax into the "makeshift" mold and the hot wax made the glue on the tape get hot and release. I had the foresight to put this mold in a little plastic bowl in case this were to happen.
 
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