What soapy thing have you done today?

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After a little soap mishap, I thought I would give some planet soap a try. I didn’t want a black base, so went for a sunny yellow swirl instead. These are showing the surface from the bottom of the mold. They were supposed to be the same width, but are quite off. I guess that’s what I get for cutting soap before the second cup of coffee. I totally missed Valentine’s Day, but have plenty of time to make soap for Earth Day.

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Yeah, I just don't get it either! I had never heard of lotion bars until my rock-climbing sons started raving about this wonder product that they buy from REI at $11 a pop! I dupe it for my sons but it requires 100 ingredients and I much prefer making the 3 ingredient bars. In December I started getting requests to buy my lotion bars so I looked around at prices. They're expensive on Etsy! The local soaper sells his soaps for $5 (rounds) and his 3-ingredient lotion bars for $7 -- little ones using a popular bee mold. And inexpensive ingredients -- shea, olive oil, beeswax -- not even jojoba or meadowfoam seed oil (oh meadowfoam seed oil!) Wicky wicky what? I know the labor, hours, and ingredients that go into making CP soap -- and lotion bars pale in comparison! I need to do a cost per gram analysis for my soaps and lotions.

Just a tip from a veteran climbing balm maker/climber: callouses are extremely important to climbers; they protect the hands from sharp rock and allow us to climb longer and better. Thus, if you're making lotion bars/balm for climbers, you need to make sure the oils you use are the kind that don't sink in to the skin (or at least, absorb minimally). Oils that are highly absorbed by the skin will destroy callouses. For example, shea butter is a known callous-killer. Try to find oils that sit on top of the skin and form a barrier. Your climbers will thank you!
 
Just a tip from a veteran climbing balm maker/climber: callouses are extremely important to climbers; they protect the hands from sharp rock and allow us to climb longer and better. Thus, if you're making lotion bars/balm for climbers, you need to make sure the oils you use are the kind that don't sink in to the skin (or at least, absorb minimally). Oils that are highly absorbed by the skin will destroy callouses. For example, shea butter is a known callous-killer. Try to find oils that sit on top of the skin and form a barrier. Your climbers will thank you!
Have you used the ClimbOn balm? It’s mostly beeswax and a liquid oil, perhaps at about 50/50. The reviews I’ve read describe it as quite hard, not softening or lotion like.
 
Just a tip from a veteran climbing balm maker/climber: callouses are extremely important to climbers; they protect the hands from sharp rock and allow us to climb longer and better. Thus, if you're making lotion bars/balm for climbers, you need to make sure the oils you use are the kind that don't sink in to the skin (or at least, absorb minimally). Oils that are highly absorbed by the skin will destroy callouses. For example, shea butter is a known callous-killer. Try to find oils that sit on top of the skin and form a barrier. Your climbers will thank you!
You sound like my rock-climbing sons! :) I did a lot of experimenting to duplicate ClimbOn -- mine's called ClamberUp. It's beesax, apricot oil, grapeseed oil, wheatgerm oil plus essential oils. My oldest will not touch my other lotion bars, only ClamberUp.
Have you used the ClimbOn balm? It’s mostly beeswax and a liquid oil, perhaps at about 50/50. The reviews I’ve read describe it as quite hard, not softening or lotion like.
 
Have you used the ClimbOn balm? It’s mostly beeswax and a liquid oil, perhaps at about 50/50. The reviews I’ve read describe it as quite hard, not softening or lotion like.

Yes, I’ve used pretty much every climbing balm out there. ClimbOn is not my favorite, they went overboard with the slippery soft oils. GiddyBalm is by far the best I’ve used (other than my own of course haha!)

You sound like my rock-climbing sons! :) I did a lot of experimenting to duplicate ClimbOn -- mine's called ClamberUp. It's beesax, apricot oil, grapeseed oil, wheatgerm oil plus essential oils. My oldest will not touch my other lotion bars, only ClamberUp.

Sounds great— I use cocoa butter (nice and comedogenic), beeswax, apricot oil, wheat germ oil, coconut oil, and arrowroot (to cut the greasiness).
 
I needed some organization in my life. So I decided to tackle one thing at a time to make it more tolerable. Which turned out to be not such an organized day LOL.

I started out by cleaning my truck and putting some air in the tires. I found a couple of coffee travel mugs that I have been wondering where they've been lol. So I brought them in and cleaned them. Then I packed up some soap molds and cutters that I won't be needing until after I move.

Planed and beveled a bunch of soap that need to be packaged and labeled, in an effort to get my soap room organized.

Then I found Jesus. Tell me you see it lol
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Today was Day 2 of my 2 day soap project but I had to toss all of Day 1, so Day 2 was Plan B. Note to self,: ignore any more urges for 5 colored soap!! I ended up using every dish and utensil. Mrs. Zing saved the day with her cake-frosting skills. I got a kick out of her because I found her pouring leftovers into individual molds and using a chopstick to swirl. Just warmed my heart. The loaf is CPOPing in the oven overnight.
I needed some organization in my life.

Then I found Jesus. Tell me you see it lol
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PRAISE BE!! I found Jesus, too! [I don't want to come off too flippant -- I just celebrated the birthday of this man I have incredible respect for.] And @Catscankim, please feel free to organize my space anytime.
 
I'm making rice soap! The lye solution got fairly warm with the rice water in there I must say @Dawni
Kiwi I add'ed rice milk to my soap today' not much cause it was the first time using it' Ive read a post sometime back of you two discussing rice liquid in soap so thought i'd give it a go. I wassnt sure if I add'ed it to the oils or lye water? I chose adding it to the oil SB then add'ed the lye' The consistency was thicker' but I also added Kaolin Clay too so the two could of been a factor. Soap seams to be doing good' it gelled quickly & cooling down now.

I needed some organization in my life. So I decided to tackle one thing at a time to make it more tolerable. Which turned out to be not such an organized day LOL.

I started out by cleaning my truck and putting some air in the tires. I found a couple of coffee travel mugs that I have been wondering where they've been lol. So I brought them in and cleaned them. Then I packed up some soap molds and cutters that I won't be needing until after I move.

Planed and beveled a bunch of soap that need to be packaged and labeled, in an effort to get my soap room organized.

Then I found Jesus. Tell me you see it lol
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Thats so awesome 🤗💫🧼

My friend works at a real estate agency and they want soaps for new home owners welcome packages. YAY ME!! I wrapped and labeled and dropped off 24 bars for them tonight. They wanted 20 bars, I made a deal and sold 24.

I stopped by a store tonight that bought a bunch of soap from me to sell. I was just checking in. The owner was like "how many did I buy from you" lol. I'm like 24. He said that's all I have left and pointed...handful of soaps. Maybe 6 left. Bongs, pipes, and my soap on the same shelf LOL They are all xmasy smells left. So I told him that if they don't sell by next week I can switch them out for him. I need to keep this guy. All the beachy smells sold, But not the Christmas smells. He wants more to sell, cause now he is making $3 per bar of soap with his mark up.

An antique store bought a bunch for selling, plus I sold A LOT for christmas.

Not a bad problem to have...but I am down to 19 bars of "ready" soap. Who knew I would have this problem LOL.

My soapy thing today is mass production LOL. Now I am almost out of lye, and my order doesn't come in till tuesday. I thought the Christmas buying frenzy was over and I got worried that it was all short-lived sales. But I still have customers, and repeat customers that want more. One girl bought a bunch from me for xmas gifts and now her giftees are calling me for more. And the real estate agency was a big winner for me today.

Oh, and I have all those soaps that I didn't know what to do with...all good soap, just either too small or ugly. I talked to a girl tonight that works for an assisted living facility. She's gonna take my box...I dunno, maybe 50 bars. She's gonna sell them for a dollar or two at her facility, and I told her I would give her half of the money of what she sells. I was going to donate them, but if they still go to a good cause, why not. I was going to give them away anyway.

Seriously, this all happened this week LOL. My new soapy thing is researching and learning master batching.
Thats Wonderful 💫🧼💞

I’ve been making a few Valentine’s themed soaps. This one is scented with Aphrodisiac from NGView attachment 52827
Beautiful 🤗🧼💫
 
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