Mitch23

I understand you explanation. That's what I was wanting, one that did more accurate than .1 oz, but didn't know if it was really needed. Can I ask where you got it?

Wow, I get busy with school for a week, and come back to this! Thanks everyone. I just got finished ordering bigger containers of Coconut, Olive, PKO, and actually got to get some Beef Tallow from Columbus Foods. Now I won't be so scared to try different recipes. I plan on trying several 1 pound batches, maybe not the one oil soaps, since most of what I have bought is hard oils. Side question... would a WalMart digi scale be close enough to do a 1# batch, or should I get one that is a better quality? From where?

Mostly I want my soap to last longer than a week, and be moisturizing. I don't really mind terribly if its not super bubbly, but would hope to get some. Don't get me wrong, super bubbly would be amazing, but it's not a big focus for me. Mostly looking for it to last first...

I thought 15% coconut was the recommended amount. It may be 20. I had used 15 in my first recipe, and it came out softer than this one. Anyways, for this one, I measured that particular one for what I had left at the time. (And as a side note, I know most people use less oils, but I felt like being complicated at the time. I find measuring everything out fun, crazy I know. I'm sure later on I'll cut the number down...)

Sorry, I guess that would have helped. I can't find the paper with my first recipe, but here is the second one (which is a little better than the first): Mac. Nut - 15% Olive - 15% S. Almond - 10% Avocado Oil - 5% Castor - 3% Evening Primrose - 2% Great Value Shortening - 18% Palm Kernel - 15% Coconut - 12% Shea Butter - 5% Hardness-38, Cleansing-18, Conditioning-53, Bubbly-21, Creamy-23, Iodine-60, INS-143; Lauric-13, Myristic-5, Palmitic-14, Stearic-6, Ricinoleic-3, Oleic-42, Linoleic-8, Linolenic-1

I've been playing around with the soap calc for the last month or so, putting in the different oils/butters I have on hand, and playing with percentages. I'm having some problems with high iodine numbers, and low INS. I can not figure out if I'm trying the wrong percentages of oils, or just the wrong oils. Do any of you find that any particular oils lower or raise either of these numbers. I know they are just guidelines, but I've made two batches of cphp in the last month or so, and I just don't like them. The bars are really soft and only last maybe a week, if that. The oils I have are: Sweet Almond, Apricot Kernel, Macadamia Nut, Evening Primrose, Shea butter, Palm Kernel, Crisco (the new one), Great Value Shortening, Grapeseed, Walnut (haven't used), and the usual ones from the grocery store (Olive, Canola, etc.) I also have some Stearic Acid, but haven't read anything about how to use it in soap, so haven't used it yet. Mitch T.

Hi. I was here a while back, and made a couple of batches of soap that everyone in my neighborhood is still raving about. I have recently gotten the urge to try some more. I have forgotten alot of the minor details, so have been reading for the last few days everything I could find. Got the oils I could find locally, and ordered a few I wanted, but couldn't find around here. I was also lucky enough to find the same brand of lye talked about on the Millersoap site. I dug around some and found my old post with the recipe I used, and am going to try to tweak it a bit because I felt it was too slimy, which I believe was from high Olive oil. (Am I right about this?) Anyways, I was wondering if anyone could or would give me any advice about this recipe: Olive 12.5% Avocado 25% Castor 12.5% Walmart Shortening 25% Coconut 25% Water 18.24 ozs. Lye 6.73 ozs. I ran it through soap calc, and their numbers look pretty good to me, but I know that doesn't necessarily mean it's good. I'd appreciate it if anyone could steer me away from any oil if it's not good. Thanks. Mitch

Thanks everyone! I still can't believe that happened. And the fact it happened on more than one! I don't know whether I want to actually bathe with them, or frame them, hehee... I know the scraps feel really good! Need to find me a cheap mold so I can try a rebatch with the scraps now... Ahh, can't shut up so it must be time for bed... Mitch

I just have to share... I got one of those cheap mandolin(e?) slicers after I read that they help when trimming soap up. Well, yesterday while hubs and the neighbor were cooking we got to talking about my soap... when can I have a bar? Not until I trim it up. Well, whatcha waiting for? The time. No better time than right now, huh? ya know... Well, as I was trimming this is how most of the bars came out... bet I'll never be able to do it again! Scented Bamboo Sugar Cane... [ATTACH]6411[/ATTACH] I'm just so amazed!!! Had to share with someone who would understand my reason for thinking it was so cool! Mitch

Thanks. I'm not marketing it, just gifting it, but only as Homemade bath soap. finally fought the printer long enough to squeeze out enough labels (just 2), which I have the ingrdeients listed, so it's going to HAVE to be ok... Me thinks this would be another good time to use my own soap. Got so much inkk on my fingers, so I could REALLY put it to the test. hehee Mitch

Sorry to ask this so late in the week, but my youngest has decided she wants to give her teacher a bar of soap from the batch I made the day before Easter. (She mentioned to her that I made some soap and the teacher said that she loves home made soaps... go figure!) Two questions: 1. Did the tongue test, no zap. But will it still be cured enough to give? They are fairly hard, but I am honestly not sure what else to check for. 2. I'm working on making a cute label for it. Do I need to list the ingredients? I'd think so, but hope I can take the easy way out here... Thanks for any help. I swear one of these days I'll come here to answer questions instead of just asking them. Mitch

I was digging through a box on my desk, and came across a small bottle of body spray I picked up a looonnng time ago. Wonderful scent, and it has glitter in it (the whole reason I still have it. Quit spraying because it clogged up.) It seems like in some of my reading a while back I came across an ultra fine glitter or maybe it was mica, that could be used in sprays. I think my two girls would absolutely adore something like that... Thanks so much for letting me bug ya once again... Mitch

MMS has the silver metal lids, and a decent selection of bottles. Look on the containers page. http://www.the-sage.com Mitch

That is one that I'm patiently waiting on, too! hehee Mitch

What makes bath bombs crumble? I'm kinda leaning towards thinking that maybe I'm not packing tight enough (using some kinda shallow candy molds), or maybe not getting them moist enough (scared to use too much WH for fear of starting the reaction). Would either one of these be the problem? I'm going by a recipe I found on here, but cut in half. Off the top of my head, it's: 1/2 cup baking soda 1/4 c CA 1/4 c Epsom 1/4 c cornstarch 1 tbls oil (AKO first batch, SAO this one) coloring (using Wilton cake color) fo (about 5-10 drops) Witch Hazel (used enough to get it wet) (and I added about a tablespoon of Sodium Laurel Sulfoacetate? Don't have the jar right in front of me) The batch I made yesterday is a little harder than my first batch, which crumbles from just picking it up. Would it work better in a bigger batch? Don't really think so, but doesn't hurt to ask. Any thoughts? Mitch