cmille3

It is frustrating. Unfortunately, from experience as a day care parent, I tend to ignore the spring fundraiser. They handed me my first fundraiser sheet when my DD was 8 weeks old. How rediculous is that? I was paying $800 a month and they wanted me to raise more money?

Please post a review after you get it and make you first batch! Pics are nice, too! Congratulations! Enjoy!!!

It would be more like a lotion stick if you left the beeswax out. I would guess it would melt a bit easier, too.

Is the lye good quality? I live within an hour of Saratoga Scents and am down to my last 6 cans of Red Devil.

Another vote for Columbus Foods! The small size (7#) sounds like a lot but once you get going, it's really not. You can also try MMS (www.thesage.com).

If he wasn't all the way across the country, I would soooo have one!!! But to ship coast to coast is painful.

Those are really nice!

Is it soy or the pesticides used on soy? I've seen the argument that soy isn't all people claim it is but since I don't have a problem, I ignored them. I do know people that are allergic to shea but not soy.

My feeling is that as long as you're getting the benefits of a nice, gentle goat's milk soap, the fragrance doesn't matter.

Is it possible you don't have 100% lye?

I've used a chocolate mold and a silicone ice cube tray to make bath bombs. I use a ziploc bag to hold my mixture to keep it from drying out while I work. Just don't put them in the oven...

Here you go from www.saltinstitute.org Solar Salt Production Solar salt is produced by the action of sun and wind on seawater ( 1 2 ) or natural brine in lakes; both temperature and salinity are important. The water evaporates in successive ponds until the brine is fully concentrated and salt crystallizes on the floor of the crystallizing ponds. Solar salt plants must be located in areas of low rainfall and high evaporation rates, and where suitable low-cost is available. In the Mediterranean, for example, saltworks succeed because evaporation exceeds rainfall by a factor of 3:1; that advantage is even greater in Australia where it can reach 15:1. Seawater contains about 3.5% (by weight) dissolved minerals. Sodium chloride is 77% of that amount, or about 2.7% of seawater. The other 0.8% consists chiefly of calcium, magnesium and sulfate ions. As seawater evaporates, its volume decreases and the concentration of sodium chloride in the resulting brine increases. Thus, saltworks generally extract as sodium chloride a bit over 2% of the weight of the influent seawater. This means that solar saltworks are often quite extensive in area. Often, the concentrating ponds will have distinct coloration, a pink or red, depending on the salt concentration and what species of plants and animals find it habitable. Salt crystals begin to form when the brine concentration reaches 25.8 % sodium chloride (NaCl). As evaporation proceeds, a layer of salt builds up on the earthen crystallizer floors to a thickness of 10 to 25 cm (4-10 in). Sometimes, a layer of salt remains in the crystallizers as "salt floors" to provide support for "harvesting" equipment and to lessen the chance of clay or soil contamination of the salt. A modern, properly operated solar salt plant can produce salt that is more than 99.7 % NaCl (dry basis). In the Dead Sea, salt producers have to contend with "salt mushrooms." After the salt "crop" reaches the appropriate thickness, the salt is harvested (usually once a year) with mobile equipment, washed, and placed on stockpile to drain. The principal impurities in solar salt are small amounts of calcium and magnesium sulfate, and magnesium chloride. Clean brine, made by dissolving fine salt, is used to wash the salt to remove small amounts of impurities such as these. Seawater can also be used, but salt losses increase due to dissolution. Depending on the intended use, solar salt may be crushed, screened and dried in kiln or fluidized-bed dryers. Because of its high purity and large crystal size, solar salt is widely used to regenerate water softeners.

Not to sound like a stalker, but I can't wait for your website to go live!!! I have lotion and bath tea that I'm using very sparingly right now! I love your stuff!!!

I thought of this board last night. At KMart, the solar salt was $3 for 40 lbs!

I have better luck when I can dry mine near an air conditioner. Even if it's not humid. Right now, it's cold and bone dry and last weekends batch marshmallowed on me. I'm going to try the warm oven this weekend...I'll let you know.

There's a section at the Scent Review Board that covers flavor oils. I don't use them myself so I can't help but here's the link: http://scentreviewboard.obisoap.ca/index.php

I had an experience with staticky lye early on that has left me forever cautious. I also worry about one of the kids or the cat finding a bead of lye. Here's my little trick: I make a newspaper "nest" under my baggie covered scale. I also keep dryer sheets next to my jug of vinegar. Cleanup is also much easier - I roll everything up in another newspaper and double bag it in plastic shopping bags before putting it into a garbage bag and bringing it outside.

As long as you added some water (I just pour a smidge in...there's probably a better measurement out there) at the beginning, you'll be fine. It takes a while for it to melt down.

Jen, I absolutely cannot think of monoi without thinking of you! You are the one that hooked me on it! I have the last little bit of your Tahitian Moondrops lotion sitting on my desk. I don't want to use it up!!

I know that www.thechemistrystore.com still sells on-line but you have to fill out the HazMat waiver. They're in SC.

Do you know anyone that works at a high school? I have some racks being built by a wood shop class as a "real life design" application.

Those are beautiful!! I'm so jealous!

I just did a 100% OO and I despise it!! DH is allergic to air, it seems. He was complaining about having "issues" with castor or coconut so I did the all OO. I HP'd it almost 2 weeks ago and it's still slimy soft.

WOW!!! OK, this is OT, but 2 HOURS??!!! I have 4 within 30 minutes of my house. The closest one is 5 minutes away. I am so sorry!!!

I'm in NY, too but we don't have AC (OK, we do have it but don't use it - NOT my choice). Once the bombs harden, I haven't had a problem. It's getting them there with no lumps, bumps, or warts.