sudsnwicks

CareBear, do you only make jar candles or do you make molded ones as well? I find that jar candles are easier to make when it is warmer, for the reason you just mentioned. But for molded candles, they are easier to make when it is cooler, as they are much easier to unmold then.

I've been superfatting mine at 5%. I tried a higher superfat at first and didn't like the outcome, though by now I can't remember why.

I forgot to mention that sometimes I use them to scent my laundry. Just a few drops in the final rinse cycle will make the clothes come out smelling nice.

I always use mine right away! I either use them for votives or I'll make a batch of soap.

I get mine from the grocery store as I don't need a lot. It is the Armour brand and it is sold in either 1 lb bricks or 4 lb buckets. The price per pound is the same either way, and I've found the 1 lb bricks more convenient to use. At the store here it sits next to the tortillas.

I put them in jars which I got from www.bayousome.com. They are for my own use. The opening is 58 mm.

It sounds like you did do the right thing, based on your description of it (creamy, not scratchy, etc).

TexasBrat, you can wash your whole body with it (I do that) but you may find it helpful using a netted sponge as it improves the lather which will have a lotion-like quality rather than the bubbles you get from non-salt bars. Honestly, I don't feel it does much improvement but then I wasn't having any problems to begin with. It did make a difference, however, when I gave it to friends who did have some problems, such as acne or eczema. They reported back to me that it helped clear them up. For those friends, I made an unscented, uncolored bar as I didn't want to have anything in it which might aggravate their problem.

From what I understand, the purpose of those plastic inserts is to help prevent leakage and to keep the lid clean (at least until the person starts using it). If what's in the jar is solid enough not to leak, and it isn't important to you if the product touches the lid, then the lid itself should suffice.

Brenda, I doubt a double walled jar could prevent mold or rancidity. It is more for helping the contents not to melt if the room gets warmer in the summer. It is just a little extra protection and not a whole lot.

For you, the benefit of single wall is you'll have more color/shape choices, while the double wall may offer slightly more protection (insulation) against outside temperature changes. For the consumer, a double walled jar will look bigger - some people just go by size instead of reading the volume/weight on the label.

I think this is where you can contact them: http://cms.komen.org/stellent/contacts.aspx

TexasBrat, here's a thread which might help: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54778&highlight=salt+bar+mold+size

I've never added sugar, so all I can think of would be to use more coconut oil or maybe add some castor oil.

Your new site looks lovely, Sabrina. Wow, you must have put in a lot of work on it, as it looks completely different from your old site. Best of luck with it!

Ooh... I want to see

What about a coffee scent? To help wake up in the morning.

Are you referring to this board? http://www.wahm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=308325&PN=1

Thanks Kathy! I had gotten the same email last night. Was wondering if I should respond. Now I know not to bother.

I haven't ventured into socks yet (can only go in straight lines for now) but would love to see pictures of yours.

Vio, I can understand your frustration. I too have used soap savers for as long as I remember. But I have been to others' homes where I see a bar of soap sitting directly on the bathroom/kitchen sink counter. When people tell me "it melts too fast" my response is always "have you been keeping it dry between uses?". Better yet, you could advise them to do that when you give them the soap, instead of waiting for them to make the mistake. You'd think people would figure it out for themselves when they see it melting in a pool of water, but sometimes they don't.

Yes that sounds right, unfortunately. Jars are just heavy to ship. I went to the usps site and did an estimate for a 15 lb package (what 14 jars + boxing for me would weigh) and got a similar quote. They do have the flat rate box for $37 (you can use the same one as for domestic) but you wouldn't be able to fit 14 jars into it. On the bright side, with their favorable exchange rate, it may not seem as expensive to them as it does to you.

If you are not that far from Stuttgart, the shipping shouldn't be too much either, if you don't want to go there to pick it up. It might be worthwhile contacting them for a shipping quote just to see what the total cost is. Just in case olive oil prices get too high, then you'd have a backup option in place.

If you are near enough to Riceland in Stuttgart, you could drive there and pick it up. Then it'd be somewhat local. They have better prices than the small quantities sold in health food stores.

Bethany, I think you are right. I misread the question. Well if it's shelf life, it would depend on what oils are used as some are more prone to rancidity than others. I have bars from 2 years ago which are still fine, but others developed DOS after a while. So, it would be best if you could set aside a bar or two from each recipe and let them sit around for a year or more to monitor how they do. Because if you're selling, you never know how long the customer is going to let the soap sit around before using it, and if they come back later to say there's something wrong with it, at least you wouldn't be taken by surprise if you've been testing this out for yourself.