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

I don't know if it'd work or not, but what about one of those cajun injector thingies, maybe without the metal tip. Not sure if you know what they look like, but they are basically some HUGE syringes... Well, I say huge, but they are about 4-5" long and right at (maybe a little less than) an inch across. If you'd want to give it a try, shoot me a pm with your address and I'll send you one. Pretty sure I've got one that hasn't been used yet. Mitch

just tried a very simple trimming on the tops, and it looks better. Still have a long way to go, though... Mitch

Well, it turned out nothing like I had hoped it would. Hubs keeps asking if it'll still be safe to use, to which I can only say 'Dunno!'. I'm not going to give up on coloring, just try to find something better. Now for the questions of the day... What happened and why? What do I have to change or do next time? In this batch I used chromium oxide green and Rustic Gold Metallic Pearl Mica both from Coastal Scents. Could it be that their micas aren't cp safe? Or is this just what all micas do? I'm thinking if somehow I could maybe take the top layer off it'd look lots better, because I can still see some of the darker gold in there... Ahhh, well, at least I finally gave something back even though it IS a 'Don't Do This...' hehee Mitch

I just got finished with my first colored batch, and I'm hoping it comes out ok. I'm really worried about one spot. I have no idea how I did that. At least I get to go color easter eggs to keep me busy from peeking in on it! What do yall think? Look ok for a first? Mitch

Thanks so much... for the help, AND for being so wonderfully quick!!! Love ya! Mitch

I thought I had seen this somewhere on here before, but must be blind or looking in the wrong place... My neighbors' GF asked me to make a pie for her son's GF, which I did, no prob. While packing it up, I realized I have no gel warning labels, although I could print some up really quick, but I do have some that are for soy. Do I need to have anything special on them, or can I just follow the basics on the ones I have? Do I even really need one on there? I know this girl, and she has seen them before and said it was 'too cute to burn', but I'm thinking I still need one somewhere? on there. Bottom of tin or bottom of box? Thanks in advance for any help... Mitch

Sorry to butt in here, but Robin, I think the after looks better then the before! Brenda, yours looks absolutely yummy!!! Oh, the hopes I have of one day making one bar that looks half as good as the ones I've seen here... Mitch

OK, I got my next (second) batch of soap all planned out. I ordered all the oils I'm going to need and got them in today. My mold is going to be here Monday. YAY!!! Now that I have all this stuff sitting in front of me, I've got all of these questions swimming around in my head. I thought I had gotten oil disp. titanium dioxide, but it's water. How I got that wrong in my head I have no idea. But I had the whole process planned out in my head, and now I can't figure out how to fix this. I'm actually thinking of just throwing it out and finding the 'right' kind. The way I had planned is to mix lye/water, put on top of fridge. Melt oils, pull some to mix the color in. Mix the oils/water. Pull a few cups, color blue. Add white to the main part. mold, then ATTEMPT a swirl like thing (saying it like that cause I KNOW it won't happen). Hmmm, would it work to just mix it up in a little bit of extra water and mix that in after I take out what will be blue? Or would that put too much water? Also, I got a small bottle of Awapuhi Seaberry fo from MMS with my oils. The site said .25-.35 oz of fo ppo. Really? Hope this one does ok... didn't read anything about it either way. OK, I think I've bugged yall enough for now, so I'll go play with the pond for a while... maybe pull some more grass out of the ground. Thanks for any help. Mitch

Thanks, everyone. I decided to go with the one you posted, Kaybee. I really want to learn how to swirl, and have read many places that a slab mold is better for that. I told hubs that in a couple of months, I do plan on getting the other one, too. Now I just have to play the waiting game... man this soaping stuff sure is teaching me patience! hehee Mitch

this mold? To me it looks awesome, but what do I know... hehee. A little pricey, but if it works it should be worth it. I could stand to use quite a few days without lunch, too! http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-18-BAR-6-LOAF-Soap-Slicer-Cutter-Mold-Blade_W0QQitemZ8249906693QQcategoryZ28116QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem Mitch