blandfarm

You might try setting the jug in a sink of hot water before attempting to pour. It should help the oil to flow a little quicker.

Here is the recipe that i use. I found it at candle cauldron website. (want to make sure due credit is given to author) I reduced the sunflower oil to 2 Tbsp. because one of my customers stated it was too oily for her skin. I dont seive it, i mix my dry ingredients in a food processor. (when i gently sieved it, the corn starch went airborne. the result was I became instantly grey-headed and a mess on my table). ****************************************************** Bath Bombs Dry Ingredients: 1 C baking soda, 1/2 C citric acid, 1/2 C corn starch. Sieve dry ingredients til you get smooth. Wet Ingredients: 2 1/2 T oil (I like sunflower or soybean oil), 3/4 T water, 2 tsp body safe fragrance oil, body safe coloring, 1/4 tsp borax. Combine wet and borax in a jar and shake. Drizzle onto dry ingredients and blend. I get right in and mix with my hands using disposible gloves. Pack tightly into molds and slide out. Dry overnight and package. I use the pull apart clear plastic ball molds (from Michaels) for mine. A hint on filling is to fill as full as you can get (packing as tight as you can). I then tap on the back lightly with the end of a table knife and this seems to loosen the bomb and make it come out easier. Once inawhile I break one while unmolding, but I simply repack and start over. I have tried a lot of bath bomb recipes and this is my favorite. JanL

SLSA? Help out this newbie. I dont recognize that abbreviation. If you could tell me what that means. I am not sure of the abbreviation, but I have a vivid enough imagination of the described kitchen scene! Terri

THANKS to everyone for the input. Gotta go check out the links! Thanks, terri

DITTO to the previous replies. The only thing i would add would be this (if someone said this, sorry). Get a large bottle of vinegar for any room that the lye may be in. If by some chance, you accidentally get lye on you. IMMEDIATELY rinse it with the vinegar. Whenever you are working with lye, keep the bottle out and the lid off. I also keep the water running, just in case. You cannot be careful enough with lye!!!!!! The vinegar will nuetralize the reaction that occurs between lye and whatever it contacts. Simple chemistry. Lye is alkaline. Vinegar is acidic. They balance each other. One thing that i have found to make mixing the lye easier is a fan. I mix the lye on a counter between an open window and a gently blowing fan. This helps to keep the fumes from rising up into my face. I might consider investing in a padlock to place on the outside of area where you will be keeping the lye. Also, when you are working with the lye, put any animals outside. My little weiner dog is as curious as they come.A few weeks ago, while working with some lye, i turned around to find him under my feet. Praise God I did not drop it on either one of us. HTH< terri

What does everyone out there use to color their CP soap that holds fairly true to its color? I have been using Reddig dye chips melted in just a tad of coconut oil, added just after trace and FO. Some colors seem to hold better than others. Heck, I have even tried crayons. ANY suggestions would be sooo greatly appreciated. thanks, terri

I have been experimenting with this very issue this past week. For me, i seem to get a truer color if i add the color in just after i add the FO. If i add before trace, some of the colors do not hold true. HTH< terri

I have been using gel food coloring like cake decorators use. Buy it at walmart (or any hobby store) in the craft section. Works pretty good. I buy the wilton brand. I have been mixing in with the ingredients as i mix in the wet ingredients, but i think this next batch i am going to mix it in with the water before it goes into the dry. HTH, terri

In the last week, I have lost three batches of soap. It turns out like an incredibly thick firm pudding. It has a very slight film of oil. I noticed that it does not seem to be getting as warm during the saponification. (I just chalked it up to the 40- 60 degree days.) Using 40 oz veg oil, 4 oz. coconut oil, 4 oz. beeswax., 7 ounces lye, 12 ounces water. (All by weight) same old recipe, new lye. Nothing else new, except the cooler weather. At this point, I am attempting to save one batch by leaving it in a barely warm oven for a while. Any suggestions? Thanks, terri