donna4909

Home for the Holidays... :lipsrseal A lot of people here like it, but I think it's disgusting. I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I just used a tiny amount, but even at .25 oz per pound, it still gives me a headache.

Candlewic is pretty cheap on the white pastilles. You can get 5 lbs. for $20.

I'm considering doing some lotion bars and solid perfumes, and would like your opinions. Which do you prefer, white or yellow beeswax, and why?

I semi-attempted this. I have no clue what the flash point is for alcohol, and this is CPOP, so I was a bit uneasy to try it. After it had been in the oven for an hour at 175 degrees, I turned the oven off, and gave it a little spritz. It had just gotten thick, and there was no ash when I sprayed it, but maybe I need to spray it more often as it cools? Oh, and here's the ash. You can't see it when the flash is on.

My watermelon CP. I tried to do some little swirlies on top to add texture. This batch got ash too. I've tried covering with a towel & with saran wrap, and neither is working.

About which scents that work with unrefined shea: http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10000 http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8353 http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6413 Oils By Nature has natural shea for $5 a pound. I've found that's pretty much the standard "low" price. And it gets cheaper if you buy more. http://www.oilsbynature.com/products/shea-butter-natural.htm

It depends on what your looking for. If you want the nutrients and can work with the smell, use unrefined. Unrefined shea is much better for your skin, but it also has a distinct odor. You can't really cover up the smell, so you have to find scents that work "with" the smell. The reason refined is used in high end products is probably because there is no smell. I think refined shea is mostly used for label value, since it's lost most of it's nutrients and goodies.

I've never seen that system of grading, but I know of one supplier that has grades listed for their shea. Oils By Nature has cosmetic grade, lotion grade, natural, virgin, and filtered shea butters. Oh, and natural shea is better for your skin. It has a lot more nutrients than the refined stuff.

For smaller orders, they're about the same as everyone else. It's the big orders from WSP that'll kill ya with the shipping...

Exactly, how the heck are you supposed to know how the scent performs?! Sure, it might smell okay, but if you can't "try" it in your wax or soap, what's the point?

http://www.candlesupplys.us/

I love your swirls! I always get antsy when I see your posts, because you show them in the mold first, and then I'm just dying to see what they look like when cut. *lol* Very nice! Too bad the pink didn't stay though... I'm a sucker for pink.

*adds to bookmarks* When I line mine, the soap always leaks out, so I'll have to try this method.

Hmm... we don't have a Michaels. :rolleyes2 Maybe I'll check Hobby Lobby. What section would they be in?

I've looked through the supplier list and the best prices I can find are: Mica: $4.00 an ounce 2 oz natural lotion bar tubes: $0.60 each Are there any other cheaper lotion bar containers? 1 oz. would be fine too.

It's colored with red liquid B&B colorant. I think I used 5 drops, and this was a 16 oz. batch.

I used citric acid instead of the vinegar. I was worried about the smell of vinegar. I think I'm a bit allergic to germall plus though... I rubbed some of the lotion on my arm, and it felt kinda weird. After about 10 minutes I had some light itchiness & more tingling, nothing major, but I noticed it. I let my boyfriend & sister test it, and it was perfectly fine on them. No itching or tingling. I've used all these ingredients on my skin before, except for the germall plus, so I'm guessing that's what it is. Finally made lotion, and can't even use it.

My test batches of bath milk and bath salts still smell fine, and they've been in these bags for about a month.

OOH = Olive Oil & Honey

Finally made my first lotion. I made it from the OOH recipe on the Soap Dish. It's scented Pink Sugar. Here it is in the pot cooling down: And in bottles:

Ooh, I love those! Very nice!

How stiff is this stuff? Could it be put into a bottle? I hate the thought of having jars in my shower. I'd like to get an emulsified sugar scrub into malibu bottles, but I don't even know if that is even possible.

The best capacity I could find at a reasonable price was 550 grams, but I'm a cheapie. Here's one for $45. It can weigh about 32 ounces (2 lbs), and will read to .1g http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=50 And here's one for $100. It can weigh about 42 ounces and will read to .1g http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=35

I never actually got around to putting them in lip balm, but from sniffing, my opinions: Orange juicy - Wonderful! It smells exactly like a fresh orange. Merry strawberry - sweet, but more of a candy strawberry smell. Since I don't really like a straight strawberry scent, I think it's perfect. Green apple, cotton candy, & grape - these have a bit of a medicine-y smell to them. That may go away after you put them in some base though. Buttercream - delightful! It smells exactly like a cake with frosting. Quite yummy! This was my favorite. Pear - excellent! Very crisp and clean, though it smells a little bit like the apple, but no medicine smell.

Wow, those blues are gorgeous! Excellent job!