Kris10Tackles

I’m assuming it was separating but it looked like it was melting right before my very eyes and I could see the oil moving in the mold. The only thing I did differently, or have been doing differently is adding citric acid. Some batches work and then others are a complete fail.
 

I just made another batch without the citric acid to try out one of the Scent Memory fragrances I picked up. Soaped perfectly. I think it’s time to abandon the citric acid experiment. 

Everything was going fairly well. This bath took a little while to get to the a thick trace but I eventually got there. As I was cleaning up and checking on things I noticed my soap looked like it was melting in the mold! This photo was about 30-45min after I poured it.

Oh man I really need to log in more often! I’m so excited about all of these new developments! Lol when can I order 🤣?!

I have’t been on in so long and wow what have I missed… custom FO’s?! 🤯 Gala Nights, Dusted Sheets, and maybe Up Close (vanilla gives me pause lol) sound like my jam.

On 4/16/2023 at 4:54 PM, TallTayl said:

It could be as simple as a bar soap that has been diluted into lots of water.

 

what type of wool are you washing? Raw fleece for spinning? Wool clothing?

That’s what I was wondering but didn’t know if that was actually a thing. It would be for my wool sweaters… because of course that is also one of my other hobbies. 

10 minutes ago, olivebaneweb said:

Just make sure to take the necessary safety precautions when working with lye!

Lol yes, I’m familiar with lye (both kinds) and have been making soap for about a year and half. Still learning but very familiar with the safety requirements.

I’m back with a new question! As I was doing some wool washing, I noticed my bottle of wool wash was getting low and I happened to look at the ingredients. I stopped in my tacks when I read Sodium Hydroxide. All of other ingredients are normal soaping oils and so with the addition of lye how is it liquid and can I figure out how to make a batch for myself?

ingredients: coconut oil, palm kernel oil, mountain spring water, usp lanolin, sodium hydroxide, castor oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil,  hemp seed oil, essential oils.

It’s funny we were just talking about this. One of the beauty companies I order from included this in my box, advertising their newest candle scent. 

8 minutes ago, asr said:

Her voice is so soothing I just enjoy watching her channel. 

It is!

1 minute ago, asr said:

How are you using it? I have been adding a tablespoon of powdered to my warm oils but I want to try canned too.

I froze it and used it in place of water. Don’t cringe, but it was I nspired by Holly’s Soapmaking on you tube.

13 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Believe it or not, some people complained about getting free samples.

Oh I believe it! There are also those who complain the sample isn’t big enough! I still remember being at farmers market with people who would sample almost half a jar of jam and say, “it’s okay.” Or those who say, “your 8oz jar is too big because I don’t go through jam that fast and I’d like a smaller sized jar.” It’s been almost 10 years and I still remember those people. 🤪. What they didn’t understand, that you and I do, is those smaller sized offerings cost more to make than larger sized items. I totally get it!
 

I also wasn’t by any means saying send soap, I just responded to the size of her envelopes. If the scent didn’t change or dissipate too much on paper or be completely overwhelming, filling that with scented card with the need to know details. 

24 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

The sample sets need to be easy to put together, attractive enough for people to spend money to buy and profitable enough to keep everyone happy.

💯💯💯

First, this forum is a wealth of information from incredibly thoughtful, encouraging, and seasoned professionals. I found myself down many rabbit holes reading the advice and the experiences from others. Unfortunately, I cannot help you with wooden wicks but I would suggest using the search bar to see what others are saying. 

A fe weeks back I saw something similar but it was for soap samples, and it struck me as “oh that cute” and it was solely  based on the size of the envelopes. As a consumer (I know I’m not the average consumer), I’d want to know some of scent notes and what products it would be available. Or maybe it could be a “sneak peak” for seasonal scents.

I’m also thinking about how do I pick FO from companies that don’t send samples? I know what I like (woody, some floral but not sweet floral, citrus, etc) and what I don’t like (sweet, vanilla, baked goods, water, etc). I told you I’m not the  average consumer 🤪😆. It’s more work, but based on the customer’s order you could include the sachets with you might like these. Again a lot more work in terms of time, but on your product page you could include links or images “if you like x, you might like y.” Then again, lesson learned from my jam company, less is more and too many options creates a certain type paralysis.

Not sure if any of my ramblings were helpful but there’s my two cents.

I’m not alone!! 🥰

2 minutes ago, Crafty1_AJ said:

I love to top my soaps with calendula.  It doesn't go brown like lavender buds do. (Lavender buds on CP soap eventually resemble mouse turds.  😶)  Topping bars with a bit of oatmeal also looks nice and the oats don't turn weird.  I know additions to soap batter were being discussed, but toppings can make for some interesting visual texture. I like variety in the appearances of my soaps!

I made the mistake once of putting lavender buds in jam I made (for sale). It tasted great but looked awful! 
 

I also think I’m the only person in the world who is turned off by botanicals and stuff on top of soap, lol. I like it in photos and think it’s gorgeous but I hate the feel using soap with stuff. I know I’m the odd ball! 

5 hours ago, NightLight said:

Good for texture calendula, parsley, ground oatmeal (a little goes a long way, make sure blend in coffee gizmo)

These don’t go all funky in cp soap.

Infused calendula oil is on my list for this year. A friend of mine also has a ton of lemon verbena but I’m not sure how I can use that.

2 hours ago, NightLight said:

I love adding coconut milk to soap. Makes nice lather. Are you adding sodium lactate? That makes a nice firm soap.

Adding a small amount of clay for color and feel is a good addition as well. A little goes a long way. Some of the reds are intense.

 

https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/brazilian-clay-soap/

Yes I am using sodium lactate. I also did use green clay in the coconut milk soap I made. I will add clay to my next batches of goat’s milk soap. 

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

Milks are lovely in soap.  Oat milk is easy to make by soaking rolled oats in water until they release the gooey goodness, then squeeze out the water to use for the soap.

 Ohhh, I will have to try this too.

Now that I feel like I have a good understanding of the soap making process, I’m in the mood to learn and experiment this year. Right now I’m playing with milk soaps. I started with coconut milk and loved it! A friend of mine has unlimited access to goat’s milk and so last weekend we tried our first batches. I’m still playing and using recipes from others to see what I like and how they differ.

Talk about a tease

9 hours ago, NightLight said:

 

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/explaining-and-preventing-soda-ash/

 

ALSO

https://soapauthority.com/preventing-soda-ash-cold-process-soap/

 

Sounds like a line out of a movie, but it’s true! The amount of water used when making cold process soap dramatically increases or decreases your chances of getting soda ash on top of your soap. That means the best way you will be preventing soda ash on cold process soap is to pay attention to the water!

For cold process soap, the more water you use, the more likely you are to get soda ash. I have found that a 30% or more water discount generally means I won’t see soda ash on my soap. The higher the water discount, the less likely the problem. I prefer to do anywhere from 35% to 45%. You never want to discount more than 50% of the water. Read more about using a water discount here.

Now, keep in mind that less water means that trace will happen faster. If you are using a recipe with a lot of hard oils it will reach trace faster. When you use a fragrance or essential oil that speeds up trace, like clove essential oil, it will reach trace faster. If you soap at higher temperatures, your soap will reach trace faster. So however your soap recipe behaves without a water discount, just keep in mind that water discounting will decrease trace time!

Ways to slow down trace time when using a water discount:

• Soap with your lye water solution and oils at room temperature
• Increase the percentage of oils in your recipe that slow down trace (avocado oil, olive oil, etc.)
• Stay away from essential oils and fragrances that accelerate the time it takes to reach trace
• Stick blend less

Another thing to remember is that the humidity where you are can also affect your soap. If you have high humidity (over 30%) on soap making day, consider a slightly higher water discount.

An additional point worth noting is, the more water you have in your batter plus the longer that water is exposed to air, the more likely it is that you will find soda ash on cold process soap. It seems that batches poured at a thinner trace (more watery consistency) take longer to go through the saponification process. A medium to thick trace helps speed things up a bit.

 

 

I have used a pinch of beeswax in batches and it does work. Do you cover your soap?

I usually soap with a 10-15% water discount and I was diligently covering my soaps after pouring but I’ve stopped covering it and haven’t noticed any difference. At the end of the day I’m not too worried about it.

1 hour ago, Laura C said:

Hi. I just happened to see this post but I'm not a soap maker but I love to buy handmade soaps. Without an untrained eye, your soaps look beautiful to me.

🥰🥰 Thanks so much! I just started making CP soap this year and so your compliment means a lot!

3 hours ago, NightLight said:

Those look great! If you want to beat ash on soap, you can spritz lightly once 91 per cent alcohol on top after you finish the pour and top finish!

Trying to beat the soda ash has been a pain. I have been spraying 99% and I’m still getting it!

To everyone who’s given me so much wonderful advice and guidance over the past year! First I love using them, I love the way my bathroom smells after I shower, and I love the way they look. Everyone has been so generous with their time and knowledge whenever I have a question. 
 

Thank you, thank you thank you!!!! 🥰🥰

On 11/10/2022 at 3:28 AM, asr said:

was yelling at the TV that a cured soap and a safe to use bar of soap not being the same thing is not mind blowing information

Thank God it wasn’t just me!

3 hours ago, NightLight said:

You mean the one that sells Wooden Wicks? They don’t seem to know what they are talking about

Yes, that one that also just changed their name. 

There’s a certain wick company that is now selling soap supplies, term used loosely. I just watched the video and I just can’t with their “myth” busting. I know I’ve only been making CP soap since May but I watched and just kept thinking what are they talking about. 🤦🏻‍♀️