Tall Blonde

I think I've used orange water before (a year or 2 ago) and I didn't freeze it like you do milk. It's just flower water after all, just like tea is water. And I don't recall it having a strong scent or having any difficulty with it. Should be just like soaping with water.

I tried 100% coconut with 20% superfat last week after reading CareBear’s recommendation in the "bubby bar" thread. I just tried it today (9 days old) and it’s very nice, a soft silky texture, and not drying at all. I’m not thrilled about the lather, it has LOTS of bubbles but with no significant creamy lather they don’t last long enough to suit me. I’m thinking of trying it again with a little castor oil, maybe 15%. I figure superfat at 17%. Would I just be wasting my supplies?

That's funny, cause I've made 2 small batches of 100% coconut oil now, one superfatted at 20% and one at 25% (how far can it go?) and I get lots of bubbles, but it also gets pretty creamy. It starts bubbly but when I really get a lather going that's when it gets creamy. I'm really loving this coconut soap!

Personally, I like the fonts you used. And I like the Shoogie Snaps on the clamshells.

Thanks Robin!

You always have the anwers!!!

I like the frost. I like the crystalline effect.

It's the strength of your lye solution. It's another way to look at water discount - instead of saying you discount your water by 12% (discount from what?), you are saying that lye is 33% of the lye/water solution.

There's a FAQ about it http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1978

So, if you had a recipe that say, called for 4.6 oz lye and you wanted a 30% lye solution you would multiply 4.6 x 2.3 to get 10.58 and that's how much water you use.

Is that correct?

Try the 100% coconut...I think you will be pleasantly surprised! I sure was. I did a 33% lye solution and a 20% superfat.

I understand superfatting and water discount, but what does lye solution mean and how do you figure it. It's on soap calc, along with water/lye ratio, and that's something I don't understand.

Over on another forum we've been discussing a 100% coconut oil soap superfatted at 20%. I finally made some and KAZOW!!!! Bubbles out the wazoo and NOT drying. And white - very white - which may be appropriate for a wedding (maybe) LOL!

Give it a go!

(I soaped with a 35% lye solution at RT and with melted and cooled oil with no difficulty)

WOW! I've got a s### load of coconut oil sitting around. I've been thinking about this. Is it not drying because of the 20% superfatting?

ah!

I think there needs to be more soft oils in there, because I don't think castor should just be it. I use castor at 10% most of the time and don't have a problem with it, but I also use oil oil/RBO/soy and other soft oils.

I use a lot of soft oils and no palm or PK. But I've been wondering how much castor is too much? I made a couple batches with 10% that came out fine. And I probably won't go any higher than 10%, but I've been wondering if 10% is ok, or too much. I compared the numbers of a recipe using 10% castor and then 7% and there wasn't that much difference. So you find 10% is ok? (Am I rambling?)

I make a balm with calendula oil and I think camphor, eucalyptus and...something else that I can't recall right now. But it makes a great muscle rub!

I have found that the numbers in soapcalc are unreliable to a large degree I DO use soapcalc to see what a recipe TWEAK might result in -

If you have a recipe that you think would be good but soapcalc doesn't like - try it. Really really really.

I agree. For instance, just for fun I did a 75% olive and 25% shea butter. On soap calc the hardness was only 23, but that sucker hardened up like you wouldn't believe! Olive on it's own is only a 15, and I know that it hardens up well, also. So, as CareBear says, just try it!

I made a really nice bubbly recipe with 30% coconut, 10% fco and 10% castor oil. It makes lots of bubbles and feels nice on the skin.

Soap Naturally by Patrizia Garzena and Marina Tadiello. I've been making soap 6-7 years and I still refer to it.

Same here. I use that same configuration on all the low profile jars.

I'm thinking that could be a misquote. Maybe it says (or means) the combination of coconut and palm kernel oil. In other words, cleansing oils. A rule that's made to be broken I suppose, but the principle of it makes sense at least.

Coconut and palm doesn't seem to make sense because in certain respects those oils contribute complementary rather than cumulative qualities to the soap. Having to limit the combination of the two so stringently could significantly hamper formulating all-vegetable recipes.

It is palm kernel, sorry 'bout that. But also I don't use any palm or palm kernel ever because of the deleterious effects palm harvesting has on the environment. But then, I happen to love olive oil and prefer 100% oo soaps. Just make it and see what happens.

Well, this is all just my opinion, and there are more experienced people here, but...

On paper the numbers look good. But remember, too much coconut is drying. And the soapmaking book I live by suggests that the combination of coconut and palm should not exceed 30%. Also, the castor oil is way too high. Too much castor oil could result in a soft, sticky soap. Also, some people may have a reaction to castor oil. Generally 3-5%, although I use 7% because I don't use palm. Do you have any other oils, like olive that you can use to balance it out?

I also use 1/2 water to 1/2 fruit puree. Most likely your soap will be some shade of orangey-brown. Adding color would probably just make it worse, but what do I know, I'm color challenged (all my soaps are some shade of brown!). Adding a skosh of pumpkin pie spice or cinammon (just a bit!) or nutmeg (again, just a bit) would speckle it nicely. And as LovelyLathers said, make sure its frozen slushy.

Well, when you Google Lotions Potions Oh My, you get your site. When you Google Lotions Potions you get a site called Lotions and Potions. That's really the problem with names. Seems like someone's always got it first. Can you register it or trademark it or something?

Definitely giving me girly 'sparkly' vibes, of something, precious, glamorous or chic.

Just some words thats come to mind:

Kathy - Krystal

The Crystal Chandler (Chandalier)

Crystal Lane

Facets

Bohemian

Crystaltips

Crystalwicks

I like some of these. Crystal Chandler and Facets. And I also like Crystal Bubbles.

I'll vote for #3. I like the font used in Central Coast and its simplicity. #1 and 2 look too much like fruit packing labels to me.

I tried doing RT on my last 2 batches and they traced practically as soon as I poured the lye into the oils. I ended up having to rebatch both. I don't think I'll be doing that again.

Carnauba wax is also really hard, so remember to reduce it also. I was using carnauba wax in my balms in place of beeswax (it cost less), but it had a kind of grainy feeling in the balms. I decided to go back to beeswax.

I made some lip gloss a while back, with vitamin E and I can't remember what else, but it doesn't stay on my lips that long. And no, I'm not licking it off! What oils would be good to use in a roller ball lip gloss that's going to have some staying power? Any? I like the way the gloss looks on me, and I almost never wear lipstick and my chapstick type base doesn't give me any color. Any suggestions?

Yeah, 100% oo soap is slimy, but personally, it's the only type I really like. My skin likes to develop random rashes (like now!) and castile is the only soap I can use consistantly without any problems and no itching. I'm getting to the point where I'm considering making only castile soaps. So, my vote is to make her a castile bar!

I don't use palm or pko in any of my soaps. As long as I use about 60% olive it comes out fine. I stopped using palm when I read about the deforestation of the rain forests. My soaps don't seem to suffer from the lack of palm. And it's money I can spend on other oils.