blazerina

You CAN omit the salt(s) but it changes the densities. So what ever the amount of salt is, you will want to replace. Also, as mentioned already, Fine grain sea salt would not be noticed the same as the larger Dead Sea salts and Epsom salts. But even these things can be ground in a blender, spice grinder of coffee grinder. You can try cutting back bit by bit until you get it to your liking. Just remember, if this is for you- no big deal as long as there is not a drastic change, otherwise you might end up with too much FO. If this if for others, it will change your qty's/oz's of product. So try to replace with equal amts.

Yanno... I SO want to do this as well. I have tried it myself ONCE. It didn't work at all. But my scrubs are not emulsified so the oils I use tend to be the first thing that squeezes out of the tube. You can't stir them, or shake them to re-incorporate the oils. I'm pretty much anti- chemical preservative in general. I try to avoid them for any products I make use AND buy. And people keep saying it's important to have one in a scrub even though they are made w/o water, because the average user will introduce water into the product no matter what. Seems to me, a tottle type bottle would at least reduce if not eliminate this particular risk. Of course, I realize there are other ways and reasons for nasties to be introduced and grow. But I'm just one of those people, who, for me anyways, will continue to research the most natural kinds of and ways to add preservatives. If and when, and by the time I sell- I'm sure I will have decided to bite the bullet and use them because there are healthier and more natural ones out there now. But that was my thinking anyhow... a tottle to reduce the introduction of water. When I try making emulsified scrubs (sometime next year, lol) I'll try again! I'm really glad you ask the question because i'm sure we aren't the only ones who have thought of it and i'm surprised no one has figured it out yet. Or perhaps, doesn't want to give away their secret.

Cocoa Butter adds firmness. And is available in regular which smells like chocolate or deodorized. Coconut oil adds lather. I thought I also read firmness, but I can't find it now, only lather. Also for firmness you can try a hint of Beeswax. Seriously... just a hint! It really does work but can alter the color of your soap. For a small batch (lb or so) I shave just a bit off of a block of my beeswax. It probably amounts to a teaspoon full of shavings. And I do beleive that with a bit of looking around, you can find it bleached and in pastilles (small beads that are easier to work with). Castor oil is often used to add lather as well. I always add SOME kind of oil or butter-be it Castor, Olive, an infusion made with OO, SAO, shea...etc etc- to my M&P because of it's general reputation for being 'drying'. I have also used sugar- but that was kind of disaster because I didn't let it melt I guess and it sank to the bottom of the bar. While it was a great exfoliating bar, lol... which I love btw, it wasn't the look I wanted in that bar. Now I just do like PA and sprinkle it in here or there... just because. I think it all helps. You can add a hardner ALONG WITH a lather helper if needed to counteract the hardner. Just half each amt as a start and go from there.

Isn't there some kind of on going joke about naughty little Altar boys or ... something???? You could call it Altar boy. Ok.. nevermind. How bout 'Temptations'? Then there's 'Ms. B. Haven' (sometimes I tickle myself:p ) I like the Eden idea.

I'll try, lol... Bakers Dozen (cuz if broken down & itemized, that's a lot of components ;-}) Holiday Pie (generic and yet all incompasing) Pie Stand Orchard Pie Bakers Best Pie Palooza

I'm not real experienced in if and when things will go 'bad', but I wonder if you could add EO's to Rose Water or any other floral waters. Also, if you can get some Aloe Juice that would be great for skin and you could just add either some Fco (i think) and fragrance. I don't know if they mix or how to make them... just random ideas here, lol. If you are talking about those little black bottles.. aren't they nice? I am thinking about doing something similar for Christmas gifts for the tween and teen girls in my family. I like to make what I call Hair Perfume - just to be different I guess, lol. :rolleyes2 I do mine with Witch Hazel and Distilled water and skin safe FO. They are in small enough bottles and they like em well enough that they use them up quickly.

I did mine by taste as well:rolleyes2 . I can't even remember if it was Stevia or not, but it was a liquid sweetner.

If it's a Victorian Christmas... it most definitely is! Looks great!

I was thinking drying out as well. Jbren's explanation makes a lot of sense... path of least resistence kind of thing. As to WHY....it could be that the ones that are doing it were the end of the pour- so more moisture was able to excape in the heating process. It could be an FO or EO with a smidge more alcohol maybe- adding to the drying out process. You might be keeping it too hot. Are you using a double boiler or micro? Do you keep the base covered as it is heating? Also, I'm not sure, but logically, it seems if you are adding water to your base in any way, that would make that happen over time. Water evaporates and M&P tends to shrink over time no matter what. I'm not sure wrapped soaps are immune to that since they aren't usually 'air tight'. The thing to look for would be A: were the soaps all made from the same batch of base (block) - could have been the batch and not you at all B: in the same season/time frame- weather conditions affect your ambient surroundings and thus the products in them more than one would think. Although only 'some' were affected, it would only mean that 'some' were more suseptible and/or exposed just right :rolleyes2 And you may never know, lol. Just keep an eye on your temps and cross your fingers.

Lmbo... I read the title and thought 'MMMM, I bet that smells like Pumpkin Cornbread only better!" Too funny. I received a product made with PC and to me that is how I would describe it - apple-y and warm.

I have some 'Angel Wings' FO from Greenleaf that is very very nice. Here is the description off the site... Harmony and bliss bring together this beautiful musky scent surrounded by notes of sweet amber and just a hint of heavenly florals. I'm actually not into the musks and ambers normally, but this to me is more of a brighter, greener, sweeter version. I think I could see all those notes in it (from your list) if I were better with my nose.:rolleyes2 It really is unique.

Lmbo! Cute. Very cute. I was going to say say a combined category of Warm/spice or maybe Warm/spice/seasonal Orr... Warm/ Spice( or Resins maybe?) /Woods and Cool/mint/Ozone Sometimes 'spice' might not be the obvious part of the FO but it's there and has a lot to do with it's character. For instance I'm pretty sure the reason Asian Amber is called Asian at all is because of the inclusion of Asian influenced 'spiceS'... not neccessarilly meaning 'spiceY'. Kwim? But Amber is almost more of a resin isn't it? I dunno. Lol, I tried to help!

I started off making my tarts with straight Para... I can't really say if the throw was GREAT as I wasn't really knowledgable enough to determine what 'great' was, lol. But even para will take scent. Have fun with it!

Then I have to wonder... is it something about the fuel type? See, I have a confession, lol.... at the thrift store, I found a little box of plastic trays and wicks. The instructions said you could use cooking oil. So last Thanksgiving I brought two decorative glasses and some Gingerbread FO and made my Mom some table lights. They worked for me. They weren't 'strong' per say, but sitting around the table, walking by etc... definitely could smell it. I did a search here on what people thought of them and they were pretty much poo-pooed at, alol. But I thought it was pretty novel and couldn't beleive my eyes when I seen that BB sells these trays. I think maybe you just aren't supposed to expect them to fill a room or anything. Just the immediate area you have it in. Ok, I just re-read what Laura said. I think I get it! So maybe because these little oil candles I made in an open glass is why it was detectable, because it was a heated pool of oil in an open basin! As opposed to a closed off fuel being burnt up a wick where there is no heating of the fuel.

lmbo:laugh2:

I just read on a 'DIY' type site that you can 'decorate' a dollar store candle by gluing a strip of wall paper border to the middle of it and then dipping the whole thing into melted paraffin a few times. Now, I don't make candles... but I read a lot! Isn't this a HUGE fire hazard? I think there are two camps of people... those who think candles are for looks and those who actually use them. It's the ones who think you simply 'decorate' with them that perpetuate how 'easy' it supposedly is. The next time someone says it's easy, I'm going to say 'oh yeah, molding wax? Yeah, that's easy. But I don't plan on making a CANDLE any day soon with out insurance.' Something to that effect.

Hmmm... that's funny because last night for the first time, I read about how to 'open' the cones in the oven. And THEY said there was a bonus..." Your house will smell wonderful afterwards.' Now somebody is not telling the truth, lol. :rolleyes2 Perhaps there are different kind of cones with different kinds of sap that smell differently. I hope to be doing some of my own soon and I'll let ya know how REAL pine cones from the Pacific Northwest smell.

They make me think your products are very trustworthy... KWIM? Very professional. I forgot to look and see if you already did or not, but I bet your customers would love it if you made a 'gift option' to include a bag and a sheet or two of the tissue paper for those who do the online ordering. (for maybe like $1.50 extra to off set costs) That way, everyone gets to enjoy your beautiful bags and because lots of people hate having to deal with gift wrapping. And its that time of year yanno!

Bittercreek site sells the supplies for oil candles but even in it's info and how to sheet it doesn't say anything about scenting.... So I did a bit more research and found this statement... Oil candles can also be filled with aromatic oils in appealing fragrances. These are special fragrances specially meant for candle making. I also found out that Paraffin oil IS and also known as... (drum roll please.... )Kerosene- who knew?! I'm sure i've seen already scented oil for these types of big glass lanterns. I would say that as long as it's SPECIFICALLY candle safe- it's fine. But there are FO's that are for soap and B&B only. So just becareful there.

Hmmm... Lioness perhaps? African Summer, African Breeze, or African Queen Tribal Delight(s), Tribal Treasure(s) Or just 'Tribal' I like best.

Thanks for the ideas. I've never been interested in making anything with a wick (but that was last year and i'm thinking about tealights now, lol) but I would totally love to do a hurricane or forever type 'candle'... I think that's a great use for some of this glass. Especially the colored:cheesy2:

I promised an update after my shopping today so here it is... The Asian store did have Rice Flour. Now, is Rice Flour and Rice Powder the same thing? I can't guarantee it, lol, but I'm gonna say yes. They also had tapioca Starch for you B&B makers... CHEAP. (probably not processed exactly like the brand name starches but it's worth a try to me)

I recently read about rice powder as a super gentle exfoliant and it stated that it leaves a bit of white on the skin if used at too high a percentage in a body powder. It sounds like something I would try if I was looking for super white. I found it at either The Sage or Forsoapmakers. I do beleive it specifically said it was good for CP. And you should be able to find it at an asian store. I'm going to get me some today for a body powder and my m&p. I'll let ya know ;-)

I'm pretty sure you can remelt it fully and if it cools too fast for tubes you can pot it up instead. And yes, I'd just screw those balm tubes all the way up, and let it fall back into the pot to be remelted. Then just be sure to unscrew them so they can be filled again. Also try to arrange things a bit better so that you can move quicker and not have to remove your base from the heat while you fill the tubes. The same thing happens to me because i'm just not that quick at it yet in my inexperience. I usually get them MOSTLY full before it cools too much.

Oh yes yes, fun fun!! I wanna play.... I don't know my fragrances very well yet so I'll give vague descriptions/ideas, lol.... Scarecrow (Hay or Country Bumpkin any others?) Hillbilly fixins or something related to Denim, cotton or flannel Tin Man (Tin Star that I saw somewhere) was there an Axe scent having to do with steel? Or Green Irish Tweed, any real manly scent Lion (Tiger eyes was my thought, but probably not a good choice) Anything already named Safari or Africa something, or Tall Grass or Hay Dorothy Storm Watch (lmaoo sorry) Gingham comes to mind ??? Toto (thinking puppy's breath) maybe an earthy and baby powder type mix? Rudolph (a fruity gingerbread mix maybe) Something Red Hot Cinnamon or maybe a Cinnamon Oatmeal and nuts type blend Santa Strong adult peppermint or Peach Schnaps Or Rum Graveyard Woodland trails!!!!!!!!!! Anything earthy and yes, even kind of stinky, lol. Or Fallen Leaves... love that one. Trick or Treat Candy Corn or caramel or chocolate or anything pumpkin based Goblins sounds like bobbling (for apples), soooo, lol... anything Red apple, Autumn Apple Witchypoo (Witches Brew or ...) Green apple, Coconut Lime Verbena Frosty the Snowman Clean sheets type of scents Santa's Elves Anything really sweet and a bit minty - but mostly sweet. Or Cedar or teakwood North Pole something Lemon Ice-ish (reindeer make yellow snow yanno)