katshe

I am using the stephenson shea base and also the organic base, which is giving me the most grief , but I am concerned about the base boiling. I use a pyrex bowl - cut soap into small pieces and melt two pounds at a time in the microwave. Let it cool to add fragrance and additives Then try to pour it into my downspout mold. ( hard to get it poured into tha small opening) Buy this time it is like thick oatmeal. Maybe I should use one of those wooden molds instead. I think I could pour faster that way I did reheat the soap a few times to get the lumps out. I Believe the Stephenson bases do cool faster, but what a pain. I did email the company and they suggested to heat base to 155-165 and poured at 150- 160 degrees f , Well my next batch I will watch it closely and see what happens. I suppose I will also use the double boiler too, so I can monitor degrees.

No thoughts?

I beklieve any drug store will carry it or try Meijer or try your local gnc or helath food store, I buy mine at the drug store.

Ok will try, gonna have to get some emu though. thanks Kathy

Making my mom a soap with a shea butter base, everything makes her sneeze so I am adding carrot powder and honey. Is there anything I could add for scent that is not floral or strong that will make this smell nice or shoud I leave it alone? Also making same bar for sister with lavender ,tea tree. She has excema and wondering if there is something else I could add tothis as ell Any advis would be great thanks Kathy

Um, I love the labels...and if I am being honest, The bands to me, look cheap but nice colors.. OOh, Hope that didn't sound as bad as I think. I could see a piece of corrugated cardboard wrapping the soap with the label on that , maybe you could get some colored corrugated. or a different paper like someone else mentioned -card stock. Also, I would make the band slightly larger than the lablel so the band sort of frames the label. Another thought...You could use a piece of colored tissue paper folded a few times into your band size. I guess what is throwing me is the craft label -Warm colors- that I love and the colored pastel bands that do accent your soap colors. I just think that the two do not mix well in my eyes...I may be alone her in this thought. But I thought you should hear what my first thought was. Have you tried a different color label? Maybe you could incorporate the band colors into the craft label. Hope this was helpful

FYI soapgoods.com has a good price for Stephenson bases if you use them, check them out, I recently purchased organic, shea, and sls free, love them. Shipping was lightening fast. Thought I would share since I have been researching for so long for a base that is natrual and at a fair prine Hope this is helpful Kathy

I have this m&p base that cools quickly and I can't seem to add things to it and pour it before it starts to clump up, So--- I though that if I melt it in the mold I could avoid having to pour it and loosing precious soap. Any suggestions for a microwaveable dish that holds 2 lbs that I could use? Next Question I am making a man bar by request of hubby Thinkin of sandalwood , sweet orange,aqua...and adding some rosemary & thyme...does this sound like it will smell good? I have made a dry spray for hubby with the three scents and -Here is what he said when he came home from work " Wow I smell soo good, I'm turning myself on. lol:yay:

You are so very welcome!

Toner Recipe 1 tb dried mint 2 tb apple cider vinegar 1 cup witch hazel optional - 1 tsp honey, for moisture and heal red spots Mix & set for 3 days - shake a few times a day then strain and apply with cotton ball after cleansing. Have Fun

http://recipes.robbiehaf.com/SkinBodyProducts/13.htm http://recipestoday.com/recipes/misc/hotoil.htm http://www.essential7.com/recipes/hotoilhair.html http://www.longlocks.com/hair-care-recipes-cookbook.htm Here are a few sites with recipes, the last site , I believe has a slew of hair care recipes Have Fun Kathyy

Jeana , I will try the euc, lav, rosemary..Sounds good..I am going to do a test Batch with coffee and see how it smells, I have read that the smell Is not supposed to stay. Thanks again kathy

Ok , thank you for your input. I will give the lemon and tea tree a try. I do have an ocm that has tea tree and peppermint - is refreshing. but not the smell I am looking for. Thanks again Kat

Well then, looks like I'm on my own. Have a Super day!

I read that using coffee in soap along with eo is a good deodorant soap, the coffee helps absob odor. So, here is an idea I make m&p. So I thought I'd try adding A few Tbls of instant coffee lavender eo rosemary eo peppermint eo maybe some thyme crushed Can you think of anything else to make it smell good, you know like fresh and clean? I am not good with picking scents, I don't want to purchase the wrong ones and have them go to waste. Also, I would like to make a bar that smells good on your skin through the day, again ( fresh and clean like irish spring) but I do not want to use the duplicate...would like to create something... I am just starting out in this area and have created a rosemarymint and a green chai tea bar they smell nice, and my friends love them, but I am still looking for that fresh clean soap scent. Any advise would be great!

Thank you all so much. Much clearer now. I didn't want to jump in with any old recipe to make soap without understanding what I was doing first...Thank you again all.

i Think I understand better now There will be 5% fat left after saponification instead of having too much lye? I will be doing hot process.

I have done m&p but never add water and only supposed to add oil at 1 tb per lb and that can cut suds down, not sure about what water does but it is not reccommended that you add water to m&p , maybe you are reading the recipe as a rebatching cold process soap..You do add water to rebatch cp if it has cured a while.

Ok, I am not a soaper yet, but I am trying to understand this superfatting thing TThis is the recipe 15% veg shortening 15% coconut oil 15% pko 5% shea 25% safflower 25% oo Superfat 5%? is this an oil added after trace, if so is it in addition to the oils listed not figured in the 100% or is it the shea in the 100% Sorry this sounds stupid but I have been reading and have not found superfatting really explained well enough to understand. Help!!

Go to thesage.com recipes and I believe a lotion calculator there.

I am no quite the authority on this but it is supposed to be very cleansing and better than using drugstore remedies I have been using a liquid castile soap mixed with other oils for cleansing for a month now and my skin has improved 80%...So I thought I would try cleansing without soap, just the oils.. Caster oil is the cleansing part, make sure you are messaging gently not scrubbing , and yes I believe it does wonders to clean out pores,

erin, You basically clean with oil instead of soap My mix is caster oil 1/3 , 2/3 jojoba...I had these switched at first and was too cleansing so added the extra jojoba. Message your face , neck with oil for several minutes. Then let it set for about 5-15 min (I leave on while I shave in shower) then get a washcloth wet with hot water and place on face until it cools down Then repeat wetting cloth and placing on face again. Can repeat as you wish. Finally remove oil gently with warm washcloth Your skin will be smoothe and clean I do put jojoba oil on afterwards as my skin seemed tight first time.

I just tried this today with caster/jojoba/teatree-OCM...Loved it. I wondered if you need to use toner, my current toner is (ACV,witch hazel peppermint leaves) after the oil cleansing method? My skin was a bit taught after OCM so maybe I should moisturize with a little jojoba/aloe gel? What is you experience with this, and do you add olive oil to your OCM- not sure if that would cause break outs for me. Thanks

wholesalesuppliesplus has a glass bottle called sophisticate- 1/2 ounce Its pretty have a look Kathy

Is it possible to make a toner or a face wash including hydrogen peroxide? I just recieved an email listing all the uses for HP and Well got me to thinking about incorporating it into a face wash or toner One of the uses say to put in bath to rid self of boils fungus and other skin infections Also good for foot fungus 50/50 HP/water. Thanks a Bunch