Salt City Soapworks

Take another look around at Walmart. They have beautiful loofahs for $1.47 or thereabouts. They're 2.5" to 3" in diameter and maybe 8" long, light in color, very clean, with a short white rope looped through one end that's easy to remove. They're in the cosmetic section - either in the "natural bath" aisle (i.e., Healing Garden brand type stuff :rolleyes2 ) or hooked onto an end cap. I bought some from The Chemistry Store last winter, but they required so much work to clean up and remove all the seeds that I swore I'd never go that route again.

http://www.naturesapprentice.com/oilchart.htm http://www.bestdeal.org/Merchant2/essentialdepot/infofiles/NutVegDesc.shtml http://www.colebrothers.com/soap/oils.html

Caps can be found right next to the PVC pipes in the hardware store. Lining with freezer paper is critical. Here's what I do to minimize the paper "seam": If you use the metal tear strip on the box to rip the paper into sheets, the edges will be rough and bumpy. Trim both rough ends with scissors so they're smooth. Roll the paper into a tube shiny side out and put it in the mold. Leave it there for a few minutes, while you gather your soaping ingredients perhaps. Then pull the tube out and roll it shiny side in. When you slip the tube back into the mold, the paper will hug the sides and lay flat against it.

They do make great molds - but then I have to wrap them, and I have yet to find an easy, upscale packaging for round soap.

I use plastic shoeboxes from WalMart. I drilled a few holes in them near the top so the soap can breathe. They're cheap, durable, stackable, and they definitely help the scent stick longer than if they just sit out on a rack.

Bayousome carries pumps for 1 gallon and 5 gallon containers.

If you can't find it locally, it's sold in eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Freezer-Paper-Plastic-Coated-75-Square-Feet_W0QQitemZ330030959604QQihZ014QQcategoryZ11704QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

A foaming lotion sugar scrub? Never heard of it. Interesting concept, though - it exfoliates and cleanses AND moisturizes? Are you making it from scratch? If so, the Herbarie has many mild surfactants that would cleanse and foam without overpowering the moisturizing properties.

I've bought OBN's Cosmetic Grade and their Natural Grade recently - both were off-white and odorless. Honestly, I didn't see much difference between the two. :undecided

Try browsing your yellow pages and find "Chemical Suppliers". They'll probably require copies of your DBA papers or a company check to confirm that you aren't making meth. :rolleyes2 Oxychem is a US manufacturer and I use their lye exclusively now. Your local chemical company will most likely carry Oxychem products. Good luck!

I bought SH about a year ago and they gave me offshore stuff - made in China - and my water was dirty brown/grey and full of debris. Since then, I make sure I'm buying SH made in the US. And I prefer the pellets, too. I think they're easier to handle than the flakes.

Wouldn't it be hard to keep the text or logo straight and readable? When I shrinkwrap, the stuff seems to have a mind of its own. :rolleyes2

You can also make a cutter using old-fashioned (springless) clothespins and stainless wire - just wrap the ends of the wire around a clothespin and hold it taut while cutting. Dowels would work just as well. Thin wire makes a nice smooth slice.

Hi, Deb. I started with a mitre box I picked up at the hardware store for a couple of bucks. It helps make nice, even cuts - but it only works for logs, obviously.

No worries. "Salt City Soapworks" is a legal entity registered in our county since 2003. There are no trademark / service mark / product misrepresentation issues with Salt City Soapworks selling candles. Btw - Hi, Connie!! :wave: