beau's mama

Thank you, my sweet little flower, for this tip. Lord knows I'm struggling in the swirl department! I usually get expired flour from my sis & use it to make scented rocks. Now I've got another use for it

I'm the same way Vio. FO's are precious to me, too. My 1oz'ers usually end up as carpet freshener if I don't think it'll make a good scent to wear (don't ask) or I'll throw it in some body oil or M&P to test. If I LIKE it, I'll pass it out & see what other folks think. If I LOVE it, I order larger sizes. Whether purchased or free, 1oz'ers save me time & money in the long run.

WOOHOO! Cp swirling & texturing. Um, what's pie soap Soap shaped like cakes or pies? Anyone? Anyone? Ferris?

I voted for pourable HP, supermarket soaps & layered CP. I also second Scented's idea on using CP & MP together. I had this bright idea of rebatching CP and using M&P as chunks. It worked, BUT the MP went faster in the shower than the CP. Don't even ask what happened when I did it the other way around. That was a hot mess!

Well, damn Vio! I've been taking care of DH & myself for almost a month and I come back to find you have gone soap crazy:laugh2: Nice looking soapies girl. Was the jelly roll thingy hard to do? I thought about trying it w/ M&P but I just may have to try it w/ CP when (if) my hand ever returns to it's normal size I may have to start calling you "SoapFreak 2" !

They look like something I'd eat or maybe I'm just hungry :rolleyes2 I like the design b/c it's different and really, really cute

Yep, to echo Sandra, the name is perfect! The soap looks really pretty & calm.

OMG! Only you

Yes, CB, they do. Dogs "need" that stuff as a way to "give back" to their parents by indulging us in those silly things we like to do to them...just like when we dress them up for the Holidays...they need that to make us feel better:laugh2: Therliana, I'm not sure how much pampering you want to do, but I make my dogs a simple Goat's Milk m&p soap w/ Neem, Vit E, & Emu. I never, ever use any fragrance, and I'm not comfy w/ EO's either. The whole ritual of bathing is what makes me think I'm actually pampering them...it's a 2 hr process LOL. There's a jacuzzi & snacks involved along w/ lots of massaging and hugs & kisses. For their paws, I use Shea Butter or EVCO b/c both are fine when they lick. Of course, they'd probably be perfectly happy if I just slathered Peanut Butter on them, but it's just too messy:p Have fun pampering your pooch!

This is where I get mine from. They may be cheaper somewhere else in the world, but they are hard to find and I'm just too lazy to search more HTH http://cgi.ebay.com/100-1-2-oz-WHITE-Plastic-Bottles-w-Fine-Mist-Sprayer_W0QQitemZ360035542362QQihZ023QQcategoryZ57736QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 ETA: after looking at Midwest Bottles, Scents of Style is actually a pretty darn good price.

:rockon:You are so awesomely creative & talented. Hmm, can you say "CP Creativity Tutorial Parts 1, 2 & 3 Coming SOON!!"? Simply beautiful.

I finally stepped to the other side & gave birth 2 days ago I cut the cord today & decided to give her some balls while she's still young. Unscented w/ a botched (last minute thought) "swirl in the pot" and tiny air bubble thingies & tiny color clumps all over the place, yet, I'm proud. The fear of the lye went away as soon as I poured it in the water. I'm so glad the first time is over. Almost like the first time I..um, forget it...there may be kids reading here:laugh2: Everything went almost textbook...except for a couple of things here & there that I'll get better with in time. I rebatched some of it so I could get my Neem on. OK, back to soap calc so I can plug in my 50th recipe LOL. One thing I don't get is how all of you talk about how addictive CP is. PULEEZE! It's really nothing special. I could never get addicted. Definitely not from one tiny batch. Nope. Not me. No way. NEVER! Just because I went to walmart at 10pm to get coconut oil & lard so it would be here for me to soap this weekend DOES NOT mean I'm addicted! And yeah, I went to soaper's choice to price some oils, but I use oils all the time and it's time to buy in bulk...you know, for my body oils. And...and just because I called my carpenter friend about making me some wooden molds doesn't mean anything either. I just want the molds for bubble bars that I don't make. gotta go...soap calc is calling me like crack!

OH MY! Those are beautiful!

This is all I ever found when I was searching for 1/2 oz bottles w/ this kind of lid. They have a pretty decent selection of sample bottles but most of them are 1oz. http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin109.html These are 1 oz squats, but maybe they would work http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin117b.html HTH

I saw that episode I'll have to go dig up my notes, but if I remember correctly, it is the pool grade DE that poses a much greater breathing hazard & health risk because of the way it's processed...something to do with the amount of silica it produces vs the amount that's produced with food grade DE. Any fine powder warrants wearing a mask when using it IMO. Have you ever tried using SLSa w/ out a mask? Good grief, that stuff shoots everywhere! I'm still looking.

I don't like my FBB fluffy. I whip it so it can deflate, then I add the oil and keep mixing until it's creamy, adding more oil as necessary to get it the consistancy I like. I'm sure the oil makes it lose some of the lather, but that's fine with me. I prefer less lather that's creamy & dense rather than the fluffy light type of lather. I think the natural liquid soap would help to thin it out. I just thought about that when I posted, so I guess I'll try that next. It may be just what I need to make it more fluid, yet still creamy enough for malibu tubes.

I've got a huge pail of this stuff (food grade) and though I use it around the house, on the dogs & in our beds it just doesn't seem like it's going anywhere. So, I had a thought about making a mud pack with it, and was just wondering if anyone has ever used it for that or any other B&B product. The internet is not being very friendly toward me today I can't find one single idea for reference. TIA ETA: Yes, I searched the board...only 3 references to DE, including mine. Off to more searching

I think it can be done, it would just take some playing around w/ the FBB to thin it out a bit....maybe adding natural liquid soap I make my FBB w/ LOTS of oil and that makes it really creamy as opposed to fluffy or stiff. It still isn't ready for malibus yet, but it's getting there. I also think it would take a very flexible malibu tube like this http://www.kangarooblue.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=215&zenid=bfbf05f04080843d75a6310a9357090f I've also done sugar scrubs in malibus like this, without the oriface reducer http://www.kangarooblue.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=323&zenid=bfbf05f04080843d75a6310a9357090f HTH

Hmm, that DOES NOT sound like SFIC LS that you used. Their bases have no alcohol in them. I can't imagine why you would smell alcohol. LS white shouldn't be soft or show fingerprints. It should have a dry, matte-like look to it, not shiny like most M&P..comparable to CP soap in it's appearance once it sets up. I've used all of their bases and the LS white is what I use exclusively now. Next to the Shea & Cocoa Butter bases, the LS white is pretty darn hard & the extra hard base is as hard as the CCB. Sometimes the cut-outs can have an odd aroma, but that goes away when melted & fo is added. But still no alcohol smell. When I decided to use SFIC, I purchased the sampler pack from them. Then I found a less expensive supplier, bought some bases, and compared the two, just to be sure of what I was getting. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the base. I think it rocks! Might you consider getting a # or 2 from a supplier?

Hi Tasha I'm a newbie lotion-maker too! This has been very helpful to me. It's 4 pages long. http://www.soapnuts.com/lothelp.html I was eyeing this one also b/c it seems like a nice amount to start with http://www.thesoapdish.com/basic-lotion-formula.htm Have fun!

Congratulations !! I agree w/ CB, it IS a big accomplishment. Girl, you'd better step lightly. This B&B stuff is sooooooooooooo addictive, it should be against the law!

Thanks to my new lotion-making enabler (you know who you are;)) I finally got around to making lotion w/ plain ol' e-wax & stearic. I was a little worried at first, this way takes a teeny bit longer to emulsify than w/ the FM. I used a combo of oils & butters, and it's a nice thick creamy-cream. I'm really happy with the results. Those of you still thinking about making lotion, TODAY is a good day to try it! Don't wait forever like I did. I wasted too much time "thinking" about it...I'm a little po'd at myself for missing all the fun for so long!

Man, I'm such a sugar scrub whore lately, and yours looks soooooooo good...I'm drooling :drool:

I like it creamy. It's better for my (once super dry) skin. Lathery bars seem to suck the life out of me.

Well, damn, who pissed in your oatmeal bowl & FM batch? Everyone's entitled to his/her opinion but who are you to judge what anyone does or doesn't "know any better" about? Personally, whether intended or by accident, I find it slightly insulting. But, again, you're entitled to your opinion. Perhaps YOU just didn't know how to work with it & YOUR batch (es) came out slimy and that's why YOUR customers didn't like it. Did you stop to think that just maybe your lack of skills with working with it was the problem & not the product itself? We all waste our money on something or other. That just goes along with the craft and the learning process.This product may simply be a stepping stone for others to start making lotion/creams from scratch...you know...the "good ol' fashioned way". The negative & discouraging comments from you are really tired & a bit snobbish IMO.