Sister Kya

I've tried a few but I like the one from AH/RE best.

Still working on this one. From what I understand, there are a few different concerns with anti-perspirants. One is the "chemical" issue, that's where folks get up in arms over aluminum and the like being absorbed through the skin. The other is the comedogenic issue, the idea that clogging the sweat glands is unhealthy. Most of the recipes I see use highly comedogenic ingredients, especially coconut oil and cocoa or other butters, but I'd prefer to avoid them if I could. Anyone else trying to figure out how to gently remove the "stink" from sweat without preventing the body from sweating or using ingredients commonly considered toxic to the body?

Yes. Lots. Many sites focus on only a dozen or so flavors. Which flavors are you looking for? Have you checked with the Soap Scent Review Board yet? They have a lovely Flavor Oil section that I get lost in every now and again. Some, yes, but most, no. You need to make sure that the flavoring is oil and contains no water, alcohol, propylene glycol or any other ingredient that won't incorporate in an anhydrous balm. You also need to very careful with citrus oils (which end up being most of the oil-based food flavors) as they can cause lips to burn in the sun.

I've gotten really good results with Cedar Sage Blackberry in the past. I have some Nag Champa soaking now. Egyptian Dragon was blow the doors off strong, I may need to reduce the DPG blend from 50/50 to something lower next time. I think I'll soak some Strawberry Musk next and see how that goes over...

Yup, Bittercreek is unusual in the flavor oil game. The best flavors are unsweetened. Makes them cheaper in the long run and if you use a fool-proof sweetener like MMS Sugar Kisses, you can tweak the sweet just the way you like it!

Yup, electric candle warmers FTW. They keep it liquid while pouring. I usually mirco in a pyrex measuring cup, then pour into my little measuring glass on the warming plate. Works while I pipette the balms into tubes. I find that I lose some volume when I melt and pour so if I wanted 5 balms I'd weigh out an ounce (gives me 5-6 balms). Definitely check the manufacturers info before using FOs. Some max at 1% and anything above that tastes awful. I do love, love, love this base and so do all my friends!

I always see FO ratios expressed as "PPO" (Per Pound of Oil). Since most of the water is supposed to evaporate out anyway, a fully-cured 2# batch will weigh very little over 2#.

Noooo. 1 pound=16 oz. A 32 oz. batch with 1 oz. FO is scented at exactly .5 oz. PPO.

I imagine it's for San Francisco... I-something, C-something... It's the name of the manufacturing corporation. It's SFIC soap because it's made by SFIC corp.

Recipe? How do you know what your percentage usage is when you measure in teaspoons? I always, always weigh everything. Works for me!

I've seen that some folks do it but I'm not sure how it works. The liquid stevia products are pretty much universally water-based while balms are oil-based. As we know, water and oil usually don't mix... I stick to flavor oils and add my stevia sweetener separately.

I got into a discussion about this supplier's oils on my local soaper's group a few months back. She was adamant that these oils are truly all that AND the bag of crisps. She says she uses them in CP, lotions, bath salts, perfumes, etc. and they wear well. I haven't tried them myself but I'm drowning in 1 oz. bottles here as it is.

What flavors are you looking for? I'd check the SSRB's flavor oil section to find out what other folks are liking. I'm fond of a number of the flavors from AH/RE myself. Still looking for a good Pina Colada and a dark chocolate though. Stevia is a good sweetener if used with a very light hand. It can be a tad grainy though. I really like MMS Sugar Kisses for sweetening balms, a little on the pricey side but worth it, especially if you're just starting out and only making for personal use. There are a lot of threads on here for flavors too, run a search!

You'll need an emulsifier if you want to mix oil and water...

I've done it as a hobbyist. Works for me, but I won't speak for our business people. The Stevia from AH/RE is REALLY concentrated. I always pour my first tests with the max (it's not always 3%, many are only 1% and they MEAN it). Then adjust if I feel the scent is too strong. AH/RE's Toffee one was waaay too strong at 3%, for example. Have fun!