coconut

On 2/23/2017 at 11:05 AM, Candybee said:

Shoot! I would be washing my hands and showering with any new soap I make. Aren't you impatient to try it out??!!

OK, Candybee, I tried out the new soap, the luxury rebatch. It is a very nice soap BUT to my surprise, I don't like it as much as the other soap I bought from Brambleberry at the same time. I also bought their unscented soap loaf with Shea butter. Although the luxury rebatch has more butters in it and leaves the skin feeling very soft and smooth, it leaves me feeling just a touch drier than the loaf. I had no idea this soap thing was so complex! So much more reading to do. I can see how this becomes so addicting.

7 hours ago, Candybee said:

Shoot! I would be washing my hands and showering with any new soap I make. Aren't you impatient to try it out??!!

Ha Ha, yes I am. But right I have three half used bars in the bathroom!, and that doesn't count one I tucked back in the closet so DH wouldn't fuss at me! Also I'm not sure how long it needs to "rest". I guess it must be fully cured before they shred it? I am so new to noncommercial soap. Do you think it is ok to use so soon? I am so green about soap. 

Thank you. I am in Florida so this is an interesting option.

The luxury rebatch seemed to have everything I could want. Brambleberry offers a more basic rebatch which might be good for adding more things to. Which one do you use? I have not used the soap yet. I'm waiting until my current bar of soap is used up.

On 1/24/2017 at 1:52 PM, Jcandleattic said:

I will. I talk to her often, so next time I do, I'll ask. 

Did you ever find out where she buys it? Thanks!

Update: I went ahead and bought the luxury rebatch from Brambleberry. It seems like very nice soap. It was very easy to melt and put into a mold. I used a stainless steel bowl over a pot of hot water, with a lid on top. Two tablespoons is water was sufficient.  The soap was fresh and took about an hour or so to melt. Pam, I am also an accident waiting to happen and this seems like a nice option for me. It is a bit rustic, but I think a person could melt it and then throw in shreds or chinks of unmelted soap just before molding. Could be interesting.

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and encouragement. Candybee, thank you for the tips. A separate crock pot is a good idea. I have so much to learn about soap and I am just starting to explore this fascinating world. Brambleberry seems like a good company. Off to do more reading!

From what I have found, the cost is about 6.00 a pound, more or less depending upon the ingredients and quantity purchased. The two primary manufacturers appear to be SFIC and Stephenson, sold by different companies. I am hoping Candybee chimes in since she posted on this topic before.

I would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the CP rebatch bases some suppliers are offering. I have been searching local stores for unscented soap with Shea butter in it but none is to be found. I am not a soapmaker but might be able to try my hand at rebatch. If anyone has any thoughts to share, it would be much appreciated. I have been searching the forum and found a few posts; most are two years old. TIA!

2 hours ago, wthomas57 said:

 Yah I mentioned that I contacted them. Still waiting on a response. Hopefully it's something they can fix asap. It's really bad. 

 

I'm just going to find a suitable alternative.  In the meantime I am trying various ways to clean them to get rid of the smell from the manufacturing process of them. I'm assuming that's what it is..b or perhaps where and how peak stores them. 

My apologies, I overlooked that part of your post.  A couple tips I found included leaving them outside in the sun for a bit, but not too long, and soaking in vinegar. A third included wiping a paste of baking soda on the rubber and let sit a while and then washing.   Good luck with it.  If you don't hear from Peaks, give them a call.  Sometimes emails go missing.  I had that once with them.

The wick I found to be closest to the cotton cores is the LX series. I think an LX10 would be closest to a C40.  LX are offered by many suppliers in different sizes.

I had good luck with the Premier wicks with 4630 and J50 but only with certain oils, like the heavy oils.

Did anyone contact Peak about it?  I'm sure they would want to know.

Hi Trappeur, I appreciate the input. I wish I had a bigger wall as I agree it would look better in proportion. It is a very small house. We are trying to stage it with as little expense as possible and this was a found piece. I suppose we could cut it down, but I hate to do that. We still have time before we put the house up for sale. We'll see if we find any other art to use.

Turns out hubby has already brushed off the loose stuff, so we are leaving it plain for now.

I'm thinking that we will brush off the loose paint and rust and then perhaps spray it with a clear coat. Since this will hang on a wall in the living room, I wouldn't want rust and paint flaking off on the wall and floor.  What do you think?

Thank you, everyone. It is a beachy theme with pastels, walls are light green.

I have a piece of metal wall art with fish on it that I want to use to stage a house with. It has a lot of rusted areas. I would like opinions. Spiff it and repaint it, or leave it rusty and clear coat it? What is popular now? I am out of touch. Is shabby chic in or out? Thanks for all input.

That's a good idea. Thank you for the input.

My sensitivity to Fragrance Oil has gone over the top and I pretty much have to quit using them, at least for a while.  I have access to Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, and Limes.  Anyone ever try to make essential oil from these?  How would you use this sort of product?  My house smells so good when I'm juicing these fruits, it might be nice to be able to capture and preserve that essence.  Any thoughts?

Great news. Thanks!

I did a search and found it is not necessary to store FO in the fridge.  However it does need to be stored in a cool place.  I live in Florida where we typically have five months of 90-95 degrees every day and I can't store my FO in the garage.  My only options are to store in my air conditioned home, or outside in a separate fridge.  I am selling lots of my FOs because my allergies went crazy since I moved from a house with very leaky windows to a house with fairly tight windows. I'm no longer selling candles or melts, but I hate to get rid of every single FO I own since I would like to keep a few for personal use.  However, I think I really need to get them out of my house. I have a spare fridge and I can raise the temperature in it somewhat.  Anyone have experience or knowledge in this area?  All replies are much appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Thank you all very much for your replies.  I'm considering opening an antique shop or booth in a very "antiquey" town.  I'm not selling candles yet, but I've been testing for years and would like to add them to my lineup some day.  Excellent advice, all of it.

I learned recently that even credit card processors have been hacked.  I finally opened a card with Bank of America which lets you create a virtual credit card number to use online.  I did run into one company that refused it but they did take Paypal.

I just wondered if anyone has had any luck with this.  Thanks for your thoughts and replies.