kidsngarden

Thanks!  I think I am going to get one!

Clarification - I see that the Polyolifin has "holes" so you can smell the soap.  Are said holes enough to also allow the soap to breathe? are the TOO much for a bath bomb so much that the bath bomb would fizz in humid conditions?  Has anyone tried the Biolefin?

Long time, no write to my Craft Server Buddies!  

I am seriously looking into a pachagemaster shrink wrap system.  I have seen the video tutorial and a testimonial from "the saponifier" about using the packagemaster to shrink wrap CP soap.  I am skeptical because my experience over these nine years of making CP is that CP needs a bit of air to prevent sweating and rancidity, plus I sell so much better if the customer can smell the soap.  I have used Dan's bands and the like in the past, but now I have high, textured tops on most of my bars so the bands won't fit, plus I am amping up production big time so time is important.

I would also be using it to seal my lotion bar tins and lip balm tubes and also considering using it for bath bombs, which of course need to be wrapped the opposite of CP so that works out... I THINK....

What say ye?  I store my soap unwrapped in cardboard boxes separated by scent until I ship it out, but for the holiday shows coming up there will be a whole lotta wrapping going on!

TIA!

Really? Wow! Well, it's not in writing from anyone at least. I will remember that in the future!

I list all my ingredients for allergies, etc. and I am VERY careful not to make any claims on my soap whatsoever, not on the label and not even verbally. If they ask something particular about my soap I say, "I make no claims but customers have told me ____" and that is all.

I find that UNREFINED shea is best. It is less greasy and has extra "good for the skin" stuff than it's refined counterpart. The only downside to shea butter in general is that those with latex allergies should avoid it. For me, "if it's not broke, don't fix it"

still trying to trouble shoot this. I have taken my recipe to the very basics...1 pound of BS, .5 pound of citric, water and liquid colorant to make 1 tsp. and .5 TB FO. If I used no water they did not hold together.

No fizzing, but they are sticky. it's weird! They stick to the paper they are on they are still maleable 12 hours later, like a very stiff crumbly playdough. they are staying together, not warty. But they are flattening a little on one side. The only thing I can think is that maybe my citric has taken on some moisture? I buy it 50 pounds at time and store it in zip loc bags inside in my soaping closet. It's about 6 months old. BUT by my calculations from a few years ago, 1 cups of citric is equal to .5 lb - and it's still that way. You would think that it would take less volume to make the same weight if it had absorbed moisture.

It is a puzzlement! But now at least my bombs have LESS oil. No one has complained about my bombs yet, but who knows? Maybe I've lost customers because they were too oily. I liked the oil myself.

I definitely have soap envy. I adore your stamp and your torn paper cigar labels. The whole look is beautiful and classy. I think you will sell lots of soap!

Thanks! Actually the labels are all hand burned - you don't catch that in the pic, but in person it is WOW! But dang, that was quite the process, burning all those labels!

Mine are ROCK hard most of the time even without using butters. I think it's the water I'd hate to say....

hmmm, I'm not sure I want to ad slsa...I will just have to play around with my recipe more I guess. I have tried using little or no water and they just don't stick together well.

Thanks for the advice!

Braggin'! I am so pleased with how my redesign turned out!

The warty surface is the reaction of the citric and bicarb made possible by the liquid (water, witch hazel, etc) in the mix plus humidity in the area you're making/curing them.

I'd drop the water.

Do you have something to help emulsify the oils? Bath bombs that use oils/butters leave oil slicks in tubs.

I don't emulsify anything. I just put all the liquid ingredients in a measuring cup and pour them in my powders in a kitchenaid mixer. I could use my stick blender to emulsify the oils first. That might really help actually. Yes, the tub is a little oily after (and I warn people of that too). How could I make a bomb without oil or butter? how would it hold together?

Wow. I usually don't use the liquid oils, and my FO amount is much lower than yours is. I use Cocoa Butter in mine, about 3 oz. But I measure all of my stuff by weight, and not by volume. Also, I don't end up using water, or witch hazel. Don't need to. I'm wondering if your water is too much and making the oil not bind with it. The warty appearance can be from the water reacting to the citric acid as well.

I do weigh my powders but I was posting the volume cause it was easier, lol. It's 1# 3.3 oz baking soda, 8.4 oz citric and 4.9 oz cornstarch. would you use 3 oz Cocoa butter for that? how much FO are you using?

What I don't get if it's the water is I used the same formulation for all my bombs. Most are just fine. Like on Wednesday I made five different fragranced batches and only one ended up warty and bleeding out.

I've been making successful bath bombs for years, but for me "successful" is about 70%, lol! I'm trying to figure out causes for some of my "bombed bombs"

I've had a couple of batches that have been warty, really warty and the oil has released and completely soaked through the paper underneath. Very weird! I actually kinda like the look of the little bumps on the bombs, but the oil releasing is bothersome.

I used the following recipe:

2 cups Baking soda

1 cup citric

1 cup corn starch

5 TB liquid oils (usually combo of sunflower and castor)

heaping shot of water with the liquid colorant in it (that's like 2 TB - I know some people cringe at this, but it works for me!)

1.5 TB FO

I was wondering if maybe I had mismeasured the oils and put too much in? Help woudl be great.

Ok, got it. I never scrolled down enough to even see the icon at the bottom, lol! But I could have sworn the one on the left was directing right, tried it just now and it didn't though. all fixed now! Thanks!

could you clarify what you mean? Do you mean my Facebook isn't connected with a wix platform similar to my site? The link to facebook from www.mysoapenvy.com takes people to my soap envy page on FB. Just checked. Thanks!

I thought it was a log mold! thanks for the tutorial!

Those were done in a log mold or slab? gorgeous!

Thank you!

Owosso is a company that makes dies for stamping a variety of things, including soap. You can find them at http://www.owossographic.com/Home.aspx. I love the double mint too! Just sold out though and I failed to get another batch curing so I need to get to work! Thanks for the compliments everyone!

thanks! That's what I was going for...just getting down to business and focusing on the products! I designed my stamp and had it made at owosso of course.

I'm loving my new site! Very basic, but I like it!

www.mysoapenvy.com

:yay::yay:

I know you said you went to cash and carry, but just wanted to be sure you looked in the cooler section where the meats are. I get mine there. It is Viva brand in a white box and it's like 40-45 pounds for about 35-40 bucks.

The whole debate over whether or not this is "sick" or "dirty" and such is laughable. Not only because people get so defensive, but because when it comes to cold process soap milk is milk is milk as far as animal or human milks go. You will probably see a difference in fat content, but what "germs" or what not will survive saponification?

ETA - reminds me of those who feel strongly that milk MUST be pasturized before soaping!