Jadryga

She's always had a day job actually, Kymber, and I know she's worked the graveyard shift before, so I'm pretty sure that's not what's been eating her time. I hope you get things resolved though.

She did leave a note on her website that she has a fam emergency, actually. It's been there for a pretty long time, ever since it began.

I know she's been pretty stressed and exhausted before, so this fam emergency can't be good. I'm hoping she's alright, but I do know she's overdue for a good, long vacation. She's always been responsible though, as far as shipping and stuff goes. Still, family comes first, so I'm crossing my fingers in hope that everything's sorted for her.

Essential Wholesale has some too.

Which probably explains the "low sweat".. ah well, can't have your cake and eat it too, I guess well, best thing to do is get the bases and experiment, I should think! Was thinking half and half LS and goat's milk/shea, but maybe I'll try 1:3 LS and goat's milk/shea too and see.

The lotioncrafter tubes are pretty

I don't mind wrapping them, but I'm not too keen on shrink wrap... would rather use something paper-like, but that might not do too well if the soap keeps sweating... ah well, I guess I'll just have to experiment and see! Are the LS bases really bad?

A little dimethicone should help with glide though, as well as subbing a little FCO for the coconut oil or cocoa butter.

No syndets at all actually, from what I've seen of their ingredients lists. Which is awesome.

I don't know about supermarkets there, but I got mine from Garden of Wisdom. Lots of other places have it too... FNWL, Soapdish.com, Southern Soapers, Lotioncrafter...

Awesome tips, ladies, thanks! Ok, is it an absolute must to shrink wrap them, even after letting them set under a fan/ac?

Dang, I was hoping I'd be able to mix the SFIC low sweat with goat's milk and maybe lessen the sweating Thanks for the input though, Pepperi.

As a consumer, creamy. I look at lots of lather, and I can practically feel the moisture being washed out of my skin, though that might be somewhat psychological

I want to get some SFIC bases from the co-op to play with! Now, if I mix LS white with goat's milk, will I get something that will potentially sweat less? It's very humid here, so that's a concern for me. Any input would be appreciated. TIA!

Hmm... I'm thinking of getting some SFIC bases from the co-op to play with. Do soap stamps work with MP soaps?

Melt everything, take off heat, add flavor oil or coloring, then pour into lip balm tubes/tubs. For lip balm tubes, try not to fill all the way to the top first, cos as it cools there will be a little sink hole from the shrinkage. After the sink hole forms, you top up a little bit to get a nice, smooth top. There are many ways to fill. The cheapest would be to just use pipettes, but it takes a while to get the hang of it, and if you're not fast, the balm will cool and clog up the pipette. The fastest and easiest would be to get a lip balm tray, so you can pour up to 50 at once! Here's a step-by-step tutorial to lip balm making, with pictures, and good hints and tips: http://soapersworkshop.blogspot.com/2007/10/lip-balm-picture-tutorial.html

I remember some statements on the Dish that some of the other polymer emulsifiers pill, though I can't remember if that's FCM. I know fusion magic doesn't pill very much at all, though some ingredients might make it more prone to pilling. I have some FM, but I've yet to play with it. Maybe it's time

I doubt it... I came back much later and noticed a little I spilled by the sink, and there were absolutely no bugs, not even ants. It's very insect-ey here in Malaysia, tropical country and all, and I don't really like ants, so I'm particularly observant when it comes to insects. I know peppermint repels them, same with cinnamon, so the drop of peppermint eo I added might have something to do with it I also didn't add starch, just arrowroot powder, and so far I've found no evidence of ants liking arrowroot powder. The only thing I'd probably have to worry about is the honey powder, but even that... no takers so far, although with liquid honey, I have to either keep my liquid honey in the fridge or in a little bowl of water like a moat so the ants can't cross. Once I was horrified to realize that I'd left my little honey castle under an overhanging kitchen appliance, and the ants had climbed up the appliance to the overhanging bit, then dropped down onto the honey jar, Mission Impossible style. Relentless buggers.

I needed a quick hair fix earlier, so I rummaged through my B&B supplies and made something up real fast. I like it though! Thought I'd share before I forget. I was eyeballing everything, so this is more of a guideline than a concrete recipe. 4 parts arrowroot powder 2 parts vanilla powder 1 part honey powder 1 part finely ground herbs OR a teeny bit of eo I used a measly drop of peppermint eo in half a baby food jar of dry shampoo, and that nearly overpowered the whole thing. I probably should've just ground some peppermint leaves, but I didn't have time. I think ground lavender or chamomile would be nice too, but I'm out of both. Mix well and bottle. I know it looks like a food recipe, but none of that came from my kitchen... I hoard me spices :embarasse This smells pretty good as is, but since I have black hair, I also wanted something that wouldn't really scream DRY SHAMPOO in my hair, so I added some cocoa powder to uhh... taste? I used the Van Houten 20% cocoa butter stuff, so maybe it moisturized some too Finely ground coffee would work as well, I'd imagine, and be good for deodorizing. Add a touch of cinnamon, mmm! Redheads could try a little red reef clay or ground hibiscus petals. Rub into scalp well and brush out thoroughly. I like it so far. It doesn't give my hair that repulsive squeaky, dry feel I sometimes get from dry shampoo recipes with mostly starch. It's absorbs just enough oil to take away the greasy locks look so I feel somewhat refreshed, and gently scent my hair. I've been using vanilla powder in my vinegar rinse to cut the vinegar tang, and I think it adds a little to shine, though I'm not sure. I'm thinking of adding a little aloe powder to the mix as well next round. Anyhow, enjoy! ETA: Forgot to add... if you'd like to make this as an edible body powder, you could probably add a little lip safe mica if you like for shine, or some stevia powder if you'd like it a little sweeter.

It looks deliciously like icing...

Actually, I was researching last night for a serum I wanted to make for me, and vitamin B3 Niaminacide struck me as interesting in this sense. "Niacinamide is the active form of Vitamin B3. A safe, nonirritating cosmeceutical ingredient which research shows can offer a number of benefits in improving the appearance of aged and photodamaged skin. Studies have shown topical niacinamide to be effective in improving skin texture and the appearance of hyperpigmented spots, with improvement in overall blotchiness and the reduction of the severity of fine lines. It has been shown to stimulate collagen synthesis and production of ceramide, a lipid compound that contributes to the functional and structural integrity of the skin barrier. Theoretically, by improving barrier integrity, niacinamide may help the skin become more resistant to external irritants." -- Excerpt from Lotioncrafter http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/Vitamin-B3-Niacinamide-USP-pr-16292.html

Check out the "Similar Threads" function at the bottom of this page, there are a number of threads on this that are pretty helpful. Thank you mods for that cool feature!

Actually, Donna, that last one's kinda cool! Hemp Haze lotion!

Shea's a Stoner lotion ETA: Shea's Stoned lotion! Shea's Happy lotion! ... ok, time to go... :tiptoe: