Jadryga

Ooh, just wondering... would it be viable to replace the shea/cocoa/mango butter with say... macadamia butter? I don't want to use cocoa butter, which is what's available locally, and shipping Lipidthix is way better investment for me than shipping the same weight in shea/mango butter. Sample recipe: 2 oz beeswax 2 oz macadamia butter 2 oz oil

Methinks this should be in the Business Side section. Though, what exactly do you mean by "might be associated with someone else"? Dr. Feelgood is a toughie, since the name is used for an English band, a Kama Sutra fo and a BeneFit primer.

For some reason your soaps remind me of some local pastries. Maybe... it's time for some breakfast! Otherwise, looks yummy!

I don't like FOs... especially florals. I've always been very discriminating about smells and they generally have this cloying, artificial quality that I don't like. I get headaches and irritable if a scent is too strong... probably doesn't help that I've gotten used to using my own concoctions that are lightly or un-scented. Fresh, crisp, blue-ish scents usually go alright with me though, but not too strongly either (Davidoff Cool Water... Mmm!)

Maybe I should compile one of these things as an e-book. Anal Research & Compilation Tendencies kicking in!

I don't know if you're still looking for this stuff... http://aardvarkclay.com/new_pages/clays.html http://www.flatrockclay.com/moistclays.html http://www.clayworld.com/Categories.bok?category=Moist+Clay%3AAardvark+Moist+Clays

I know this is an old thread, but hmm... I don't know if I'm reading this right, but sweet almond oil isn't exactly "sweet". You'll have to use something else like honey, agave, stevia or a sweetener like MMS' Sugar Kisses. On the other hand, you can use whatever oils you want to replace sao, it's up to you.

hehe, I got that before I found my castor oil source... local pharmacies don't carry it anymore. I asked a lot of people, and got a lot of responses ranging from simply puzzled to concern for my health ("Do you know that stuff can kill you?!" "Uhm, I'm not going to drink it...")

...Wow... preservatives are pretty high on that ingredients list... Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM), Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root (Extract), Cetyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol and Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 80, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance, Glucosamine Sulfate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Sodium Benzoate, Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract. There are more preservatives and extracts than oils?

Looks awesome, Groovy! And Grandma.. SOAP! SOAP! SOAP! Sleep is for the weak!

DH and I do freelance graphic design (L) (LB) and [non-functional] (WD)

Bunny, I have to agree with the rest. Yours has the best flow. It just rolls off the tongue. LOtions and POtions and SOAPS, oh MY! I did what Tall Blonde tried, and I came up with... http://www.lotionsandpotions.com http://www.lotionandpotion.com http://www.lotionspotions.com Time to pull out that trademark rifle! Update: Ahhh. They're all from the same company. Franchises, I guess.

How about using Honeyquat instead? I like the idea of honey in my stuff better than hydrovance (not to mention "honey" always has label appeal).

Try living in a tropical country I import my soaps from the Philippines, they're wrapped in plastic, but the girl there didn't pack them right so they got tossed around and some tore. I patched up as much as I could, but the little holes here and there that I missed practically sprouted glycerin growths. Had to rewrap a LOT of soaps.

I love you guys Isn't it amazing how far cellphone cameras have progressed? I took those on my cell and resized them

If this is the same thing, Lotioncrafter recommends only 1-2.5% http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/Silk-Amino-Acids-pr-16295.html I was thinking... anyone tried hydrolyzed oats in their body butters? http://lotioncrafter.com/store/Cromoist-O-25-Hydrolyzed-Oats-pr-16266.html

Yeah I just replaced my black toner, paid 255 ringgit (roughly $74) and am dreading the day the other 3 color toners run out. Then again, I think it pans out, or actually, is even cheaper to get a laser printer in the long run. Each of my toners has a 2,500 page yield (that's low already, some of the cartridges for more expensive machines have a 10,000-20,000 page yield per toner) compared to the 200-400 page yield inkjet cartridges have on average, and original inkjet cartridges are like, 50-70 ringgit ($15-20). I've only replaced one cartridge in over a year, compared to the 4-5 cartridges per color I've seen my office inkjet printer go through in roughly the same (or shorter) period of time. There are knock-offs that cost about 20 ringgit per cartridge, but those are like playing Russian roulette with your printer. Makes me wonder what on earth I've been printing. Also saves me the cost of getting waterproof labels and time spent spraying Krylon. Love my HP 2600n

Bentonite gives it that "slick" shave-y feel though. Maybe keep the bentonite and add some kaolin to lighten the color?

I just re-arranged and renovated my little soap corner at the boutique my mom and I own... Just HAD to put a few piccies up! I know it's not much at the moment... haven't finished deciding what else I want in the line, though cleansing grains, dry masks and (when I can) some lotion from Lindsay are definitely on the list... but I like it!

In my experience, laser ink, no matter what it's printed on, is waterproof. I got a laser printer for the speed of print, and was pleasantly surprised to realize that my soap labels, which are plain ol' paper, didn't smear at all when I accidentally dripped water on it once.

Makes me so sad that I have a laserjet printer, yet I can't find clear labels ANYWHERE locally.

Tada! Waterproof clear inkjet labels! http://www.rippedsheets.com/nr/bw11.05.html http://www.rippedsheets.com/inkjet/104090waterproofClearLabel.html This might be handy though... A small excerpt from the "tips" page by The Buying Group: I'm sure there are many of you out there who have seen my recommendations for using Avery clear inkjet labels, and waterproofing them with Krylon Triple Thick Crystal Clear glaze. This method works great for every product except those that are stored in the shower, such as shower gel. I obsessed for a while over why this happened, and I think I've finally figured it out. In order to make the ink adhere to the labels, they're coated with a matte finish, that will scrape or rub off with water, no matter what you spray on it as a coating. Hence, with each use a little more of the coating comes off, until the bottle is left with just a clear, empty, and shiny label stuck to it. Once I figured this much out, I obsessed over what to do about it. The answer was so obvious, I had to smack myself for not thinking of it before. I now cover the label with another clear label. Since the issue has never been getting the labels to stick to the bottles (they stick darn well) this works great. And with a little practice, it's not difficult at all to line them up straight. But if you try this, you will notice that the matte finish mentioned above leaves the labels slightly blurry, again a less than desirable result. So, once you've stuck the second label on good and tight, run the bottle under water and use a nail brush to scrub off that finish. It only takes about 20 seconds, and the result is a very shiny, waterproof, and professional looking label which looks exceptionally good (if I do say so myself) on clear bottles. The clear labels do not show up on dark items, such as cobalt bottles. However, I've been toying with some ideas, and so far the best one seems to be this: Cut a piece of white or light colored paper slightly smaller than your label (maybe, 1/8" all around). Stick this behind the label for contrast. Then cover with the second label and proceed as above. I hope this helps someone, and if you have any questions, just ask! http://www.the-buying-group.com/tricks.php

Ooh... what does plum kernel oil smell like?

I think Avery has some waterproof ones.. never really had to test this, since laserjet printers don't smudge at any rate, so I might be wrong.

AHA! Done with my experiment. Just thought I'd update. Dry roasted the beans in a pan for about 1+ minutes. This definitely makes it easier to grind, cuts my grinding time significantly, though I'm not sure if it makes it any finer. The dry roasted powder, after cooled, is also more free flowing than the untampered beans. Dry roasting gives it more of the "red bean" aroma I associate with desserts and less of the green herbaceous scent I've noticed in the untampered beans. This may be caused by a lessening of tannins due to the roasting, though that's just a theory. I'll have to test the beans later to see. If that's so, it'll be less astringent.