Jeana

I used to use the low sweat base from Peaks. Now I've been playing with a few from Stephenson's. I can tell a BIG difference in lather. They are nice, but I"m worried that people won't like the low suds. Can anyone recommend a good soap base without propylene glycol?

On 1/27/2020 at 11:11 AM, Lighten Up said:

Did they happen to give you anytime frame for that? I hope they warn us so I can stock up.

I have an email out to them. I'll let you know when I hear back. It may not wick different. 

On 1/22/2020 at 4:47 PM, Lighten Up said:

 

I'd be interested in what you find out, I use a lot of that oil and I'm already burned on their Vanilla Hazelnut going away.

So here is the response from CS. 

"The formulation of Very Vanilla did not change. However, we are actively developing another version of Very Vanilla that allows a higher usage rate for body care products, although it is not available for purchase at this time."

So, it didn't change, but it's going to. I guess the question now is whether the new one will wick different LOL. 

I sent an email, hopefully I'll hear back tomorrow. 

19 minutes ago, Candybee said:

Love the colors. I could never get my natural colorants to do what I wanted from them. Also, many I found were grainy or scratchy so eventually I gave up. 

 

However, your soapies are an inspiration.

 

I do love indigo and tumeric. They are brilliant in soap!

Some of these will be a little scratchy, but I've been asked to make more exfoliating soaps, so I did the colorants and herbs without infusing them this time.

10 minutes ago, Lighten Up said:

 

As far as  know, they did not change it. I talked to them about it when that notice was posted. 

That is just a notification that it no longer passed updated standards for personal care. You can always message them to make sure.

The last time I spoke to them about FOs, they said they were changing all of their FOs to make them all prop 65 compliant and Phthalate free. I was told that was why they discontinued some of them, because they weren't able to reformulate them to meet these standards. Maybe this scent hasn't gone through the changes yet, or it was already meeting their new standards so they didn't have to change it. I guess I need to ask them now.  

18 minutes ago, Lighten Up said:

 

When did it change?

The website says 8/15/19. It's no longer skin safe either. 

Can anyone tell me if the new version of Very Vanilla from CS wicks the same as the old version? I still have some old version left and I need to do some testers, but if it's different I'll just get the new stuff. 

4 minutes ago, pughaus said:

Those are stunning!!

Thank you! :) 

12 minutes ago, Sarah S said:

Wow, those are Beautiful! So colorful!

Thank you! 

3 minutes ago, Sarah S said:

Which colorants did you use? When I try to go natural, my soap is just many shades of brown. 😂😂

The blues are indigo, and alkanet. The oranges are a combo of paprika and turmeric. The red is Aussie clay. The tan stripe is a mix of ginger powder and ground apricot seed. The kind of burgundy color is sandalwood powder. The brown is cocoa powder. The green is a mica, but the rest of the colors are natural. 

This week I dug out some of my natural colorants to play with. I learned so much. It's nice to know after soaping for so many years there's still a lot to learn. 

Thanks for clearing that up. 

What’s the difference of emulsified sugar scrubs and foaming sugar scrubs?

I want try making some foaming soap scrubs, mostly for myself and for gifts. I see there are a few ways to go about this. Some make their base from scratch with a mix of potassium hydroxide/sodium hydroxide. Then others use surfactants to make their base. Then there are the pre-made bases. 

The pre-made bases sound the best to me right now just to get started, but I don't like what I'm seeing in the ingredients. 

So my questions are:

1. Can anyone recommend a more natural pre-made foaming soap base?

2. Do people who make their own base prefer the surfactant method, or the KOH/NAOH method?

3. Do all the made from scratch bases need preservatives? How do you know they are working? 

2 hours ago, Laura C said:

 

Done. I just ordered this respirator on Amazon and the extra filters with the charcoal, for organic vapors. Thanks again for the info @Jeana.

Let me know if you like it. I hope you do.

2 minutes ago, jerry said:

Do folks wear a respirator when making soap too? Probably, but just checking...small 4 lb batch max.

I wear mine when mixing the lye. If I'm making several batches I'll keep it on. But if it's only one or two I usually take it off, unless I'm having a bad breathing day or working with FOs. I have some asthma/allergies sometimes. I do much better with EO soaps than FO soaps. 

1 hour ago, Laura C said:

 

Awesome @Jeana, thank you so much for telling me about that. I had forgotten about that type of respirator. That's probably what I'll get and yes, P100 all the way. It looks and sounds perfect and even better when a candle maker like you recommends it and loves it. I was wondering about those issues you brought up with the 3M masks, they look heavy and I have neck problems. In the reviews some people mentioned that their glasses don't set properly with the mask on. I wear glasses. Do you wear glasses? Do you have that problem? I'll see if they have a size chart or maybe I can call them and ask.

I wear glasses or my safety glasses. They are a bit awkward, but not enough to get frustrated with. My glasses are just a little off placement of where they are suppose to sit. 

You can get these at other places cheaper. I think one place on amazon recently had them for $15. The filters that come with them are usually not the vapor filters, you have to order them separately. The regular filters are still rated P100, but the odor filters with the charcoal make a big difference. 

When I'm making a lot of strong candles I still get whiffs of the scent sometimes. Just warning you because when I first got it, I was a little annoyed that the scent wasn't 100% blocked out. It still keeps me from feeling sick from all the FO fumes. I'm very scent sensitive after working with scents for so long now. I also use it when mixing my lye for soap, and when I make bath bombs. I used this mask when I was renovating parts of my house. This this is an incredible particle mask. I did a lot of sanding and cement grinding with it on, and none of that got in my lungs. 

1 hour ago, Laura C said:

Hello Everyone.

Including the other post I made above, here's more info on the topic of respirators (personal safety gear). Since I have bookmarked this info, wanted to share it. If anyone has additional tips or info, feel free to share. I've seen some with great reviews but does anyone use a "P" rated respirator that they recommend? I want it to be reusable, comfortable, adjustable and the quick release type. This one looks and sounds good and has great reviews but doesn't have the quick release feature. https://www.lowes.com/pd/3M-Reusable-Painting-Valved-Safety-Mask/1000035337

 

From the reading I have been doing, it looks like candle makers should use one of these types of respirators (P rated). The Ratings info came from the below link: "Types of Respirator Masks per HomeDepot".

P Ratings are oil proof

• P95 – filters at least 95% of airborne particles
• P99 – filters at least 99% of airborne particles
• P100 – filters at least 99.7% of airborne particles

Respirator Selection Info per 3M https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/safety-centers-of-expertise-us/respiratory-protection/respirator-selection/

Respirator Selection Guide per 3M https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/639110O/3m-respirator-selection-guide.pdf

Types of Respirator Masks per HomeDepot https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/types-of-respirator-masks/9ba683603be9fa5395fab907a681adb

 

I don't know how reliable these below size charts are, probably best to contact 3M or the mask maker of your choice and ask about proper fit and sizes. Those were the best charts I could find. For instance, per the "Size Picker" chart, I would need a Large respirator. I was surprised because I assumed I needed a Medium. I'm going to call 3M and talk to someone to confirm the size before I buy one.

Respirator Sizing Guide https://artprimo.com/catalog/images/misc/art-primo-respirator-sizing-guide-m.jpg

Respirator Size Picker https://www.sheffield-pottery.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/respirator-size-picker.jpg

Have you seen these? https://www.rockler.com/gvs-elipse-p100-half-mask-respirators?sid=V9146?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_XpBRCCARIsAItJiuTkR3VW8mU5rhUrxCqscB2JC-j2nz_MUB4jTR_pOEa4JJXtYXEUzJQaAiRBEALw_wcB

I love this mask. I get the s/m. I used to wear the regular masks like the 3m you posted. I could never find one small enough for me, and they are hard to work with them on for a few hours at a time, they are very heavy and made my neck hurt. The filters stick out far and it's hard to see while you look down to work too. The Ellipse mask is super light weight, easy to get on and off, and the filters are close to your face so you can look down and see your work easier. I wear this mask for 3-4 hours sometimes, and it never hurts my face, or neck. You have to get the p-100 charcoal filters for the vapor protection. 

Where area are you located in? Shipping is very expensive from most suppliers unless you live close enough to pick orders up.

Can anyone recommend a place to get a wood sign made with my logo on it? There are a ton of wood workers on Etsy but it would be nice to buy from someone who comes highly recommended. 

Can anyone recommend an FO that really smells like Beeswax or Honey? I have a few of them, but none of them smell very real to me. 

On 6/8/2019 at 7:37 AM, CaptnKush said:

Any of you 4630 users also tried 4627? If so, is there any difference other than one is slab form? I currently love 4627 for both candles by itself and mixing with soy. Jar adhesion and scent throw is the best, but I am kinda getting tired of scooping out of the box.

I've used both to blend with various soys. I prefer 4627. I love the look of the end product better. The adhesion is awesome, and I rarely have any cracking when it's cooler outside. I am intrigued that 4627 can be so soft, but hold up to the high temps.

I tried both of them without soy, but I'm not a big fan of 100% paraffin. The FOs take on a different smell to me in 100% paraffin. So I stick with using 4627 as a blending wax. 

Here is how I make 4627 easier to handle. I cut the top off the plastic, then use a blow dryer (heat gun melts the plastic) to heat all the extra wax on the sides of the plastic into the wax block. Then warm the package away from the block, on all sides. Then cut the plastic all the way down, to have access to the wax. I use a very firm drywall knife to cut the wax. I have very little mess or waste with this technique. It's a little more prep time doing this routine, but it eliminates battling with a mess every time I make candles, and it goes quicker than it sounds.  

Also, I like 4627 better because it never changes consistency. I used 4630 for many years in my wax blend. I never knew if I was going to get a soft batch or a hard batch each time I ordered. And I always wondered if that was messing with my burns. 

1 hour ago, Sarah S said:

 

You can't mix the OE from CS with other scents, it just eliminates the other scents. Total bummer, but that's how well it works! 😂

 

Yeah so, the problem is I can't be sure if it's the EO additive doing its job or just the strong FO and honestly I haven't done a ton of testing yet. I do have a candle with a lighter laundry type FO and the OE additive going in the kids bathroon right now (also home to the litter box, those poor kids), and its smelling pretty good. I've been using it in the kitchen with the new zucchini blossom from CW, and it does a good job with standard kitchen odors, but that zucchini blossom is kickin all by itself so that's a tough call. I really need to make a candle with just the additive and no FO to properly test it I'm thinking. 🤔

I've been struggling with trying to figure if its worth it to buy the additive or not. i love the idea, but i'm just not sure how to come to a conclusive answer. I kind of feel like every strong candle I've burned gets rid of all the orders I've ever dealt with. And I live by people with a lot of horses. And burning even a medium throw candle allows me to be able to have my doors open on hot days LOL Keep me posted if you  find anything conclusively beneficial with using the additive. 

4 hours ago, Sarah S said:

 

At 1% I can't tell, at 2% it does do a better job eliminating other odors so just the candle smell remains.  It isn't nearly as good as the odor eliminator fragrance oil from CS, that stuff is magical!! Sadly it's just the one fragrance though. 

I feel like this additive works best with a FO that is already strong, and it helps to boost the scent. I'm going to try it with smelly jellies next.

Do you put the OE from CS with other scents? I can’t stand the smell of theirs. I liked the fact that the OE from CC is supposed to be used with other FOs. I was told it’s supposed to have enzymes that break down oder in it. 

If the only way you see a difference is with a strong FO, how do you know if the oder eliminating is coming from the OE or just the strong FO? And how are you testing the actual oder elimination? I don’t have a smelly house lol, so I’ve been just checking for a strong throw.