homespundeb

I have never had to put my soap in the oven after adding salt - as a matter of fact, I just made another batch of my salt bars last night. I just add equal amounts of salt (sea salt) at trace as I have oils. (In other words, if I have 72 ounces oils, I add 72 ounces salt). I superfat pretty high on these, though. I grew up near the beach and always loved the way my skin felt after swimming - These feel so nice!

I forgot to add that almost nine years later, I am still reading, and I have a decent business going.

Have you done any reading up on soapmaking before you tried your first batch? Once you have gotten your oils and Lye/water mixture down to the temperatures they need to be to mix (usually between 90 and 100 degrees), you add your lye solution to your oils and stir. I usually stir for the first three to five minutes byt hand to get a feel for the mix.Then I mix with a stick blender on low for about ten seconds at a time. Trace happens as the oils begin to saponify, that is the lye starts doing its job. The mix will start to thicken up a bit, and if you feel your pot on the outside, it will start to heat up a little. Light trace is when it is no longer "watery" but starting to thicken. Medium to heavy trace is when you remove your stick blender and can still see the circle where it was. This is when you pour into your mold. You used Olive oil at a pretty decent amount - olive oil takes a while to trace. I am assuming because you said you just made your first batch, that it is in the mold already. If so, were you maybe wondering about "gel" stage? You really need to be very well informed about the whole procedure before getting into it. Lye can be dangerous as well as destructive - on my first batch, I had too much for my mold and dumped the leftover down the drain. Imagine my surprise a few days later when my cabinet under the sink was flooded because the raw soap had sat there in the drain long enough to eat through our old plumbing. So read read read!!!!Then read some more!!!!!

Reminded me of the time I tried the old "bite the soap" method for curing bad words in a three year old. She bit it - and liked it!!!!!:rolleyes2

Hi - if you just made your soap, the fragrance hasn't really "Melded" yet. I have used that fragrance at 1 oz per lb and it came out just fine once I had cut the soap and cured it. Give it time. I agree with the rest of them - some of my best soaps were the uglies - and just cause the top is ugly doesn't mean you can't shave it off. Remember - as with all of us - the beauty is within!!!!!Keep on trying!!!

Hi - I have been searching for a good source for Lemon Eucalyptus Oil - many of the sites that used to carry it no longer carry it. Does anyone else use it? I really need to get my summer soaps done and this is the last thing I need. Thanks!!!!!

Yes - the bamboo charcoal is what I am looking for, but all I can find are little cubes. What worries me is that one of the sites said there was a coating added to help it light. So I think I am going to just use regular activated charcoal powder from a health food site and add some Rhassoul clay as well.

Thanks - Actually, I am using it for psoriasis and acne. My son has psoriasis and has used my soaps for 8 years and has had very few and very mild outbreaks since we stopped using the prescription whatevers and just started using common sense. I heard about charcoal soap from a dermatologist, so am going to try it for my daughter for her "back-ne". She has outbreaks of acne on her back.

Hi - I am new here, but I have been making soap for over 8 years. I am interested in making a charcoal soap for my daughter. Does anyone have any idea where to get the powder, and how much to use? I know Lush makes one, and there was another bar I found in a search, but I have not found anyone else with any ideas. Anybody? Thanks!:smiley2: