dogmom1

So glad someone was able to help you upload that pic. Your soap is really beautiful!

Can anyone else see the pic in the second post?

No, I just see a box with a question mark in it. Wish I could help but I've only uploaded a couple pix and that was a long time ago.

Hi,

My Walmart carries it and it's not even a Super Walmart. They actually had two different brands last time I checked.

I've also seen a box of sugar called Sugar in the Raw that looks a lot like turbinado sugar.

HTH

Ei

Thanks everyone.... I think! LOL I'm looking at all the scales in that "country store". I may just have to get one that's a little better than the WALMART one I have. Stella, that's a great set of weights for sure! I'll take a look on eBay too, and that quarter info is very cool too. I love a day when I learn something new!

Thanks again!

I've been looking online for an hour and still have no idea what to get. Because i'm measuring lye, I want to be able to check my scale for accuracy since it sometimes gets bumped, handled roughly, etc.

Those of you who use them, what brands? Where did you buy them?

Thanks!

I have recently ventured into soap making, so far using the M&P bases. After spending the morning reading on the web about the ingredients in a M&P base I bought, I started considering the possibility of making soap "from scratch."

My first question has already been answered by opening this thread....where to buy lye! We have a Lowes right here in town.

DO IT!! DO IT!! Be careful and take all the precautions the experts on this forum tell you to take, even if you think you can skip one/some of them. Then have a ball! It's the best fun, such a visceral experience to take oils and butters, mix with a dangerous, caustic substance, and make the best soap you've ever used!

I highly recommend Eugenia's tutorial and her first soap recipe. i didn't do the infusion (can't remember at this moment what it was exactly) but the recipe itself is simple and her tutorial is great. If you follow it you will not be disappointed, the soap is lovely! you may already have seen it and heard all this already but in case you haven't......

Have fun!

Eileen

Received this response from Roebic this morning. Looks like I'll be using their product.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Our Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener is 100% lye and many thousands of people

use this product in their soap making.

We are pleased to be of service in this way and thank you for choosing

Roebic products.

Happy New Year!

Thanks Stella and Kitn. Not clumpy at all, nice and fine. I wrote to the company late yesterday. I'll let you know what/if I hear back.

Hi,

I usually order lye online, but just read a post about Roebic lye at Lowes and asked my girlfriend to pick it up for me since she has a Lowes close by. Now that I opened it I see it's not sealed. Is there a way to tell if it's "full strength"? Have those of you who buy it there ever have a problem with it?

TIA!

Ei

Icecold, thanks so much for answering. guess I'll give them a call and see if I can get a few samples.

How are shipping costs? I looked at the site but you have to start checkout to see shipping and I didn't want to do that. I live in NJ, so it's pretty close.

Thx,

Eileen

That stinks Kitn, but I'll bet you'll make sure it doesn't happen again! I still haven't had time to try those cute sugar scrubs, darn it, but I will soon. :smiley2:

Thanks TexasBrat, good to know! I believe I have figured it out by combining the info everyone sent my way. :-)

I appreciate all the answers, thanks ALL for your help!

Ei

Jeanie, my jojoba is the clear that Bianca mentioned, but thanks for answering.

Bianca, I was thinking I might just "split the diff" in a couple of formulas I have that already use some of each. Thanks.

Kitn, i think your answer will help me, I'm going to check after supper. I'm hoping I can see the difference. Thank you. Have to tell you after reading all the posts about your scrub recipe I'm finally going to give it a try. Thanks for sharing it!

I'm embarrassed to admit this happened to me.

I bought both from WSP a while back. Now the labels are totally unreadable. I've learned my lesson for sure, but does anyone know how I can tell which is which? Or is it hopeless?

TIA!

Thanx Steve and mori! They all smell ok. I keep most oils in the refrigerator, butters too. Those that are older and didn't fit in the fridge I'll use for just for family. I stopped making anything for a long time and am kicking myself about the money I wasted. This time around I have a formula I love and I will not allow myself to keep trying to invent more on soapcalc. It really is a dangerous addiction. LOL

Normal life varies from oil to oil. Some are more stable than others. Mori, I primarily use olive, babassu, coconut, castor, and shea.

Thanks.

I've tried searching on "old oils" and just get tons of results with "oils". If I use oils that smell and look ok but are past the normal life of the oil, will it affect the life or quality of the soap? Since the oils are changed by the saponification process, I'm hoping the soap will be fine.

Thanx!

thanks for the link scented. i'm very surprised no one else has responded. everyone seemed pretty worried about this a while ago and i know i wrote to everyone i could think of, with some rather pointed references to my voting tendencies and how they might change.... to the opposite party!!

i'll definitely read the contact list later and i WILL write, no time right now. this could be the break we need. i'm still not ready to sell, full time job keeps me too busy to have much time, but i do want to be able to sell when/if i want to, without the insane testing requirements that were proposed. i surely couldn't afford it!

eileen

It's been a few months since this post. Has anyone used the mold and if yes, how was it and how wide is each side?

Thx,

Ei

thanx everyone for responding!

WSP has a pretty long list of essential oils that are safe for lips. that's what prompted my question, since i have a number of oils from essential oil university and i believe they are known for quality oils. i haven't contacted them yet, been so busy i totally forgot till i saw all the replies.

Thnx talltayl. I'll check with them.

the site says they have the highest quality EOs, but i don't know if that means it's ok for lip gloss. can anyone help? i'd like to use the lime and maybe the orange.

tia

thanks blazerina and cedar_lea. i don't know it your theory is right cedar_lea, but i kinda like it!

i wonder if anyone else will red it and comment, one of the more experienced people on here.

i do find with my andel cream that after a while it smells a lot closer to the real thing. everyone who comments always thinks it's angel and i gave some to a friend who also loves angel and she said the same thing.

that being said, i have some natural cocoa butter and might just give it a try.

i know it also depends on the FO/EO, but what light oil changes scent the least and which oils seem to affect scent the most? i have a great angel dupe that's dead on in CPHP but different in a cream formula i made.

i searched but didn't have much luck. any suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks!