Penny

Beau-ti-ful presentation. If I were looking for a gift, I would definitely buy a votive in a box rather than unwrapped. Less work for the purchaser and professional looking. I would pay $5 for the presentation and convenience of just having to drop it in a gift bag.

BEAUTIFUL!!! I really like your website. When I go to a website, I'm looking to get the same shopping experience that I do when I visit a store. I like sophistication and elegance--you have hit the mark for me. You have done a very good job. Some folks shop at JC Penney's and some shop at Macy's. Both very good stores but with a different ambiance.

YIPPY!!!! Thanks Vio. I restarted everything and I'm back in WHEWWWW!!!!!

I get a reply that says "Error - failed to connect to the WWW server" Hmmmmm

I can always come here and get just what I need. Who could ask for anything more--except for maybe an unlimited supply of soaping supplies. Top, I found a post of yours talking about the hardness #'s on SoapCalc. After I read it, it really cleared up some of the fogginess. You were talking about the iodine #. After I read your post, it all made perfectly good sense. I use a lot of OO in most of my formulations and my soaps come out really hard after a good curing time. I think I'll skip the stearic and keep experimenting with the PO. Thanks a lot for all the feedback.

Hi Top, thanks for replying. I can't get into SoapCalc. I've been trying since yesterday afternoon. Are you able to acccess it?

HELP! I am so lost. Does anyone have a copy of SoapCalc that they wouldn't mind sending to me?

Thanks so much for your responses. I'm just at the formulating stage of my recipe so I think I'll give it a go without the stearic and see what happens. You guys are GREAT!!!

Can someone please help me. I have a CP recipe that I've been working on and I really like. The problem is that when I use the soapcalk, it's coming up really soft. Hardness is 40. I plugged 5% stearic acid and it hardening increased just where I wanted it. My question is, have any of you used stearic in your soap? I've read a lot about it and am more confused than when I started. The stearic I would use is sourced from plants. Can you tell me the effect, other than hardening, the stearic had on your soap. Did you like it? TIA

Thanks for replying. Yeah, after I posted I realized I had posted in the wrong section. I'll repost in the soap section. Thanks again.

Hi Everybody. I'm making CP soap and was playing with the soapcalc and was wondering if anyone has used stearic acid in their soaps. My recipe is too soft, but I like the ingredients. Before I ruin my oils, I just wanted to get some feedback on how the stearic acid affected the soap hardness and quality. If I use the stearic, I can get my hardness # in a more acceptable range.

I just have to say, that this is why I love this board and all you wonderful folks on it. Everyone has given excellent, positive feedback allowing the person asking the question to be able to walk away without feeling like a bumbling idiot. My only suggestion is to ponder what's been said and come back with more information so that you can get the help you need. The folks on this board are always eager to help.

bunkie68. I make these and love them. When I first started making them, mine did the same as yours did. Try letting the cocoa butter mixture cool completely down, but not solid, before adding the citric acid. If the mixture is to warm, the citric acid will react. Someone asked if you had to put them in the freezer. The answer is no. I've used both methods. I prefer the way the tops look when I allow them to harden at room temperature. Try both ways and see which one you prefer. Using .5 oz. is probably good for a standard tub, but mine are slightly larger. Whenever you use an oily product in the tub, you have to be careful of slipping. The reason for not using an excessive amount is to avoid an oily mess.

Because it doesn't have water in it and not intended to come in contact with water, you don't need a preservative. But, I'm always afraid of creepy, crawly things and people putting their damp fingers in it, so I use a preservative anyway.

I'm not an expert, but I'll offer my 2 cents worth. Vit E is not a preservative, it's an antioxidant. I've used cornstarch to help cut the greasiness of butters and, to me, it worked great. Some folks don't like using cornstarch because of the way it feels. I find that if I use too much of it will feel a little grainy. Try using 1t/lb of the total weight of your butter and see how you like it.