candlemama

I'm new to the soap world with only a few batches of OHP and a couple CP under my belt, but here's what I've learned so far: add one TBLS of sugar PPO to your water and dissolve before adding lye. It does seem to keep your soap a little more fluid and not quite as gloppy when it comes time to put in the mold. Not a huge difference but enough to make the effort worth it IMO. I've read that sodium lactate works, too, but haven't tried it.

Also, if you want smooth tops, more like CP, overfill your mold and then slice off the top with a knife while it's still in the mold after cooling for 2-3 hours. Oh, and when you first glop your soap goo into the mold, bang the heck out of it to release air bubbles.

So far, I think I really prefer HP. My HP bars and CP bars look the same (so either my HP bars are smooth or my CP bars are rough -- not sure, LOL). Clean up is easier, and I don't have to worry about raw soap. And I get to try out my new soap sooner, even though I know it still needs a cure.

I just received 2 oz of Baby from WSP today. I really like it OOB. It's a Philosophy dupe, although I don't know how close it is to the original as I've never smelled it. The FO is nice and soft, but not too powdery. I plan to make some soap for my 3 yr old and 4 mos old (but I like the scent so much I'll probably use it, too!).

I'm really impressed with Peaks, too. I get my wax from there and have ordered several FOs. White Tea and Ginger is really nice. I tried Pink Sugar in a sugar scrub. At first I thought the musk was too strong, but it has mellowed some in the scrub and now I like it a lot. I haven't tried these two scents from any other supplier, so can't compare. I love their Pear Spice in candles. It's super, super strong, so you don't need a lot. Hmmm... what else. Oh, Fruit Slices is also really strong. I get lots of compliments on that one.

Their customer service is great, and for me the turnaround is always really fast.

I think I probably should have just used a whisk. I followed Kat's recipe which has cocoa butter: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65822

The chunks weren't huge. There were 2-3, the largest of which was about the size of a pencil eraser. I just checked on the soap, and it's weeping lye right now on the top. I can't seem to get my CP to gel, not sure if that has anything to do with the sweat. I hope when I check on it again in the morning, the sweat will be reabsorbed. I may need to rebatch this one...

I know WSP carries some clamshell molds for soap. I've never used them so don't know how good they are or if the price is crazy high. Here's the link:

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?CatalogID=1&GroupID=261&CategoryID=1897&ProductID=3302&ProductName=Crafters+Choice%E2%84%A2++Classic+Rectangle+Clamshell

I just made another batch of CP and tried to do some swirls for the first time. I only used the stick blender two times for 10 seconds each and then just stirred with a spoon because I wanted it to be thin when I added color. Well, by the time I got to pouring, the mixture was pretty thick. As I was pouring, I saw a couple chunks which I think was my oils solidified and not fully stirred up.

Do you think the soap will be okay? I am concerned the lye and oils didn't get mixed thoroughly even though it was a pretty thick, pudding like consistency when I put it in the mold.

Has anyone tried this FO? If so, what's it like and is it nice?

ETA: I'd like to use it in paraffin candles, CP soap, & lotions.

I think your oils are probably just fine, unless they smell off to you in any way. From what I've read, castor oil has a two year shelf life and sweet almond oil has one year.

Thanks. Part of the reason I want to try it is so I can use vanilla or coconut in the M&P with vanilla stabilizer. Would the vanilla in the M&P cause my CP to brown even if the CP has a non-vanilla FO?

I was reading through some threads in another forum and came across this company that mixes M&P soap with their CP, according to a forum member who knows the owner of the company. I think it would be fun to try. I know you can make transparent CP, too, but I'm no where near ready to try that out!

If you've tried something like this, what is the best way to get the M&P and CP layers to adhere?

http://www.soaptopia.com/soaps

Thanks so much for the info, Top. As always, very, very helpful and much appreciated. Now I want to try palm wax AND pillars. My husband may not thank you because I sure don't need another project to take on which requires more wax and more supplies to buy and store... Oh well, off to browse Peak's store.

Those are adorable. They're going to love them! So much better than the Starbucks certificates my sister always gets from her students (she doesn't even like Starbucks!).

I can't enlarge the pic to see the poem. What's it say?

When you order Spirit of Avalon from Moonworks, try Enchanted Spice. I use it for soap. Men love it. Women, too. I have had men order anywhere from 3 to 8 bars of it at a time.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to give that one a try, too!

What about screen printing? I was looking into it before, and I know several personalized gift stores use screen printing to personalize both candles and the glass containers. Not sure if it's dangerous or flammable, but screen printing seems a pretty common way to do it. Actually, now that I think about it, it's probably not flammable since screen printing is used as the industry standard for printing on clothes and just about anything else. You don't have to get a big set up. There is this table top screen printing system, called Yudu, that's gotten some good results and reviews. I talked to a few crafters who use it and am thinking about getting it someday. If you stick with only the Yudu products, then it gets expensive, but you don't have to use their screens, inks or emulsion sheets, despite what the company says :rolleyes2.

Another idea is glass etching. Haven't researched this one much, but I think there is a fairly easy, inexpensive way to do it using this glass etching fluid. Maybe google at home glass etching or something.

ETA: a more involved way with a higher learning curve and more $$ would be dye sublimation. I've also looked into that one pretty extensively as a way of printing on things that can't go through a printer, such as glass containers! Again, this is a very common way to decorate everything from coffee cups, to baking dishes, to ceramic tiles, to t-shirts and leather belts. Just about anything can be printed on using dye sub. I don't believe it's flammable since it is used as a way to decorate baking dishes and clothes.

Beautiful! I love them all, especially the mantra swirl. Looks great!! Makes we want to go try some swirls....

Do you know what the ratios would be in mixing the glycerin and powder? I never thought about a white or goats milk color making it harder to color, but now that you mention it, it makes sense. I will have to try some in the clear and try mixing the two to see how it works. I was just really, really disappointed at the icky grayish color I got in place of a lavender color.

I haven't tried it myself yet but saw that Marisa has made a whole bunch of them! She gives instructions here, scroll to the bottom:

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91281

Looks pretty easy. I may try it once I run out of the liquid dyes from TKB Trading.

That's what I would like to know to know, does M&P "Shaving Soap" need stuff added to it? Clay's and butters?

I've been looking all over the internet for recipes, mainly CP because that's what I want to use to make shaving soap. Of course, recipes are all different, but some ideas for additives (which can easily be incorporated into MP) are: aloe vera for its skin soothing properties, clay for its glide, cocoa butter for its creaminess, shea for its moisturizing, olive oil and apricot kernel oil for their skin loving benefits. Another idea is Castor oil. Although it has a different function in CP, it still adds a lot of benefits to M&P and helps to keep the skin moisturized. You can also add goat's milk which will make the lather a little creamier. Depending on how much additives you use, you might also want to throw in some Dr. Bronner's liquid soap to up the bubbles a bit.

Are you using the powders or the liquid colors? I have both the powders, which I use for make up, and the liquid, which I use for soap. The liquid is just the powder dispersed in glycerin. If you have some glycerin, you can mix it up yourself.

I've found with the liquid Pop colors, I can't get a deep, rich color in the white M&P base. I suppose if I used a lot I could, but then I'm pretty sure my suds wouldn't be white any more! If you look in the gallery, I posted a pic of some red and green watermelon soap. I colored the white base a green color, which you can see isn't very dark, and my suds are very slightly tinged green.

In the clear base, I can get a darker, richer color with about half as much mica. So what I've been doing, for the most part, is coloring the clear base, leaving the white base uncolored, and then swirling the two together.

Those are really nice. Love the look of the stamp. Makes it look expensive!

Clean/fresh scents: Peaks' Ocean, with or without a touch of their Freesia, the Freesia does not make it floral at all. Peak's Cool Citrus Basil, very fresh. Moonworks Celestial Sea, the best of the Cactus & Sea Salt types, you can smell the driftwood. Peak's Black Canyon is a great scent, but does have some musk in the background. I would only put about .2 oz per pound of soap based on the way it throws in soy, super strong!

Just a minute, going downstairs to look at the rest of my stash.......

Okay, I'm back! Herbal: Elements Manuka Lavender, a slightly sweet lavender that is wonderful, and SC Aveda type Sapmoss. Fresh, Candlewic's Spa and SC The Thymes "Eucalyptus" dupe. This is a soapy fresh scent, not very eucalyptusy?? scent! Citrus: BB Energy, Ky Mandarin Spice, SC Citron and Fugue, and Moonworks Spirit of Avalon, a lime/musk scent that is unusual and reminds me of Bay Rum without the spice. I think I forgot SC's Green Clover and Aloe type, a grassy fresh scent, and I know Peak's carries this as well! Oh, and Lonestar has a great straight Lavender, and Sage and Citrus dupe! BG and Peak's Lavender is a soapy one, and I have alot of friends that prefer those, but LS Lavender is more true to my nose! Just thinking, the men I know do seem to prefer the "soapy" lavender.

Sorry this was so long & rambling, HTH!!

Thanks! That does help with finding an FO but not so much with my bank acct... :laugh2:I want to get samples of ALL of them now!!

I would stay away from it. My understanding is you can sub palm kernel oil/flakes for coconut oil. My son has a severe peanut allergy, and we have to carry epipens with us in case he gets a tiny amount in his system, which can send him into anaphalactic shock. Technically, he is allergic to the protein and not the fat in peanuts. But we were advised to stay away from peanut oil as well because of the chance of a wayward protein molecule remaining in the oil. If your granddaughter is as sensitive to coconuts as my son is to peanuts, I definitely wouldn't risk it.

I've been reading on the forums about PKO and CO and understand that they are the same class of soaping oils and can be substituted for one another while still providing similar qualities to the finished soap. I've also seen a few recipes using both PKO and CO, as high as 50% combined (such as in Darwin's recipe).

Is combining the two in a higher overall percentage a way to increase the bubbles without increasing the drying factor? I've been reading that, in general, higher than 30% CO can be drying for some people, although it depends on the recipe and personal preference. Is PKO in general a little less drying than CO, so a higher percentage can be used without causing dryness?

Just wondering (for my future recipes).

Thanks!

Armour is a white bucket with green writing. I think the brand of the one in the green bucket is Morell or something like that.

I melt my hard oils and then add the lard and stir to melt. If it doesn't melt, I microwave a little longer and stir some more. Then I add my liquid oils.

Yep, just checked and mine is Armour. I have to go to Walmart today to pick up some more CO, so I'll see if I can find the brand in the green bucket.

You're talking the foaming bath whip, which is similar to FBB? If so, yes I tried it and wish I hadn't. I'm not at all impressed. It does foam up nicely in the shower and feels smooth on my skin. But many people say it's drying. I haven't used it enough to say if it is or not. What I don't like about it is, for me at least, it hasn't held it's light, whipped texture for very long and becomes hard again after a couple of days. It's not rock hard, but definitely not light and whipped. If it stayed fluffy for me, I'd probably like it (but not enough to buy it again). I've tried making it a couple times, and it was the same both times. Now I have about 4-5 lbs left and am not really motivated to try another batch... I'm going to try adding more sweet almond oil and whipping it longer if I ever get around to playing with it again.

I also added sugar to one of the batches to make a scrub. The problem with this stuff is the sugar melts in it, so you have to put a lot in to make up for it. It just doesn't compare at all to my emulsified scrubs. Have you tried making your own emulsified scrubs? I believe you can add some SLSA if you want it to foam. They are very easy to make -- trust me. Complete noob, and I've made two emulsified scrubs so far with really good success! Very easy and very nice in the shower. I haven't priced it out, but I think once you buy all the ingredients, it's probably cheaper than buying the FBW and just adding sugar, FO and color.

That's hilarious. I can't quite figure out what being young and in love has to do with eating lard, but who am I to question the marketing geniuses of old...

I think I'm going to give it another try tonight, but lower the amount of lard and try melting it at a lower temp.