RobinInOR

The Phenoxyethanol is the main bactericide. They talk up their specialty mix of ingredients ( Salix nigra (Organic Black Willow Bark) Extract, Mannan, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oleoresin, Azadirachta indica (Neem) Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid) but the phenoxyethanol is the main workhorse, at least that's what they use in the 2 lotions I carry. There's their page that describes what they've done: http://www.essentialwholesale.com/category_s/22.htm

If you're talking about CP soap, yes, you should wait for it to completely cure. As soap cures, it shrinks. If you package too early it will become loose and messy looking. There's lots of ideas for packaging in the forum. You can go to the FDA site to find the cosmetic labeling laws. While soap doesn't technically need ingredient labels, I suggest doing it for the benefit of anyone using your soap. Since your very first batch was in June, if you really wanted to label that one it would probably be OK. But usually first batches don't need to be labeled - they're usually not that good lol At least my first 10 to 15 batches weren't.

Nah, I was just stupid But it *does* act differently that a regular batch, since you're using all hard oils. Any recipe will probably bite you at first lol... at least this one you won't be tempted to try to color or scent

Mine's 100% coconut, 1% superfat. Cut while warm. Funny, this product kicked my butt - took me 3 batches until I got it so it looked decent without a partial gel. First time I let it go too long and couldn't cut it, and got partial gel. Second time I soaped it really hot and it climbed right out of the mold. Third time was the charm. And 100% coconut takes *forever* to trace.

Thread moved. And those are very pretty indeed! Great color. I usually pour at thick, but have done it super thin too - poured just after everything emulsified. I usually get more ash that way, but it does let you play with colors more. I'm a rustic/non trimmer - thick - cold lye gal myself Though I did just polish and bevel my wedding favor order, and it looks really cool. So shiny and smooth.

http://www.simplesoothings.com/lotionbase/ is nice as well.

I think this has the makings of a perfect weekend. Did you ever just have things go right? Last night I cut batches of sandalwood vanilla, black raspberry, spicy orange/clove, and lavender/sage. What a mix. Finished up my wedding favor order, now just have to print up the hang tags. Best thing was this morning I was finally able to identify St John's Wort - we've got a ton of it! It's growing along our driveway, the road (unsprayed too!), our neighbors driveway.... I see some infused oils in my future this weekend. A bunch of balloons were landing at the airport when I drove in to work this morning - a pretty site. I've got 3 new products for market tomorrow. And I'll be doing new batches of lavender, rose, and ginger & silk I think. So maybe I'll be a match for the 100F temp at market What's on your plate this weekend?

Weird, yesterday I was melting some oils in the microwave and found I hadn't cleaned all the soap off of the bucket from the last batch. It poofed up and went kind of feathery/transparent - almost like fiberglass. I was actually thinking of putting a bar in the microwave on purpose, but I got distracted with something else

Happi.com has fragrance trend articles from time to time. It spans everything from perfumes to household cleansers and candles. For example, in Jan http://happi.com/articles/2007/01/clean-excitement.php

I've always felt that the "1% rule" doesn't really apply to undiluted EO in the tub. EO is going to float on the water, and it's going to be pretty concentrated where it comes in contact with your skin. Personally more than 5 drops gives me a raging headache, which tells me it's way too much. I'm thinking you could be setting yourself up to sensitivity issues by using so much. 20 drops is almost a milliliter - that's an awful lot. I trust this site on it's EO safety information, and they use 5-7 drops in a tub. http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/aromatherapybaths.asp

Just because they say B&b doesn't mean they work well in CP There's a partial list in the sticky above http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6052 and a great reference on the old candletech board http://www.candletech.com/archivedforum/YaBB.cgi.195.html It's from 2004 but still an interesting read.

For straight paraffin I've got to use 10-12 drops of black. Never could get it to burn properly - you're right, it does clog a bit. Sometimes you can get by that by testing a larger wick. Sometimes you luck out where it won't clog, and also not give you too large a flame or too hot a burn. The fewer additives the paraffin has, the easier it is to get black. I was using IGI 1343.

One pound of product is 16 oz, and 1% is .16 oz of fragrance. So your .5 oz is about 3%.

Hehe, congrats on your new addiction! They look great! Now you'll be looking at things wondering if they'd be the right shape for a mold. (and psst, bet you'll find yourself washing your hands in a couple of days )

You can do a simple scrub by taking any of your whipped butter recipes and adding sugar. There's a recipe floating around here, I think, for "Sugar and Shea".

Have fun! And don't get discouraged if you see customers walk by without even looking It's not personal lol.... Use the time to check out the other vendors booths. Which ones seem to be crowded? Which ones catch *your* eye? You can learn a lot about presentation by checking everyone else out. Good luck, and have fun!

That's what's so fun about soaping - there's a range of temperatures that you can use. Cold lye, cold oils, hot lye, hot oils, and anything in between. The 'matching temps' you see in recipes cause the least amount of problems for someone new to soaping, but aren't a requirement.

Yup, I used to do it. They aren't as strong as wax dipped animals, but they're great for gift baskets. My mom still has a bear in her bedroom that she can smell faintly when she walks by, and it's been about 4 years. I used any kind of animal that was cute. The ones with pellets inside didn't work as well as the softer fiber fill. I got the syringes at the farm supply store. Not sure how much FO I used, though, I just kept sticking the thing until it smelled the way I wanted it.

Well, when you reduce the superfatting, you're using *more* lye, so you'll go through your container more quickly On Soapcalc I superfat at 3%. Same recipe on MMS shows 4%. So I'm somewhere in there.

It's hard to bite your tongue when you see that kind of stuff. That's why I almost *never* buy lotions at markets and fairs. Once you do start selling, you'll be able to educate your customers about how safe your products are. I used to sell a lotion base, stopped when I wasn't convinced it was the safest thing to do, started developing my own, then started using another base that I don't have to touch - it's already scented. When customers ask me if I make lotion, they get the speech about safety You'll be doing them a service - they'll start looking at other products with a more knowledgeable eye.

I make something similar, but just for a foot soak. Sitting in it sounds kind of yucky to me, but it feels wonderful on the feet.

Mostly they're just the same. The 100 degree refers to the melting point of palm. Palm can look a bit different from vendor to vendor, but I'd say the Soapers Choice, GB, and MMS are all the same. MMS calls it a fixed oil because that's another name for these type of oils - they're fixed, not essential. They don't evaporate. Most palms are refined/bleached to different degrees. There's also a red palm oil that's orange. Organic is a growing method - the palm oil is basically the same, just produced in a more 'sustainable' way.

Another thing that you can do, that doesn't show up in the calculators, is drop your superfatting percent. If you're leaving the SuperFat/Discount at the standard 5%, try dropping it down to 4%, or even 3%. Without even changing your recipe, you're adding to the cleansing (less free oil, more soap molecules)

Boy, it's a bummer that the 4th is on a Wed. Wish I had a long weekend. Anyone doing any special products/shows for the 4th? This weekend I've got to finish up my wedding order. It's just 100 soaps but I've never swirled like this with this scent. Peak's Rose, swirled pink/black, and green/black. Crossing fingers on this one. That will probably fill up Sun. Maybe will try to stock up on lavender as well - some lavender pillar sets, and another batch of soap. Happy holiday almost weekend!

I used to carry both BCNs and Peak's Spiced Cranberry. BCNs is a bit spicier, Peak's is a bit more fruity. Side by side I always sold more of Peak's, and it worked better as an all year scent.