MochaMama Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 I have been working with melt and pour soap - use thegourmet rose's shea base - and wanted to just post my mistakes so that others wouldn't follow in my footsteps. I hope this is helpful to someone.Don'tsLet your soap base boil over in the microwave. Add too much of two soft butters ( i.e. VCO and Shea) and expect your soap to be firm (even stearic acid didn't help!)Try to mix select shades colorant in the mix (follow the directions on the site!)Stir your soap too much while melting - you'll have bubbles beyond bubbles:grin2:DosWrite down everything you do to the soap base, even if it seems insignificant at the time (of course, this goes for everything experimental)Watch your soap in the microwave, then note the time it takes to melt for future referenceMix your select shades colorant before adding to your mix (I use the empty little powdered Crystal light cups)Premelt your brittle butters, such as cocoa butters.Wrap your soap as soon as you unmold it, especially if it's humidExtras:Letting your soap "cure" in the mold for a week or so seems to harden it up a bit, as long as it's not too humid.Stearic Acid did not make a difference in hardening my melt and pour soap, used at 1 TBS per pound/soapGive as much soap away as you can - it creates soap goodwill As I wrote above, I hope this helps someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in KY Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 I know I have read a thread on here about making M&P harder. Think it might be bees wax. Sounds like your having a great time, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperi Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 If I may add something here. I use (through my own experimenting) olive oil in my opaque soaps to make them somewhat harder and they work. I use beeswax in my honey soaps, and lastly jojoba oil in my glycerin bars. Not sure why they work but they do. My soaps still lather like crazy and I only add 1/2 tbs per pound. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted July 12, 2007 Author Share Posted July 12, 2007 If I may add something here. I use (through my own experimenting) olive oil in my opaque soaps to make them somewhat harder and they work. I use beeswax in my honey soaps, and lastly jojoba oil in my glycerin bars. Not sure why they work but they do. My soaps still lather like crazy and I only add 1/2 tbs per pound. KathyI have also read that olive oil makes the mp soap harder. I am going to try that today.Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairieannie Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Olive oil will definitely help with the hardness of your soap, however, it will also tend to make your soap a little slimey. Careful how much you use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erinmfritz Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 I tried the OO and it did help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperi Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Olive oil will definitely help with the hardness of your soap, however, it will also tend to make your soap a little slimey. Careful how much you use! Yes you are absolutely right! I thought because adding it makes it harder then maybe i should add more! No way start off with 1/2 tbs and if its not to your liking add another 1/2 tbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Thank you for this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantnaturals Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I read somewhere (and please please correct me if I'm wrong) that it's up to 2 tbsp of oils/butter per pound and up to a 1/4 cup of additives, as a general rule. And for the life of me, I can't remember where I read it either. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperi Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Well if thats true then it must be the combination. Because of the mp soap being so syrupy lol adding too many butters/oils will make it rubbery. I will also say that although we are giving our testing results, its always better to test it out yourself because maybe what works for us won't work for you. I say this because I've tried out five or six companies (mp) and some I worked and some didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted July 16, 2007 Author Share Posted July 16, 2007 Well if thats true then it must be the combination. Because of the mp soap being so syrupy lol adding too many butters/oils will make it rubbery. I will also say that although we are giving our testing results, its always better to test it out yourself because maybe what works for us won't work for you. I say this because I've tried out five or six companies (mp) and some I worked and some didn't.Rubbery soap right here!!!! I misplaced my other recipe book (experiments) and that's how I messed up a couple lbs of soap. Now I have to start fresh, but that's not always a bad thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperi Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 No not at all. I love experimenting because I feel that its the absolute best way to learn. I often lurk around and read threads that pertain to what i'm doing and its helped me a great deal. So I think its great that you started this they should make this the MP sticky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmpressC Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I've added SLSa to soap and was drowned in bubbles! It helps cuz then you can add so much more additives w/out killing the lather. A little SLSa goes a LONG way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 I've added SLSa to soap and was drowned in bubbles! It helps cuz then you can add so much more additives w/out killing the lather. A little SLSa goes a LONG way! I never knew that, thank you Empress!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmpressC Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I never knew that, thank you Empress!!Just be sure to mix the SLSa with one of your additives (FO or other oils), otherwise it'll clump when added to the soap. Ask me how I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Greatest M&P advice I have found was off another board. When it is humid, pack your M&P in a plastic container and put a container of DampRid in with the soap. I put some wax paper in between the soap, but not enough to close a layer in. It worked great and stopped all sweating because it absorbs the moisture. You can get the DampRid at Walgreen's for around $2.40--money well spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 Do NOT use regular grind coffee in your coffee soap unless you were planning on using it to sand your hardwood floors or you are seeking to remove the first layer of skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 Greatest M&P advice I have found was off another board. When it is humid, pack your M&P in a plastic container and put a container of DampRid in with the soap. I put some wax paper in between the soap, but not enough to close a layer in. It worked great and stopped all sweating because it absorbs the moisture. You can get the DampRid at Walgreen's for around $2.40--money well spent.Great advice - and something that I never would have thought of! Thanks Di! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Do NOT use regular grind coffee in your coffee soap unless you were planning on using it to sand your hardwood floors or you are seeking to remove the first layer of skin.Ditto on the advice, yours has me laughing! :laugh2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I'm lucky... my dad's company manufactures solder and stuff, so I just buy small amounts of silica packs from him. I dump them in everything, my clays, my herbs... I do need them though, our humidity ranges from 80-95% all year round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I'm lucky... my dad's company manufactures solder and stuff, so I just buy small amounts of silica packs from him. I dump them in everything, my clays, my herbs... I do need them though, our humidity ranges from 80-95% all year round.I am quite the opposite, our humidity usually ranges from 0-10% except for the couple months of monsoon when it gets higher. I had never had M&P soap ever sweat on me until around three weeks ago. Had to do some quick searching to stop it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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