This one got hot!

This recipe is the same as the previous, but with the incorporation of a bit of salt and sugar.  The soap was pretty thin when I poured it, so layering colors was not too successful.  I eventually just tried puring each color into opposite ends of the mold and then doing a tiny bit of swirling to see the effect.  I like it!  Lots of variety.  This one smells pretty intense- Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Lemon essential oils.

The white stuff on the top scared me at first, but the forum people assured me it was just “soda ash” and it wiped right off with a wet paper towel.

Scary ash!

So crooked! haha

Subtle swirls

I’m a little concerned about the color bleeding when using it… but I have to wait almost a month to see if that happens.  Also, I left it in the freezer overnight and it STILL partially gelled.  That’s some hot soap.

Why I dumped Springpad

When I found Springpad, I was all about it.  I liked the graphic “post it note” way they dispayed Notebooks.  Yeah, Evernote technically has the same functionality, but I’m very MEH about it.

Also, at least 5 times now, I have edited a note online via my computer just to have NONE OF IT SAVED.  Freaking stupid.  I’ve lost hours of work.  And no, I wasn’t doing anything stupid like simultaneously messing with the phone app.  Yesterday, I added a line to a note via phone app, saved it, and it was already missing when I checked my phone a second later.  WTF.

The last nail in the coffin is trying to log on to access all my stuff…and the site is down for maintenance.  At noon on a workday?  REALLY?  Pretty colors may factor into about 85% of my decision making processes, but in this case I’m sticking with Evernote.

Get your shit together, Springpad.

UPDATE:  Springpad continues to woo me.

No Gelling!

It worked!  No gel.  I left the soap in the freezer for 4-5 hours (not overnight…I lied to you earlier) …and in the mold for over 48 hours.  When I pulled it out, it was still a bit soft and had almost a PlayDoh texture.  I chopped them up, and here they are!!  They smell great- this is my best batch yet!!  I left them sitting on the counter over night, and they already hardened up considerably.  Up to the drying rack they go!

It sucks that I have to wait 3-4 more weeks before trying them.

Deep into soap details

Prepare to be bored to tears.  You have been warned.

SO I posted pictures of the rose soap on a soap forum and asked what was up with the “halo” I saw in the middle.  They said it was done- it’s just a cosmetic issue, but the halo was due to a “partial gel.”  Basically, saphonification generates a lot of heat.  But because my house is so cold, it could not quite get hot enough to “gel” the entire soap.  They suggested soaping at hotter temperatures, putting the poured soap in the oven on 170 for an hour…or wrapping the soap in towels to insulate it.

The OTHER solution is to try to completely avoid gel.  I tried to do this tonight.  I soaped at 95 degrees….and then popped the soap mold into the freezer.  I think I will leave it in there overnight, then transfer it to the cool closet to harden for a few days.   Below is a comparison photo- these soaps were made using the same recipe….but the left soap was gelled, and the right soap was not.  I like the right one better!

Left gelled, right did not gel.

Some additional pics for funz.

Altered set up...I'm getting pro.

Laser thermometers are fierce.

OMG these traced fast once mixed.

I hope this works!

Greatness.

I USED to like Roses.

Boy, is this soap stinky.  Not like fish stinky… like a lot of rose perfume stinky.  I think I went a bit overboard.  Fortunately, fragrances are supposed to fade over the weeks as the soap cures.

The sprinkles will fade, but it's all about the first impression.

This one was pretty soft when I cut it. I am very rough with my soap.

OH and I got my pH strips, so I tested my first batch.  Anything under 11 is golden….so my soap did not fail!

I DID NOT FAIL.

Soap Update

Okay, so I unmolded the soap and cut it up.  While the top of the soap looks cool (with the exception of my noob air bubbles), the inside didn’t end up nearly as fancy.

Bubbles mark me as a noob.

It was harder than I was expecting!

I'm a little let down by the inside. *heavy sigh*

But they smell nice….a woodsy scent.  It’s not super strong….because I have no patience, if you remember.  I placed the bars on a drying rack where they will sit for a couple of weeks to dry out.

I am the champion of the universe!

I made my first batch of cold-process soap!!!!!  It wasn’t too bad at all.  The worst part was trying to get the SOLID palm kernel oil out of a 2 inch opening.  I ended up sitting the 7 gallon jug in a pot of hot water….and also shoving a knife in there trying to get it out.  I am going to have to look for a giant tupperware container….because that was possibly the most annoying thing I’ve done in the past year.  That way, I can melt it all at once, and then just scoop it out.

Working with lye was a little scary… I was scared to death that some of it would fall out and I wouldn’t see it.  I pretty much sprayed the whole area in vinegar to neutralize it.  I mixed the lye into the water outside….and totally wore this:

Just in case there was any question, I look fantastic in a lab coat.

This will look so much cooler when I get my beakers. YOU HEARD ME.

I totally forgot to add the fragrance when the soap was still in the pot.  I tossed it in once the soap was in the mold and whisked it through.  I added only half the recommended fragrance….not because I was afraid the scent would be too strong, but because watching the fragrance oil come out drop by drop was excruciating.  It will be interesting to see if the fragrance holds.

I didn’t get my color pigments yet….but I didn’t want to wait any longer.  I pulled out the Hershey’s baking powder, and used that to make some of the soap brown.  All of the books recommend not trying to use color in your first batch…but why would I listen to that?  My swirl was far from perfect…there is definitely an art to it.  Unfortunately, I tried to move the mold immediately, and the soap shook a little and messed up the twirls a bit.  Blah.  Whatevs.  OMG PICTURES.

Before I twirled the swirls.

After swirling the twirls, but before moving it.

After moving it to the stove.

There were two options for cleanup: either do it immediately wearing gloves…or pile it all somewhere out of the way for 24 hours so it can turn into….soap!  Guess which option I picked?  Yep, the one that leaves the soap pot outside until tomorrow night.

The soap sits in the mold for 24 hours…then I take it out and cut it into bars.  After that, the soap has to “cure” for 2-3 weeks before it is ready to use.  It’s pretty much soap after 48 hours…the cure time is just so the water evaporates out and makes the bar harder.  JUST IN CASE, I did buy pH strips so that I can test the soap before using it.  =)

YAY NEW HOBBY!

I made this a long time ago.

And I forgot all about it.  I think I made it for xmas?  Maybe?  Not sure.  Anyhoo, I got the pattern out of a book, but of course modified it a touch because it needed it.  I don’t really remember anything else about this one….so here are the pictures.