Recent content by Morgaine

I use Shea Butter in all my bars. Yes it will add hardness to your bars and it will also make a creamier lather. If you really want to get into the science of the oils you use in your soap, start studing the fatty acid profiles of each oils. Soapcalc.net is a good place to start...

Sure, I also have a link in my siggy on BYC. http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=155832

I bet you anything that it was diluted with a carrier oil then. If you were using pure fragrance oil that should have been enough to get some scent at the very least. Rosemary and sage should be really nice together. I don't know if you are a member of back yard chicks, but I started a soap...

how much vanilla did you use PPO (per pound of oil)? Was this a essential oil or fragrance oil? Was this scent tested in cold process soap by the maker? Care to say where you got i? I use patchouli, cedar wood or black pepper to anchor my citrus essential oils too. I have read that you can...

When I was using wooden molds, I cut craft foam to fit inside my molds. You have to be really acurate when cutting it ( I used my quilting stuff to cut it) and you have to bring the soap to a pretty thick tace before you pour so it kinda limits swirling. But the soap NEVER stuck to it. Just...

My favorite stick blender has been the cheapo one from Wal Mart for $10. How deep is your pan? I'm doing 20# batches and they have been fine. I have made liquid soap which is a HP method. But I have not made bar soap that way. You can add Sodium Lactate to make your soap easier to pour and...

I used the cheap enameled pots I got from wally world. Worked great! Yes, I used a glass candy thermometer, Now I don't even bother with the temps. Let them cool down to room temp and you are good to go! Unless you are working with beeswax or something that will go solid below a certain...

Just a heads up, Oils By Nature is having a sale, you can get 50 pounds of Coconut oil for $37.50! Time to stock up! http://www.oilsbynature.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=OilsBN&Category_Code=FixedVegOils

Big Brown Horse- That it too cool! I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a new Renaissance Festival opening up close to the Austin area. Sherwood Forest Faire: I'm going to be a vendor there and do doing soap Demo's. Just trying to get the word out. My booth is Summerwood...

I should clarify, I am one of the more profitable vendors with non produce. The produce at the market just flies off the tables sometimes! I know some who bring in $600-800 in the 4 hour market time :ep But I usually have very little produce through out the year. Just some figs in the summer...

I sell my soaps(most of my biz) along with some lotions, scrubs and perfumes at our local farmer's market. First thing you need to do is see if they will let you in. None of the ones in Houston would let me in because they already had soapmakers selling there. Or they were produce only...

I used a recipe from Catherine Failor's Book. 35 oz Coconut 13 Sweet Almond 39 oz water 13 oz Potassium Hydroxide I'm still new to the liquid soap making (this was my first batch), but I do know that you can use some Goat's milk as a part of your liquid. But you cannot go really high like you...

Ok, I finally got around to making liquid soap! And I took pictures. Here they are! First weigh up your oils Then melt them until they are about 160 degrees. I used my crock pot Then you measure you Potassium Hydroxide and water Add you KOH to the water, these are in bigger flakes...

I think she said that it needs to have atleast 25% fat content. She said that it did not do olive. Not sure on the other ones.

How old is your cocoa butter? It should smell like yummy chocolate or if it is refined, have no smell at all. If it smells bad, then your oils may have been rancid.