chuck_35550

Soapcalc has the palm Crisco and it works just fine for me, no DOS. You want to use the High Oleic Safflower as the regular has a very short shelf life and will give you DOS due to the high amount in the recipe. I like this one for swirling and it colors nicely too. HTH Steve ps: You take it easy Babs and keep us up to date on your progress.

I've been using that wax for about 6 years now and rarely exceed 6% on fo. I have found cd wicks are the most reliable in performance and you might try a couple of 10s in there and see how it goes. I use 16s on my salsa jars and get a perfect burn, so go figure. HTH Steve

That's it and yes it's Shea but you can sub Kokum. I'm using a bar that is about a year old and it is just so sudsy and nice. A word of caution, you might find this a little soft at first but it hardens up real nice. You may need to leave it in the mold a couple of days, just check it before you unmold. HTH Steve

I've made a lot of mp soap and never had a problem with bacteria. MP will absorb moisture from the air and eventually look very gross and nasty if not shrink wrapped or covered but usually a preservative in soap is to prevent spoilage from an additive or oil that has a short shelf life. Did BB suggest what kind of preservative you should use with their coloration? Steve

I really like silicone molds for mp and have been very pleased with Van Yulay. You can get beauriful imbed molds of almost every kind of fruit and everything else under the sun for very reasonable prices. HTH Steve

Soap Queen is pretty reliable. Just lay off the sb and make sure that your fo doesn't cause acceleration and you ought to be good to go. Barbara gave out a tip to use hair coloring bottles from a supply house. You cut the tips as wide as you want them and they have wide mouths for easy cleaning. HTH Steve

I find Youtube invaluable for learning new soaping techniques. Our own Barbara has a few vids and there are soapers from all over the world sharing their ideas but they don't ususally give out their formulas. One of the best recipes on the board is Quiet Girl's. It makes an outstanding bar of soap and most of the ingredients, if not all can be found in your grocery or wally world. Soap Queen would be my choice for anyone looking for a virtual source on soapmaking IMHO. Just type in soapmaking or swirls on Youtube and get ready to watch a lot of vids. HTH Steve

I have a two pound acrylic log mold from Soap Making Resource and its great. They offer a 5 pound mold and will make custom sizes for whatever your needs. Silver Moon has great silicone liners but terrible customer service. I was not successful in buying the wood surround for the liner and gave up (I still want one though). HTH Steve

You might consider using oatmeal, green clay and oils infused with herbs known to reduce inflammation such as Calendula or chammamile (available in tea bags at the store). Oil infusions are easy and really add a lot of soothing benefits. There are some good essential oils that you might look at as well. HTH Steve

I use a para/soy wax that throws most everything pretty strong at a ratio of 1 oz fo per 15 oz of wax. If I'm using fos from Candle Cocoon and Lyschel says only use 1/2 an ounce per pound; that's what I do. Follow the advice of the distributor and the wax manufacturer. I don't know of any wax that can handle a heavier load than 10% comfortably withouth seepage. Not only is it expensive and harmful to your bottom line but it can be dangerous to overload a candle. IMHO. If it won't throw at 6-7%; I'm not interested. Steve

I like to mix Blue Skies and Sweet Amber Musk in a 50/50 formula and call it Blue Amber. It's a good seller. HTH Steve

I still use the Clarus 3022 70% soy and am satisfied with the cdn wicks from Candle Coccon. HTH Steve

I used to melt my wax in a Presto pot with a spout but now use a turkey fryer. The element is directly exposed to the wax in the fryer and has never been a problem. I use a glass coffee carafe for a pour pot and keep the pot on a double burner with a temp probe in it to make sure it doesn't get too hot. I've used this set up for quite a few years with no problems. HTH Steve

The holy trinity of basic soap is olive oil, coconut oil and palm or tallow/lard. You can get olive, coconut and lard at the store and make some great soap. You can infuse your olive oil with herbs that are in your store for a more luxurious soap and use spices or chocolate powder for coloration. The soap molds look great and with local ingredients and a good recipe, you should get some great soaps. I order my palm in 7 pound bottles and my beef tallow in pails and buy the rest at wally world or wherever good olive is on sale. HTH Steve

I use a large carboard box with a wooden shelf on the bottom that is level (so the tops will be level). I warm my jars in a toaster oven and take them out and wick them and place in the box and close the flaps and cover with a blanket. If your tins are room temp (say 72 degrees) and your wax is 185 degrees and left in the open then you're going to have uneven cooling which causes stress on the wax that has hardened on the outside IMHO. Anything is worth a try if it improves the appearance of your product. HTH Steve

I buy my tallow in pails and its creamy, soft and very white; it makes great soap.

The fat that comes from around the kidneys and the internal organs is known as "leaf lard". I have only found one supplier and the cost is $16.00 per pound. A local working farm replied that they made leaf lard but would never give me a price on small amounts. There are some good tutorials on Youtube on rendering hog fat and if you can find a slaughter house or butcher that would give you the fat then it would be worth your time and money. Leaf lard is famous for making the best pie crusts and for cooking and has no odor. Check with your local Mexican restaurant or Hispanic store for regular hydrogenated lard. HTH Steve

It was my fault, I had let the mixture go to medium trace before adding the fo. Wowzer, did it set up fast but I managed to get it into the mold and it was ok. The scent sticks really good and it's one of my favorite soap fragrances. Just add it to a thin trace and see how that works. HTH Steve

Look for descriptions on the fos that state whether they stick or fade or morph, as well as discolor or accelerate. The Blue Skies accelerates super fast and you have to work quickly to get it in the mold or your spoon will be stuck in the pot. HTH Steve

If you use 11 oz of oils to make 16 oz of soap (lye + liquid) then 16 oz of oils could very well equal 22.5 oz of soap. The slab mold would make 9-5.3 oz bars. HTH Steve

I have weird customers. Some ask for that brown colored soap (some form of vanilla) and others don't want fragrance at all. I think White Tea Peony is one of the best soap fragrances (Candle Cocoon) and love Blue Skies mixed with Amber Musk (AH/RE), as well as their Oatmeal Milk and Honey, oh and their Creme Brulee from KY. HTH Steve

Isn't food grade sodium hydroxide supposed to be bettter for soapmaking than technical? Just asking. Steve

I have never used the IGI 6098 but would like to try a sample. It's a pricey wax and not many distributors carry it. I think there was a thread on that wax some time ago but don't remember much about the convo. If you get some, let us know what you think. Steve

I keep my palm in a presto pot and it only takes a couple of minutes to liquify and then stir and you're ready to go. HTH Steve

Essential Depot.com is a great source. I once bought a 50 pound sack of lye and lost about half of it to moisture; so the two pound bottles with the seal lids are best for my small operation. HTH Steve