Fire and Ice

It's also much higher in milk fat than cows milk. I LOVE my goat's milk soaps! Made another one today too!

Fire

Vio, I hope you will also consider the Rice Bran oil. It has very similar properties to olive oil but OO is far more expesive. I have to reorder more OO and Rice Bran as well as Babassu oil.

I also have the PKO flakes and I really like them~! It looks just like you flaked soy waxs so if you order them make sure you do not get them confused!

I have to go to Walmart for more lard because thus far, AJ Goatsmilk soap is my favorite and that calls for a pound of lard in a 4# batch! Not that I've run out of the soap yet!

Fire

I agree with you totally. Connie might get her butt sued if she doesn't backtrack on HER opinion!

I've seen local chandles make up these so called "lotioin candles and they are NOT a good idea. Soy wax clogs the pores and cause breakout of the skin. Not only that, but at least TWO local chandles were not using body safe scents, let alone color! YIKES!

:undecided Clients of mine want me to make them too and I say NO, it's NOT safe and I'm NOT insured nor foolish enough to make something that can either burn someone or clog their skin pores.:embarasse

Fire

Nothing in my soap pot but a BLIZZARD! We are have a major Blizzard here and it's very cold and windy with whiteout conditions. I'm too afraid we'll lose the power so I'll pospone soaping until things warm way back up.

However, I am enjoying my first soaps I made in the shower! They've cured for several weeks! Not long enough to give out but long enough for me to test the first three batches in the shower!

Fire

Yeah but what she's asking me to do is impossible. I can't post an intro if I can't log in! LOL I'll just sit back and maybe she's just looking for if I'm a trouble maker or not. I used this user name so she should be able to see my posts if she comes here.

Um, when I got that email, I posted the intro IN TO the email and sent it back. one hour later I was in.

Tell them your user name on the other soap/candle boards you on and such. I think they just want to make sure that you're not a troll:embarasse

So, you don't notice a difference between OO and the pomace? I just have this aversion to using the pomace because it's basically the dregs of the olive leftover after it's oil has been expressed twice already, and then they have to use solvents to get the rest (the pomace) out of the olive.

It just doesn't seem like it would be as good, ya know? But, the price is waaaaaay cheaper, so if it acts the same, feels the same, or whatever, then I may just go for it and get it.

Been thinking about it for a while now, but just never thought to ask about it-I guess I didn't realize how many people actually use the pomace.

Michi, I can certainly see why you would hesitate with the Pomace OO if this were going into a stay on B&B product or even a scrub of some sort. I would just try a gallon of Pomace against your regular OO soaps and see if YOU feel a differance. Only you and your customers will know and only you can judge for your own needs!

As I said above, I've only used Pomace so I don't know if there would be a differance. But I tried out the bar that was 1/2 pomace and it felt GREAT to my skin in the shower this morning.

Fire

Everyone who makes handmade candles now, has to raise their prices so people can get enough to cover costs. Then it won't matter how much the wax costs. If everyone is charging what should be charged, things will be fine.

Well if that were the case than a $2.00 increase should have been fine for me but who knows what the wax prices will be next month. It could be $85.00 per case. If that the case, the increase just got swollowed up and another increase would have to implimented.

I know all of the smaller candle maker have pulled out of making them as well as the hobbiest have done the same. My compitition have plummeted greatly with the soaring wax prices!

There will be increases in the jars, as well as the F/O.

And shipping is out of this world!

There is a ceiling locally as to what customers will pay for a candle, even the best they're ever had.

Craft show atttendance has dropped sharply as well. Lots of lookie loos but few buyers. :undecided

Fire

"I am actually glad we are starting to find other resources for fuel even if it does drive up our cost of wax. I don't know for sure but as a guess I will say that the wax prices have been pretty steady in the past but I have only been making candles for a couple of years so I guess I really shouldn't comment on that" Cowgirl

I have been making Soy wax candles for nearly eight years and my supplier has tried DOZENS of soy waxes. They had to constantly change waxes due to large wax maker swollowing up smaller maker.

Some will even remember when 6006 use to BE a pure soy wax that was sold by BP OIL before they turned and sold it off and the buyer reformulated it.

As far as the Biofuel hoopla, the engine that can run biofuels instead of gas has yet to be developed for cars although I heard Virgin Airlines just did a testflight of one of their planes with this fuel.

Reguardless, it will be YEARS before we can make the switch at the gas stations.

JMO~

Fire

I used only CF Pomace OO and I've not had a problem whith it trace overly fast. In one recipe, I used it was 1/2 the oils and I had lots of time with a stick blender; 15 minutes or so before I got it to a medium trace. But I've also not used regular or EV OO yet.

Fire

I have mine curing on the very top of my kitchen cabinets! Lot's of wasted space up there that can now be used.

Fire

It's $85.00 at Boleckscrafts!!!

That's WITH shipping included! I buy from Boleks locally and it's $60.00 a case but I just got off the phone with Chris and he said soy wax prices are rising yet again!~

This is due to the government telling soy farmers to convert to corn for making Ethonal! Thousand of farmers made the switch because the government paid them to make the switch. Other farms have gone belly up as well but it's mostly the goverment that caused the huge soar in soy products with their Ethonal program.

Right now I'm in a holding pattern as far as the candles go. I have to wait to be called back to work next month before buying anymore wax. But I will also see how much jars and such are increased as well. I know, that if things don't pick up soon, I will completely forefit my candles. I raised my prices by $2.00 a candle and if soy wax continues to climb, I will just go out of the candles by the end of the year.

All of the hobby chandlers have discontinued their candles and shows so lots of people will be new customers. Good thing God told me to start researching and Making CP soap! Still, I won't be selling it for over a year or more.

My shows start up in July.

Fire

Very, very pretty! WTG!

Fire

Need to do the research on Saltbars as I want to try them.

Soaped a tweaked recipe last night but really didn't care for it too much. Too soft for me and I didn't care for the scent~ Patch by Peaks.:embarasse

Here is a recipe to consider

Avocado 20%

Coconut 20%

Crisco 25%

Palm kernal 15%

Rice bran 15%

Shea Butter 5%

This does look interesting. Thank You very much, Carrie!

Fire:D

I too hope the job comes through for you Robin!

I soaped a 2# batch of CP soap last night. New recipe that I was forced to tweak and add a scent to it I can live without! Patchulie from Peaks!

I hope to soap again this weekend and this time I'll use a scent I LOVE! Green Clover and Aloe by Peaks. Couldn't get it throw in my C-3 but got it to throw in tars and I have customers who love the tarts!

Vio, You can PM me with you questions on the C-3. I've been using it as my wax since the very first day my supplier carried it four years ago!

BTW Vio, did you know I went to college in Maine? I lived in Ft Kent Maine for three years and I LOVED it! Maine is my favorite state.

We got snow here too. About 5 inches on the ground right now with another 2-3 inches expected today. I haven't been anywhere since Monday!

Fire

I would just visit the other venue where she is selling and see what, if anything she changed. If she removed your labels and put her own on, then you might have a problem. You didn't sell to her private label so she can't really do that. If she wants to do private label, I'd say do a contract for private label. Otherwise just a wholesale contract.

Fire

Thank you, Top. I don't have any of the other oils listed. I've got Olive oil, RBO, SAO and some Avocado oil. but as I said in my first post, OO it's not a major favorite of my skin so I was looking for somethig other than OO.

Our roads are a mess as is my driveway right now and I'm not going into town for several days Maybe Monday but probably not til much later next week.

I'll give the recipe a try with RBO.

Fire

Don't compare the "attributes" numbers - compare the fatty acid profiles.

I do use safflower a lot since I love this recipe, but haven't tried subbing it out.

I use the high oleic safflower, and good subs for this might be canola or high oleic sunflower. Olive looks ok too but I'm not confident about that one. Some have issues with DOS and canola at that level. I've had no issue with DOS with the recipe as written.

I don't have nor plan to ever use Canola for just that reason.

I was looking for yet another new and basic recipe to soap tomorrow and came found QuietGirl's Basic Bar.:

Olive Oil~ 25%

Safflower Oil~ 25%

Crisco~ 15%

PKF~ 15%

Coconut76~ 15%

Shea Butter~ 5%

As I don't have Safflower Oil, I went to the Soap Calc and checked the number between Safflower and RBO

SAF~ Hardness7, Cleansing~0, Condition~90, Creamy~7

RBO~ Hardness~26, Clean~1, Condition~69, Creamy~25

I plan a 2# batch, no water discount, superfat 5%

Any advice? I don't want to do 50% OO because I just don't care for it on my skin as much and I've got lots of RBO to use.

Carebear~ I read the recipe thread and I noticed you liked the soap a lot. is Safflower oil an oil I should add to my soaping oils?

All advice greatly appreciated,

Fire

Good Luck!!! I have found the best results is to have your GM frozen and slowly pour the lye over it no scorched smell and it doesn't turn brown it can be made white with a little titanium dioxide. HTH

Well, I did it the way AJ instructed and it turned out GREAT! Once the Ice Cold GM was added at a very thin trace, I had lots of time because I used a whisk and not the stick blender. Added my F/O and poured it into a mold. It went into the fridge for the night and I cut it 14 hours later. Needs lots of cure time due to so much Olive oil but it will be a wnderful soap after cure.

Fire

Did you look under the seats of the car you picked it up in?

BTW, I still haven't found my new whisk yet either.

Fire

If you are going to soap a floral, soap as cold as possible and use a whisk instead of a stick blender once you add the floral F?O. It will give you more time to incorporate everything.

I haven't soap a floral yet but I've read tons on them over at the Dish. Many HP their floral F/Os too so that's another option.

I've read a great deal about how they can be so finicky in CP.

I got lots of F/O I can use before getting to the florals and spicier scent that are also a headach to CP

Fire

Congrat! Actually, AJ was my third soap. I soaped the Shortning and Shea by Michelle as my first soap, although I used water and not Goats milk instead. Second was Dawn's Basic Bar! That's the one I scented with Tonic. The last one was AJ's.

Let them cure out for at least a month and then give them a whirl. The longer they cure, the better they will be. Keep in mind that because of the 50% Olive oil, the soap will take a while to cure out. Min'es now three days old and the sliver I've used, doesn't creat much lather yet but will in a few weeks.

How big was your batch? I did all two pound recipe's except for AJ's and did that as a four pound recipe.

Fire

Oh wow hun!! Those look so professional

I bet they feel and smell awesome!

Feel free to send some to ........ LOL:D

Ditto what Jen said! I LOVE the Boston Round bottles too!

Yup, "the less it more," IS more eye appealing to me too!

Fire

They're Beautiful! What do you use to cut them with? Do you use a log splitter and a tank? What is it that you have placed the soap on for the picture?

TIA

Fire, who really loves you pretty, chunky bars!