My first lotion and coconut oil in the hair

So, I made lotion for the first time.  I used a super simple recipe from thedishforum.com, which is a fabulous place to get information regarding soap making and other bath and body products. 

It was really cool and easy to do!  This particular recipe called for among other things olive oil and honey, so it's OOH Lotion!   The recipe also called for cider vinegar.  Well,  the finished product still smells of vinegar (which I was warned about) with a little honey.  The recipe had an alternative, using citric acid instead of the vinegar.  The vinegar smell doesn't last on the skin, but I think next time I'll use the citric acid instead.  That way I'm hoping I'll just smell honey.   The lotion came out really creamy and thick.  So cool that with the right ingredients, oil and water emulsify to make lotion!  I did put a preservative into the lotion to keep the germies away.  Neato!

I also tried coconut oil in my hair.  Interesting...
So I melted coconut oil and fingered into my hair.  I left it on for a few hours while I did other things.  I took a shower to wash the coconut oil out.  I wasn't sure how strenuously I should try to shampoo the oil out.  The oil also made the shower floor a bit slick.  I blow dried my hair.  Well, it seems a bit softer.  I think I'll have to try this again to really see how this works.  I also have heard avocado oil is good for the hair.  I may have to try that one as well. 

Eh, it's all about experimentation and having some fun.  I have all of this oil and butters that I use for soap making why not try out other uses for them. 

Discoloration update on the Key Lime Soap Pie Slices

It's been 6 days since making the Key Lime Soap Pie.  I used Vanilla White-Color Stabilizer from Natures Garden Wholesale Candle and Soap Supplies. 




Interesting...  So the soap has discolored in areas that were exposed to air right after I poured the soap.  The areas that were up against the mold have not discolored.  The cut surfaces have not discolored as well.  The discoloration is pretty light, a light tan color.  So, overall the vanilla color stabilizer seems to be working, sort of.  I'll have to keep an eye on it and see if it discolors any more.  I suppose if this is the most it's going to discolor I'll only use the color stabilizer when I use a log mold.  That would limit the surfaces that touch air when I pour. 

Water marble nail art

I tried water marbling nail art.  I've seen some videos on YouTube.  It was a little messy and it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, but I think it was OK for the first time.  Kind of a neat look.

Soaping up with my salt soap bar

I've made more salt bars.  I made the same recipe 100% coconut oil at 20% superfat.   Last time I used table salt at 75% of the weight of oils.   This time I used fine grain sea salt at 100% weight as the oil or 1:1.  Coconut oil is one of the few oils, once saponified, that can withstand high salt concentration and still create nice lather. 

So here's how my 1:1 salt weight to oil weight soap.  It's definitely less bubbly than my prior soap bar with less salt.  I think next time I'll go back to 75%

Here's how it lathered.  This is my first soap video!

Haul: New stuff - well new to me

I was on one of the soap forums and discovered a member was selling some of her items.  SCORE!


What is all of this?  Well, the two molds on the left are Woodfields molds.  They are silicone lined wood molds.  The top one is a two one pound double mold and the bottom is a 4 lb log mold.  I have been looking at these Woodfield molds as well as similar Uplands molds (out of business) for a long time!  This seller was getting rid of her gently used Woodfields!  Yay!

The white divided tray mold is an HDPE mold from Soap Hutch.  This one holds 4.5-8 pounds depending how deep I pour the slab.  I was looking at these as well, but these are really expensive, so never thought I'd ever get one.  Yay!

The black item on the right is a Commercial Quick Cutter soap slicer from For Crafts Sake affectionately known as a "Tank".  I have drooled over this one, but never thought I'd ever get one.  For one thing I'd be locked into only one width of soap cutting.  This one is set at one inch increments.  But this opportunity wasn't to be missed.  The seller hadn't even used it yet, so it IS new!  Yay!!



If I had purchased all of these items new it would have been ludicrously expensive!!  But second hand these were a sweet deal!  

Love them, love them, love them!!  I can't wait to use them!

Key Lime Pie

I made a Key Lime Soap Pie! 






This Key Lime Pie fragrance has vanilla in it so would turn brown, but I used a Vanilla White-Color Stabilizer.  I'm hoping that it will keep the soap from turning brown. We'll see.  It smells really good.  Lime with a creamy vanilla sugar.  I think I would have preferred a more tart lime smell, but it's still good.  I used green and little blue mica for color and I swirled it with the uncolored batter for the main pie; then the uncolored batter piped on top.  I used one of my silicone round cake molds.  This is just under 3 lbs of soap (a tad over 2 lbs of oils).  I'll pop this out of the mold tomorrow.

Key Lime Soap Pie Cut!

Couldn't wait!  I just cut the Key Lime Soap Pie!  That was only about 4 hours after making it.  The soap heated up, but I just left it out uncovered.  I waited until it cooled down before I popped it out of the mold.  Never thought I'd be able to cut it that quickly, but it came out great!


Here's a slice.


Super cute!  Right now they are about 3.75 oz per slice.  Which will probably cure out to 3.5 oz in the end.  I think next time though I will add more piping around the edge and less in the center.  I like the piping to look more built up along the outside.  Yay!  OK, now we'll see how well the vanilla white color stabilizer will work as the slices cure.