Tips and Hints Page Two
Shrink Wrap-
Another difference between PVC 100 gauge and lesser weights, is that 100 ga will shrink faster and at lower temps, making it more appropriate for mp, also for those people who want to shrink but don't want to invest in a heat gun. A hair dryer of 1600 watts or better will shrink 100 ga.
Jeanne
Lye Discounts and Superfatting
someone asked:
<<<< I'm still confused. When you say you discount the lye 5%, what do you actually do? Do you physically, actually use 5% less lye than what the calculator shows you need? Why would you do this? If you follow the proper formula, why wouldn't 5% of it be saponified?>>
Deena's reply
In formulating the amount of lye that it takes to fully saponify the
oils you use, your lye calculations are based on using the EXACT amount of lye to use up ALL the oils and transform them into soap. In other words, 100% saponification.
Most soapmakers discount the lye anywhere from 3 to 9 or so percent, which means deducting 3 to 9 percent of the lye needed, which in turn means some of the fat won't get saponified, so we say it is "superfatted" by 9 percent (or whatever % you choose). If you don't add all the necessary lye, all the fat won't get saponified, kapeech?
Each fat/oil has it's own SAP figure, some are much higher or lower than others, so it's important to make the correct calculations for all the fats in your formula. There are many *lye calculators* available to help you figure out the correct amount of lye required to saponify the fats in your particular recipe, and then further show you how much lye to use for various percentages of *superfat* (which is actually a lye discount, as I just showed you). One very good one that is on line is at Tina Howard's Majestic Mountain Sage website:
http://www.the-sage.com
follow the links to services - lye calculator.
You must know what your recipe contains, in weight measurements. You plug in the weight measurement for each fat, and it automatically calculates how much lye and liquid you'll need. She has a large variety of fats and oils in the calculator (even emu oil!).
My recommendation is to ALWAYS include all the fats/oils you intend to use in your original calculations, then use the proper lye discount to get your *superfat* amount. If you want to, you can hold back some of your most precious or special oil to add at near *trace* (I figure about .5 oz. for each lb. of oils in the recipe to hold back to add at trace).... this gives that oil a better chance of being the one that doesn't get fully saponified -- left in the soap as *superfat* for possibly more emolliency.
I personally prefer not to *superfat* any more than 4-5%, it helps the bars stay firmer, less risk of oils left in the soap to go rancid, etc.
Deena
EMU OIL & EMU OIL SOAP
Gentle Ridge Enterprises ~ Wisconsin, USA
http://www.gentleridge.com ~ mailto:gentle@gentleridge.com
** Check out our NEW -- EMU OIL INFORMATION CENTER
Superfatting Mystery Explained!
Superfatting can be done in several ways. You can make
your soap using the full lye amount (0% discount)
& add your oils at trace. You can take a lye discount
of 6% if that's the amount of superfatting you want &
add all your oils at once. Or you can take a smaller
lye discount, say 3% & add another 3% by weight of
your oils.
Does any of this assure that one oil, say your castor
oil, remain unsaponified, while all of your olive,
palm and coconut oil gets saponified? NO! Almost every
oil you use in soapmaking has a certain percentage of
it's make-up that's unsaponifiable. So even using a 0%
lye discount not all of your oil is saponified.
By adding your chosen oil at trace can you assure that
more of it is left unsaponified? Maybe. Maybe not.
Somewhere between 40-50% of the saponification process
occurs in your pot. The rest takes place in your mold
& a slight amount finishes up during your cure time.
The fact that some of the lye is already used & the
other molecules are already running around with the
oil molecules in your pan when you add the superfat
oil may mean that the lye doesn't react as strongly
with that one oil. Or it may not mean that. Some oils
are much easier to saponify then others. The lye may
abandon it's process with a difficult oil (one with
double bonds) if it suddenly comes into contact with a
single bond, easy to saponify oil.
I personally use a combo of lye discount/adding at
trace. I use a 5%-6% discount & then add another 1-2%
by weight of my other superfatting agents. The reason
I do this is it gives me oil to mix my Titanium
dioxide with and to heat my fragrance oils in.
Helen
Pasteurizing Fresh Milk
I always feel guilty asking the questions on this list and never being able
to contribute much as I am just learning stuff and consider myself a
"greenie" at soaping but finally comes something I do know about..
I live on a dairy goat farm and milking goats and making goat milk soap is
my business. As for pasteurizing the milk before adding it to your M&P as
long as the source you are obtaining your raw milk from is a clean dairy, I
would use the milk raw. By pasteurizing you take out all of the good
properties the milk has in it..My hubby and I drink raw milk daily and bathe
with raw milk soap also..and you will never find too more clean and healthy
looking specimens!! haha
It is a personal choice though..As for pasteurizing being careful to cool
the milk down after is important or it will carry a burnt smell through to
your soap. To pasteurize use a double boiler and heat the milk to 166
degrees F. Immediately remove pan to an ice bath and let sit in the cold
water until cooled down. Then pour into sterilized jars and put in fridge to
use for soap or whatever..If using raw milk store in fridge right away as
that will stop the growth of any bacteria.
Hope this helps..
Barb
Trademarks and Copyrights-
Don't confuse trademark and copyright. The trademark only applies to
"marks" (duh! <g>) As it happens, you can't copyright a formula, either.
You can only copyright an "expression"; i.e., the exact format of the
recipes Sandy Maine publishes in her books is copyrighted. The formula
represented by the recipe is not. To protect something like that you, you
must either patent it (which would be almost impossible to do with a soap
formula) or you keep it as a trade secret (which is what most M&P
manufacturers do), in which case the responsibility is yours not to let
people find out what it is. Obviously, by publishing her books, Sandy
Maine as relinquished any secrecy about her formulas.
In short, using Sandy Maine's formula for your soap is fine. Reprinting
the recipe as she published it in her book, is not.
Jeanne Edna
Pre-mixing oils
If you've come up with a standard recipe you use -- and only vary with
fragrance and additives -- you can do what I do with my production batches.
I got plastic tubs (with covers) big enough to hold all my oils, and I
premeasure batches. So, I fill 25 tubs with all the oils for the recipe
and all I do is put the tub in a pot of hot water until it's melted, pour
the contents into my soaping pot and add my lye solution. That way I only
weigh and measure once every dozen batches or so.
If your tubs are big enough, you don't even have to pour it into a soap
pot; just add your lye solution and go! I think MMS carries large tubs
(although I don't know if they have covers). I got mine from SKS but I
think they only handle business customers.
Jeanne Edna
I've heard of making citrus slices like this:
Mold M&P (or glycerin type) in 3" PVC (Orange, for example)
Cut lengthwise into triangular wedges, maybe 8?
Place them in "fruit pattern" into a 4" round PVC and pour the "rind" around
(in an opaque white, or maybe light orange?)
Then slice and halve if you want.
A little work but worth it I'll bet.
HTH
Mick
Reduced Water Amounts
Speaking just for myself here, the reason I use the reduced water amount
is because I live in a very humid area that makes it harder to get the
soap cured in a decent amount of time. I use the calculator at Summers
Past http://www.soapmaking.com for this purpose, as it gives both the
standard and reduced water amounts as well as recommended fragrance
amounts.
--
Jane
Unmolding Milky Way molds
I wait until they are cooled..here is the direct quote from Catherine Failor,
the inventor...
"Please don't manhandle the molds when releasing contents! If you have any
difficulties with soap or chocolate, place the molds in your freezer. For
chocolate, a few minutes of freezer time will allow for easy unmolding. For
soap, 1/2 hour should be sufficient."
**More on unmolding soap: If the soap is allowed to remain in the molds for
12-24 hours after cooling down, it releases much more easily than unmolding
it immediately upon cooling. (During this extra time, it's both shrinking
and crystallizing.) One final option: If you'd like to experiment with a
fairly effective mold release, melt one part paraffin wax, (by weight) then
stir in 3 parts mineral or baby oil. Best used when hot and liquid, but if
applied to the molds when cold, (as a soft paste) use a stiff brush to ensure
thin and even application, otherwise inconsistencies can mar the smoothness
of the finished soap."
Penny
Dream Pillows
To make dream pillows I cut 2 pieces of
fabric whatever size I deem appropriate ( about 8 1/2 inch square) cut 2
pieces of quilt batting (thin layers)1/2 inch smaller than the fabric.
Sandwich the herbs between the quilt batting, sew the fabric on 3 sides,
slip the quilt batting and herbs inside and slip stitch shut.
Jennie
Reducing Water Amounts
I always use a reduced water/liquid amount. Here is the results I've found
no soda ash
less time in the molds
harder out of the mold, can easily be trimmed right then
& there w/ no finger marks or dents
less cure time
Drawbacks:
better know your fragrances really well. using a reduced
water/liquid amount brings trace fast, my
canola,lard,coconut,castor,olive recipe will trace in 5 minutes w/
handstirring. If a fo is known to accelerate or go lumpy, mixing it in at a
very very lite trace is critical.
know your recipe very well too. Some recipes that you used to have to
stick blend for 10 minutes will usually trace in 5 w/ handstirring.
I hope this helps. I run a recipe thru the mms lye calc then take the liquid
amount it calls for and reduce it by 30%. Thus using only 70% of what the
calc says.
sherri aka soapladee
Saving Seized Soap!
I know some ways have been discussed here before, but I am just going to be
redundant here to make sure I don't leave out anything I have done.
First: Make sure you are using quality EOs/FOs. If you are going to be
investing the big bucks anyway, might as well be for something you can rely on,
right? ;)
Second: Some FOs we know repeatedly seize...just as the sun will rise and set
again, we know the boogers are going to seize. Sometime we don't want to stop
using these particular fiends, so what to do?
Third: (Or "what to do?") Several things can be done with a known offender.
a)Reserve a portion of you base oils and add the FO/EO to it. Warm and add at
thin (early) trace. Stir soap BY HAND (what a concept, right? lol) to thin to
med trace and pour right away.
b)Add offending FO/EO at thin (early) trace and proceed as above...BY HAND.
Fourth: Let's say you did not know it was an offender, and now it is tracing
at an alarming rate and you find you are hyperventilating!!!!! Always keep a
small amount of WARM distilled water on hand. As I use less water/liquid than
is called for in the on-line lye calculators, this is no issue for me.
Consider keeping a bit of your water (WITHOUT lye in it) aside 2-4 ounces in a
5# batch of soap if you use the amount called for in these calculators. This
way you don't have to deal with yet MORE water in that batch.
Pour some in and stir BY HAND until pourable...still not pourable? Add the
rest of the water in, stir BY HAND and proceed.
Fifth: You are caught unawares and feel like someone pushed over the outhouse
with you sitting there for all the world to see. Now what? Scoop, smoodge,
glop that mess into your mold and smooth as best you can. This looks pretty
bad right now, but don't panic. It isn't over YET!!! You have something this
glob doesn't have (besides hands) you have a brain...good new, huh? :) Put a
piece of Saran wrap (Handi-wrap...what ever you swear by) on top, insulate the
peewally out of it. You not only want to get this soap mad, you want to p*ss
it off a bit. Once it is sat for awhile (30 minutes or so) PEEK! This is the
only time I will allow you to do so!!! ;) See if it is gelling. It will be
cooking and steaming, but this is what you want... NOW smooth the top (of the
Saran covered top- DO NOT TOUCH RAW SOAP!!!) of this now gel-looking, mooshy
mass into something resembling 'smooth'. Take off all insulation, but a light
towel, and leave it to sit in mold as usual.
Sixth: Pot o' marble. You have achieved solid soap, but not where and when you
planned. <VBG>. Stumped, you scratch your head and are convinced you are the
worst soaper to grace the face of this planet... Not to worry. There is STILL
hope!!!!!! If this mess is not already in a stainless steel soap pot, get it
there even if you find you must lift it spoon-embedded and all. You are going
to do a cross between not-quite-HP, a 'sortof' rebatch and CP. :) Add a few
ounces (2-4) of distilled water (remember: I am referring to a 5-8# oil batch
of soap)and heat on low to med/low on stove. Stir ever so gently as it begins
to melt. After it has heated through, add as much distilled water to make a
oozable mass to get into the mold. Refer to step 5 from here if needed.
Seventh: For those of you who are whipping the tar out of your soap with the
stick...stop it. I think you are 'overstimulating' the soap (don't laugh!).
Try to do a 50/50 hand stir/stick blender. I think the effect of the stick
has long-reaching ramifications. As if the effects carry on long after we
remove the stick. Kind of like the feeling of spinning long after we stop
twirling around (yes, I still do this). For those of you who continually
experience a seized batch and can't figure out why, try this and try pouring at
a little less thick of a trace.
Camille
List Moderator
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Making Sachets~
glad to share!....I usually make my sachets in such designs that they can be
sewn on the machine in one long strip, then cut into smaller pieces to finish
by hand...
First I take a length of fabric (usually 1 yd is about all I can
handle)...oh, I should say too that I only sew in right angles...can't for
the life of me sew curves or circles!...LOL!
I added these to my soaps to fill out my craft table and to catch those
people who hunted around looking for a bargain with 3$ burnin' a hole in
their pockets!
OK, back to sachets, take a manageable length of fabric...fold over so the
width is about 4.5"....then cut the length of your yard so you have one long
strip 4.5" wide (use any width you feel comfortable with, this is just the
one I use)....run through the machine so you have one long tube...
then cut your tube in 4" increments so you have several segments...I finish
in one of 2 ways...using plaid fabrics for unisex scents, I close one end of
a segment on the sewing machine, and continue till all segments are closed
and you have several little 'bags' with one open end with a raw edge....
Once this is done, I make myself comfy on the couch and prepare the
filling...get out the potpourri or corncob cellulose (can be found in *any
pet store and purchased for about 3$ for a 4# bag more or less, can't
remember exactly....it's billed as a natural alternative litter for small
mammals and birds and is a natural fixative) I fill a stainless steel bowl
with corn cob, add a few drops of fragrance oil or essential oil, and fortify
with shredded soap scraps of the same scent..toss to coat and I'm ready to
fill)
take a scrap of batting, put a tablespoon or 2 in the center and fold over,
whip or baste closed and slip into fabric bag...then I fold down the raw edge
towards the inside of the bag making sure to catch the raw edge inside the
bag so it can't be seen...use a gathering stitch to close about 1" down from
the top of the fold (hope this makes sense!)
Then I glue cinnamon sticks, raffia bow or what have you at the
gather...looks really cute!...
The second design I make involves the same concept of the tube but before you
sew into a tube, you stitch lace (battenburg is what I usually use, a small
tulip type edging) and then cut into 4" increments, fold raw edges together
and sew into a tube with lace edging on the ends so that you have a long
narrow tube...turn right side out and fill with cotton batting filled with
potpourri, corn cob, or soap scraps and hand stitch closed with a gathering
stitch about 1/2 or 1" from the end of the lace edging...
Then I fold in half to find the middle, another gathering stitch in the
center gives you a party favor type or candy type design...like a mini
bolster pillow with gathering in the center where I can attach mini silk
flowers...this particular design I use for really feminine scents....
Hope this all makes sense!.....I usually do all my machine sewing in one day
so that I can sit on the couch and hand finish and stuff at my
leisure....sounds like alot of steps but it only takes a 4-5 hand stitches at
a time per sachet...
If any of these steps seem muddled or you'd like me to clarify a point, don't
hesitate to let me know...I wrote these directions off the top of my head and
am hoping I explained in the right order!....LOL! :o)
Regards,
Antoinette
Packaging Lotion Bars-by Peg
i get my zip bags from mcmaster-carr (1.562.692.5911)
they're in california. their web site takes forever to
download, you're better off just calling and asking for
them... they have just about every size you can
imagine.
when i order anything from them i get my order in 2-3
days, which says a lot for the company, they WILL ship
your order the same day you call! :o)
fabo service, excellent products. i get 400 3x4 zips
for less than 10 bux. 1000 2x3 for ten bux.. poly
bags, etc...
i put my lotion bars in molds, then wrap in saran,
then baggie them w/ a tent card over the top. sell
like hotcakes. those solo cups just don't hold up for
me, the lids don't stay airtight..
(or on for that matter, gots citrus sunrise lotion
bar all over my purse.LOL!!!)
this way i can just unwrap the bar, use and put back
in the zip bag...no fuss no muss. (and CHEAP!!!)
Mixing Bath Bombs
Try it this way...I use Trina's bath bomb....get one of the glass jars
they sell for putting oil and vinegar on salad...the ones with the
glass jar that has a metal top on it shaped like a cone. Use that jar
to mix up the water and oil part and then just use one hand to
shake the liquid into the powder while you are mixing it in with the
other hand.Keep shaking, mixing and turning the bowl ( I use a big
stainless steel bowl) The size and shape of the opening on the oil
jar keeps you from adding the liquid too fast. It takes a bit longer to
get it all mixed in...but they come out perfect. Once you have
everything mixed in you have to work fast to mold them or they
start to dry out. I just let them sit out for a day...and I live near the
ocean so it is always a little humid here....they are rock hard and
ready to go.
KT
momsoaper asserts herself
Being the sole woman in a household full of men and men-to-be, I
occasionally find the need to assert myself and remind myself as well as
those around me, of my inalienable rights. The rights I focus on tend to be
tailored to the current goings-on in our house, but overall, I think they
are worth thinking about for all women in all circumstances...
I have the right to take a long, hot shower every day, whether the baby is
sleeping or not.
I have the right to be as obsessed with my soapmaking as some people (not
that I am naming names, mind you) might be about sports, rollerblading, or
playing video games.
I have the right to own too many dogs, too many cats, and too many pairs of
earrings that I never wear.
I have the right, on occasion, to say: "Okay, so maybe I'm being
unreasonable...but that's still how it's going to be."
I have the right, on the rare Saturday night when the children are all away
or abed and dh is working, to sneak in a biiiiig ol' bowl of dip with chips,
followed up by some of that ice cream that I always say I don't like just so
there's enough to go around among the boys.
I have the right to post goofy pictures of my kids, at least until they
figure out how to get into the program and "unpost" them.
I have the right, every now and then, to overcook my m&p to the point that
the water is completely evaporated and the soap looks something like weak
coffee.
Not that I would ever do that, of course.
I have the right to my own special spoon, and to be completely and
unequivocally irrational when I find someone else using it.
I have the right to watch scary movies and read collections of scary short
stories, and in short, to gorge on what I consider to be the chocolate icing
on the chocolate cake of literature.
I have the right, now that I think about it, to gorge on chocolate cake with
chocolate icing.
And Dove dark chocolate, too.
Hmmm...now I'm distracted from my rights. Where is that chocolate?
Anyway...
Now I feel much better. Perhaps I shall post this for all to see, right on
the front of the fridge. They can all read it before they ask probing
questions regarding, for instance, the whereabouts of items like milk. At
which point, I always exercise my right to look completely mystified and
answer: "I haven't the slightest idea." (When it comes to encouraging growth
and independence among one's family members, you gotta start somewhere,
right?!)
thank you thank you thank you I feel like a new and happier woman. If only I
had some Dove's Dark, my life would be complete...
Tomorrow, back to soaping. No soap for me today, no wonder I'm grouchy.
karol
Looking for Lye
For anyone looking for larger quantities of lye try GTF Labs in CA
http://www.gtflabs.com/prod01.htm
Their pricing includes all shipping, handling and hazmat fees. They sell
in 50# pails or 1# jars. It's very high quality and the service is just
great.
Deanna
Northwoods Creations
This is a neat website. There are some very unique things on here. Didn't
look everywhere, but there are supposed to be little novelty toys here.
Would be great for imbedding in M&P.
Christine
<A HREF="http://www.sciplus.com/">Click here: American Science & Surplus</A>
http://www.sciplus.com/
Soap Snowglobes
To make these you use m&p and a champagne glass. ( the plastic ones) Pour a
small amount in the glass, put in the snowglobes and fill the glass up.
That's all there is to it.
Pam C.
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