I think it is worth making a traditional castile soap at least once just for the experience. I will always use castor in mine. I love it and I really, really like to ensure my soap goes through the gel stage. I have a love/hate relationship with jasmine J What are your favourite oils, everyone? Mine are: Clary Sage Black Pepper Bergamot Vetiver Patchouli (aged) Ross From: soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mandy Coleman Sent: Friday, 8 January 2010 9:25 p.m. To: soapcraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [soapcraft] Re: hello Kia ora louise Its interesting whn u put ur recipe through a lye calc with castor oil and without - u can see the difference esp on the little soap calc graphs. I just made an almond and palm oil soap and I should actually have put castor oil and perhaps even some coconut for a more balanced soap - its not going to be a very lathery soap but will be great moisturiser-have to wait and see what it turns out like to use, in any case it is beautiful and smells divine (its jasmine, 1 of my favourite scents) so even if its not so gr8 to use I can look at it and smell it lots! Lol! And I am sure it will be good for moisturising in any case. When I first started the thought of castor oil, well I thought yuk why would u put it in soap! I have only used one of my soaps that has castor oil and it has a creamy lathery feel, more so than the ones without it. And yeah like I said that's the 2nd prson I know that swears by it so I think there is something in it. J I have heard that olive oil soaps can be slimey so I have steered away from 100% ones, I have made a baby soap that has 75% olive, havent trialled it yet so cant tell you whether it's a slimey one or not.keep u posted Arohanui Mandy Coleman Mokihinui Mansions 36-56 Lewis Street Mokihinui RD1 Westport 037821837 0273075881 _____ From: soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Louise Shing Sent: Friday, 8 January 2010 7:18 p.m. To: soapcraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [soapcraft] Re: hello Hi Mandy I wasn't aware that castor oil was so great, do you use it in all your soaps? I'll have to start using it. I got given a 100% macadamia nut oil soap for Christmas and to be honest I don't really like it as it is slimy, I wonder if it's like that for all 100% soaps. I wanted to make a 100% olive oil soap (ie castille) but the macadamia soap really put me off. Let me know once you've tested your soaps what they're like as I'm interested to find out. Cheers Louise on 7/1/10 10:51 PM, Mandy Coleman at mok.mansions@xxxxxxxxx wrote: Kia ora ross YeaH my soaping mentor person (lucky him!) told me about the castor oil so I see its not only him who swears by it!i have been using olive pomace oil.also i have been weighing all my oils religiously with my new digital scales, I read quite a lot of stuff b4 I dove in and my mentor person gave me some great basics advice too.yeah he also said about the slimy feel, I havent experienced that yet, but I will test my most olive-y bar and see what I think. Arohanui Mandy Coleman Mokihinui Mansions 36-56 Lewis Street Mokihinui RD1 Westport 037821837 0273075881 _____ From: soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] <mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx%5d> On Behalf Of Ross Spencer Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 10:23 p.m. To: soapcraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [soapcraft] Re: hello Hey Mandy Personally, I would be wary of using collected sand. You just never know what is in it (glass, organic matter which might go off, etc) Re base oils, I always use 5% castor oil in my oils. I encourages gel (where the soap gets really hot in the mould) and helps to make a nice hard bar. Olive pomace is better than other olive oils for soaping. The pomace is from the last pressing, is lighter in colour and in feel. The recipe I use has a 5% oil excess (5% of the oil is not taken up by the lye) which makes for a nice moisturising bar. Using too much olive oil can give the soap a slimy feel. I have yet to try making an castile (100% olive oil) I use wild crafted tussah silk dissolved in the lye. Gives a luxurious feel and the soap rinses off really easily I am not sure if you are weighing your oils or measuring them by volume but just a note to always weigh. I am not sure if I am preaching to the converted here J The cocoa soap sounds nice. I must give that a try. Essential oils can cause accelerated trace as well. For both FO and EO, be wary of the florals in particular for accelerate trace or seizing. I would be keen to do a fragrance oil swap if anyone is interested Ross From: soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] <mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx%5d> On Behalf Of Mandy Coleman Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 10:00 p.m. To: soapcraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [soapcraft] Re: hello Kia ora ross I use olive palm and coconut as base oils. In various combinations.I have followed quite a few recipes that I have downloaded and the soaps all have been great so far. Of course the more I find out the harder it is to follow someone else's recipe.also I have been using essential and fragrant oils and if I need to do something complicated at trace I will use essential oils cos I know that fragrant oils can be tricky but it is so tempting as it is hard to get essential oils of some of my favourite scents eg jasmine, vanilla and frangipani. As for colouring so far I have tried tumeric, curry, paprika, beetroot juice, carrot juice, spirulina, alkanet, crayon, soap colour from aromatics and more.. Hey and todays little offering, well it is a cocoa butter soap with cocoa swirled at trace, it is so beautiful, and it even had chocolate fragrance added . and I even managed this successfully with visitors ariving in the midst of my soaping! Horrors! I really don't like distractions like that! I have been trying so hard to swirl and this worked so well. In fact the only swirls that have realy worked for me is the two soaps I have made with cocoa power added at trace and then part mixed with the whole batch.. Wow ross, I just love the whole whatever you call it around your soap, it's not just 'soap', it's so much more..its exciting, romantic, something.cant find the right words but u know what I mean! Thanks for sharing! Hey and as a new soaper, its great cos I don't feel totally inadequate looking at all the great soaps, rather, interested, inspired and motivated and my soaps, sure they may be basic and rudimentary I guess and I will probably look back when I am a totally experienced soaper and think, oh gosh hasn't my technique developed so much!.. but they are in fact beautiful and special and so much nicer than bought soap.. Thanks.. Oh yeah, how would you sterilise sand? Looking forward to more of these posts! ka kite. Arohanui Mandy Coleman Mokihinui Mansions 36-56 Lewis Street Mokihinui RD1 Westport 037821837 0273075881 _____ From: soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] <mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx%5d> On Behalf Of Ross Spencer Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 1:29 p.m. To: soapcraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [soapcraft] Re: hello Hi Mandy Sounds like you are on your way! I use silicon loaf moulds that are really easy to get fairly cheaply (Trademe, Payless Plastics, The Warehouse, etc). I also have a huge silicon mould that I got from the US but haven't used it yet. Soapmaker 3 is a really good piece of software that you might want to look at trying. I find it indispensable. What base oils are you using? How are you scenting your soap (if you are)? Colouring? Sand may be a bit coarse and you should ensure it is clean and sterile. Ground pumice is a good alternative or for an inclusion that is a little softer but still fairly "scrubby" you could use poppy seeds or blueberry seeds. I have been considering using hemp seed fibre as well. Check out my Etsy store to see what I have been up to, soapwise - www.galahad40.etsy.com <http://www.galahad40.etsy.com> <http://www.galahad40.etsy.com> Cheers Ross From: soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] <mailto:soapcraft-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx%5d> On Behalf Of Mandy Coleman Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 10:50 a.m. To: soapcraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [soapcraft] hello Kia ora koutou I am a new soaper and just thought I would join to share and learn more. I live on the beautiful (but wet and sometimes cool!) west coast of the south island. I have always been a creative crafty person and have been interested in making soap for some time. I got sick of having to hide my expensive vegetable oil based soap from the rest of my rather large family, as I couldn't afford for us all to use it!How sad is that! So I decided I would teach myself how to make soap and then we could all use the wonderful soap! Yay! I started in November which was very perfect in time for Xmas gifts etc. I have only been using the soap for a few weeks and I have just got my head around the 'no brainer' soapcalc. It took a while to understand the lye discount thing and in the beginning I just wanted to make soap from recipes I had found on the internet. I have been attempting to swirl but not a lot of success so far but I know I will get there. Yeah and I think I always beat too much as I am scared of the soap not setting so it's panic stations sometimes to get it out of the pot! Have just been using recycled molds so far- I am hoping that at least one of my lovely large family (of males, might I add!) might oblige sometime soon and offer to help/make me a soap mold! Well, pigs do fly sometimes! Has anyone ever used sand in their soap or infused eucalyptus leaves in oil and then used the oil?I made some beautifully colored yellow soap using carrot jiuce instead of water plus many more exciting and different bars. Any info much appreciated. Thanks Arohanui Mandy Coleman Mokihinui Mansions 36-56 Lewis Street Mokihinui RD1 Westport 037821837 0273075881 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.127/2603 - Release Date: 01/06/10 07:35:00 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.127/2603 - Release Date: 01/06/10 07:35:00 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.127/2603 - Release Date: 01/06/10 07:35:00 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.128/2604 - Release Date: 01/06/10 19:35:00 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.129/2606 - Release Date: 01/07/10 19:35:00 No virus found in this incoming message. 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