Have you ever searched the internet for cosmetic formulas? A search for nearly any product turns up more variations than we can try in a year, perhaps more. The question is, of course, are they good? Will they provide the results we hope for? Are they well researched and written? Although many factors determine a…
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A little lecture on learning
Read More“My Mother won’t use my soap!” This is a reoccurring complaint from bath and body and candle makers everywhere. Those close to them stash their amazing gifts instead of enjoying them and sometimes even refuse them altogether. Why? Naturally, makers want to share their creations with those closest to them, hoping the recipient is as…
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When will my soap be ready to try? How do I know when it is cured? Is it soap yet? When I embarked on my very first batch of cold process soap, two of these questions came to mind as I melted the oils, added lye water, mixed and poured the batch into the prepared…
Read MoreCreating the ideal bar of soap is the holy grail of soapmaking for many a modern soapmaker. The more we learn about the fatty acids that make up oils, the better our potential. The fatty acids we are concerned with in soapmaking are: lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, ricinoleic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic. Even armed with the knowledge of fatty acids, the concepts of INS…
Read MoreFats and oils are made up of fatty acids, each a unique blend. Usually, we seek to create a well-balanced bar for general bathing, and it is the reason we mix oils rather than making soap with just one oil. We take advantage of the properties of several oils in search of that ideal bar, one that…
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