Explaining and Preventing Glycerin Rivers

I have to agree that soap making is both a science and an art. There are many things that can affect a soap batch. Temperature is a big one that can affect the look and feel of your soap.  As for a cold process soap batch, if the temperature is too hot, it can result in glycerin rivers. You are wondering what are glycerin rivers?  Glycerin rivers create a cracked or mottled appearance that can obscure more intricate design.  It does not affect the soap but it just affects the way your soap will look.  If you want to learn how to prevent glycerin rivers, then I recommend reading the post from The Soap Queen called Explaining and Preventing Glycerin Rivers.

How to Prevent Scent Fading in Soap

Like me, I am sure that you love how you scent a batch of cold process soap.  But, after 4 weeks of curing time, the scent has faded.  I know when I made a batch of mojito scented soap, the lime faded and the spearmint scent remained.  I wondered why this happened.  I possibly found out why by reading the posting from The Soap Queen called How to Prevent Scent Fading in Cold Process Soap.  If you are having the same problem, this posting is a good read.

Lemon Poppy Seed Hot Process Soap

When I took a cold process class from The Nova Studio, the handout included recipes on scenting the batches with essential oils. One of the recipes for Lemon Poppy Seed.  When I made a batch of cold process soap, I used that particular essential oil recipe to create the lemon poppy scent and I have to say that the soap had the aroma of an actual lemon poppy seed muffin!  So when I saw this recipe from The Soap Queen, called Lemon Poppy Seed I had to share it. But instead of a cold process recipe that takes four to six weeks to cure, this hot process recipe only takes 24 hours.  I have not tried to make a hot process batch before but I did take a class a long time ago.  And I am interested in trying one sometime. maybe this is the one.

Classic Heart Melt & Pour Soap

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  Are you looking for something to show your love to those special in your life?  Here is a recipe from The Soap Queen called Classic Heart Melt and Pour Soaps that would be perfect to way to let your Valentine that you love them.  It takes just a few short hours to make these beautiful soaps and one batch makes about 8-10 bars.

Pretty Pink CP Soap Recipe

Do you happen to love the color pink?  Here is a cold process soap recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus that surely pink.  This bright pink soap recipe called Pretty Pink CP Soap uses the hanger swirl technique to give it its distinctive look.  It also has a wonderful smell of sugared berries with notes of apple and magnolia and uses the following oils of olive oil, macadamia nut oil, and coconut oil to give this bar of soap a luxurious feel.

Preservatives Quick Guide

Preservatives are an important part of DIY bath and body products.  Why they are important?  It is because they help prevent mold and bacteria growth, which extends the shelf life of your products and makes them safe to use.  The recommendation for using preservatives is to use them in prodicuts made with water or products that get water splashed during use.  But you are probably wondering if you need to use a preserative for soap?  To answer your question, the post from The Soap Queen  entitled Preseratives Quick Guide will tell you what you need to know. According to author, the posting gives you general rules and may be different based on your preference, how the product will be used, whether you are selling the product, etc.

Relaxing Lavender Bath Bombs

After a long hard day, would you love to take a soak in the tub?  Why not add these Relaxing Lavender Bath Bombs to your bath?  This recipe from The Soap Queen is very simple to make.

Uplifting Orange Soap

We are just a couple of weeks into winter. Already, I am looking forward to spring.  If you are like me and need a little something to lift your spirits, here is a melt and pour soap project from The Soap Queen called Uplifting Orange Soap. This project is a perfect beginner soap maker and gives some really good tips.

Toilet Tabs Recipe

Instead of using the commercial brand of toilet cleaners on the market, how would you like to make your own?  This lemon-scented recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus called Toilet Tabs will leave your toilet bowl and bathroom smelling fresh and clean.  All you need to do is make them and just drop one in the bowl and watch the fizzing action. The combination of the baking soda and citric acid will help soak the stains away and leave a fresh scent.

Beeswax Furniture Polish

Want to restore the shine to your wood furniture? Here is an easy recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus called Beeswax Furniture Polish that will help minimize scratches, clean up water stains, and restore your wooden furniture to its former glory.

Ice and Fire MP Soap

Calling all melt and pour soapmakers, here is a beautifully layered melt and pour project from Wholesale Supplies Plus called Ice and Fire. This recipe has perfect shades of black, red, orange and yellow with cool tones that reflect in the ice cube on top of this bar of soap.

Lingonberry Rebatch Soap

It has been a while since I posted a rebatch soap recipe. I do not know why but maybe there are not as many rebatched recipes as there are cold process recipes.  Never heard of the rebatch technique?  Rebatching involves melting shredded cold process soap and customizing it with additives.  The Soap Queen recently posted the Lingonberry Rebatch Soap which happens to be made on the stovetop, but according to the Soap Queen you can make this recipe using a slow cooker or a double boiler.  The key is low and slow heat to prevent burning.

Lavender & Coconut Milk MP Soap

Lavender is definitely a popular scent for soap. Here is a melt and pour project from Wholesale Supplies Plus that uses a coconut milk soap base to make a nice bar of soap. What gives this Lavender and Coconut Milk MO Soap its purple color is the lavender powder which also gives a nice aroma to the soap but the lavender and coconut fragrance oil gives an added punch to make the soap even more fragrant,

Happy New Year 2019!