(this first picture I refered to above is now the last picture in this post)
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Anyway, I was going to chat about soap!!
Below is my Chai Tea soap from a few weeks ago (18 December), I made it in a small wooden box. They are about 6cm wide(~2 1/4 inch). Cute! I think this is my new favourite size to test batches.
I quite like this picture, even if it's out of focus (now, if someone has tips for photographing soap in focus... I have one: use your macro setting when you're close!! but also sometimes no matter what, and mostly with melt and pour soaps, the focus just won't take for some reason, must be the see-through quality of the soap? Anyone with tips better than mine?? I like how this shows the soap being somewhat translucent.
This one is my latest, made last night, using MangoLassi... this picture shows what happens to the soap as it saponifies. It reaches "gel" stage, and looks almost translucent. A bit later, after I took this picture, it was gelled all the way to the sides. It's quite nice to see, and to me, an indicator that something is going right! LOL! I wish I'd thought of poking the thermometer in there, to see what temperatures it reaches inside when it's like that! Maybe next time.
and a sliced view, and my terrible attempt at swirling (I know better now, I've been reading yet more!) ... My next batch will be a special project (tooth soap: don't knock it until you've tried it) and then after that I might give the swirl a whirl!
Ok, Julz... thanks for your comment! I just want ppl to know that you posted your comment before I was done updating this post!
It does look nice, doesn't it? like a nice guacamole before all the rest of the goodness is added... but nope, it does have a hint of avocado... it's the conditioner I made, yes, hair conditioner, with Tania guiding me towards a good recipe, and here it is:
and it is absolutely fantastic (even though I had to fudge the recipe a little as my kitchen scales, for a moment, for no reason, refused to measure small quantities of this and that, and I am sure I went over the required 4 grams despite it staying dead set at 0!!!) Oh well, live and learn. I've got a new way to measure such small quantities now!!! I will measure my container, and remove the 4 gr from there!!! Much better idea I think... this said, this conditioner seems to work quite well on us!!
For more soap candy have a look at my Flickr album, there's some soaps on there that aren't on here (and vice versa!) I am particularly fond of my new checker soaps!
17 comments:
Whatever it is...look delish!LOL
Looks like yummy fudge, but I'm guessing it's soap. How can it look so delicious?
Teehee! Julz and Julie! I was thinking the same thing while I was making it! Yum! It's quite thick and quite nice on hair too! Fun!!
Now, Fudge, hmmm... I'll have to share my ice cream bar recipe a girl at work gave me (I wrote it on my glove I was wearing at the time - handling dust - so I wouldn't forget it!) next post. perhaps!! xox
Wow, cool stuff!!
Tip for the photos: place a nice visible object with good contrasts at the same distance you're going to hold the soap. Press halfway down and focus (if it's a point and shoot) or adjust your focus, then simply swing over to where the soap is. Good to go!
It all looks so good! Is the transparent one MP soap?
Thanks for the tip Heather. Justine, the one in this post that is almost see through is CP soap, not MP, I have other MPs on this blog and on Flickr. :)
Interesting! I normally do my soaps 1" thick and allow gel. Allowing your soap to gel can cause a sort of translucency in your soaps, hence why you will read of people not letting their soaps gel (by putting in freezer etc) amongst other reasons.
How thick is it?
hi Justine!
I made it in a mould measuring 13 cm long x 6 cm wide by about 7 -8 cm high. The soaps pictured are about 7.5 mm thick. I wanted nice thin small soaps to give away :) I am almost certain that soap went through gel phase, well and truly! All my soaps do so far (all 6 batches of them!!)
I don't have room in my fridge or freezer to prevent my soaps from gelling ;)
:) Having a virtual conversation here! I think allowing your soaps to gel is a good thing especially if you are new at CP. You know its going through the saponifcation process. Ungelled soap still saponifies but it takes a few days instead of 12 - 24 hours, and is usually only done for aesthetic purposes or if you use colourants like alkanet powder.
Your soaps look so good for only 6 batches!! The swirl one is pretty too!
oh I meant to add that you never ever NEED to not let your soaps gel, even with alkanet (it just changes the way the colour turns out)... I hope I haven't confused you! lol... I don't have room in the freezer for it either so I don't do it. I can't imagine people who make a huge amount for a living do it either :)
next time I'll email you *VBG*
Nope, not confused, not anymore anyway!! Thanks for the info!!! :)
oh yum, it looks positively delicious!!!
No worries :)))
You have natural talent ! You should have seen my first 6 batches lol
Awesome looking soaps & love the look of the hair conditioner recipe -- would love to get it *grin*
Okay baby whats the recipe? looks so good... I like the Transforming Mask on Judes site.....its loverly...your soaping looks so cool!
I was just looking through your flickr gallery.. the confetti soap looked awesome!!! Love the idea of the chai latte soap.. my favourite drink .. mmmmm
Now that is translucent, nice work.
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