Teach Soap

The inspiration: I was waiting in the garage for my FIL to get ready to go get dinner (cheesesteaks.. yum) and I noticed a butterfly on the ground. I'm generally not one to like bugs on me, but for some reason I picked him up and put him on my hand. I had about 5 minutes to sit there and watch him. He was brownish grey with a blue metallic hue and orange spots. The tops of his wings were like a blue gradient. He was so beautiful, I HAD to make soap with his colours. I will post that soap once it is ready to cut. I used NGs rainbow sherbet (see below) because I wanted a discolouring scent and rainbow just suited my butterfly friend.

The lesson: We all see videos with soapers not wearing proper protective gear, they always have an excuse. I myself do this. I roll up my labcoat sleeves and wear shorts underneath it because its just too darn hot in here for me to cover up properly. I know the risk, and I take it. I have a lot of lab experience and have never had a spill or splash. Until tonight. I was trying to beat my soap batter in to submission and found out that underneath the seized layer there was a splashy liquid layer. It splashed on my arm, neck and face. It didn't hurt my arm or neck. But OUCH it burned on my lip and cheek! I wiped it off asap, but the burning stayed until I could get into the shower and really clean it off. So, protective gear is important guys, no matter how many people you see who don't use it. That lye would have been in my eye if I didn't have my glasses on. It could have blinded me. Just something to think about, no matter how careful you are accidents do happen.

The review: Not sure if anyone else picked up NGs rainbow sherbet (old) from their clearance page, but I'll review it anyhow. It smells nice, like strong cherry with an undertone of citrus and vanilla. It will discolour to a "medium brown" and is usable up to 5%. It started off nicely but after a few minutes was solid in my mixing bowl, I beat it into submission and then it riced a bit. I beat it more and managed to slop it into the mold with some odd colourful stripes. NOT what I wanted but you can't swirl a brick, right? It also heated up substantially, the mold was super hot on the bottom when I moved it to the little table in the workshop.

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I'm glad you're ok!
Sometimes the best ideas come if we are willing to slow down and look. I hope your soap comes out.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

You know Hestey, I have a few thoughts.
First, soemtimes I look for some color inspiration for my soap, passing day after day, looking through blogs and pinterest for other soaps ppl make. But then I remember that the best inspiration I could get from is from the nature outside. It is wonderful how you look at the flowers, birds, horizon and see contrast colors match where you never thought it would.

And as for the covering-up. I have bad eyes. I used to wear glasses since 9 and lenses since 15. And one of my biggest fears is to lose my vision. This is the motivation for me to cover my face. Though they never comfy and they may weep but everytime I mix lye I am thinking "damn! what if my glass container will break now?" or "what if my plastic container will break now and lye will leak all over?" Damn terrified

Pity for the fast moving FO. I had this two weeks ago with the new recipe. And the soap is crumble and turning from white to... pink! yes )
Wanna see that?

_________________
I am Lora

Dang Hesty, I am so glad your ok. I'm like you I have gotten into the comfort zone. Time to rethink that.

It must have been the night for seized soap. I have had soap accelerate on me so that I had to glop into molds but never totally seized...I got that wonderful experience last night. ROCK hard in the mixing pot.

_________________

Dawn

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

So glad you're okay!

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Well, I cut it. It smells delicious! The whole thing gelled, but it has a "power circle" of "wet" soap inside, where it started to overheat. It is leaking a little glycerin but otherwise turned out quite nice! Will post pics in the pic thread!

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

We just had a patient at work that had a hunk of cleaner (LYE) fall inside his rubber gloves...so lye plus hot and sweaty hands and it was held against his skin by the glove...3rd degree burn....he lost most of the tatoo that was on his hand! The good news was he healed very quickly without any infection!

_________________
Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Ohh that made me shudder. I always worry about lye getting inside my gloves!

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Me, too! I've gotten the soap batter inside the top of my glove and it irritated my skin a bit, but never any lye thank goodness!

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Oh my goodness, I'm so worried that will happen -- glad you're okay!

_________________
~*~ Jennifer ~*~

_________________
I am Lora

Holy crap on a cracker that's scary. I've worked in a lab too so I still have my lab coat and goggles for working with the lye. I'll admit I prefer working with my bare hands and a sink near by. Sounds like gloves can almost be more dangerous than not having them.

I used to put lye in the microwave with more lye than water, heat it up to a syrup, and then add a crystal of lye to watch it instantly crystalize and I did that without any safety equipment. >.> I'm a lil older if not wiser now.

_________________
Just call me "Apo"

I thought it was me who is called inspiration

great experience.
I'm glad you're O.K. now.
I have all kinds of scars and burns on my hands from my chem-student time, once I've had a fat splash of conc. NaOH in my eye and I ran to the university clinic for help and the doctor tried to give me a half an hour safety instruction instead of taking care of my eye at first. Afterward I could stay one week at home.

Recently I tapped my mold after pouring the soap on the counter to have a smooth surface and, what happens? a fat splash of fresh soap slides over my safety goggles down over the disposable mask I wear actually as a hygienic practice and not because of safety. I was glad I had both safety goggles and mask.

_________________
Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99 % perspiration

Lora, it looks like your soap has strawberry mousse inside it! It would have been so pretty if the FO hadn't decided to be a jerk

I had concentrated HCl spilled on me in lab, yeah... ouchies. It went all over my arm and I kind of just sat there staring at it. So did everyone else. Then the TA (teaching assistant) was like "Um, is that acid?" The prof heard him and rushed over to drag me to the accident station. I had an angry red splotch for about 2 or 3 days, and it felt like some one stuck my arm on a BBQ and it ate the arm of my lab coat! But I guess I have super tough skin because it didn't do any lasting damage at all.

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist