Teach Soap

I've been wanting to make a small batch of Pine Tar Soap. I hear the smell is "an acquired" thing lol.
I'm not going to try to totally cover up the smell but I do want to make it more appealing. Any ideas? I'm thinking woodsy EO's since putting an FO in it would lessen it's therapeutic properties.

thanks!

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Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

You can try eucalyptus, rosemary or mint.

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

_________________
Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

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

Well after struggling with my last three batches, I'm ready to make easy soap for a bit Thanks for the reminder on the usage of 5% on the EO.

Been making as many new recipes as I can think of with the oils I have on hand (thank you Tammy). Just got done fighting with one that had 45% palm in it. Yes I'm trying to use it up and move to cocoa butter and babassu. Talk about a fast trace and ricing! I thought it could have been the Apple Jack FO I used and it may have been that too. Of course I tried to swirl it then and make a pretty top. I wound up pulling out a 1/4in artist's paint brush I had and tried painting something pretty with the remaining soap. You would have been sitting back laughing so hard at me! I put that loaf in the freezer as fast as I could. It was getting pretty warm. After yesterday's Lavender loaf overheated and cracking down the middle I didn't want to go there again! I'd say the soap gremlins are here but I can trace it all back to my experimentations.

I'm trying to become the best soap maker I can possibly be! I'm chalking it up to experience that I need to have.
Maybe in a few weeks I'll try the pine tar with a slow moving higher % of OO. Soaping101 makes it all look so easy. I learn a lot but most of the things she makes are 75% OO. Have you watched her Pine Tar video? I'd love your thoughts Tammy, Irena, Lindas, Robert and everyone else who's helped me soooooooooo very much

With all that said, I LOVE SOAPING!

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Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

Palm has stearic acid, which needs to be melted and mixed each and every time, unless you buy hydrogenated palm. I can see how that high % of palm accelerated trace for you. Good luck on your next batch.

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

_________________
Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

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

_________________
Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

Congrats on getting through 24 batches! And yes, soaping is an addiction and there is no such thing as "extra room", just another place to put more soap!
I have not watched the video you mentioned and won't have time to for a while but will try to.
All I can say about pine tar soap is that it does move fast, can be hard to get into the mold, but you can do it! There are a few different mixing methods and each person has their opinion on what works best. We had a thread not too long ago on this subject and I think a lot of videos and methods were discussed there. I think it was Robert who was making it then, but do a search and see if you can find that one. You may find some helpful comments in there.

Yes, you definitely had some high palm going on in that batch, so I am not surprised you had issues, but now you know you can get through them! You for sure have the right attitude and adventuresome spirit, so keep on enjoying your journey!
I just LOVE it when the collective grows!

_________________
Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

_________________
Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

When I have made Pine Tar soap, I actually find it doesn't move that fast. Here's the recipe I used:
Here's my recipe:
Pine tar 25%
Castor 4.69%
Coconut 20.31%
Olive 40.63%
Sunflower 4.69%
Shea Oil 4.69% (the weird percentages are from me tweaking the recipe to get the oils in even ounces)
Water 24.3 oz
Lye 7.4 (5% superfat)
4 tablespoons lavender EO

It's been in the molds for a month and it's still soft, so I haven't cut it or used it yet.

I like the lavender with the pine tar. In the past I have used patchouli and tea tree.

I don't see pine tar on either of the two soap calcs that I use. I normally use it as an additive, but not as an oil or butter portion in my soap formula. How did you calculate this? I could see using pine tar at 25% coming out soft.

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

The soap calc on Soapcalc.net has it. http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

I've done 20% pine tar in the past, so the 25% was an experiment. So glad I used orange juice cartons rather than taking up my good log mold for a month!