Teach Soap

I got a request to add pine resin (rosin) to a custom order the other day. Guy even brought me his dried resin. I've just never done this before & wondered if anyone else had. My best guess would be to melt in with other oils as a very fine powder... Some of this is in chunks, some is big chunks... Ooohhh, am I really UP to this? Guy works in a sawmill & swears it's the best thing to get pine resin off his hands after work. I know some of my other soaps with essential oils do this, too... Kinda wish he'd just buy my 'man soap', but...

What would YOU gals say to an old Uruguayo gaucho who comes with my FIRST custom order here? He wants only 18 bars, but... 1) I don't want to disappoint, as this is a chance for 'la Tejana' to show what she can do; 2) I'm already working with new partner & trying to gear up for a good tourist season after Xmas.

I'm fiddling around with CP, CPOP, and HP (direct stovetop ATM). Wonder which of these would give me the best chance of turning out something decent? Methinx HP, probably?

One other question (for now). Has anyone used Dende oil for soapmaking? I believe it's a form of palm oil, but do not know how it is formulated. Very popular in this area, tho. I never heard of it until we moved here.

Thanks in advance for your help, girls. Time for a walk on the beach before the storm comes in... It's fall here.

Do you have a mortar and pestle? Freeze the resin. Put it between sheets of wax paper and whack with a hammer into smaller pieces. Then using mortar and pestle get it into smallest particles that you can. Infuse it in oil and strain out any larger pieces. Use the infused oil as a part of your recipe. You can speed up the infusion by gently heating up the oil, or use a crockpot on low for 3-4 hours. I would do this as HP.

I am not familiar with Dende oil. I don't use palm in soap.

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

Thanks, Soapbuddy! Yes, have mortar & pestle & that's exactly how I was thinking to do it! Freezing resin tears makes such a difference - not a hopeless gummy mess. I had figured on melting it long & slow with some lard.

Now, I just have to work up the gumption - along with getting up to speed producing my 'tried n true' stuff for Mercado Libre...

I'll call the feller & let him know his soap'll be ready in a couple weeks. We already discussed that he'll have to let it age before he can use it. Who knows? If it behaves for me, it might be a 'keeper' of a recipe for once in a while...

Now, a follow-up question, how much would you figure in PPO? I have in mind 1 teaspoon. What thinkest thou, Mistress?

Thanks again. I'm trying to look at this as a new 'experiment,' not a nuisance. If I was a bit more hungry, you can bet I wouldn't be so wishy-washy, eh? All in the perspective, for sure.

You're welcome. 1 teaspoon is what I would go with.

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

Much appreciated!