Sunday, February 5, 2012

Saponification SUNday

My day starts out with my four year GK waking me by saying "Yaya, the sun is setting up." I open my eyes and there he is next to me watching the sun rise with absolute wonder. When was the last time I ever did that?

Fortunately my camera was not far away.



The rest of our day only got better with lunch out with all three of the GK's and an hour trip over to my sister Teresa's to see her new house who by the way is the YOUNGEST of we O'Shaughnessy gals and yet she is the FIRST to get to live in an open plan home design. Oh how I could just ...

do nothing but wish her the very best. Yes, I do. And now onto the soap of the week.



You might recall the problem I have with experimentation. It started in the 70's and has progressed into the 21st century. At least now my experimentation is not likely to put me behind bars, unless I hurt someone who gets in the way while I am hurling my crock pot against the wall.

I made a couple batches this week following a tried and true recipe until I broke my own promise and started playing around with the whole lye-water-oil-plant additive thing. Once again it got too thick and dried a little crumbly on the bottom and a few major cracks on top which meant it got too hot. This is amazing science -wise since I popped it into the fridge immediately.The colors were very nice as the blood orange essential oil turned the soap a creamy yellow and the alkanet was a handsome blue. The pink was French Red Clay.
Man, do I need a new camera

Why is it always the bottom I have problem with and yes this is a rhetorical question isn't it always?
7/8 of the bar was beautiful and well scented but not good enough for Soaper Dearest who by the way happens to LOVE wire coat hangers.

I tried to live with them but knew I could not pass them onto others with good conscience. I mean two minutes after unmolding these bars were hard enough to crack skulls so I did what I always do...I sacrificed looks for quality. My mother apparently did the same thing in regards to me.

I like rebatching my cold process soap via the hot process
 method in a base of new cold process soap. Just call me Sybil
Chop chop and the bars went in looking like Marilyn Monroe and came out looking like Pee Wee Herman, but the smell was better than ever and the texture and lather was oh so Adele. Do you know Adele? She is the perfect bar of soap, glittery, slightly soft and fluffy with the most angelic and slightly edged lather. 

Au gratin potatoes ? No, my bloggy friends , it is rebatched soap.
Now we know why it is called "rebatched" don't we?
Yes I rebatched the bars via Hot Process which has its good points and its good. What is good about it is the scent. I add the Essential Oils right before I glop it into the mold so it really holds its scent well. HP is also good as you can use it just a day or two after cutting and the lather is great.

Negative points? Well if you picked your husband based on his ability to say...oh I don't know...build a barn instead of his skill at modeling Eddie Bauer's latest leather jacket, then you will never appreciate the RUSTIC quality of HP soap. The colors are more muted and the texture is very Rocky Mountain High.



Now don't get your Cold Process Loving Panties in a bunch, I happen to think smooth and lovely serves a purpose in this world as well, I'm just not a purist. I am more of an "impurist" which is a fancy word for lazy when it comes to saponification.



Anyway ..once again the before and the after.
 You be the judge.

And please someone donate
me a new camera.


11 comments:

  1. To me, the after looks like dryer lint when I do laundry. All the colors mixed together.

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  2. The 'after' reminds me of those Victorian 'end of week' glass pieces that were made by glass blowers before quitting for the weekend. I believe they were allowed to use up all the bits and bobs for their own profit. Interesting!

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  3. Maybe I'm just odd... but I like the "after" better. Softer... makes me want to go take a nice long shower.

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  4. Well, your "au gratin potato" soap pic has made me hungry, AND I much prefer the "after" soap. Makes me think of a Blue Heeler...;)

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  5. Your 'before' soap made me think of neopolitan ice cream. Now that's all I can think about . . . :)

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  6. You do have a way with words, Donna. I like the mottled look of the HP, but then the CP looks sort of mottled too...SOMEONE BUY THIS LADY A NEW CAMERA, WOULD YA? There. That might help.

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  7. How to salvage soap! This might be a good thing to know.

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  8. Donna,

    Our niece used to come in by MIL side of bed and say "Ganna, dark's almost over, time to get up!"

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  9. I actually like the more natural look of the rebatched soap much better than the original. I just finished a batch of lavender-lemongrass scented soap. It turned out smooth and lovely but I haven't experimented with colors and additives yet.

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  10. I actually like the more natural look of the rebatched soap much better than the original. I just finished a batch of lavender-lemongrass scented soap. It turned out smooth and lovely but I haven't experimented with colors and additives yet.

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  11. They are both lovely Donna, each in their own way, and I agree with Becky! The 'after' DOES look like a Blue Heeler :)

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