Jazzed about Gel Phase

The gel phase is a necessary phase for soap to go through if you want a certain kind of result from creating the soap. One reason you might want to rush the gel phase is if you want vibrant colors, another reason is that you might be in a hurry. There are also a few reasons why you might want to prevent gel phase, one of those reasons might be because you want a more matte color instead of a more vibrant color.

Key Takeaways:

  • If your soap looks like gelatin after a while, it is going through the gel phase.
  • The gel phase is of most importance if you are wanting your colors to really pop.
  • If you prefer soap that is matte, then you might want to prevent the gel phase altogether.

“Warm temperatures are key to forcing gel phase. Start with your lye and oils around 120-130°F. Once the soap is in the mold, cover it with a cutting board and then a towel or blanket.”

Read more: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/gel-phase/

20 Natural Soap Making Ingredients You Haven’t Thought Of

If you are trying to cut some of the commercial ingredients out of your soap, that doesn’t mean that your soap has to be boring. You can make the soaps you love the smell citrusy by using some of the essential oils that give you that citrusy scent. You can also use lavender and coconut to give your soap more appeal or to decorate your soap, it will also smell really good with those accents added to the mixture.

Key Takeaways:

  • You can make your own natural soap that isn’t only good smelling, but it also good for you.
  • Your soap might have a lot of wrong ingredients, and homemade soap doesn’t have to be boring.
  • You can use citrus and all those other scents that you love and even add some lavender or coconut for scent and decoration.

“Just because you’re skipping commercial ingredients doesn’t mean your handmade soap has to be boring!”

Read more: https://www.lifenreflection.com/natural-soap-making-ingredients/

5 Tips for Unmolding Cold Process Soap

If you are looking to unmold faster than normal, there are a few tips that you can follow to make sure the process goes smoothly. Unmolding is one of the most exciting parts of making soap. You get to see what you have done for the first time when you cut your soap into bars, and the design really shows. The soap mold you use matters, a plastic mold is going to take too long, it’s better to stick with wood or silicon molds. Also make sure you use the right oils that will harden your soap quicker.

Key Takeaways:

  • Waiting is probably the hardest part of soap making, you have to wait until it fully forms into soap.
  • The type of molds you use matter when it comes to curing, plastic molds tend to take the longest.
  • If you are wanting firm soap, then the oils you use are what you want to focus on.

“Wood molds tend to be the fastest option. That’s because they have good airflow and they insulate soap well, which causes it to heat up. Higher temperatures can help you unmold your batch more quickly.”

Read more: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/5-tips-for-unmolding-cold-process-soap/

The Hazards of Trying to Please Everyone

You have your business, and your target customers, you also have your products that you stand behind. Then one day, a customer comes up and asks if you have something, and you feel the need to start selling that to please those customers. Not only those customers, but other people must want it if one person is asking for it. This isn’t true most of the time. When you introduce a new product, you have to plan, spend money, create labels, and it might be all for nothing. Focus on your target customers, and know what your company stands for.

Key Takeaways:

  • You can’t please everybody, if you begin to sell what one person asks for, you will end up disappointed.
  • One person asking for something from you, doesn’t mean that you should begin to sell it.
  • Stick to who you are and the right customers will follow. Don’t waste time trying to please everyone.

“Often, makers also rush to make that scent, size or product someone asked for because, if someone is asking about it, surely it will be popular. And if you offer something for everyone, you will sell more.”

Read more: https://makingsoapmagazine.com/2020/10/08/the-hazards-of-trying-to-please-everyone/

Shipping Season is Here!

Shipping season is upon us, and not only that, but with covid upon us, businesses both large and small are shipping a lot of their items. Business has forever been altered with Covid 19 and they are noticing that a lot of their items are being shipped. There are ways that you can make sure the process goes a lot more smoothly than normal. When there are a lot of packages out there more can go wrong. It is best to just communicate with your customers to let them know the status of everything.

Key Takeaways:

  • Shipping season is upon us, and with that means that there might be more mistakes made.
  • If you want it to be smooth, then communicate with the customer about any delays that may occur.
  • Shipping is an important aspect for companies big and small these days, so it’s good to make sure it’s right.

“Covid-19 altered the course of businesses of every size as they moved to online selling and shipping. The larger volume of packages moving through the shipping system results in slower shipping and more mistakes.”

Read more: https://makingsoapmagazine.com/2020/10/29/shipping-season-is-here/

How to make Bath Bombs with Natural Ingredients

You can make bath bombs out of your own personal ingredients that don’t have to involve any of the ingredients that you don’t want in your bath bombs. Baking soda is one of the main ingredients that helps to make it fizz. There is also a special kind of salt that will give you added fizziness to your bath bombs, and you can add whatever natural ingredients to it that you think will make your bath bomb experience even more enjoyable.

Key Takeaways:

  • You can make bath bombs out of natural ingredients, and I am pleased to share one of those recipes with you.
  • You will be able to use this recipe to customize your very own bath bombs with natural ingredients.
  • The oils are what helps the bath bomb keep from fizzing too soon and keep it moist at the same time.

“These are also from the book and show just how versatile the basic bath bomb recipe can be. To make the basic bath bombs seen in the photos, use the basic recipe along with rose kaolin clay, rose petals, and rose geranium essential oil.”

Read more: https://lovelygreens.com/how-to-make-bath-bombs/

Free Beginner’s Guide To Soapmaking: Cold Process

If you are wanting to customize your soap all the way down to the last ingredient, then you will want to go with the cold process of making soap. When you make soap, there are ingredients that are required to ensure the process happens the way it is supposed to. Make sure you have all the safety equipment you will need to protect yourself from some of the harmful processes that lye can produce. Gloves will help keep your hands safe from the chemical process.

Key Takeaways:

  • With cold process soap, you can make sure that you have the soap you want all the way down to the last ingredient.
  • Lye is a substance that is used to turn soap into soap, you will have to be very careful with this chemical.
  • You will also want to make sure you have the right equipment for what you want to make.

“Make sure there are no kids, pets, or other distractions in the room when you’re making soap and always do so in a well-ventilated area”

Read more: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-cold-process/

The Perfect Red Colorant for Soap Making

You could spend a lot of time trying to make your soap have some red coloring in it, only for it to run or for it to mix, and you not have your deep red coloring anymore. The type of oil used in this situation is very important as that will help to set the red coloring. The best coloring to use to get the most vibrant red color for your soap is trial by fire, which is a blend from nurture soap.

Key Takeaways:

  • You will have a hard time finding the right red color that has a perfect blend with the soap.
  • The oils you use as your base matter, make sure to use the right oils that won’t cause it to run.
  • Don’t add too much color at once, you can start small and build to that gradually.

“It can also be hard to find the perfect red that doesn’t bleed or color the lather pink. Almost impossible, actually.”

Read more: https://www.lovinsoap.com/2020/10/the-perfect-red-colorant-for-soap-making/