Finally have time to make some #soap and of course I'm stuck in avoidance behavior. I've now prepped two recipes, written to my accountant, posted on the soapmaking forum, made saltwater, put the trashcans away... I still have to clean my work area before I can make soap... if I actually get a batch made today, I will be amazed.
Evidence! I made three batches of soap on the fourth of July, here's the first photo of the first batch. This is a '72%' soap, roughly based on the Savon de la Bonne Mere (soap of the good mother?) classic soap from France.
Olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil a little madder root for color, and made with a salt water solution. More photos to come, once the other bars have hardened a bit.
The soap is out of the mold and cut! Here's a shot of me prying the two loaves apart, and a photo of the lard soap (crinkle-cut) and the tallow soap (smooth-cut). The tallow looks amazing already.
huh. I had NO right to expect this batch (I should call it 'Off to the Traces Peach') to have come out this nicely. I guess I jammed it into the mold with enough force to squeeze most of the air pockets out. Next question: will it dry crumbly? As with so many things soapy, time will tell.