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2 more questions-scent & suspension
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Posted by itsme (My Page) on Fri, Aug 19, 05 at 18:26
OK, now that I've made some M & P, I have two more questions:
1. How do you judge how much scent to put in? My daughter and I are experimenting with different combinations of base, scent, additives, etc, so we're basically making one bar at a time. Even the recipe books seem to vary widely on the drops. I bought the little pipettes, but still not sure on the amount and I've heard too much can ruin your base. However, I want smelly soap-so is there a standard recommendation to start with?
2. When you are trying to suspend additives in a non suspension base, I have been letting the soap cool down a lot and stir until just before I pour it in. However, when I do that, then it doesn't all pour pretty, the top ends up looking really rough and uneven. What's the trick to getting a nice looking bar and still having everything suspended nicely?
Thanks. |
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RE: 2 more questions-scent & suspension
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The normal fragrance oil usage is one tablespoon per pound of base. Three tablespoons is about one ounce. Depending upon the "heaviness" of the fragrance, I sometimes use a little more, sometimes a little less. If you use too much fragrance oil in the base, it won't want to mix in well. However, I have, at times, really doped my base up and not encountered problems. I think a lot of it just depends on the fragrance oil; some fragrance oils seem to be much oilier and heavier than others. If I am making a single, four ounce bar of soap, I will use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil in it. As for the suspension, that is tricky and is mostly something that just takes practise. Even as long as I have been doing it, sometimes mine comes out perfect and sometimes it doesn't. You are pouring yours too cool- that's why the top is lumpy, it is setting up too fast. I pour mine when it looks like homemade gravy. To get a nice, bubble-free top layer, after you have poured the soap, spray it with a little alcohol (just regular rubbing alcohol). I have a little bitty spray bottle that once upon a time was a car air freshener, and I have alcohol in that. The alcohol gets rid of all of the little bubbles that form when you pour the soap.
Susan |
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