October 13, 1998

I just unmolded my Lavender soap. It made 9 rectangular bars. It looks and smells so good! I can't wait for it to cure so I can try it out.

I also cut up the Mango-Pear leftover bits (that I left in the mixing bowl as a temporary mold) into "bars." Well, it's not very "barry." In fact, it's all slopey and triangular, except for two rectangles in the very middle. It smells OK -- Beth said she would like to try some, so AFAIAC she can have as much as she wants. :) I still haven't unmolded the other Mango-Pear that's in the glass bowl. I'm not sure how to get it out!! This will teach me not to line glass molds with saran wrap.

Also of interest, the Lavender and Mango-Pear unmoldings may be the beginning of a new trend -- the trend of "Cutting Soap Bars and Not Having Cats Jump Onto Them." The peach bars got a couple Tiger claw marks, and the original lard stuff had gigantic pawprints where Tiger hopped up onto the ironing board and handed in goo. The look on his face was priceless, but I'd just as soon not have to bathe my cats because they jumped into a vat of lye-containing uncured soaps.

Since the first batch of Lavender worked out so well, I decided to make another. A double batch compared to what I made last time:

56 ounces Olive oil
2 ounces Beeswax
2 ounces Coconut oil
......As I type this in, I'm thinking back to my measurements. I'm not sure I put in enough lye!! I think I might have only put in 4 ounces, when I needed 8. Well, I guess this means it's rebatching for me, this weekend. :)

Back to the recipe:

8 ounces lye (should be, anyways :P
24 ounces water

At trace:
4 ounces Lavender EO
4 Tablespoons crushed Lavender blossoms.
4 ounces Avocado oil

I used the hand mixer again -- the $9.99 special is working out pretty well -- and used two 9x14 pyrex dishes lined with saran wrap as molds.

The only mishap all night was my tongue being introduced to Mr. Lye (aka Dr. Sodium Hydroxide). It was an accident, I swear! :) I usually mix just the oils up in my stock pot, but tonight I mixed up both the oils and then the lye-water before pouring it into the mixing bowl...I knew the bowl was going to be just about full and I wanted the high sides of the pot to keep the soap in. Anyways, during cleanup, I smudged a bit of the stuff from the pot on my arm. Thinking "oh, it's just oil...and here I am with these chapped lips..." I licked it off my arm. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Instant burned tongue. The worst part was when I washed my mouth out with vinegar. I can deal with a burned tongue, but the mouthful of vinegar I could have done without. YUUUUCK.