Welcome!

[Yooper]

I've been using the calculator a lot but never ever noticed the "Forum" button
I have a question or two:
- What is the purpose of the forum?
- Why is the avatar not the same as in the SoapMakingForum and a square with my initial is created instead?

Oh, and you have a different avatar here because it's a different forum. You can definitely create your own custom avatar, though, in your profile. It can be the same as the one you have in the soapmakingforum.com.

I know that seems so confusing, but this forum was set up specifically to answer questions and aid users in using the SMF software and not 'clutter' up the regular forum. Of course, we can discuss soapy things here as well, but the focus is more of a help and assistance with the software and any problems that may arise.

 

[dawni]

Been using the calc exclusively since the first phase of building and troubleshooting. I participated a lot then too, not so much recently hehe.. I love it! Thank you for making this!

I'm automatically logged on here like some of the others.

 

[crsawinton]

I believe I can post - I created an account a while ago so I would be able to save recipes. Love this calculator, it's all I use now.

 

[Arimara]

It's cool.

 

[DeeBooneKirkwood]

I am able to both sign in and post now. What happened to the other "Forum"? I've not been receiving anything for years then all of a sudden I could not even sign in; it would not take my P/W and there was no way to reset it unless you signed in?

Very odd.

 

[SoapSudStacy]

I can post

 

[DeeBooneKirkwood]

I just took a look at your lye calculator. The best way to get a failed batch of soap is to use percentage of water/lye to oils. That is why most lye calculators has slots for oils, and how many ounces of each will go into your recipe. You will be achieve quicker and greater success knowing what each oil will do and not do in a recipe and which oils compliment others.

 

[Columbinefarm]

Just wanted to add a quick note here to say welcome and make sure all can post here just fine! If you can post, please reply to this thread.

I can post. Thank you!

 

[Columbinefarm]

I can post. Thank you

 

[lbr75]

I can post

 

[Ladka P]

I'm automatically logged in and I like it. Before, logging in was more time consuming.

 

[roadrunnerexpress]

i can post

 

[roadrunnerexpress]

if i use melt & pour embeds on my soap cupcakes do i need to include all the ingredients of the melt & pour as well as my cp soap ingredients on my label

 

[Yooper]

I just took a look at your lye calculator. The best way to get a failed batch of soap is to use percentage of water/lye to oils. That is why most lye calculators has slots for oils, and how many ounces of each will go into your recipe. You will be achieve quicker and greater success knowing what each oil will do and not do in a recipe and which oils compliment others.

We have three ways to look at it, one is the lye concentration percentage. We use the amount of oils, of course, and we also use the ratio. For me, I use a 2.5:1 ratio for most of my batches.
Using the % of water to lye is NOT going to going to give you a failed batch! You still use the correct amount of lye- you just may have more water and it will take longer for the batch to cure. It's a lye concentration amount, NOT a dilution of the recipe.

 

[Yooper]

if i use melt & pour embeds on my soap cupcakes do i need to include all the ingredients of the melt & pour as well as my cp soap ingredients on my label

If you are selling, yes, the laws require all ingredients to be labeled.

 

[DeeBooneKirkwood]

We have three ways to look at it, one is the lye concentration percentage. We use the amount of oils, of course, and we also use the ratio. For me, I use a 2.5:1 ratio for most of my batches.
Using the % of water to lye is NOT going to going to give you a failed batch! You still use the correct amount of lye- you just may have more water and it will take longer for the batch to cure. It's a lye concentration amount, NOT a dilution of the recipe.

Perhaps I was not that clear. It's mixing the oils which is the problem. What each oil will or will not do, and the characteristics of each oil, which is the problem. One cannot just throw oils together willy-nilly. One should know what each oils characteristics are, which oil ( and what proportion) goes with compatible oils that makes a successful recipe. Which oils is best for fair skinned & hair, which are best for dark skin and coarse hair, whether you live in a dry hot climate vs high humidity, whether you have hard vs softer water, is the location clean or polluted air or salt air,etc.

The above is why merely tossing liquid or solid oils in a recipe is risking failed batches, too soft, too hard, too stripping of sebum or leaves one feeling sticky
or tacky.

Would like to be able to make a new soap recipe and know what it will or will not do for a person? What is the shampoo bar for the hair type, which soap will best soften skin, or clear acne, or which will actually aggravate a condition?
Which will help psoriasis, or be gentle enough for a newborn or someone on radiation treatments when the it begins to burn the skin?

That is what I was referring to in my haste.

 

[Yooper]

Aside from giving the qualities and characteristics of the oils, then of course no software can give recommendations for medical conditions (illegal to put on any label, anyway), soap for a hair type, etc. No seller is even allowed to make those claims, and even expert soapmakers would have a difficult time formulating a recipe to meet criteria since every human being is different (and some of us make soap for our dogs!).

The software is a calculator, to help us calculate the superfat, the saponification of the oils, the amount of lye to use, and the hardness and longevity of the soap. It helps you calculate the cost for your batches, maintain inventory and supplies, etc. It helps with labeling requirements.

Making medical claims on a soap is actually illegal, and worrying about the pollution in your air is not a job for a soap making software package. Just like any software to help with hobbies or careers, it is a tool. Using it properly and having experience and knowledge are what make the software packages work.

 

[DeeBooneKirkwood]

I know very well what the regulations are for COSMETICS and DRUGS. There are no regulations for soap (the bulk of it is oil, fat, water, lye) because it is GRAS. If the soap maker is making it as defined by US standards, that is. However, far too many haven't a clue what the CPSC says, and by adding other items to it it is no longer soap which does not need an ingredient list by law, but a cosmetic beauty bar.

I said NOTHING about making claims on a package, nor have a said anything about advertising it as such. I asked if the Soap Maker wanted to be able to make soap (for the rest of his/her) life without worrying about a batch NOT coming out as they had planned.

I have seen incorrect information passed along in the Soap Forum previously by people, I only signed into this new one to say I had forgotten my p/w for the old one and there was NO way for me to let an Admin. know this because to contact any Admin. one had to sign in first. . .which was the problem to begin with.

This is about whether anyone on this list cares whether they have failed batches, or whether they want to learn how to design every future recipe to never fail and do what they intended it to do. Such as, the most castor oil in a 64 oz shampoo bar recipe should be 4 ounces. The other oils make the bar into different shampoo types.

 

[Yooper]

Ah, well, you may want to sign up again on the soapmaking forum, since this forum is often about the software and software support. We can give general advice on soap (and I've been making soap since before many of the members have been born!), but our focus is on technical support, bugs, feature requests, answering questions on how to use the software, and so on.

If you wish to discuss this topic here, you are welcome to of course. Simply start a new thread under "soapmaking". We may have members who would love to discuss this with you here on this forum.

 

[DeeBooneKirkwood]

I see. I thought this was a break off group.

Will you please, ask someone on the other Forum to remove the [email protected] email then?

I've tried to sign in there but forgot the P/W. I can't sign in for an account because it will say "you already have an account - Login" One can't login without the P/W, yet it is set so one can't reset the P/W without logging in, either.

So, they will need to delete my email address for me to sign up a new account.
Thank you. Sorry, for the confusion.