Lye Calculation Using a Saponification Chart – Tutorial

posted in: Blog Post, Tutorial | 55

A couple of weeks ago, just as I was pulling into a parking bay at the local mall here in Cape Town, my niece #4, who is in her final year of high school in Finland, called me on the … Continued

Coffee River Soap and How To Make Glycerine Rivers

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 28

A while ago fellow soapmaker Karol Dulmanis posted a picture of a coffee soap in one of the Facebook groups I belong to. The beautiful soap had an interesting dappled look with light translucent soap contrasting with areas of dark … Continued

Mäntysuopa – Finnish Pine Soap

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 40

To Finns nothing spells out ’C L E A N’ more clearly than the natural pine wood smell of mäntysuopa, Finnish pine soap. It’s the smell of long, lazy childhood summers, saunas, lakes, boats – and rag rugs. It’s a … Continued

Double, Double Toil and Trouble: Snail Soap

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 37

Here, close to the southernmost tip of Africa, our summers are warm and dry. The rain falls in winter when low-pressure fronts sweep in from the south. This is the heartland of South African wine country and the local vineyards … Continued

Bubble Soap With Dip n’ Drip Soap Beads

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post, Tutorial | 24

A couple of weeks ago I was experimenting with finely marbled agateware soap. In the process, I accidentally let one of my low-water soap batches get hard enough to lose its plasticity. Not wanting to waste the batch I ended … Continued

What’s Hot and What’s Not – A Study In Overheating

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 73

Sensitive viewers be warned. This post is about soap overheating in various ways and features ugly soaps galore. For pretty pics I would suggest a meander through Auntie Clara’s photo gallery, a run through our Facebook photo stream, or a … Continued

%d bloggers like this: