the feto soap blog

Betcha didn’t know we make foaming hand soap here at feto soap! It’s not a listed item! But we do make it by request. If you have a special request for us, don’t be shy! Just ask! We love custom work.

…after I got home from happy hour! I designed new labels for the feto soap line of candles!

Sarah the Intern came over Saturday and we made some new soaps:  Sandalwood Vanilla, Berry Wine & Zinfandel.

Teresa at Hello Lucky took some pictures of my handmade soap with one of her models! Hello Lucky carries artist designed men’s women’s and kid’s t-shirts, jackets, skirts, jewelry for guys and gals, local honey, hot sauce, soaps, candles, vanilla sugar, cutting boards, cards and some vintage products like bags and buckles.

Photo Credit Teresa O'Connor

Photo Credit Teresa O'Connor

I love making and using this soap. I grind coffee beans, melt cocoa butter and stir in poppy seeds for exfoliation. I use a special secret mix of vanillas and it makes my whole workspace smell wonderful! This is one of the Bigger Batches of soap I made over the weekend. The log of soap is 17 and a half inches tall and currently weighs 5.8 pounds! It’s been sliced up into 17 and a half bars (the half bar will go into someone’s order as a sample).

I made this soap a few weeks ago but pulled the wrong mold, (the 5 & 6 lb mold look really similar) so I ended chopping about a 1/2 in from each bar from that log so they could fit into my boxes! Not this time! After they cure for 4 weeks they will fit perfectly into my brown kraft boxes.

I admit it. I make most of my soap in tiny two-pound batches. I do this so I can make many different scents and still have room to walk around my workspace. But this weekend I made some of my more popular soap in 5 - 6 lb batches.

One of the batches of soap I made was my Blackberry Sage Shea Butter Handmade Soap in my new 18-bar mold. This yummy smelling soap will available in a month! Cold Process Soap takes a few weeks to cure and is totally worth the wait.

I recently attended the first Houston Soapmakers Meetup. One of the questions that came up was how to rebatch soap. There are many ways to rebatch soap. I’m going to share my favorite method with you.

Supplies
Handmade Soap (either in block form or shreds)
Cheese Grater or Knife
Water or Aloe Vera Juice
Fragrance or Essential Oil (not required, but this is what adds the scent to the soap.)
Microwavable Rice Cooker
Microwave
Molds for your soap. I prefer log molds when I rebatch - more on that in a minute.
Large Spoon to scoop soap in the mold

Step 1. Shred or chop soap into tiny pieces. I use a cheese grater to get my soap into small pieces.

Step 2. Put shredded soap in a microwavable rice cooker. You don’t want to fill it all the way to the top - I wouldn’t fill it more than 3/4 of the way full. You don’t want it to overflow when it’s cooking.

Step 3. Add a small amount of water or aloe vera juice, just enough to wet the soap. (1 Tablespoon at a time) You don’t want to get it too wet or you will get warped / shrunken-head looking soap. You will need to experiment with the amount of liquid to use here.

Step 4. Microwave the soap in 3 to 4 minute bursts.  The soap will get really hot when you microwave it, so be sure to use a potholder when handling the rice cooker. Open the container slowly so the steam doesn’t burn you.  Check to see if the soap has become translucent after the first cook. If the soap looks dry and is starting to burn, you are going to need to add more water. If you add too much water, the resulting soap is going to have a sunken look too it when it dries out.  I’ve rebatched 2 lbs of soap in two 4 minute bursts on my last try. You want to cook the soap in the rice cooker until it looks semi-translucent and a homogeneous look.

Step 5. Start scooping the soap into your mold. I like using log molds with a lid because you can use the lid to smoosh it down flat into the mold.

Step 6. Unmold your soap the next day and cut into bars. Your soap is ready to use! Take a bath!

Hey Austinites! Feto Soap will be at Maker Faire this October as a part of Bazaar Bizarre! The Bazaar Bizarre is a juried craft fair that selects vendors based on various elements such as: Individuality, DIY-sensibility, Quality of work & Diversity of Products

Travis County Event Center and Fairground (It’s where they have the Rodeo) and it sounds like we are going to be in the Show Barn. 7311 Decker Lane,  Austin, TX 78724

Bazaar Bizarre will run from October 18th, 2008 10am to 10pm and October 19th, 2008 from 11am to 6pm.

Maker Faire Schedule:
Saturday, October 18th: 10am-10pm
Sunday, October 19th: 10am-6pm

Pink, Purple & Orange is hosting a MEGA Giveaway with 30 winners! Enter and you may win my Lemon Bar Soap!

Saponifier Magazine is the educational and encouraging voice for handcrafters of soap, toiletries, cosmetics, and candles. Saponifier disseminates the news and information about the industry relevant to the interests of manufacturers and suppliers.

The July/August issue’s focus is Christmas in July.

Don’t wait until November to make plans for your holiday line up! Pick up this edition of Saponifier for tips on packaging your holiday gift sets, product ideas, recipes and more!

FEATURES
History of Bath & Body Recipes: A look back on the interesting history of bath and body recipes from the Dark Ages through today, by Tamara Dourney

FDA Globalization Act of 2008

Bonus Gift Guide Supplement: A Bonus Gift Guide of holiday recipes for all your gift giving needs- including printable gift tags!, by Tamara Dourney & Carol Schatz

COLUMNS

Toiletries
Are You Selling Drugs?, by Carol Schatz

In The Lab
Expanding Your product Line: Pets are people too, by Robert McDaniel

Showcase
A Time For Giving, by Elizabeth Carnahan

Working Smarter
Create & Implement an Effective Holiday Marketing Strategy, by Jenn Givler

Reviews
Creative Packaging - Make it your own, by Beth Byrne

Aromatic Materials
Cropwatch Takes Stock, by Tony Burfield

A Soapmakers Notebook
Herbal Monographs: Adderwort & Tansy

PLUS
Exclusive Subscriber Discounts, News, Letters, Events, and More!

(Current Issue available by Subscription Only)

(47 pages, 3.58MB)
Click Here to SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

If you have not participated in a swap, it is lots of fun.  A swap is where you mail items to a “co-ordinator” and then receive the same number of different items (including recipe) from other participants. A swap is a great way to show off your products and get new ideas. For WSP’s Hosted swap you send in two Full Size Homemade Products (Soaps, Lotions, Candles, Etc.) that you have made and get you two different products back! Since WSP is sponsoring this swap, you will get TEN - 2 ounce bottles of fragrance oil! (they pick which ones!)

You Send to WSP:
2 Full Size Homemade Products (Soaps, Lotions, Candles, Etc.)
2 Recipe Cards for The Above
$25 (Cash/Money Order - Made Out to Wholesale Supplies Plus)

You Receive:
2 Different Homemade Products
2 Recipe Cards for The Above
(10) 2 oz Fragrance Oils from WSP - assorted (no requests), from our newer additions

To Participate Send Your Handcrafted Items To:
Wholesale Supplies Plus, Inc.
Rita - Swap Coordinator
10035 Broadview Road
Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147

Swap Items Must Be Received By: August 14th.
Return Packages Will Be Mailed on: August 15th.

For updates and communications about this swap, log into the forum and go to the community swap board.

Board Address: http://forums.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/index.php

I’m going to send some soap in. I can’t wait to smell the TEN fragrances they will send back along with the handmade items!