The hardest part of making soap is often waiting to unmold it to see the finished product. Luckily, there is an easy way to cut down the wait time. Sodium lactate is a liquid salt that can be added to cooled lye water in order to speed up unmolding time. Using sodium lactate produces harder, longer-lasting bars of cold process soap.
Derived from the natural fermentation of sugars found in corn and beets, sodium lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid. Naturally a liquid product, sodium lactate is also available in powder form. Sodium lactate is commonly used in food products as a preservative. It’s also an extremely effective humectant, helping to strengthen the skin moisture barrier.
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Archives for October 2014
Fresh Fish, Sugar and New Words
Happy Weekend all! We’re already off to a busy start with a 16 mile run for Chris and Farmer’s Market for the rest of us. Bellingham is located on the water, up in the tippy top point of Washington state. We have a gorgeous marina that Jamisen loves to explore. This last time, we got lucky and met a boat just coming back from Alaska and the boat captain (Hi Captain Dwight!) shared some fresh Alaska salmon that he had smoked on the boat. What a treat! We are going to go back with a care package of handmade soap for him tomorrow.
Facebook Photo of the Week (Sept. 27th ~ Oct. 3rd)
This week had a popular blog post on finishing touches. Between pouring your soap in a mold and giving it away or selling it, a lot can happen. Corners can get dinged or soda ash can form. Luckily, there are steps to make your soap look its best. Check them out in the 5 Tips to Create Professional Looking Soap blog post.
Shimmer Fall Layers Melt and Pour
As leaves change to vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow, it’s hard not to be inspired. Created by layering various shades of gold, burgundy and green, this melt and pour project celebrates the change of seasons. Scented with the October fragrance of the month, Spiced Amber Ale Fragrance Oil, this soap smells as warm and inviting as it looks.
Now until midnight on Sunday, October 5th, the Disk Mold and Package used in this project is 35% off! Use the code: SPICYSALE during checkout. The Disk Mold and Package is incredibly convenient as it acts as both a mold and packaging. Simply create your project in the mold, add the lid and your soap is ready to sell, give or store.
Soapylove Sale + Project Roundup
If you are a melt and pour soap maker, you’re propbably familiar with the adorable projects created by Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove. Full of bright colors, cute shapes and fun designs, Soapylove’s projects are incredibly creative and unique.
Debbie’s Soapylove line of products are well known for sugary-sweet fragrances and eye-catching colorants. Sadly, the Soapylove line is now on clearance, to make room for new products in our warehouse. But act fast! These items are available while supplies last, and will not return once sold out.
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