Sunday Soap: Testing, Testing....

 I haven't forgotten about the giveaway going on over at Ravelry. I've been working hard at getting the cured soap in giveaway condition. Out of the mold, it looks a little raggedy so about a week before it's cure date each bar starts getting some individual attention.

 An old potato peeler trims off uneven edges. After peeling, it gets a good wipe down with a damp cloth to bring out the colors and shine.

 Those peelings are not wasted. I use them to test the soap.

 First I put a piece in my mouth. Yes, you read that right. If it doesn't "zap" you, the soap is ready for use. I've yet to be zapped so I must be doing something right. Then I give my hands a wash and if that feels right, I use it on my ever so sensitive face. I used to use a lot of fancy chemicals to test but they didn't really tell you much. You have to use a soap to know how it acts and I use it all before I give anything away.

 The cleaned and tested soaps now go back on their racks to dry another few days before wrapping. They will now have a hard outer coat to protect them during storage. It takes a couple of uses for their true nature to be revealed. Have patience. It's worth it.

 I will have a bunch ready for wrapping this week. I'm happy lots of you signed up for the giveaway over on Ravelry. I am itching to make some summer scents but I can't until these are off the racks. I hear hibiscus is THE scent for summer 2016. I've also got some yuzu I am dying to try. I keep walking past the bottle of fragrance oil and taking a sniff. It's good stuff.

 Around here unloved soap ends up on the kitchen sink for those million times a day I need a hand washing. Just because I made it doesn't mean I end up loving it. There's a lot of scents and formulas that just don't do it for me. They do their job but they are just not luxury tub material. I'm looking at you Love Spell.

 I always look forward to sitting down and coming up with colors and patterns that make a good wrap for each fragrance.

This coffee soap is to die for. Unlike Love Spell which was made from fancy schmancy ingredients, this stuff was right out of the kitchen cabinets. It's heaven. Sometimes simple is best.

I've also got an assembly line of lotion bars in progress to stuff in each package and....

....some extra wonderful glycerin facial soap. I call this the Kitchen Sink soap as in it has everything but: aloe, olive oil, coconut milk, colloidal oatmeal, kaolin clay, activated charcoal and honey...yum.
It's not too late to sign up over at Ravelry. I sure have plenty to giveaway and all this isn't even the big spring batches that will be cured at the end of the month (!). I need an intervention.
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