Anne-Marie and the Bramble Berry team get hundreds of questions every day, across various social media outlets and email. Unfortunately, Anne-Marie can’t answer them all…but she can answer some! In this Soap Queen TV video, Anne-Marie answers questions from Instagram, YouTube, the blog and more.
– @2:27 If you could only make and use one soap for the rest of your life, what would it be?
– @3:10 What’s the one item you ‘hate’ to make but people love?
– @3:45 We all have reasons why we love soapmaking, but…what is the worst part in making soap for you? For me it’s definitely washing all the oily dishes 🙂
– @4:33 What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
– @5:32 Is there an alternate ingredient to use in place of the lye? I thought that was a bad ingredient.
– @6:32 What happens to all the soaps that you make in your tutorials? Do you sell them, give them away as gifts, or use them on your own? 🙂
– @7:28 What was your biggest, most horrible soap fail?
– @9:00 When (and how) do your best soap ideas come to you?
– @10:12 What is your all-time favorite fragrance to work with in cold process soaping, and why?
– @11:10 My question is, when taking a cold process recipe, what is the difference between that and making it HP?
– @12:25 How long did it take you to get started on your soaping business??
– @13:44 Do you have a website or Etsy where you sell the actual soap?
Do you have a question that you’d like Anne-Marie to answer in the next “Ask Anne-Marie” video? Leave a comment below. We would love to make these videos a regular series on Soap Queen TV.
How do I keep my melt n pour soap from sweating? I was invited by a company to a street fair to sell my goods in AUGUST but I’m afraid my soaps are going to sweat n get slimy.
A great way to stop soaps from sweating is to remove it from the mold and wrap it in plastic wrap immediately. This post explains sweating and suggests some different ways to prevent it: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/augh-whats-that-all-over-my-soap-2/
I was wondering if it’s possible to add an emollient oil like castor oil to a clear glycerin soap base to make it lather better? Or is that not advisable? If so, how much should I add?
Do you have any favorite reference materials for soap additives like essentials oils and botanicals?
today I finally went for it, and I made goat milk soap (milk from a can) frizzed the milk. went I add lye to the milk very fast become like pudding, i stir for several minuets ,but i had to stop because the milk was getting very thick so I added it to my oils lucks fine. Iam just afraid my lye did not disolved how I now if is not lye heavy?
Thanks for your questions everyone – they’ll be great for future videos. If you need them answered sooner, feel free to ask on Facebook, email info(at)brambleberry(dot)com, call 877-627-7883 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST M-F, or chat on BrambleBerry.com from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. M-F.
Bramble Berry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
When i make a cp soap, when i mix lye with the oils, it saponifies really quickly and the batter ends up exactly like HP soaps. Is it normal or is it a false trace. I blend manually.
Hi, I’m a beginner in soap making and I’m a little confused about de mixing of Titanium dioxide. I’ve search a lot and I still have questions about it. Water or oil base, which one works best? And do I have to discount the amount of water or oil I use in the mixture from my batch depending of the TD I use? Hopefully the questions are clear. Thanks. Your videos are really helpfull and interesting
Hi! I just started soap making last month. I got addicted to it. I was comparing products on different online supplies and I love your products on Bramble Berry so far. I tried making cold process soap twice but my soap crackdown after couple of hours. I followed the recipe very carefully so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Please help me. Thanks!
For future videos, I’m dying to know how Brambleberry got started. How did the process of making soap go to starting a soap supply business? What’s the “history” of Brambleberry? I would love to know!
I have been following you for years. I have a candle supply business in Canada, and I swear we are separated twins at birth, lol.
Your message of teaching others, selling supplies, inspiring others to follow their dream – all of that is right on for me as well, but in candles.
I started in 1997, and now supply over 3000 candle crafters in Canada.
Just launching my video series in the next few weeks, and came across this Q&A segment. Brilliant! So much easier than creating content.
Your camera style is admirable.
If I ever get to your area, I’d love to meet you and go for lunch.
You might see an order from me before too long. I’ve been branching into bath bombs and MP soaps in my cash and carry, but it feels so foreign! I need to understand it if I’m going to teach it.
Have a great evening, and keep up the great work!
That is awesome Sue, congrats on your growth. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication so you should definitely be proud of yourself. If you have any questions about our products or making crafts, let us know. We’re happy to help. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Love this interview. Thanks, it was really helpful.
When you made the CP milk soap you put it into the freezer, how long did you leave the soap in the freezer? Now when the soap comes out of the freezer do you cover it to keep it warm?
I have powder goats milk, do I just put the powder in the heat safe container then add the lye? Make the soap and put the soap into the freezer also?
How did you get to be so comfortable in front of the camera? I want to make soap videos but I can’t bring myself to talk or face my camera! Are you naturally not camera shy? Any tips on how to overcome this? Thanks!
We all have reasons why we love soapmaking, but…what is the worst part in making soap for you? For me it’s definitely washing all the oily dishes 🙂
Let it saponify into soap, put all items in a large pan or bucket and fill it with hot tap water and you don’t have to clean oily dishes with caustic soap batter. THEN, use that soapy water to wash a small batch of dishes, the car, add bleach to it and clean the bathroom. The possibilities are abundant AND that soap doesn’t go to waste.
6:32 What happens to all the soaps that you make in your tutorials? Do you sell them, give them away as gifts, or use them on your own?
I’m delighted to see you give your soaps to underresourced. I do the same with the church and it feels so good to do a hobby I enjoy and that benefits others who could not afford a luxury bar of soap.
I love the question and answer video! I would love to see more but more geared towards trouble shooting issues.
Thanks for your questions everyone – they’ll be great for future videos. If you need them answered sooner, feel free to ask on Facebook, email info(at)brambleberry(dot)com, call 877-627-7883 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST M-F, or chat on BrambleBerry.com from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. M-F.
Bramble Berry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Anne- Marie, Can you please design a Body Butter Base strictly for making Body Butters. Melting down the Shea, Coconut, Mango, Kokum, and Cocoa Butters could all be melted down combined and sold to us in 16 oz. jars already to whip and add our soft oils to. Taking your favorite Body Butter recipe and pre-making part of that for us to purchase would fantastic. There’s got to be a way to pre-make part of this for us.
I would love the same for myself
new to soaping. it was rather cold and soap was cracking so wrapped it in an electric blanket on low setting. I forgot about it and when I came back to it and cut it, if had gone through gel phase and it tasted like soap.. does this mean it’s gone through a kinda of oven process and it’s ready to use? cheers
what are the regulations to sell melt and pour soaps at fairs and or in businesses? I want to do it the right way.
one added question- What’s the best colorants for cold processing? Rather be safe than sorry! Thank you for all you have done, & continue to do!
I just purchased my first soap kit. So excited for new hobby! Now one thing that scares me a bit, “Burping” is there a way to describe how to burp? is it straight down ? thought that could trap air bubbles, or is to the side, I certainty don’t want splashing! Just wanted to know the safest way!
what is one piece of advice you can give to someone who is starting out ?