Duane and Nancy from Nature’s Best Soaps had the niftiest custom soap molds made. The molds are designed to mimic a potato. Why a potato? Duane and Nancy live in Idaho. Idaho is famous for its spuds! So, Duane and Nancy make a great soap that they sell all over Idaho. I know the soap is great because I bought a spudbar at the Boise, Idaho airport a few years ago.
These new potato molds are producing some puzzling looking soap though. If you think you can help diagnose their soap problem, head over to their blog Squeeky Clean!and offer your helpful suggestions.
I would definitely have to say they need more heat. Great idea!
Hi Fifi –
Welcome to the wonderful world of soapmaking! Unrefined Shea Butter soap is lovely to make though if you do it as 100% of the oil, it doesn’t lather great. The place I would recommend that you start is (of course!) at http://www.teachsoap.com Since you’ve probably explored the site somewhat, just take this opportunity to make sure it’s bookmarked in your Favorites folder.
Check back to the Ask Anne-Marie regularly since we update it frequently.
To sign up for the Teach Soap Newsletter, you’ll want to go to the home page and scroll down to the bottom, insert your email address and you’ll be signed up: http://www.teachsoap.com/
If you’re interested in cold-process soapmaking, you might check out:
http://www.geocities.com/blueaspenoriginals/CP_how_to.html It’s got some wonderful pictures of the soapmaking process =) Also, http://www.quamut.com/soap/index.php has a very full informational site as well.
http://www.soapnuts.com is also a lovely and comprehensive place to get more information.
My favorite book for cold-process soap is called ‘The SoapMaker’s Companion’
by Susan Miller Cavitch. You can buy it at most any bookstore – or we have it to purchase it from our web site (https://www.brambleberry.com/books.html).
We also have a Bramble Berry How-To-Make Cold Process soap DVD that might be helpful for you.
Finally, to sign up for the Bramble Berry Specials newsletter, it’s the green button right here: https://www.brambleberry.com/about.html If you haven’t heard about Bramble Berry, we sell a very comprehensive line of toiletry and soapmaking ingredients. We ship out orders that you place the very next day and have great customer service and deep industry knowledge.
Have a great time learning – =)
Anne-Marie
What a CUTE idea. Potato soap for the potato state. I love it!!
hi!! congratulations on your blog. im inspired to make soap. just love it.. can you pls teach me how to make shea butter soap using the unrefined shea butter? thanks and wud really appreciate it if you can share it with me.