Lather Lovers Soap Swap - Part 1: Formulating the Experiment

Do you like lather? Ever wondered what you could add to give that little extra "oomph" to create bubbles so abundant that Hollywood scene setters will bang down your door to get them? Well, maybe that's a little extreme, but if you're interested in learning about a few options to possibly improve your formula, then read on...

18 accomplished soap makers got together at the Dish Forum to test various additives in a simple soap formula to compare and contrast the changes imparted on the lather. Participants are located across the United States and Canada giving us a nice cross section of water types to compare.

The Challenges:

• Test 1) 10 second sink test. The tester washes their hands for 10 seconds noting the lather.
• Test 2) 20 second sink test. The tester continues washing hands for an additional 10 seconds noting changes to the lather (building, breaking, bubble size and texture)
• Test 3) Shower Test: The tester takes a typical shower using the control and a sample. Lather and skin feel are noted.
• Test 4) the "Blob" test. A blob of lather is coaxed using a shower net pouf. The lather is observed for 10 minutes, and photographed at the beginning, middle and end of the time. This is to take stability of lather into consideration.

The Formula:
50% Olive Oil (Type A or Pomace, not EVOO)
25% Palm Oil
25% Coconut Oil

8% superfat
"Full water" using Distilled Water (or other liquid additive as noted in the list)

Using Soap Calc, here's how the formula stacked up:

We chose to each make a batch using 24 oz of oils. When cut to 1 oz "hotel" sized bars we were able to fit all of the samples in a padded flat rate mailer.

The Additives:
1) None: #1 is the control with no additives.
1a) None: This sample was made with a 5% superfat to note any differences in lather between SF levels.
2) Sodium Lactate added at .25 oz/PPO (per pound of oils)
3) Granulated Sugar added at 1 Tablespoon PPO
4) Honey added at 1 Tablespoon PPO
5) TBA later (silk)
6) Rosin
7) Bentonite Clay
8) Tetrasodium EDTA
9) Powdered Goat Milk reconstituted as the water
10) Alow Juice subbed for all the water
11) Canned Coconut Milk subbed for all the water
11a) Powdered Coconut Milk subbed for all the water
12) Beer substituted for all the water
13) Fresh Goat Milk subbed for all the water
14) Canned evaporated milk
15) Powdered Sugar added at 1 Tablespoon PPO
16) Kaolin Clay added at 1 Tablespoon PPO
17) Cetyl Alcohol
18) TBA (would have been beeswax)
19) Oat MIlk
20) Yogurt
21) Sorbitol
22) Sodium Citrate
23) Palm Kernel Oil subbed for the Coconut Oil
24) Kefir substituted for all the water
25) Sorbitol and Sodium Citrate

Over the next few weeks I'll go into detail about the additive (how it was added, any notes about difficulty with addition, etc.). I'll also share the photos and video of each as it is put through the series of tests.

At the end of the study you may discover a few surprises, as the group of testers surely did.

Some New Soap-Lebermuth Co-op

I have not posted soap pictures in a very, very long time. Recently I participated in a co-op purchase of Lebermuth fragrances and essential oils. I've been making six bar test batches with each as time permits. So far each and every fragrance has been very well behaved allowing for plenty of time for delicate, multicolor swirls. All of the swirls were done using the ITP (in The Pot) method. Take a look!

First, is Egyptian Dragon. This one was a surprise to me. I had never experienced the fragrance before, but took a chance. it's a soft, perfumy scent. The scent description from Lebermuth is, "Tantalizing warm blend of myrrh, dragons blood, patchouli; with floral notes of rose and jasmine, kissed with base notes of woodsy musk, make this blend a must have for your wonderful is line." This one is colored with Bamboo Charcoal and Colorona Bordeaux mica. As the soap ages it is beginning to darken to a tan. I'm hopeful it will still be beautiful once it finishes discoloring.

Next is White Musk. I love musk. Out of the bottle it is a light musk scent. It is beginning to bloom now that it has been introduced to the soap. "An intriguing, complex floral musk. Fresh floral top notes with ozone, citrus, apple, strawberry, muguet and blueberry. Mid notes of jasmine, rose, lilac, gardenia, carnation, camphor and peach. Base notes include mossy amber, musk, orange flower and powder." It too is starting to darken as it ages. The colorant is pearl white mica.

Third is Blue Musk. It is softly feminine musk. "A delicate, light, floral musk. Top notes of lily of the valley. Mid notes of jasmine. Musk and vanilla form the base. " It is light out of the bottle and in the soap. It's nice though, even at 1 oz per lb of oils. The colorant is Ultramarine Blue. So far no discoloration.

Fourth in this line up is Tuberose. This fragrance went viral with the buyers. One person mentioned the greatness of the FO and suddenly everyone had to have it. :) "The tuberose is traditionally a night blooming plant famous in Hawaii to create long-lasting leis. Complex, sweet, exotic and elegantly floral." It was a well behaved floral. I used 1 oz PPO and it is very strong. I will probably back down to .7 for the larger batch. It is colored with Pearl Green and Pearl Pink for the swirls and a bit of Titanium Dioxide in the base. The tuberose, I learned, is a very white flower with a blush of pink occasionally and green foliage.

Finally two versions of Lemongrass. The first is the plain and simple essential oil with no extra colorant. It is fresh and delightful all by itself. I have test blended the EO with lavender and geranium rose and really like this lemongrass. This soap fits very well in my Pure Essentials lineup.

Here's the other Lemongrass. This one I chose to add pulverized lemongrass herb. It took a surprisingly long time to turn the dried herb into a powder. So far I like the effect. I'll be watching carefully for any discoloration from the herb. I imagine it will impart some scrubbiness to the soap as it cures.





These will be available at SweetTeagans.com and on my Etsy store once they're fully cured. Give them at least four weeks.

Your Favorite Soap Swap

I just wrapped up hosting the "Second Annual Your Favorite Soap Swap" for the Dish Forum. The swap was limited to 20 participants, and allowed for Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils, CP/HP or M&P soap.

Participants were given several months to create and cure their favorites. Here's the Cast:


My own submission into this swap is the center soap in the last photo. It's my favorite at the moment: Avocado Oil. It contains Palm Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Distilled Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Cream, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Essential Oils (Geranium Rose, Orange, Lemongrass and Dark Patchouli), Vitamin E-Tocopherol, Green Chrome Oxide Pigment, Titanium Dioxide, Tussah Noil Silk.

I love how silky the lather feels with the avocado oil, cream and silk. I cannot wait to try out all of my friends' favorites.

Recipients should be receiving their return boxes starting Monday 4/25. I can hardly wait to hear their reactions to the many new gift soaps!

Up and Etsy time!

Seeing as how the craft fair season is far in the future, I decided to check off business resolution #1 for 2011: Open my Etsy Shop. Yes, I have a web site that does very well. The thing is, you can never have too much exposure. The competition among Etsians is fierce, the the rewards are priceless.
Rewards come at a price though. It takes a lot of work and dedication to set up a shop and manage products. For instance, my main web site provides one catalog photo. Take a few photos. Pick the best and post it. Simple. Etsy provides up to 5 views of each listing. Soap isn't always the easiest thing to make appear artful, but I think I have found "my look". I chose 4 "views" of the same stack of soap. Choosing the best four bars from a batch is harder than you think. "Dressing" those bars to photo well is an art form unto itself

Choosing the bars: I looked at all angles of each bar to find one that cut smoothly and looks creamy. Those with minor imperfections can often be buffed out with a little 91% alcohol and a piece of organza cloth. I looked for bars with "frosting", or decorative tops. My regular customers demand frosting, so I give them frosting. Who am I to argue?

Perspectives: Each listing has a "front" perspective of a bar face beside a stack of 3 soap tops.
I liked the glass marbles because they add a bit of shimmer and reflected light onto the subject soap.
Pose 2, closeup of the frosting.
You can imagine how important it is to choose bars with little to no ash. I discovered the 91% alcohol spritz trick on the Dish Forum. I use it with great success on each and every batch to ensure a shiny top.

Pose 3: Front angle:
Placing 4 bars at a slight angle like good little soldiers made me smile. Each face profile peeking out from behind the next shows a hint of the creaminess hidden within.

Pose 4: The top angle:
I liked the birds eye view of the same bars.

Now repeat that for each and every soap bar listed on the site and you have yourself several days of photo taking and editing. At least I did. Time well spent, don't you think?

My Etsy Store is here: Sweet Teagan's At Etsy
Stop in for a visit. Show me some love when you get there by making my shop a favorite.

Testing, Testing. A Bunch of FO's in CP Soap.

I have been collecting a lot of little fragrance testers lately. When I see a sale for a company that I like to order from, my credit card shudders a little. I decided that before I buy any more fragrances, I need to try those I already have. Here are just a few of the things I needed to test. In reality, there are waaaaaaay more than this.
Key Questions:
1: Does the FO accelerate, rice or seize?
2: Does the FO discolor?
3: Does it morph?
4: Does it fade?

This is where silicone molds come in very handy. I have 2 round "puck", 4 heart, and a few other shapes just taking up space. I decided that 2 oz tester bars would answer the key questions without sacrificing too much soap batter.

I also wanted to test out the new Vanilla Stabilizer from Nature's Garden Candle Supply on a couple of FO's that I know for a fact discolor DARK: The Scent Works' Pink Sugar and The Scent Works Vaniglia de Madagascar and a new FO that I'm sure WILL discolor, Nature's Garden Vanilla Extract. The Vanilla White Stabilizer usage rate is .3% of the total batch (water, lye and oils).

Here's the math:
40 fragrances
2 oz testers, (approx 56-60 grams each)
80 total oz of soap (lye + water+oils)
Vanilla Stabilizer = .003 * 2 oz or .003 * 60 grams = .18 grams VS (thank goodness I have the tiny gram scale from TKB-Trading!)

I figured a 60 oz batch using a 33% lye solution would do the trick. Rather than waste precious cocoa and shea, I stuck to the trinity: Coconut, palm and Olive. SF was 5%.
FO at approximately 1 oz PPO = 2.5 grams per 2 oz tester.

I used the thermal transfer method to help ensure a long working time. No colors to worry about, but lots of FO's to measure.

Here's a photo of the aftermath:

The process:
LABEL YOUR TRAYS!!!
I used letters in the top left corner to orient myself in case the tray got turned. Good thing too, because they DID get turned.
Pour the 6 cavities in the first mold with approximately 2 oz of batter. The first 3 FO's were to try the vanilla white, so I pre mixed the VW with the FO's then one by one poured the FO mixture into the mold stirring briskly with a chopstick until it looked blended. Rinse, repeat for each one. I kept the bottles of FO lined up in order of where they were poured so that I could take notes later.

Repeat for tray #2. Instead of pre-weighing the partial grams of FO, I used a graduated pipette to dispense the fragrance into the muffin cups.

Lecithin Test:

One FO started to rice. I stirred as best I could then reached for the lecithin. I used a 400 IU caplet for the FO in a mixing cup. It was probably too much lecithin, but I was in a hurry. The second pour of the FO was much smoother. Mental note.

Repeat for trays 3, 4, and 5. By this time the soap batter was getting thick. I added some water to the batter to thin it a bit but I couldn't expect miracles! Tray #6 was a tiny muffin tray, so 1 oz testers...

I remembered to write down the FO's in each tray by the positions and have to make little tags to keep with the soaps once they come out of the molds.

4 trays are sitting on the pellet stove in hopes of coming to gel. The rest will have to sit for a few days before they can come out of the molds. I suppose I could stick them all in a low oven to gel, but that requires me to trek up/down stairs several times.


I will post after photos of them so you can see if the VW does its job or not. I'm a little hopeful, but at the same time worried that it will morph the scent.

Fragrances Tested:

1. TSW Pink Sugar with VS
2. TSW Vaniglia de Madagascar with VS
3. NG Vanilla Extract with VS
4. Peaks Frankincense & Myrrh
5. AH Vetiver
6. NG Cucumber Melon
7. Pear Pleasure
8. Peak Bartlet Pear
9. NG Nag Champa
10. NG Sweet Pea
11. AH Mint Julep
12. AH Gap Heaven
13. NG Cucumber Melon
14. Amber Musk
15. AH Gap Earth
16. AH White Tea
17. AH Cotton Blossom
18. AH Amber Romance
19. AH Almost Paradise
20. AH Amazing Grace
21. AH Dreamcatcher
22. CC Victorian Rose
23. AH Childs Room
24. AH Barbershop 1920s
25. NG French lavender
26. AH Aqua
27. AH Pineapple
28. AH White Tea & Ginger
29. NG Fresh Raspberry
30. NG Rice Petals and Shea
31. NG Bamboo Hemp (with and without Lecithin)
32. NG Mango Papaya
33. AH Neroli
34. AH Pomegranate & Oak
35. AH Lemon Verbena
36. AH Japanese Pear & Ginseng
37. AH Falling Leaves
38. AH Black Linen & Amber
39. AH Blackberry Sage
40. AH Interlude
41. AH Oak Barrel Cider
42. AH Badedas
43. AH Black Raspberry Vanilla
44. AH Celtic Moonspice
45. TSW Creamy Coconut
46. TSW Ginger Souffle
    

DIY Reusable Liner Soap Molds

A good friend of mine used this phrase "DIY til we DIE" in a recent email to me. I had to laugh because that totally describes us. Why pay huge $ for something made by someone else that I can make myself for next to nothing and performs every bit as good as the pricey purchased one (often better).

As a member of TheDishForum, I like to participate in several research swaps each year. Fragrance swaps are one of my favorites because we get to sample 50+ scents in one go. Making small test batches for these swaps requires small-ish molds. I generally like to make 16 oz batches so that a 1 oz bottle is used up in. a single batch. Here are the steps I used to make a triple log mold made totally to my bar specs for about $5.00. these little molds are absolute workhorses and paid for themselves after the first use.

Custom Triple Log Soap Mold for $5.00:
Materials:
- 6mm (1/4 inch) Craft foam (found at craft supply houses like Hobby Lobby)
- 1 sheet of Foam Board (the kind used for presentations that stands up on its own)
- Duct Tape (I personally use Nashua Brand)

Tools:

- Exacto Knife or razor knife or box cutter
- Ruler
- Self Healing mat (Didn't want to cut the table!)

Steps:



I wanted 6.25 x 3.25 x 2.5 inch logs for this swap, so I started cutting the foam into:

- one bottom piece (6.25 long x 3.25 wide)
- two long sides (3 tall x 6.25 long)
- two end pieces (3 tall x 3.5 long)


NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU USE THE 6mm craft foam. The 3mm and 2mm will not work for this application. They are simply too thin and tear very easily. I found bigger sheets of the 6mm on Ebay to make larger block molds.

Note2: Don't use the cheapo Dollar Store craft foam. The sheets are too thin and the color may leach onto your soap. these things will last you a very long time. Invest in the $1 sheets for the better closed cell foam.


I duct taped one side at a time to the bottom piece and then ran extra duct tape all around the outside to ensure it would all hold together. The little mold/liner ended up being waterproof and only bowed slightly when filled to the top with soap without any other support. I made 3 of these and they all worked out the same. They're not going to win any beauty prizes, but I like the colored duct tape .



Wanting a little more support on the sides I made a frame for all 3 liners out of ½ inch rigid foam board (used for presentations). $5.99 for a poster board on sale 50% off for $2.98). I used half of the sheet for this project. I cut out a base, 2 long sides, 2 short sides and 2 internal spacers and duct taped it all together. Sweet success.The liners fit snugly and pop out easily to unmold the soap.



The photos of the whole setup were taken after the maiden batches. I didn't clean them so you could see how cleanly the soap unmolds. The soap unmolded perfectly after 12 hrs. It literally popped right out of the liners. The formula I used was high in castor (10%) and usually sticks a bit even to the mylar liners I have made before. (I did let it fully gel) Photo below is of log on its side to show bottom corner. Check out the sharp corners and smooth sides. (No wasted end cuts!)



Costs for this triple log set up:
- 3 pieces of 6 mm craft foam (.99 each x 3 = $3)
- ½ sheet of foam core board ($1.50)
- Duct Tape (2.99 for the whole roll" let’s be generous and call it $.50 for this project)
- Total: $5.00 for 3 custom molds.
- Time: 10 minutes per liner. 10 minutes for the holder: 40 minutes including interruptions.



Note: The 6.25 inch logs I chose to make can be cut into 6 one inch bars (4.5+ oz) or 5 1.25 (5.5+ oz) inch thick bars with no wasted ends. I plan to reuse these for many, many, many small test batches. I would not go much larger with this foam-only system simply because the foam board and craft foam are not nearly as strong as wood.

I have also made large block molds and log molds using this foam liner method. They work brilliantly and last for countless batches. Occasionally a batch gets very hot in the mold and makes little moon craters on the outermost sides of the log/block. These scrape off effortlessly with a plastic scraper. In all honesty, once cut and packaged nobody ever notices the edges so I don't worry about it at all.

Fragrance does not stick in the foam since it's a closed cell material. If I get really messy and the liners seem dingy, I can just scrape them with a wooden spatula. They can be washed, just be aware that duct tape isn't friendly with water and your seams may begin to leak. Slap on a new piece of duct tape and you'll be back in business.

I hope someone finds this useful!

My 4 minutes and 15 seconds of fame.

This past week was a whirlwind of Sweet Teagan's activity. We were invited to be interviewed for a live segment on WREX TV13 out of Rockford. I had little (OK NO IDEA) what the angle of the interview would be, but was able to think fast on my feet at 6:20 am and not embarrass myself too much.

Strangely, the interviewer didn't see the point of an interview about soap prior to my arrival. I set up the most colorful soaps with a few full soap logs, a few scrubs in little stacks, a basket of bath bombs and one of lotions. The set started to smell like a soap store. The cameras started to roll and the interviewer picked up a few soaps to sniff while speaking. Once she opened the Peppermint Eucalyptus and gave a nice long sniff she became a believer. She called over the weather girl and they both oohh's and aaah'd until the end of the segment.

I was asked to not leave until after the show ended because everyone wanted to shop. OK. No problem. While they rifled through the 50 or so types I brought along I was invited to be a vendor at the Stateline Splendor Bridal Expo in 2 weeks. Eeeek. I was gearing up for the annual Garden Fair and had not planned for a Bridal Expo! What a great day!

I will be embedding the interview on the web store.

Fetus Soap

A few people got me inspired to whip up a few batches of soap yesterday. One of which was a new facial formula I'd not tried out yet. I try to add some color to keep things interesting, this time using a funnel to swirl the colors in the mold. Look what I saw on the top of the loaf when I unwrapped it. Does that not look like a baby ultrasound image? This is a little unsettling considering my DH was commenting about how he'd like to have another...

The cut slices look pretty nice. I can't bear to cut the fetus section though.



Don't forget to remember me

Bummer of an Essential Oil Lesson

If you know me, you know I hate waste. I'm a good old Yankee that lives by her daddy's advice, "Waste not, want not." Imagine my surprise when I learned that Essential Oils and little plastic Dixie cups don't mix.

I was innocently enough mixing up some oils to test out a new combination while waiting for my lye water to cool. I turn around and nice expensive oils were making their way across my counter top while the Dixie cup played the Wicked Witch of the West after being hit with water. The counters smell nice, but the fragrance would have been better spent in an actual SOAP! Chalking it up to a life lesson. Glass container only from now on. Check.

::Smiles::

New soapies!

I finally had a chance to soap this weekend. Come heck or high water I was going to make SOMETHING. Here you go:

Soap #1: Honey Cake. It has honey and beeswax along with some citrusy essential oils and calendula petals for happy skin. It smells heavenly. If you can imagine what warm smells like, then you have an idea of what this is like. How do you like the honeycomb relief on the edges? I'm thinking of making it with the design on the larger sides next time. Most of these bars are a little on the 'generous' side too. I need to figure out my cutter so more people can enjoy these little bits of happiness.

Soap #2: Swirly Shaving Soap. I found this recipe on a fellow soaper's blog from Spain. Hers was plain grey, so I tarted it up a little with swirls. A cute little 2x2x2 cube should make a nice 3 ounce or so soap I thought. Just in time for Father's day! Little did I know that my 2x2x2 is more like a 5 oz soap. It ought to last a good long while! It has loads of nice oils and Bentonite clay for a little extra slip for a nice close shave. I call the scent Pacific Mist. It's a little peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender. I was looking for something that would remind me of the beach and complement the blue swirls. Winner winner chicken dinner. It should be out of cure in about 4 or 5 weeks. I can't wait to share it.

TTFN,
A happy soaper!

Speedy Delivery from The Soap Crone

As many of you already know, I'm an amateur soaper. I've made a few really nice basic CP soaps and use an HP 'poo bar/soap daily while the other ones properly cure.

While building confidence to use my newly build log mold, I have spent a good deal of time researching soap making, recipes, packaging and various other soap stuff written by the experts. I somehow stumbled on the Soap Crone's site www.soapcrone.com
through Google or some other blog. Her site is welcoming and soon drew me in.

I loved the photos and enjoyed the descriptions of each variety. Her brilliance shows in the somewhat limited product line. Other sites have hundreds of scents/blends that boggle the mind. Figuring she was the expert, I purchased her e-books along with a couple of soaps to learn from.

I soon received a a friendly email order confirmation along with instructions for how to download the books. The e-books downloaded easily and I devoured the recipes book twice before going to bed. I longed for my delivery of ingredients to arrive as I imagined how I would work these new recipes into my own creations. I wish there was a little more about scenting and specific process in the recipe book (temps...). Just like when baking a cake the ingredients are only part of the equation. How they're assembled is the key.

I lightly read the basic manual and found it OK for beginning soaping. I wouldn't normally have purchased a beginner book, but figure why not support a fellow craft person. Someday it may be me on the other side. :-)

The writing in both books is light, funny, and spot on - especially for the herbal additions. My lavender buds from the first soap class I ever attended do, in fact, resemble mouse turds after a few uses. Lesson learned. Amy you rule.

I also learned that once you are 'the' expert you don't worry yourself too much with fancy adornments or packaging. The bars I purchased, Ladies Lovely Complexion soap and Lavender Mist Shampoo Bar, arrived in brown paper bags with handwritten descriptions of the contents. Simple. These would fit in at any craft show, festival or farmer's market. I can picture them on a no-nonsense table and having people gobble them up.

The soaps smell wonderful. Not overpowering, but still strong enough to live up to their scent claims. I wonder how well the scent will stay.

The Lavender Mist Shampoo bar has no color additions and looks just like the photo on the site. Cool stamping by the way.

The Lovely Lady had a beautiful photo on the site complete with pink swirls. My bar was more of a solid muted pink.



They both have nice, velvety 'feel' when dry. I want to compulsively pick them up and hold them. I will give them a try tonight after I get good and smelly from the barn.

Summary of today's lessons for me:
1) Stop sweating the small stuff. Just get back to the studio and make soap for Gracie's sake! Mine is every bit as good as anyone elses - swirls, marbeling or whatnot
2) Packaging is the sprinkes on the cake, not the whole cake. When you have a good product and a loyal customer following the expense of packaging is just extra. Besides, the open soap encourages you to USE it rather than keep it in the knicker drawer or on the shelf to admire.
3) A witty, well-built web site with great soap eye-candy is an important key to selling your stuff.
4) I am a burned out course manual writer by former trade. I should be writing for my own profit. So long trashy novel. Hello again instructional manuals!

Be creative everyone!
'Destiny'

Momentum...

Do you ever just feel like your ship came in, then left port with you still on the dock? You had this big plan and all of the energy in the world to start a project, then, well, fizzled out? How do you keep the momentum?

As mentioned in an earlier post I am a self-admitted soap-a-holic. I LOVE making soap. I get a feeling of immediate gratification as the mixture comes together into a lovely color and/or scent, then a longer lasting sense of accomplishment as the little lovelies continue to cure in my studio. It is a true test of patience not to jump into the shower with a newly cut bar, but I happen to like my skin without the itchies. (Yes, I did once try out a choco-mint a little to early...)

I hit a bump in the road recently as I wait for a few ingredients to arrive in the mail. While waiting I decided to build a new wood mold. Have you any idea how many styles, sizes and constructions there are to choose from... Do I want a log or a slab? If log, wide or tall? My head is reeling with the mental ping pong of indecision. So, doing what I do best when bored out of my mind, I just built another simple 4# log mold. I want to try it out, but am still waiting for ingredients.

So instead I sit and blog. And lurk other people's blogs. Like 20+ a day. Rather embarassing to admit, but it's real. Where's that mailman?

For Molly

If you've read comments from the Popcorn post, this one will make sense.

Molly likes to tease me. Come to think of it, so does John. Darn it all, so does Mike. Since I am an eternal optimist, I like to believe they tease because they love. Or do they just love to tease? Whatever it is, I can dish it out too, so I'll shut up now.

As I busied myself with more research the other night, Bryan picked up one of my latest soaps. I heard, "Hey, you could make money on this. I'd sure buy it!" He was commenting on a favorite soap recipe, Oats and Apples. It is scented with Apple Slices, Cinnamon and French Vanilla fragrance oils. It smells, quite literally, good enough to eat. It has a couple more weeks to cure before he can enjoy it.

His reaction was a little strange to me. Normally Bryan teases as eagerly as my AAR team. I didn't know if I should take him seriously or not. I explained the soap-making process to him and showed him the other batches curing and his wheels started turning. He believes! Now it's time to think about turning a life-long hobby into a business venture. Could be exciting actually using my biz degrees for myself. Who knows...