Comments for Adventures With The Sage http://blog.thesage.com Thoughts and ideas from the world of Majestic Mountain Sage. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:20:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 Comment on Win a MMS Perfumer’s Kit by jaspersgarden http://blog.thesage.com/2009/09/15/win-a-mms-perfumers-kit/comment-page-1/#comment-1144 jaspersgarden Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:20:02 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=3851#comment-1144 Thank you sooo much Andee & MMS Staff!!! This is bigger than I thought it would be - LOL! Very nice carrying case, log book, 20 EO's, 80 FO's and tiny little numerical labels (1 thru 200). You guys really need to get on this - everything fits nicely in the carrying case, so you can't lose anything! Even if you drop the carrying case - not to worry! All the EO and FO bottles are encased in a very thick foam! Wonderful Perfumer's Kit ;o) Go with the Rose Otto if you win! OMG!!! Heaven! Now - what and more importantly "how" to blend scents! I do have some blends that I've collected over the years, so I'll probably start there. If I run out of ideas, I will go over to MMS's Recipe section for more scent blending ideas!! This is a really wonderful prize to win ~ so get busy guys ;o) You will not be sorry! Good luck! Kathy Thank you sooo much Andee & MMS Staff!!!

This is bigger than I thought it would be – LOL! Very nice carrying case, log book, 20 EO’s, 80 FO’s and tiny little numerical labels (1 thru 200).

You guys really need to get on this – everything fits nicely in the carrying case, so you can’t lose anything! Even if you drop the carrying case – not to worry! All the EO and FO bottles are encased in a very thick foam!

Wonderful Perfumer’s Kit ;o) Go with the Rose Otto if you win! OMG!!! Heaven!

Now – what and more importantly “how” to blend scents! I do have some blends that I’ve collected over the years, so I’ll probably start there. If I run out of ideas, I will go over to MMS’s Recipe section for more scent blending ideas!!

This is a really wonderful prize to win ~ so get busy guys ;o) You will not be sorry!

Good luck!

Kathy

]]> Comment on Milk Soaps Challenge by Andee http://blog.thesage.com/2010/03/15/milk-soaps-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1143 Andee Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:25:19 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=5908#comment-1143 Grapeseed oil is very different than Grapeseed Extract. And it certainly could be the case that a purchased bottle is incorrectly labeled. Grapeseed oil is wonderful in soaps and it doesn't accelerate trace at all. It is a good massage oil and good in lotions too. You can find it in the grocery store with the specialty oils on the top shelf. It is generally a bit green, but can be more yellow too. All grapeseed sold in the general market is partially hexane extracted. While some will have issue with this, most do not. The oil will make a nice soap. Just don't buy GSE and expect the same results. Ouch! That will accelerate incredibly. Grapeseed oil is very different than Grapeseed Extract. And it certainly could be the case that a purchased bottle is incorrectly labeled.

Grapeseed oil is wonderful in soaps and it doesn’t accelerate trace at all. It is a good massage oil and good in lotions too. You can find it in the grocery store with the specialty oils on the top shelf. It is generally a bit green, but can be more yellow too. All grapeseed sold in the general market is partially hexane extracted. While some will have issue with this, most do not. The oil will make a nice soap. Just don’t buy GSE and expect the same results. Ouch! That will accelerate incredibly.

]]> Comment on Lip Gloss by Andee http://blog.thesage.com/2009/03/05/lip-gloss/comment-page-1/#comment-1140 Andee Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:25:41 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=1319#comment-1140 You should increase the viscosity by using more viscous oils (castor) or increasing your wax content. To get an exact assessment, I would send your formulation directly to the Technical Support Staff. Include everything you have here, plus your exact recipe. They will review the recipe and send back some testing suggestions. You can take their advice and make a few test batches. If you are closer, but not quite where you want to be, email them back with the original, their suggestions and what you desire to improve. They will repeat this process with you until you get what you want. Do not expect that they will remember your name or your formulation. Once they help, your message gets deleted. So always include any correspondence you have had with them on the project. It makes assisting light years faster. techsup@thesage.com Or you can get to the web for a direct submission at http://www.thesage.com/about/contact.html You should increase the viscosity by using more viscous oils (castor) or increasing your wax content. To get an exact assessment, I would send your formulation directly to the Technical Support Staff. Include everything you have here, plus your exact recipe. They will review the recipe and send back some testing suggestions. You can take their advice and make a few test batches. If you are closer, but not quite where you want to be, email them back with the original, their suggestions and what you desire to improve. They will repeat this process with you until you get what you want. Do not expect that they will remember your
name or your formulation. Once they help, your message gets deleted. So always include any correspondence you have had with them on the project. It makes assisting light years faster.

techsup@thesage.com Or you can get to the web for a direct submission at http://www.thesage.com/about/contact.html

]]> Comment on Milk Soaps Challenge by donnamatrix http://blog.thesage.com/2010/03/15/milk-soaps-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1138 donnamatrix Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:08:31 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=5908#comment-1138 Ah, definitely good to know -- I really like grapeseed oil, so I use it in most of my soaps, but I think I'll have to try a batch or two without to see if it slows the trace down. It's definitely annoying (and occasionally scary) to go from "totally untraced" to "thick pudding" before I can even grab my mold! :) I've been using my test bar for the last week, and holy crap do I ever love it. SO creamy! Ah, definitely good to know — I really like grapeseed oil, so I use it in most of my soaps, but I think I’ll have to try a batch or two without to see if it slows the trace down. It’s definitely annoying (and occasionally scary) to go from “totally untraced” to “thick pudding” before I can even grab my mold! :)

I’ve been using my test bar for the last week, and holy crap do I ever love it. SO creamy!

]]> Comment on Lip Gloss by Diamondsbathnbody http://blog.thesage.com/2009/03/05/lip-gloss/comment-page-1/#comment-1135 Diamondsbathnbody Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:42:41 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=1319#comment-1135 Hello Andee, I'm a huge fan of MMS. I have been shopping with you guys for years and never knew about the blog. It's such a joy to have found it. All of the archives are very educational. Ok on to my question: How can I make my lip "bling" gloss thicker liquid wise? ( Do I add more wax.) The reason being is beacuse my continers consist of a tube with a wand. Therefore a thick clear liquid is what I'm going for. My customers love it but I perfer to perfect it. Thanks, diamondsbathnbody Hello Andee,

I’m a huge fan of MMS. I have been shopping with you guys for years and never knew about the blog. It’s such a joy to have found it. All of the archives are very educational.
Ok on to my question:

How can I make my lip “bling” gloss thicker liquid wise? ( Do I add more wax.)

The reason being is beacuse my continers consist of a tube with a wand. Therefore a thick clear liquid is what I’m going for. My customers love it but I perfer to perfect it.

Thanks,
diamondsbathnbody

]]> Comment on Milk Soaps Challenge by Finnishcandles http://blog.thesage.com/2010/03/15/milk-soaps-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1134 Finnishcandles Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:50:13 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=5908#comment-1134 I have found, in my experience, that the grapeseed oil causes soap to trace at super sonic speed. I have quit using it in my soaps for this reason. (with so many other excellent oils to choose from I've had many opportunities to compare grapeseed against the other oils) For a lighter version of this soap I've found that since I make large batches at a time I need to mix my coconut milk with water so I mix the lye with the water until it begins to cool then add the coconut milk during the cooling period and mix well. It seems to produce a much lighter soap than traditional milk soaps, thats if the darker color is unpleasant to some soapmakers......definitely experiment. The soaps you made look great and I'm sure they are wonderful! (btw, I still insulate coconut milk soaps without issue thus far) I have found, in my experience, that the grapeseed oil causes soap to trace at super sonic speed. I have quit using it in my soaps for this reason. (with so many other excellent oils to choose from I’ve had many opportunities to compare grapeseed against the other oils)
For a lighter version of this soap I’ve found that since I make large batches at a time I need to mix my coconut milk with water so I mix the lye with the water until it begins to cool then add the coconut milk during the cooling period and mix well. It seems to produce a much lighter soap than traditional milk soaps, thats if the darker color is unpleasant to some soapmakers……definitely experiment. The soaps you made look great and I’m sure they are wonderful! (btw, I still insulate coconut milk soaps without issue thus far)

]]> Comment on Lotion Comparision Test by SilverFirsFarm http://blog.thesage.com/2010/03/01/lotion-comparision-test/comment-page-1/#comment-1131 SilverFirsFarm Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:16:53 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=5901#comment-1131 I got my perfumers kit today- thank you SO much Andee and Sage team, its like Christmas day! I cant wait to start playing around with it, creating custom blends. EVERYONE should enter this contest, it really is such an amazing prize and you guys are so generous to do this for your customers. Jamie- the glass ball rollers from MMS are great for perfume oils, I make them using Golden Jojoba as the carrier, and with MMS scents you need less than 10%, in fact for some thats too much! PS on Hydrovance.. I got some last time I was up there and hadnt had a chance to try it yet, so I ran my own experiment this weekened too- I made my regular lotion with glycerin, and one with hydrovance.. there was no comparison, the hydrovance lasted longer and felt silkier and it felt like it "sunk in". I'm a believer. I havent used Sodium Lactate, but I'll have to try that now too, lol. Next order I guess :) -Kristin I got my perfumers kit today- thank you SO much Andee and Sage team, its like Christmas day! I cant wait to start playing around with it, creating custom blends. EVERYONE should enter this contest, it really is such an amazing prize and you guys are so generous to do this for your customers.
Jamie- the glass ball rollers from MMS are great for perfume oils, I make them using Golden Jojoba as the carrier, and with MMS scents you need less than 10%, in fact for some thats too much!

PS on Hydrovance.. I got some last time I was up there and hadnt had a chance to try it yet, so I ran my own experiment this weekened too- I made my regular lotion with glycerin, and one with hydrovance.. there was no comparison, the hydrovance lasted longer and felt silkier and it felt like it “sunk in”. I’m a believer. I havent used Sodium Lactate, but I’ll have to try that now too, lol. Next order I guess :)
-Kristin

]]> Comment on Oatmeal & Honey Almond Soap by Andee http://blog.thesage.com/2010/01/08/oatmeal-honey-almond-soap/comment-page-1/#comment-1127 Andee Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:26:09 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=4465#comment-1127 Jamie, Go back to the beginning of the cold process posts and read forward. Don't mix up instructions from various sites. Just do the process as I have outlined here on the blog. You will get soap perfectly. As the blog progresses toward today, you will see some changes in batch size and various ingredient changes. These will accompany your improving skills as you learn to make soap. Just follow TheSage way and you won't have a problem. Jamie,

Go back to the beginning of the cold process posts and read forward. Don’t mix up instructions from various sites. Just do the process as I have outlined here on the blog. You will get soap perfectly. As the blog progresses toward today, you will see some changes in batch size and various ingredient changes. These will accompany your improving skills as you learn to make soap.

Just follow TheSage way and you won’t have a problem.

]]> Comment on Lotion Comparision Test by Andee http://blog.thesage.com/2010/03/01/lotion-comparision-test/comment-page-1/#comment-1126 Andee Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:25:28 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=5901#comment-1126 Jaime, Perfumes are easy to make. What carrier do you desire? Jaime,

Perfumes are easy to make. What carrier do you desire?

]]> Comment on Oatmeal & Honey Almond Soap by Jaime http://blog.thesage.com/2010/01/08/oatmeal-honey-almond-soap/comment-page-1/#comment-1125 Jaime Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:04:09 +0000 http://blog.thesage.com/?p=4465#comment-1125 Hi all, So I tried my first batch of cold process soap and after I mixed the Lye with the oils I think it started to trace. The color went from translucent to opaque and w/ a little resistance as I stirred it. But it never got thick like the images above. It stayed creamy; it covered the back of a spoon like frosted glass & would drip back into the batter and disappear instantly. Now let me back up. When I mix the water & lye in the beginning the temp got to 150 F & I waited a while before introducing the oils because the recipe said to let both solutions cool to about 110 F. But when I read the directions some people said they would make the lye solution in the morning and make soap at night. So I waited about 45 min and the temp dropped to 80 F. (Okay so first time using lye and I thought it would take forever to cool) so I went ahead and warmed the oils so they were just melted. In the end I wasn't sure if it would work so I went ahead & put the soap in the molds. It’s now 6pm and I started making soap at 2pm & they are still pretty liquidy. If I screwed this recipe up what could I do to correct it or insure I won’t mess up future batches & what are some creative ways to dispose of the liquid soap? (Maybe laundry soap????) Thanks for anyones help, Jaime :) Hi all,

So I tried my first batch of cold process soap and after I mixed the Lye with the oils I think it started to trace. The color went from translucent to opaque and w/ a little resistance as I stirred it. But it never got thick like the images above. It stayed creamy; it covered the back of a spoon like frosted glass & would drip back into the batter and disappear instantly. Now let me back up. When I mix the water & lye in the beginning the temp got to 150 F & I waited a while before introducing the oils because the recipe said to let both solutions cool to about 110 F. But when I read the directions some people said they would make the lye solution in the morning and make soap at night. So I waited about 45 min and the temp dropped to 80 F. (Okay so first time using lye and I thought it would take forever to cool) so I went ahead and warmed the oils so they were just melted. In the end I wasn’t sure if it would work so I went ahead & put the soap in the molds. It’s now 6pm and I started making soap at 2pm & they are still pretty liquidy. If I screwed this recipe up what could I do to correct it or insure I won’t mess up future batches & what are some creative ways to dispose of the liquid soap? (Maybe laundry soap????)

Thanks for anyones help,

Jaime :)

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