Q&A: Using vinegar in shampoo bars? Can we store surfactants and actives in the fridge? Substituting powdered surfactants in shampoo bars? Thickening aloe vera with Xanthan Gum?

I thought I’d answer a few quick questions in this post! If you’re a $5 or higher subscriber, visit the monthly Q&A to share your thoughts! USING VINEGAR IN SHAMPOO BARS? I’ve had someone ask me about why someone would be using vinegar in a shampoo bar and the short answer is that they’re using...

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Discussion: I’m peachy keen about fragrances! (Groan…) What are you using this summer?

I’m testing out a few batches of a super fluffy body wash with protein based surfactants thickened with gellan gum and carageenan – thanks to Shannon at IMCD for sending these to me! – and I couldn’t resist fragrancing it with market peach from Windy Point Soap Making Supplies to give it that fresh summer...

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Equipment review: High shear mixers – Chefman 300W Soft-Touch Rubberized Ice Crushing Immersion Blender

Thanks to your monthly subscriptions, I can buy equipment and share my thoughts and experiences with you! I’ve been collecting quite a few different things – scales, thermometers, mixers, pH meters, and more – and using them in my classes, at home, with my youth programs, and everywhere else I can, and I hope my...

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Creating a light hydrating summer body lotion with Olivem 1000 – part three, thickening with fatty alcohols, acids, and esters

Earlier this week, we met a new-to-me oil, tamanu oil! On Friday, we created a summery body milk with this oil with a ton of humectants to give our product a quick break kind of feeling, then we made the lotion using three variations on the formula. Today, let’s take a look at how we...

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Creating a light hydrating summer body milk with Olivem 1000 – part two

Earlier this week, we met a new-to-me oil, tamanu oil! Yesterday, we created a summery body milk with this oil with a ton of humectants to give our product a quick break kind of feeling. Today, let’s make that lotion before considering a few ways we could alter it with thickeners, oils, and rheology modifiers....

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