We all need to relieve a little stress right now, being in the middle of this world wide pandemic.  One of the ways I like to do that is to play with a new, or favorite, soap technique! 
Thanks to Amy Warden and her soap challenges, we have this outlet in our lives :)  This month's Soap Challenge is called Clam Shell Technique, and it was guest taught by Teri Endsley of Tree Marie Soapworks.  The end result should look something like these two soaps.

Now, I have to say that I watched the tutorial videos the very first day that they were made available to me, and a few weeks later while I was in the midst of making other soaps, I decided to throw this into my day without watching the video again.  So....I forgot one of the most important tips for this technique, raising the far end of the mold.  My soaps still turned out ok, and even if they are not a perfect clamshell, I am happy with the results!

For this technique to work, it's best to use a slower moving recipe and fragrance in order to allow for the batter to flow well all the way across the mold, throughout the entire pour.  My stress relief blend tends to behave this way for me, at least when I don't want it to lol!, so that is what I chose for this recipe.

For the colorant, I chose to play with my indigo blue again, one of my new favorites.

I decided to do a full batch experiment.

I had read somewhere that the use of a larger container would work well so you don't need to stop to refill.  However, I find it easier to control the pour with a smaller container, so that is what I used.  I poured a portion of each color equally and at the same time into the smaller container to prepare for the pour.

With this technique, you determine three places that you want to pour and alternate.  I also did not remember to go from left, right middle or right, left middle.  I went left, middle, right....oops!

As you can see, the batter was not piling up the way it should because I had not elevated the far end of the mold.

As I went along, I could see more of the clam shell effect coming through.

The clam shell effect got stronger, it may have been that the trace was too thin in the beginning.  Pictures also got worse, I'm thinking maybe some soap batter got on the lens, yikes!

After the pour was complete, I covered it with towels and let it sit overnight.

Now, for the cut.  I couldn't resist playing with it a bit to see what was on the inside.
So, my first cut was a wide one from the far end to see how the inside looked.  This small block was then cut horizontally.

This technique is very addicting, and ever since I poured this batch I've been thinking about how it could be improved.  Of course, watching the videos again helped me to see where I went wrong lol!  I just didn't have the time to repeat this one during the challenge.  Regardless, these are beautiful soaps that will certainly be enjoyed!!!

It won't be long before I try this one again!

  With the current world climate, people everywhere are being more vigilant about hygiene these days.  This involves nearly all we do during our day - where we go, what we touch, how often we wash our hands, using hand sanitizer, you name it, we are all thinking about it.

So, how do we keep our hands clean without drying them out?  Keep hydrated and use a good bar of soap!  This is something I learned a long time ago, which brought me into the world of soap making.  ASC Soapworks soaps are highly superfatted to give a luxurious hand cleaning experience without all the harsh chemicals found in many products.

So, what's on our minds?  Handwashing, Hand Sanitizer, Disinfecting.  Let's discuss each of these. 

Handwashing:  It should be a matter of habit.  We should have been taught to wash our hands throughout the day, as young children - after using the toilet, before eating, after coughing or sneezing, whenever you touch something "yucky", petting zoo, etc.  Indeed, as a mother and a former child care provider, yes, I am a bit militant about the washing of hands in my house.  We tried to make it not only habit, but as fun as possible.  With this in mind, we tried various methods, and found that hand soap in bar form was best for children.  My main reason for this thought was that they will actually play with the bar of soap for several minutes if you let them.  They love that slippery feel!  The CDC suggests lathering up the hands for a minimum of 20 seconds.  With the children we always sang our ABC song, which lasted just about that long, but the bar soap helped them to achieve soapy contact for at least that long.  Liquid soap often will barely touch the hand and the little glop will slide right off and into the sink.

Now, many people over the years have disagreed with me, for a couple of reasons.  Some hear stories of how bacteria can be transferred from bar to hands.  And, of course, bars are certainly messier on the sink.  However, research has shown (here comes my biochemistry background...oh do give me something to spend hours researching in the primary literature!) that this is completely unfounded.  Although persistent bacteria may stay on the bar, it does not seem to transfer to your hands.  And, for me personally, I don't compromise on health for convenience, so I'll clean up the sink.  Several of my former child care colleagues, some of whom I never thought would change their minds, have made the switch to bar soap, as they have found they same to be true in their experience.

The main points for washing your hands are these: 

• Wet your hands (hot or cold, doesn't matter - clean running water, think about what that does for under developed countries!)
• Lather well - make sure to get tops, bottoms and all in between!
• Scrub for at least 20 seconds - hum a tune you love :)  ABC's are great for children!
• Rinse well under clean running water
• Dry with a clean towel or air dry - I personally believe towel is best, and I change them out everyday

Click here for the CDC Guidelines for Washing Your Hands, in case you need a refresher :)

Hand Sanitizer:  Okay, this one I have a hard time with, as I have never held much stock in this product.  However, I have read books on how this developed in the hospital setting with MRSA, etc. and I do believe there are places for it.  I use it at times when I am out and about, am grateful when I see it in a port-a-potty, and definitely for things like the county fair when you are touching all those animals and then eating something to the like of cotton candy.  I admit I used it while traveling this week, as I was over thinking everything I touched.  Well, maybe you really can't over think that right now...or we are all over reacting - only time will tell.

Reasons I personally do not use hand sanitizer

• I believe that the overuse of hand sanitizer can contribute the the creation of resistant bugs
• Causes my hands to get dried out
• Most contain chemicals that I do not want to expose myself to (many chemicals that were originally additives of these type of products, such as triclosan, have been banned)
• Fragrances give me nausea and headaches

With that being said, I have recently been experimenting with making my own fragrance free hand sanitizer, that will be available to customers once I know that it really works.  I'm loving the product right now, as it is very moisturizing, but I need to do some control experiments :)

Click here for the same link to the CDC website on handwashing.  If you scroll down, it also covers hand sanitizers.

Disinfecting:  I have never been a "germ-a-phobe", and and believe in the philosophy of eating a peck of dirt before you die.  Therefore, I have never been overly concerned with disinfecting surfaces.  However, I am very aware of where raw chicken has been laid, and I have been known to have bouts of Lysol spraying when all the kids are sick.  I definitely believe in disinfecting door handles, light switches, etc. when we have an active outbreak in the house.  So, I do keep things in perspective. 

Did I bring wipes with me when I flew this week?  Yes, I did :)  Was I overly concerned?  Not really.  It was an easy thing to do though and I figured why not.  Most illnesses are contracted through air and hand to hand contact, so I generally don't worry too much about my surroundings as most of it is out of my control.  However, my immune system has been pretty strong, this is not true for everyone.  So, use your own experiences and common sense to do what is right for you. 

And, don't forget to be mindful of where your hands have been and where they are.  It's a hard thing to do, but maybe touching your eyes after handling a grocery cart is not the best idea.  Be conscious and aware :)

Just keep in mind those basics that we all know will help to keep us safe and healthy.  They won't protect us from everything, but overall you can be healthier.


So, what's your take on all of this hyper vigilance?  Is it really necessary?  What are your safety concerns and what are you doing to protect you and your family?  I'd really like to hear from you!!!