tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33736493302468249792024-03-13T07:52:09.974-05:00I'd Lather Be Soaping"I'd Lather Be Soaping" is a blog chronicling my adventures in soapmaking!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-43348166400327331242016-03-20T17:27:00.002-05:002016-03-20T17:27:18.887-05:00"The ONE Mold" ReviewI know, it has been a while since I've posted.<br />
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But! That doesn't mean that I haven't been soaping. I've been working on something big, something YOOGE for the past couple of months.<br />
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A while back, Tim from <a href="http://www.lancastersoapmakers.com/" target="_blank">Lancaster Soapmakers</a> contacted me and offered to send me one of his molds so I could review it. He sent me his latest creation, a 3-in-1 mold called <a href="http://theonemold.com/" target="_blank">The ONE Mold</a>.<br />
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And here it is!<br />
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With just a change of a few pieces, the mold can go from a shapes mold, to a slab mold, to a three-loaf mold.<br />
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And it doesn't need to be lined! I don't know which part I like best - that I can do three different things with the mold, or that I don't have to line it. A removable silicone mat covers the bottom of the wooden mold, and acrylic pieces line the sides. The mold comes with a set of slab dividers to make twelve individual bars, and it also has dividers that slide into the liner pieces to make three separate loaves.<br />
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Want to see how the mold works? Check out my intro video:<br />
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Now on to the soapmaking.<br />
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For the first batch, I decided to try out the flowers tray mold. Tim also sent me a circles tray, but I decided to use the flowers here because spring is coming. And also because I immediately had an idea for the flowers mold. The tray is made of thick HDPE plastic and it sits on top of the silicone mat. The tray has holes drilled into the sides and pins hold the tray in place in the wooden mold.<br />
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Floral fragrance oils can be tricky, so I decided to go with lavender essential oil since it hasn't given me any trouble thus far, acceleration-wise. Of course, the colors purple and green came to mind, so I chose to do an in-the-pot swirl with those colors. After I scented the soap and brought it just to the point of emulsification, I portioned off about a half cup into two measuring cups and colored one green and the other dark purple. Then I colored the rest of the soap a light purple (purple pigment plus titanium dioxide). To make the swirl, I poured the dark purple soap into my bowl of light purple soap at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, and the green at the 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions. Then I moved a spoon through the soap just a couple of times, being careful not to overmix. As I poured the soap into the mold, the soap continued to swirl.<br />
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After a couple of days, I put the HDPE portion in the freezer for a few hours to make unmolding easier, just in case the soap was still a bit soft. I was then able to push on the backs of the soaps and they popped right out.<br />
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The tray mold worked beautifully - no leaking, no sliding. Just perfectly shaped flowers. And I love how my ITP swirl turned out!<br />
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Want to see me make these flower soaps? Here ya go!<br />
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Next up was the slab mold, which creates 12 individual bars. To construct the slab mold, I put down the silicone mat and lined the sides with the acrylic pieces. The mold comes with dividers, which I assembled ahead of time so I could just drop them into my soap when I was ready.<br />
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I saw a really cool tutorial on the interwebs by Amanda at the Lovin' Soap Studio called <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/2010/12/retro-roses-soap-design/" target="_blank">"Retro Roses soap design"</a> and I decided to use it for my slab soap. The idea is to use squirt bottles to create roses and leaves on top of the soap.<br />
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To make the soap, I used a slow-tracing recipe of 50% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, 15% shea butter, and 5% castor oil. (This is the recipe I used for the Lavender ITP swirl soaps above, too.) For the scent, I chose Bramble Berry's Energy FO. It's not floral - it's rather citrusy - but it is well-behaved and it doesn't discolor.<br />
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I portioned off about a half cup of soap into each of my measuring cups and colored one red and the other green and transferred each to a squeeze bottle. Then I split the remaining soap and colored one portion green and the other white. I poured a layer of green and then spooned a layer of white on top of it. Using my squeeze bottles, I made red circles and green dots. (Tip: snip the tips of the bottles a bit to help the soap come out easier.) Using a toothpick, I swirled the red circles from the outside in, incorporating some of the white soap into the red. Then I dragged another toothpick through the green dots to make leaves.<br />
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Once the roses design was finished, I dropped my dividers into the soap, gently pressing them down to the bottom of the mold.<br />
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After about a week and a half, I unmolded the soap. I would have unmolded it sooner, but I got the laryngitis and had to wait until my voice came back so I could film again. The soap was still slightly soft but firm enough to unmold without any trouble. I could have also put the acrylic portion of the mold into the freezer to help with unmolding if I was worried about soft soap.<br />
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To unmold, I turned the wooden mold upside down and let the acrylic portion gently slide out. Then I peeled the silicone mat away, slid the acrylic sides away - sliding, not pulling - and then began to slide the bars away from the dividers. Once I had removed a few bars, I was able to remove the dividers as well. The liners and dividers slid away from the soap very easily and I had no trouble unmolding.<br />
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The red did drag through the bars a bit when I put the dividers in, but that is no fault of the mold. It is just the nature of the pigment. To avoid that in the future, I could put the dividers in and then make the design on the individual bars. Or perhaps a different colorant would be less prone to dragging. I think it looks kinda cool, though, no?<br />
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Here's a video showing the making of these slab bars:<br />
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Finally, I tried out the loaf mold configuration. The mold makes three loaves this way and holds about ten pounds of soap. This was the biggest batch of soap I have ever made. None of my bowls were big enough, so I used a dishpan to mix up my soap. Then I split the batch into three equal parts and colored one green, one white, and one black using activated charcoal.<br />
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My plan was to do a tiger stripe swirl, but my soap batter got very thick. This rather surprised me, as I was using a well-behaved fragrance oil (Bramble Berry's Wasabi FO) and almost the same recipe as the other two batches. I did have to tweak my recipe a bit because I didn't have enough shea butter. Instead of using shea butter at 15%, I used it at 10% and included 5% mango butter to make up the difference. (And, of course, I ran my tweaked recipe through a <a href="http://soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcwp.asp" target="_blank">lye calculator</a>.) I also was using a different brand of olive oil for this batch. I wonder if that small amount of mango butter could have made such a big impact, or if the new olive oil had something to do with my soap getting thick?<br />
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Anyway, I decided to switch gears and do a <a href="https://youtu.be/LL0DruqD1aE" target="_blank">Celine Swirl</a> since my soap was so thick. So I layered the green, white, and black soap, alternating the colors, and then used a spoon to scoop the soap from the bottom of the mold up to the top all the way down one side of each loaf and then down the other side. This technique also creates beautiful peaks on top of the soap.<br />
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About three days later, I unmolded the soap. The soap was pretty hard, so I didn't bother putting it in the freezer. Unmolding it was similar to unmolding the slab bars. I tipped the wooden mold upside down to let the acrylic portion slide out, peeled away the silicone mat, and then slid the sides away. I slid the two loaves on either side away from the dividers, and then slid the dividers away from the remaining middle loaf. Again, it was an easy and clean removal.<br />
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And here is a video for the Celine Swirl soaps:<br />
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So what did I think of this mold? Two enthusiastic thumbs up!<br />
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There are many things to like about this mold.<br />
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I like that you can do three totally different things with one mold. All you have to do is move a few pieces around. So instead of having a slab mold over here, some loaf molds over there, and a bunch of shapes molds scattered around, you have one mold that can do it all. It sounds like a variety of shapes trays is available - <a href="http://theonemold.com/" target="_blank">The ONE Mold website</a> says that "the design shapes range from lighthearted flowers, hearts and clovers to geometric circles, squares and triangles."<br />
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And I LOOOVE that it doesn't need to be lined. Making liners can be such a pain and this mold eliminates that.<br />
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The soap is easy to unmold, the mold's pieces are easy to clean, and the mold is easy to put together and take apart.<br />
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The mold is of a very high quality, too. It's sturdy, and the soap doesn't leak out. I can tell that this mold was made by a soapmaker with other soapmakers in mind, and it seems that a lot of thought and care went into its design.<br />
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I have no criticisms of the mold - there is nothing that I don't like about it, and nothing that I would suggest changing.<br />
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As a side note, I have another mold that Tim designed, but I didn't know that it was his design until recently. I bought one of his acrylic slab molds from Soap Making Resource in 2011 and it has been my go-to slab mold ever since. (In fact, it was the only slab mold I had until now.) It is similar to the slab mold here, but it is held together with rods and bolts instead of a wooden box. Whenever I use it in a video, people are like OMG WHERE DID YOU GET THAT MOLD?! I have enjoyed that mold for all of these years and it is still in excellent shape, and I expect that this 3-in-1 mold will hold up just as well.<br />
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So if you like the looks of this mold, please check out The ONE Mold website at <a href="http://theonemold.com/" target="_blank">theonemold.com</a>. The ONE Mold also offers custom logo plates upon request, which is a great alternative to stamping soaps.<br />
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And also take a look at the <a href="http://www.lancastersoapmakers.com/" target="_blank">Lancaster Soapmakers website</a>. You'll find a wide selection of soap molds there - wooden molds, acrylic molds, HDPE molds, slab molds, loaf molds, column molds, vertical molds.<br />
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The ONE Mold/Lancaster Soapmakers team welcomes custom work, so if you have something in mind, do contact them.<br />
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You can also connect with The ONE Mold and Lancaster Soapmakers through their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LancasterSoapmakers/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<br />
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I want to say a big thank you to Tim for sending me this mold and letting me review it! It is an awesome, versatile mold and I had a lot of fun playing with it. It will hold a special place on my soapmaking shelf as a favorite!<br />
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And, as always, thank you to all of you for reading!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-22533942857177844822015-12-15T11:48:00.000-06:002015-12-15T11:48:30.677-06:00Candy Cane Taiwan Swirl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_MuuBVUGDQ/VlUbfYkFfqI/AAAAAAAABYg/PysEiIEHHXg/s1600/Candy%2BCane%2BTaiwan%2BSwirl%2B1%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" kasperskylab_antibanner="on" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_MuuBVUGDQ/VlUbfYkFfqI/AAAAAAAABYg/PysEiIEHHXg/s400/Candy%2BCane%2BTaiwan%2BSwirl%2B1%2Btext.jpg" width="400" /></a>Happy holidays, everyone!<br />
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I hope you all are gearing up for a wonderful time with your loved ones. My husband and I are going home to Florida for Christmas and we're looking forward to spending time with family and friends. I am especially looking forward to being declared the loser of our annual Goofy Golf putt-putt game. It's tradition.<br />
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It's also tradition for me to give family and friends the gift of soap whether they want it or not. Just kidding, they all want it. Who wouldn't?<br />
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And it just wouldn't be the holidays without peppermint and candy canes.<br />
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I usually make a candy cane soap every year, and I try to come up with a different way to do it each time, too. This year, I decided to try the <a href="https://youtu.be/GDZp9tQ-P2Y" target="_blank">Taiwan Swirl</a>. You may remember that I attempted a Taiwan swirled candy cane soap last year and <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-christmas-disaster-story.html" target="_blank">things didn't quite work out</a>. But this year things went more according to plan.<br />
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For starters, my recipe behaved this time. I used the same recipe that I used for my <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2015/11/pumpkin-gingerbread-vertical-swirl.html" target="_blank">Pumpkin Gingerbread Vertical Swirl</a>: 50% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, 15% avocado oil, and 5% castor oil with a 5% superfat factored in. Both times I have used this recipe, it traced slowly for me. I had been having difficulty finding a palm-free recipe that creates a loose, thin trace, which is what is needed for something like the Taiwan Swirl. In fact, I had to stickblend the soap batter for quite a while to get to a light trace. I have been trying for months to rid myself of my tendency to overmix, so it feels strange to stickblend and stickblend and stickblend ... and stickblend some more.<br />
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The downside of this recipe is that it makes quite a soft soap initially. It needs to hang out in the mold for a little extra time. Even then, I think I may make it a habit to put my mold in the freezer for a few hours before unmolding when using this recipe to ensure a clean removal. Looking back, I was probably very lucky that the soap didn't tear when I unmolded it.<br />
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For the liquid, I swapped coconut milk for the water just because I had several baggies of it in my freezer and thought that it would be a nice addition. I cook with coconut milk frequently and often have some left over from a recipe. So I just measure it out, pour it in a baggie, write the weight on the bag, and put it in the freezer. If I don't use the leftover in a future culinary adventure, it goes into a batch of soap.<br />
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It's good to freeze milks anyway before using them in soap because if the milk gets too hot it can scorch. When you add the lye, it will melt the frozen milk. I also stir the lye solution in an ice bath to keep the temps as low as possible.<br />
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My fragrance cabinet is running low on holiday scents, but I did have some peppermint and spearmint essential oils. Yay, since I wanted to make a candy cane soap.<br />
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For the colorants, I opted for titanium dioxide, <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Merlot-Sparkle-Mica-P3064.aspx" target="_blank">Merlot Sparkle mica</a>, and <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Hydrated-Chrome-Green-Pigment-P4050.aspx" target="_blank">Hydrated Chrome Green pigment</a> mixed with a bit of oil pulled from the total to work out the clumps.<br />
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To do the Taiwan Swirl, I had the help of some <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/157351143/straight-soap-mold-dividers-for?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">awesome dividers</a> from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreatSoapShop" target="_blank">Great Soap Shop on Etsy</a>. These dividers fit the <a href="http://www.essentialdepot.com/product/SS-MOLD-NATURAL-PLUS-BASKET.html" target="_blank">RED Essential Depot silicone mold</a>, but Great Soap Shop also offers <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/175223361/straight-soap-mold-dividers-for-crafters?ref=shop_home_active_4" target="_blank">similar dividers</a> that fit the Crafter's Choice 1501, Bramble Berry 10" silicone molds, and American Soap Supply Tall & Skinny molds. (RED stands for "Revolutionary Essential Depot," if you were wondering.)<br />
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Here is a video showing what I did:<br />
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I mixed my essential oils into my soapmaking oils and then added the coconut milk/lye solution. I brought the soap to a light trace. Then I split my batch into four portions.<br />
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Because I am dreadful at eyeballing things, I broke out the calculator to help me figure out how much soap I needed for each cavity of my divider. A nice feature of <a href="http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">SoapCalc</a> is that it will estimate your soap's total weight. For this batch, my total weight was approximately 1,980 grams. So I divided that number by four to get 495g, which is how much I would need for each cavity. I wanted to do a white-red-green-white pattern, so I figured I needed 495g of red, 495g of green, and the rest could be white.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1jLtP9swTc/VlUbj-n3xhI/AAAAAAAABYs/4bnbytwdni4/s1600/Candy%2BCane%2BTaiwan%2BSwirl%2B2%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" kasperskylab_antibanner="on" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1jLtP9swTc/VlUbj-n3xhI/AAAAAAAABYs/4bnbytwdni4/s400/Candy%2BCane%2BTaiwan%2BSwirl%2B2%2Btext.jpg" width="400" /></a>I pressed down on the dividers as I poured the soap so that it wouldn't leak over onto the other side. It's probably best to have a buddy simultaneously pour two colors while you pour the other two to keep the soap from leaking underneath the dividers. I was alone, though, so I pressed down as I poured some white into one cavity, then some red into another, some green into another, and more white in another. I did pretty well with minimal leaking, and once I had some soap in each cavity the soap didn't migrate anymore.<br />
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Once I had poured all of my soap, I carefully pulled the dividers straight up and out. There was soap still clinging to the dividers, so I grabbed a silicone mold with individual cavities and scraped the soap into it.<br />
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To do the swirl, I stuck a candy thermometer (a chopstick or something similar would also work) to the bottom of the mold and made a tight S-pattern vertically through the soap. Then I made a similar pattern through the soap horizontally as well.<br />
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The cut for the Taiwan Swirl is a little different than what I normally do for a loaf soap. Instead of cutting the bars every inch or so, I cut the soap into roughly two-and-half-inch blocks and then cut those blocks in half horizontally. (The cutting starts at about the 11:55 point in the video above if you want to skip to it to see what I mean.) The swirls run through the entire loaf, so by cutting horizontally, the swirls will cover more of each soap bar's surface. I used a finished bar from another batch to help me determine where to cut.<br />
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The top of my soap loaf had a bit of soda ash, but I <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/04/dreaded-soda-ash.html" target="_blank">steamed it away</a>.<br />
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I really love these bars, and I think my family and friends will, too! And I am so thrilled that I FINALLY managed to achieve a trace light enough to allow me to swirl.<br />
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What are your plans for the holidays? I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-55536276626975265252015-11-20T18:47:00.000-06:002015-11-22T16:50:49.341-06:00Pumpkin Gingerbread Vertical Swirl <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is autumn, which means that it is time for pumpkin-flavored and pumpkin-scented everythings.<br />
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I love pumpkin season. Mostly because of the eating of the pumpkins. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin lattes.<br />
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Pumpkin soup.<br />
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But also pumpkin soap.<br />
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Here is my contribution to Pumpkin Mania: a pumpkin-gingerbread swirl soap.<br />
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I knew that I wanted to make a pumpkin-themed soap. I went to my fragrance cabinet to see what was there and I discovered that I had an ounce of Bramble Berry's Pumpkin Pie Cybilla fragrance oil, which it appears they no longer carry. (It had been hanging around for a few years and I forgot that I had it.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulNnDRJS5tY/Vk-zL0D-UZI/AAAAAAAABX8/hYly2Q6zFAw/s1600/Pumpkin%2BGingerbread%2B3%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulNnDRJS5tY/Vk-zL0D-UZI/AAAAAAAABX8/hYly2Q6zFAw/s400/Pumpkin%2BGingerbread%2B3%2Btext.jpg" width="400" /></a>The Pumpkin Pie fragrance oil would most likely discolor brown, though, due to the vanilla content. I didn't want a brown soap. So I wondered, how can I make the brown work to my advantage?<br />
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That's when I decided to combine it with a <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Gingersnap-Fragrance-Oil-P3918.aspx" target="_blank">Gingersnap fragrance oil</a>. My plan was to make half of the soap orange and unscented, and the other half scented with both the Pumpkin Pie and Gingersnap fragrance oils. The unscented half would stay orange, and the scented half would turn brown. I suppose that I could have used just the Pumpkin Pie fragrance oil, but a) I didn't have enough of it for the whole batch, and b) the Gingersnap fragrance makes the brown color make more sense (or scents?), at least in my mind anyway.<br />
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I'm calling it Gingerbread, though. Just cuz I wanna.<br />
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Next I had to decide on a design. I remembered <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/vertical-sandalwood-vanilla-soap-with-a-twist/" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> from the Soap Queen blog using <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Vertical-Wood-Mold-P4927.aspx" target="_blank">Bramble Berry's vertical mold</a> to make a half-circle design in the soap.<br />
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The idea is to pour one color into each side of the vertical mold. Then you lift the divider out just enough to get it out of its groove, twist it 180 degrees, and then carefully pull the divider all of the way out. It is supposed to make half-circle designs on each side of the soap; in this case, orange soap with a brown half-circle on one side, and brown soap with an orange half-circle on the other.<br />
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Here's a video of me making this soap:<br />
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My design didn't turn out as crisp as I would have liked, but it is still a neat look. I think I just need more practice.<br />
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For this project, I went with 50% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, 15% avocado oil, and 5% castor oil with a 5% superfat figured into the recipe. It seemed to trace slowly for me. I wanted the trace to be at about medium to help the design stay crisper, so I had to stickblend for quite a while, which is something I usually have to stop myself from doing.<br />
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Before adding the lye solution, I stickblended three ounces (84 grams) of pumpkin puree into my oils to get it really well incorporated. ( I also subtracted three ounces of water from the recipe to make up for the water content of the pumpkin.) Then I added the lye solution and brought the soap to trace. I split the batch in half and colored one half with orange mica, mixed with a bit of oil pulled from the total to work out the clumps. I added all of the fragrance oil to the other half and left it uncolored since the fragrance oil would turn it brown. The scented half got a little thick with all of that fragrance oil in it, but it was manageable. The unscented orange half stayed pretty loose.<br />
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Then I poured the orange soap into one side of the mold and the scented soap into the other side. I like to pour the two halves simultaneously to keep the divider from coming loose and sliding around. After pouring, I twisted the divider as described above.<br />
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While this recipe has a nice slow trace, it does make a soft soap initially. I left it in the mold for a long time - about two weeks - which is probably much longer than I needed to. I'm just lazy. But it probably does need to sit a little longer before cutting to let some water evaporate and allow the soap to firm up a bit.<br />
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I had some trouble getting the plastic liners to come away from the soap because it was so soft, but I was able to remove them after putting the soap in the freezer for a few hours. Then I let the soap sit for a couple more days before cutting. When I did finally cut it, it cut well and didn't seem especially soft anymore.<br />
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I've tested an end piece and some of the leftover soap and it is very nice! It feels great on the skin and smells delicious.<br />
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And the soap pairs nicely with my pumpkin-scented body lotion. Always have to buy some of that this time of year!<br />
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Oh, and what to do with any leftover pumpkin puree? <a href="http://www.6bittersweets.com/2009/11/month-of-vegan-cookies-sweet-potato.html" target="_blank">Pumpkin Blondies</a>! (I just swapped pumpkin for the sweet potato.) <br />
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Are you a pumpkin fan? If so, what is your favorite way to incorporate pumpkin into your projects?LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-57886551140488984572015-10-14T16:08:00.000-05:002015-10-14T16:08:45.006-05:00Dragon's Blood Drop Swirl Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BuihLKAWjX8/Vh2T0ISdzOI/AAAAAAAABW4/WvhER-q_qM8/s1600/Dragons%2BBlood%2B4%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" kasperskylab_antibanner="on" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BuihLKAWjX8/Vh2T0ISdzOI/AAAAAAAABW4/WvhER-q_qM8/s400/Dragons%2BBlood%2B4%2Btext.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
BOO!<br />
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Did I scare you?<br />
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It's almost Halloween, and so a Halloween soap is in order. I got some of my mojo back and actually felt like soaping, so I hurried to my fragrance cabinet and perused my stash. You may recall that <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2015/01/here-i-am.html" target="_blank">when we moved</a> only a few of my fragrance oils made the trip and I am trying to use them up before buying more. I know, HAHAHA!, right? So far, though, I haven't bought any more scents, but the next time I go shopping for supplies ... well, you know how you start clicking on things and then those things have a way of sneaking into your cart and then later, after you emerge from a hazy fragrance fog, you're like, "Where did all of my monies go?"<br />
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Anyway, I had some <a href="https://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Dragon-s-Blood-Fragrance.html" target="_blank">Dragon's Blood fragrance oil</a> from Elements Bath and Body. I immediately thought of a black and red soap. And the drop swirl technique would be perfect for making gruesome bloody droplets of bloody blood.<br />
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To make the soap, I brought the batch to a very light trace. I successfully resisted the urge to stickblend ONE MORE TIME, so the batch stayed fairly loose. I think that I could have stopped stickblending even sooner, though. I'll work on that. I'm almost there.<br />
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For the recipe itself, I used 50% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, 15% shea butter, and 5% castor oil. I'm still trying to come up with a palm-free recipe that I like. So far, this one seems promising. <br />
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Here is a video showing how I made this soap:<br />
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Because the fragrance oil discolors brown, I didn't scent the entire batch. After bringing the soap to a light trace, I portioned off one cup in a measuring cup and left it unscented. Then I colored the rest of the soap black with activated charcoal and added all of the fragrance oil to the black soap. (I used one teaspoon of activated charcoal per pound of oils, so two teaspoons total for this batch. I also mixed the charcoal with some oil pulled from the total to work out any clumps.) Then I colored the unscented cup of soap with one teaspoon of <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Merlot-Sparkle-Mica-P3064.aspx" target="_blank">Merlot Sparkle Mica</a>. This way, the red soap will stay red and the black soap will hide any discoloration from the fragrance oil.<br />
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Next I poured the black soap into my mold. To make the drop swirls, I poured the red soap from up high in a random pattern. Pouring from higher up allows the drop swirls to sink deeper into the soap.<br />
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Once I was done pouring the red soap, I swirled and texturized the top of the loaf, being careful not to disturb the drop swirls beneath the surface.<br />
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To do drop swirls, it's important to keep the soap loose and to maintain a light trace. As I said, I resisted the urge to overmix. And I also soaped a little bit cooler - around 93 degrees F.<br />
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These bars turned out boo-tifully! And I tested an end piece and it lathers white, so I don't think I overdid it with the charcoal.<br />
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I've got a couple more soap ideas rattling around in my head. Next up will be an autumn-themed soap, and then a holiday soap.<br />
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In the meantime, have a safe and fun Halloween! I think this year we might actually have trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood. Instead of candy maybe I should hand out slivers of soap, eh?<br />
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Nah. Candy. Definitely candy.LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-19726323454677599872015-08-09T18:38:00.000-05:002015-08-09T18:38:24.984-05:00Lemon-Lime Spinning Swirl Fail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, it's been forever since I've blogged. And it's been forever since I've made any soap. I made this batch in May and
that's been it. Part of it is because I've still got soap bars that are a
year or two old that I need to use up before I make more. Although if I'm going to make any soaps for the holidays it's about time to get going.<br />
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Truth is, I just haven't been interested in blogging lately.<br />
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For the past few months I have been distracted by other things, other interests. I just haven't been able to get myself in gear to write a blog post. I would sit down at the computer to do it and then be all like BLURGH. It has taken me months of doing a little here and a little there to get this post done.<br />
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My lack of enthusiasm isn't helped when projects go wrong. I'm still struggling with soap batter that is chronically thick. I think I am overmixing, even when I try not to. I see it when I play back the videos. The soap is emulsified and loose and then I watch in horror as I pick up the stickblender one more time and buzz away. In my head I scream, "PUT THAT THING DOWN YOU CRAZY PERSON!" I think I'm afraid of not mixing enough, of getting a false trace, and so I hit it one more time just to be sure. When I feel that urge to stickblend one more time, I need to recognize it and stop myself.<br />
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So, as a result of my hyper-diligence, my soap got too thick. Again.<br />
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The plan was to create a spinning swirl (or spin swirl, I've heard both and I'm not sure which is correct), a technique that has been very popular lately among soapmakers. I don't know where the spinning swirl originated, but here is a short and beautiful <a href="https://youtu.be/wiF_udFPvcA" target="_blank">video</a> showing how the spinning swirl is supposed to work. (If anyone knows who came up with the spinning swirl technique, please let me know in the comments so I can credit the creator!)<br />
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Here is a video of my spinning swirl fail. Of course, it's not a useful tool for properly
illustrating the technique, but it will give you an idea
of how this project went for me:<br />
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To do the spinning swirl, you basically do a <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/02/clean-cotton-faux-funnel-pour-soap.html" target="_blank">faux funnel pour</a> in each corner of your mold (a <a href="http://www.soap-making-resource.com/slab-soap-molds.html" target="_blank">slab mold </a>works best for this). In the demonstrations I've seen, the soapmaker alternates colors in two diagonal corners and, after several passes, pours from the other two corners as well. Then the mold is spun on the countertop to make the swirls.<br />
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You need to have a very fluid, thinly-traced soap for this to work. I have used this recipe before and it behaved beautifully for me in the past. A while back, I made an <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/07/orange-basil-swirled-hearts-soap.html" target="_blank">Orange Basil Swirled Hearts Soap</a> using the same recipe from <a href="http://thenovastudio.blogspot.com/2012/11/3-palm-free-soap-recipes.html" target="_blank">The Nova Studio Blog</a> that I used here. (It's the second recipe: 41% olive oil, 25% coconut
oil, 25% mango butter, 6% avocado oil, and 3% shea butter.) This recipe
traced slowly when I made my Orange Basil soap and I was hoping for a
repeat performance this time, but my soap was too thick and I was unable to achieve the spinning effect. So, instead of spinning the mold, I used a skewer to draw a circular pattern through my soap. It's still pretty, but not what I was going for.<br />
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And I don't think my fragrance oils (<a href="http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Lemon-Sugar-Fresh-type-Fragrance.html" target="_blank">Lemon Sugar</a> and <a href="http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Lime-Crystal-Kisses-Fragrance.html" target="_blank">Lime Crystal Kisses</a>,
both by Elements Bath and Body) were to blame for the acceleration. The vendor notes and
reviews don't mention any problems with acceleration. Most likely I just
overmixed my soap. And it probably would have helped to soap a bit cooler, maybe around 90 degrees F instead of 100-105 F.<br />
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On the bright side, for a fail this soap turned out pretty well! Looking at the photos, I thought, "That's a nice-looking soap. Not too shabby there, Captain Stickblender." I love how the swirls are throughout the entire bar. These should be really pretty to use, revealing new swirls with each wash.<br />
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So things could have gone worse. The soap is still beautiful and it smells nice. The lather feels very luxurious, too.<br />
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Yay for happy endings! Now if I could just get my mojo back. <br />
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<br />LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-38738061264326122142015-04-02T19:01:00.003-05:002015-04-02T19:01:57.531-05:00Chocolate Patchouli Soap<br />
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Hear me out now.<br />
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Chocolate and patchouli are really good together, you guys.<br />
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What made me combine the two?<br />
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Well, my husband kinda gave me the idea. There was a bar of <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/08/geranium-patchouli-soap.html" target="_blank">Geranium Patchouli soap</a>
in the bathroom. After he showered, he smelled faintly of patchouli. Then he put on some cocoa butter lotion. And I
remarked that he smelled like chocolate and patchouli.<br />
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You can guess what happened next.<br />
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Off to my fragrance stash, where I knew I had some patchouli essential oil. But did I have anything chocolate-y?<br />
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Why, yes, I did. Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Chocolate-Espresso-Cybilla-Fragrance-Oil-P3364.aspx" target="_blank">Chocolate Espresso Cybilla FO</a>. Funny, I don't pick up any of the coffee notes in this scent. It just smells like chocolate to me. A Tootsie Roll, to be exact. Which worked out great for this soap.<br />
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For the fragrance ratio, I used the Chocolate Espresso at a 3:1 rate with the patchouli EO. So, for two pounds of oils, I used 1.5 ounces of the Chocolate Espresso and .5 ounces of patchouli. Looking back, I think I might enjoy a 1:1 ratio better. I was afraid to use too much patchouli because it is such a strong scent and I worried that it would overpower the chocolate. But the chocolate is pretty strong, too, and I mostly smell chocolate in the finished bars, although it seems that the patchouli blooms a bit when the soap is used.<br />
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The recipe is based on a <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/sea-clay-avocado-facial-bar/" target="_blank">Soap Queen guest post</a> called "Sea Clay Avocado Facial Bar" written by Amanda at <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/" target="_blank">Lovin' Soap</a>. I didn't use any sea clay, though, and I did swap out canola oil for the olive oil because gawd have you seen how much olive oil costs lately? And of course, I ran the recipe through <a href="http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">a lye calculator</a> after making the substitution.<br />
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Amanda's recipe includes a good amount of cocoa butter, which goes with the chocolate theme nicely. And I also colored the soap with a bit of cocoa powder at a rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of oil. So, I used 2 teaspoons total here and mixed the cocoa powder with a couple of Tablespoons of oil pulled from the total. I tested an end piece and the soap lathers white, so I think that is probably an okay amount to use. The Chocolate Espresso contains vanilla and discolors the soap brown anyway, but I thought that the cocoa powder would work nicely with the theme as well.<br />
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And speaking of cocoa butter, here's a "grate" tip I heard (I can't remember where) for making it easier to work with - use a cheese grater! Take those big chunks of rock-hard cocoa butter and grate them down into manageable shreds. Grate a whole bunch and store it in an airtight container. The cocoa butter shreds are easier to measure and they melt faster, too.<br />
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For this batch, I decided to make some gold <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/04/pencil-line.html" target="_blank">mica lines</a>, which I thought would look striking against the dark brown color of the soap. I poured about one-third of my batter into my mold and then propped the mold up at an angle with a couple of packs of playing cards. Then I spooned a bit of gold mica into a tea strainer and gently tapped out a light layer of mica onto the surface of the soap. It is important to just cover the surface and to not be heavy-handed - too much mica can make your layers separate.<br />
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After I made the first mica line, the plan was to spoon some more soap on top (being very careful not to disturb the mica line) and then tilt the mold the other way to make a line slanting the other direction. I opted to just leave the mold level, though, and to do a straight line, mostly because the soap batter was pretty thick at that point and not very fluid. So I made my second mica line, spooned the rest of the soap on top of it, and then finished it off by sprinkling a bit more gold mica and texturing the tops.<br />
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Then I insulated the mold with a towel and set it aside to let it gel. I admit that I have been known to peek at the soap during this stage. I'm glad I looked because the soap heated up pretty quickly and even started to crack a bit on top. So once the soap was in full gel phase, I removed the towel and the cover. Another reason I'm glad I peeked is because it allowed me to photograph the soap about halfway through gel phase. See how it's darker in the middle? The heat radiates from the center outward toward the edges, which is why your soap may get a dark circle in the middle if it only partially gels. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvEyKokZC2s/VRnXIJjVhzI/AAAAAAAABVg/vGRa7MA_9ks/s1600/Gel%2Bphase%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvEyKokZC2s/VRnXIJjVhzI/AAAAAAAABVg/vGRa7MA_9ks/s1600/Gel%2Bphase%2B2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">If you look closely, you can see droplets of moisture forming on top of the soap.</span></b></i></td></tr>
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The soap developed some moisture on top, but the liquid wasn't zappy at all. I suspect that it was either fragrance oil or condensation from a very hot gel phase. I let it sit for several days and the soap reabsorbed most of the liquid. When I went to unmold, the sides were a bit wet, too, but, again, it wasn't zappy, so I just blotted the loaf dry with a paper towel.<br />
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Here's a video of the making of this soap:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iM9Vn33E3xg" width="420"></iframe></center>
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To the cut the soap, I laid the loaf on its side. Cutting from top-to-bottom can drag your mica line through the bar - cutting the soap on its side minimizes dragging and helps keep your mica lines cleaner.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y0eASka3vfs/VRnWLOyPFoI/AAAAAAAABVE/RqlheiWOQvI/s1600/Chocolate%2BPatchouli%2Btext%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y0eASka3vfs/VRnWLOyPFoI/AAAAAAAABVE/RqlheiWOQvI/s1600/Chocolate%2BPatchouli%2Btext%2B1.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
I am very happy with how these bars turned out, and they smell so good. It was difficult not to lick the bowl while I was making this soap - it looked and smelled just like chocolate cake batter.<br />
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What are some of your favorite chocolate scent combinations?LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-43165302367548759232015-02-22T17:58:00.000-06:002015-02-22T17:58:11.133-06:00Bedtime Bath Salt Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLRcjsifnL4/VOkOGE9HgmI/AAAAAAAABUM/uff0I--yL6s/s1600/BB%2Bsalt%2Bbars%2B5%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLRcjsifnL4/VOkOGE9HgmI/AAAAAAAABUM/uff0I--yL6s/s1600/BB%2Bsalt%2Bbars%2B5%2Btext.jpg" height="400" width="383" /></a></div>
Can you believe that it has been four months since I made a batch of soap?<br />
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I made my <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-tree-feather-swirl.html" target="_blank">Christmas Tree Feather Swirl soap</a> in late September and that was it for 2014. My husband and I had <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2015/01/here-i-am.html" target="_blank">a cross-country move</a> looming and I was busy with a million things getting ready for it. Plus I didn't want to haul a bunch of uncured soap two thousand miles.<br />
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By late January, we were settled enough in our new home for me to start thinking about making soap again. After such a long hiatus, I was worried that I wouldn't remember how to make soap. So I chose something simple by design and also out of necessity. I was out of almost all of my oils, as I had used most of them up and didn't want to buy more until after we moved. But I did have some coconut oil left, and two pounds of pink Himalayan sea salt.<br />
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You know what that means.<br />
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SALT BARS!<br />
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(You may remember that I adore salt bars. Hubby likes them, too. You can see previous batches that I've made <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/01/pineapple-ginger-salt-bars.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/05/spa-salt-bars-with-activated-charcoal.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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I did drag some fragrance oils with us on our road trip. And a bottle of lavender FO leaked all over the place. BUT the car smelled lovely. And lavender is known to be calming, and it is important to stay calm while driving. <br />
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One of the scents that made the cut was Element's <a href="http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Bedtime-Bath-J-and-J-Type-Fragrance.html" target="_blank">Bedtime Bath fragrance oil</a>, which also happens to feature lavender - along with chamomile - and it smells like a popular brand of baby lotion.<br />
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Salt soap batter gets thick pretty fast once the salt is added, so swirls and other intricate designs are just about impossible. So I decided to do a two-layer soap.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OWz-kAQuyoo/VOkOGDAXWJI/AAAAAAAABUI/pt5nkKpuNvE/s1600/BB%2Bsalt%2Bbars%2B3%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OWz-kAQuyoo/VOkOGDAXWJI/AAAAAAAABUI/pt5nkKpuNvE/s1600/BB%2Bsalt%2Bbars%2B3%2Btext.jpg" height="247" width="400" /></a>For this batch of salt soap, I used 100% coconut oil. Salt is a lather-killer, so a large percentage of coconut oil is necessary to restore the lather. In fact, coconut oil lathers well in salt water, unlike other oils. And because coconut oil can be drying in high amounts, I included a high superfat of 20% to make the soap more nourishing.<br />
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My recipe called for 32 ounces of oils. I decided to use the salt at a 1:1 oil:salt ratio, meaning that I used equal amounts of oil and salt. So for 32 ounces of oil, I used 32 ounces of salt.<br />
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The colors that came to mind for this baby lotion-type fragrance were pink and purple, probably due to marketing influences. I brought the soap to trace and then split it in to two equal portions. One portion I colored with <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Ultramarine-Pink-Pink-Oxide-Pigment-P4039.aspx" target="_blank">ultramarine pink</a>, the other with <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Ultramarine-Violet-Oxide-Pigment-P4047.aspx" target="_blank">ultramarine violet</a>.<br />
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Next I added 16 ounces of pink Himalayan salt to each portion. Then I poured the purple layer into my <a href="http://www.soap-making-resource.com/slab-soap-molds.html" target="_blank">acrylic slab mold</a>, smoothed it out, and then carefully poured the pink layer on top of it. Once both layers were poured, I inserted the dividers and let the soap gel.<br />
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A few days later, I unmolded the bars. Salt bars get hard really fast, so I could have unmolded much sooner. I just didn't get around to it right away. I especially like using my slab mold with dividers for salt bars because it takes all of the guesswork out of when to cut the soap. Salt soap needs to be cut at just the right time. Wait too long and you get a crumbly mess. With the dividers, I don't have to worry about cutting. And because salt bars are so hard, unmolding was a breeze.<br />
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Here's a videoooooooooo!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7Lgl8K_fLqw" width="420"></iframe></center>
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I'm glad that I've got a new batch of salt bars made and curing! We'll be set for a while now. And with such a fresh, soothing scent, we'll smell like clean, happy babies!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-50518418752132603352015-01-30T09:09:00.000-06:002015-01-30T09:09:10.340-06:00Here I Am!Happy New Year, everyone! A little late, yes, but it's still January for a couple more days. I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and are having a great 2015 so far.<br />
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So, where have I been?<br />
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More like, where haven't I been?<br />
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You probably remember me mentioning a couple of months ago that hubby and I were moving cross-country. Well, we made the journey and we're both finally getting settled in.<br />
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A week before Christmas, the movers came and packed up our stuff in Louisiana. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FAXwybIUr8/VMbhbFkNniI/AAAAAAAABRQ/Np4r8lFuWbo/s1600/moving%2Bout%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FAXwybIUr8/VMbhbFkNniI/AAAAAAAABRQ/Np4r8lFuWbo/s1600/moving%2Bout%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Movers are always super happy when they find out that our apartment is on the third floor. And also that there's no elevator.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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The next day, we drove home to Florida for Christmas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUQfq6ABEpo/VMbhxCmN34I/AAAAAAAABRY/jjYrbQCOEcg/s1600/christmas%2Btree%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUQfq6ABEpo/VMbhxCmN34I/AAAAAAAABRY/jjYrbQCOEcg/s1600/christmas%2Btree%2B550.jpg" height="640" width="463" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Those presents are mine, you understand? All mine!</i></b></span></td></tr>
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It was nice to have a break in between the chaos from the weeks before and the chaos we knew was looming in the weeks ahead. We savored having nothing else to do but relax and spend time with family and friends for a few days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BDsH8s6Ams/VMbaZSSnB_I/AAAAAAAABQg/yKB1zcE6b9o/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BDsH8s6Ams/VMbaZSSnB_I/AAAAAAAABQg/yKB1zcE6b9o/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" height="388" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>We even had time for our annual Goofy Golf tournament. I lost. Again. It's a holiday tradition. </i></b></span></td></tr>
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A couple of days after Christmas, it was time to pack up the Family Truckster and hit the road. We spent six days driving through the great states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before arriving in California.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78kDRv3flSs/VMbdc2De8tI/AAAAAAAABRE/bnGLYjGc2F4/s1600/US%2Bmap%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78kDRv3flSs/VMbdc2De8tI/AAAAAAAABRE/bnGLYjGc2F4/s1600/US%2Bmap%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>This represents approximately 2,100 miles and 32 hours of driving.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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I said farewell to my car in Louisiana, so hubby and I made the trip together in his car. I was not looking forward to the long drive, and probably neither was my husband since after only a few hours in the car I tend to get agitated and basically become a giant three-year-old. ("I'm bored ... I'm hungry ... I don't want to be in the car anymore ... I have to go potty.") We made the trip more manageable by breaking it into 4-6 hour days, with
the exception of the 8-hour drive from Florida back to Louisiana, so it wasn't all that bad for either of us. And the car drove like a champ and gave us zero problems, which always makes road trips nicer. <br />
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And we got to smell the calming scent of lavender all the way to California after one of my fragrance oil bottles leaked. Fortunately, the cardboard box absorbed it all and none of it stained the floorboards. Hubby's car still smells faintly of lovely loveliness. (You're welcome, hon! Enjoy!)<br />
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The terrain was pretty flat from Florida to Texas, but as we got closer to El Paso, the topography began to change. Mountains began to appear and the landscape became more desert-like. As the roads became more hilly, my ears began to pop. The scenery was definitely different from what I'm used to, and the drive through the southwest was very pretty. It was so pretty that I sometimes even forgot to whine about being in the car.<br />
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Here are some snapshots from our journey:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXiAnQQjgWI/VMbkTNDrewI/AAAAAAAABRg/bRTU4boOsFM/s1600/wind%2Bmills%2Bodessa%2Btx%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXiAnQQjgWI/VMbkTNDrewI/AAAAAAAABRg/bRTU4boOsFM/s1600/wind%2Bmills%2Bodessa%2Btx%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Wind turbines near Odessa, TX</i></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1B4DMcRtIGo/VMbl9lRbwCI/AAAAAAAABRo/WzZZoGngTUQ/s1600/NM%2Bsign%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1B4DMcRtIGo/VMbl9lRbwCI/AAAAAAAABRo/WzZZoGngTUQ/s1600/NM%2Bsign%2B550.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mg9nEuQFP-Y/VMbnDkGV76I/AAAAAAAABRw/f-3JNFfIEEg/s1600/stitch%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mg9nEuQFP-Y/VMbnDkGV76I/AAAAAAAABRw/f-3JNFfIEEg/s1600/stitch%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Hey, look, Stitch was hanging out in New Mexico, too!</i></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MAD6LIKyl_A/VMfcPUqEITI/AAAAAAAABSc/X_XC7KyNRfI/s1600/las%2Bcruces%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MAD6LIKyl_A/VMfcPUqEITI/AAAAAAAABSc/X_XC7KyNRfI/s1600/las%2Bcruces%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Las Cruces, NM. </i></b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOfhMVaO3ks/VMboUAlDSLI/AAAAAAAABR4/pXiZsmhSMSs/s1600/AZ%2Bstate%2Bline%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOfhMVaO3ks/VMboUAlDSLI/AAAAAAAABR4/pXiZsmhSMSs/s1600/AZ%2Bstate%2Bline%2B550.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4gQjvuAkNo/VMbpP0xvFGI/AAAAAAAABSA/mkzfi1pQWqw/s1600/The%2Bthing%2B550.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Between El Paso and Tucson, we saw several billboards coaxing us to make a detour to behold "The Thing." </b></i></span></td></tr>
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We didn't stop to visit The Thing, but we did visit the Googles and found some info about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_%28roadside_attraction%29" target="_blank">The Thing</a> there. (Spoiler alert.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4I7nOg3rl3k/VMbs1uqWpQI/AAAAAAAABSM/Z3qy-LfTy2I/s1600/AZ%2Bmountain%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4I7nOg3rl3k/VMbs1uqWpQI/AAAAAAAABSM/Z3qy-LfTy2I/s1600/AZ%2Bmountain%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Somewhere in Arizona along the interstate.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEmn2bzLXDo/VMmHVTx1EYI/AAAAAAAABSs/FvyX0UuRLQY/s1600/CA%2Bstate%2Bline%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEmn2bzLXDo/VMmHVTx1EYI/AAAAAAAABSs/FvyX0UuRLQY/s1600/CA%2Bstate%2Bline%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>FINALLY made it to California!</b></i></span></td></tr>
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We rolled in to town on New Year's Day. Talk about a fresh start to the new year! Our stuff arrived about a week after we did, so we stayed at Base Lodging in the meantime.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7DtVH2jFFXY/VMmJWQUF4HI/AAAAAAAABS4/WQiCeUIprTk/s1600/moving%2Bin%2Bday%2B550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7DtVH2jFFXY/VMmJWQUF4HI/AAAAAAAABS4/WQiCeUIprTk/s1600/moving%2Bin%2Bday%2B550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Moving-in day.</i></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></td></tr>
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The house was a disaster for the first week or so after unpacking. Here is a before-and-after of my soap supplies storage room: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Before After</i></b></span></td></tr>
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The move came with a few glitches and headaches. We lost a few screws (literally and figuratively), and I'm still not quite sure what's going on with our mail. But I think we've got most things worked out now and we're settled enough to start checking out our new surroundings. </div>
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We've already found some restaurants and shops that we like, and I've got a jogging route and a routine at the gym squared away. There are lots of fun things to do, both of the indoor and outdoor variety. And we are treated to some gorgeous views around here:</div>
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Now that things are finally calming down, I think I can even begin to think about making soap again soon! I am short on a few soapy supplies, but that should be rectified shortly. I do have some coconut oil and pink Himalayan salt on hand. A batch of salt bars may be a thing that is about to happen ... </div>
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LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-38471380049906691312014-12-13T15:46:00.000-06:002014-12-13T15:46:10.098-06:00Christmas Tree Feather Swirl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ke-rCEKLtc/VHEJQZ_KylI/AAAAAAAABP4/7fv_ykKh-2E/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ke-rCEKLtc/VHEJQZ_KylI/AAAAAAAABP4/7fv_ykKh-2E/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>
Seasons greetings, everyone!<br />
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I hope that you all are gearing up for a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. And I also hope that you've got your holiday soaps ready for gifting!<br />
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This year, I made only two holiday soaps: <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-christmas-disaster-story.html" target="_blank">Peppermint Wonderland</a> and this Christmas Tree soap. I usually make more, but hubby and I have been anticipating a move, which has kept us both distracted, and I still have plenty of other soaps that I can gift.<br />
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But when I saw <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/christmas-tree-cold-process/" target="_blank">this Christmas Tree Swirl tutorial on the Soap Queen blog</a>, I just had to make it. It is inspired by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LJlGy9VLgM" target="_blank">Secret Feather Swirl technique</a> created by Zahida of <a href="http://www.handmadeinflorida.com/" target="_blank">Handmade in Florida</a>. (Check Zahida out - her soaps are absolutely amazing!)<br />
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This soap features a sort of reverse feather swirl. Instead of pushing a hanger swirl tool into the soap after pouring, I poured the soap over the hanger swirl tool and then pulled the tool out to create the Christmas Tree look.<br />
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I used my <a href="http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-668/Silicone-Soap-Mold--dsh-/Detail" target="_blank">Essential Depot RED silicone mold</a> along with my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/162533827/great-soap-shop-hanger-tool-for-am-soap?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">hanger swirl tool</a> from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreatSoapShop" target="_blank">Great Soap Shop</a> for this project.<br />
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For the oils, I used olive oil, vegetable shortening (soybean/cottonseed blend), coconut oil, and rice bran oil. I had some coconut milk in the freezer, so I used it for part of the liquid along with some distilled water to make up the difference.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b5EeYQ6hygU/VHEJQ5GD-pI/AAAAAAAABP8/As20H0WN1C0/s1600/IMG_1548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b5EeYQ6hygU/VHEJQ5GD-pI/AAAAAAAABP8/As20H0WN1C0/s1600/IMG_1548.jpg" height="253" width="400" /></a>The scent is "Eucalyptus Cedar" from <a href="http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/" target="_blank">Elements Bath and Body</a>, and it is a woodsy, outdoorsy scent <br />
that is perfect for a Christmas Tree-themed soap. It appears that Elements no longer carries this scent, which brings a tear to my eye because it is fabulous. Oh, well, life is full of disappointments.<br />
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So, here's what I did. After scenting and bringing the soap to light trace, I split off two 8-ounce portions. One portion I colored with <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Hydrated-Chrome-Green-Pigment-P4050.aspx" target="_blank">hydrated chrome green pigment</a> and the other with <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Gold-Sparkle-Mica-P3063.aspx" target="_blank">gold sparkle mica</a>.<br />
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The rest I colored with <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Super-Pearly-White-Mica-P3463.aspx" target="_blank">super pearly white mica</a>, and also some titanium dioxide just to make sure that the soap turned out a vivid white.<br />
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The green and gold soap were then poured into squeeze bottles. (Remember to snip the tips!)<br />
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My hanger swirl tool fits snugly into my mold, so I placed it at the bottom and then poured a layer of white soap on top to cover it. Then I squeezed a thick line of green on top of the white soap right above where the hanger swirl tool rested beneath. Then another layer of white, followed by a thick line of gold, more white, more green, and so on and so forth, alternating the colors. I ended up making three green lines and two gold with a layer of white in between each.<br />
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<b>Tip: It's good to bang the mold on the countertop and give it a gentle shake every now and then to get rid of air bubbles.</b><br />
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Once I had poured the final layer of white, I pulled the hanger swirl tool straight up and out of the mold to create the Christmas trees inside the cut bars. Then I finished the tops off with the remaining green and gold and texturized the soap just below the surface with a spoon, being careful not to disturb the feather pattern underneath. Actually, I think I held back a bit too much green and gold soap and could have gotten by with less.<br />
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I wanted my soap to be at a thin trace, but once again I had trouble with the batter thickening up. Fortunately, the soap was still manageable and everything worked out okay.<br />
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At any rate, it definitely looks like there are little Christmas trees inside the soap (although some look more like Christmas trees than others), and the fragrance fits the soaps perfectly.<br />
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Here's a video I made showing the process:<br />
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I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday! As I mentioned earlier, hubby and I are moving to California at the end of December, but we are going to work in a trip home to Florida for Christmas before we go. After Christmas, we'll take a few days to make the cross-country drive. I'm not sure when I'll have the chance to make another batch of soap since we'll be spending a good chunk of January getting settled. But I will make some as soon as I can!<br />
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Wherever you are and whatever you celebrate, I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-51572836248324578222014-11-14T16:29:00.001-06:002014-11-14T16:29:00.866-06:00The Dreaded Spots of the Orangeness!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Geranium Patchouli soap with DOS</b></i></td></tr>
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So you've made a beautiful batch of soap and it is hanging out on the curing rack, evaporating out its water and whatnot. Over the next few weeks, you lovingly check on it and marvel at this wonderful thing you made.<br />
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And then you see it. An orange-colored spot - or maybe several spots - marring the pretty surface of your soap and seriously harshing your soap buzz.</div>
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What is this ugly plague that is plaguing your soap with its plaguey plague? </div>
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It's - dah, dah, DAH! - DOS. No, not the ancient computer operating system. </div>
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<b>D</b>readed <b>O</b>range <b>S</b>pots.</div>
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You may remember this <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/08/geranium-patchouli-soap.html" target="_blank">Geranium Patchouli soap</a> I made about 16 months ago. I still have some bars from that batch hanging around, and I went to grab a bar recently. I usually let the soap bars cure on my curing rack for 6-8 weeks and then store them in paper bags and it seems to work out just fine. This time, though, the bar I pulled out felt wet and beads of glycerin dew glistened on its surface. </div>
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Handmade soap naturally contains glycerin, which attracts moisture from the air. Humidity can increase the likelihood of glycerin dew, and it can get awfully humid here in Louisiana. It was interesting that none of my other batches that were stored similarly developed the same issue. At any rate, I wiped the afflicted bars dry and let them hang out some more on the curing rack. Now the glycerin dew is gone, but the ugly rust-colored spot remains.</div>
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So what causes DOS? Oftentimes it is caused when oils are exposed to oxygen and oxidize, resulting in rancidity. Every oil has a shelf life and some oils have shorter shelf lives than others. DOS can appear at many points during a soap's life - during the cure time or months later, as was the case with my soap. Old oils or oils with short shelf lives may contribute to DOS. And it's sometimes difficult to know how long an oil has been sitting on a store shelf before you buy it. Get your oils from quality vendors that replace their oils frequently to ensure that they are as fresh as possible and pay attention to expiration dates. (To see a comprehensive list of oils and their properties - including shelf life - check out this <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/" target="_blank">Soap Queen post</a>.) Some oils - such as canola, grapeseed, and sunflower oils - have a reputation for contributing to DOS, although I haven't soaped with any of those oils and therefore can't comment on my own personal experiences with them. <br />
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Oil storage is important. Some short-life oils are best kept refrigerated, and it's always good to store any oil in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Another tip is to transfer oils to smaller bottles as you use them up so that there is less contact with oxygen and therefore less risk of oxidation. Some soapmakers also add antioxidants such as rosemary oleoresin extract (ROE) or Vitamin E to fragile oils to extend their shelf lives.<br />
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Higher superfat percentages can also contribute to DOS. "Superfat" refers to the amount of oils that do not interact with the lye and remain unsaponified and sorta free-floating in the finished bars. Most soapmakers factor in a small percentage of extra oil in their recipes to create a more nourishing bar of soap. Some soapmakers advise keeping superfat percentages to 5% maximum (with the exception of recipes containing all or nearly-all coconut oil, which need a higher superfat of up to 20%). I usually use a superfat of 7% in a typical recipe with no problems, but could it have been an issue in this batch? Or was it something else? Perhaps I should experiment with a 5% superfat.<br />
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Water is also another important soapmaking ingredient. It's a good idea to use distilled water since tap water may contain minerals that could oxidize and cause DOS.<br />
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The curing environment is also important. Let your soap fully cure in a cool, dry place with plenty of ventilation. During the curing process, water evaporates from the soap and the moisture needs to be able to escape. Wire racks are great for curing, just make sure that the metal is coated so that it doesn't rust - rust can exacerbate DOS. If your curing area is particularly humid, a dehumidifier may help.<br />
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What caused DOS in my case here? Dunno. Could have been the oils, humidity, storage issues, or something else. It seems that so many soapmaking problems remain mysteries even when potential culprits are identified. I can't point with certainty at any one factor or factors. Hopefully, though, I can better avoid DOS in the future by keeping these tips in mind.<br />
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So what should you do if your soap gets DOS? Don't panic. The spots are
rather ugly and the soap may smell a bit off, but it is merely an aesthetic issue. I wouldn't want to sell or gift these bars with DOS because eww-gross, but they're still
fine to use.<br />
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At about the same time I was cogitating on this post, Anne-Marie wrote a great one about DOS on the <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/dreaded-orange-spots/" target="_blank">Soap Queen blog</a>. And also check out <a href="http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapglossary/g/dos.htm" target="_blank">this helpful post</a> by David Fisher for more info on DOS. <br />
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Have you experienced DOS? What are your thoughts on what causes it and how to prevent it?</div>
LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-87401485431821720172014-10-12T14:02:00.001-05:002014-10-30T14:12:44.947-05:00A Christmas Disaster Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although I must say that for a disaster, this soap actually turned out pretty well. Just about everything went wrong in the soap kitchen, but this was what I ended up with. Coulda been a lot worse. <br />
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First off, let me just acknowledge that, yes, I know, I know. I'm a bit late posting.<br />
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I have an excuse, though. A good one even!<br />
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Hubby and I are moving soon from Louisiana to southern California. He got a new assignment out there and we are looking forward to the new adventure!<br />
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Everything has happened pretty quickly and we're starting to kick into high gear now. If you've ever moved, you know how rapidly you can go from oh-we've-got-plenty-of-time-and-there's-not-<i>that-much</i>-to-do-anyway to oh-my-god-we're-never-going-to-get-all-of-this-done-in-time.<br />
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A million and one things that need attention RIGHT NOW are starting to bubble to the surface. In the next few weeks, we need to sell my car, clean out the apartment, tie up loose ends, close accounts here and open new accounts there, coordinate with the movers, and we still have to find a place to live.<br />
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And, of course, the normal daily hassles of life continue and stuff like this happens:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, good, another flat.</span></i></td></tr>
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So, please do forgive me if I am highly distracted for the next little bit while we're moving and getting settled. I did make two batches of holiday soap (this one and one other) before things get too hectic so I would at least have something to blog about, providing I can carve out the time to do so.</div>
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Now onto the things about the soaps!</div>
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Can you believe that it's already time to start thinking about the winter holidays? Well, it is! And I can't not make a pepperminty soap for the holidays. </div>
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This soap, which I think I will call Peppermint Wonderland, was supposed to be a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDZp9tQ-P2Y&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Taiwan Swirl</a>. Obviously, it didn't work out.<br />
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My recipe was 8% mango butter, 25% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, 30% rice bran oil, and 12% sweet almond oil.<br />
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Alas, I did not end up with the thin trace that I was hoping for. I don't think the problem was my fragrance oils because I used both without incident last year. (The scent here was a combo of Nature's Garden's <a href="http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/rf-219/-peppermint-fragrance-oil.html" target="_blank">Peppermint</a> and <a href="http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/rf-7770/-winter-garden-fragrance-oil.html" target="_blank">Winter Garden</a> fragrance oils.)<br />
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I used the full water amount, too, and soaped at around 100-105 degrees F.</div>
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And I also tried really hard, you guys, to make sure that I didn't overmix, that I brought the soap to the lightest trace possible. And still it thickened up like cake frosting.</div>
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So, after finding that cussing profusely did not make the trace any lighter, I accepted the fact that a Taiwan Swirl would be impossible and opted to just plop the soap into the mold with a spoon. I finished with a clumsy attempt at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL0DruqD1aE&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Celine Swirl</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MmC0RVJMBbQ/VDRd_CohDdI/AAAAAAAABOo/PbYONqJcOi8/s1600/IMG_1529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MmC0RVJMBbQ/VDRd_CohDdI/AAAAAAAABOo/PbYONqJcOi8/s1600/IMG_1529.JPG" height="262" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think, all things considered, it turned out beautifully and the final bars are pretty enough to be Christmas gifts. And the scent combo is wonderful - the Peppermint and Winter Garden together (the Peppermint:Winter Garden combo was a 1.5:1 ratio) smells like a brisk, minty aftershave or shaving cream to me.</div>
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Here's a video showing the disaster unfolding, prompting a change of plans. (Make sure you stick around until the end for bloopers galore!):</div>
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And that's how we saved Christmas.
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I gotta tell you guys, I am having one helluva time lately finding new palm-free recipes that don't accelerate trace. There are a couple of palm-free recipes that I have had success with: the recipes I used for my <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/07/orange-basil-swirled-hearts-soap.html" target="_blank">Orange Basil Swirled Hearts Soap</a> and <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/06/fireburst-soap.html" target="_blank">Fireburst Soap</a> both behaved well. I may stick with one of those when I want to be sure of a thin trace. </div>
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You know what I've noticed, though? The recipes that give me trouble contain rice bran oil. Maybe the rice bran oil isn't the problem. Perhaps it's just a coincidence and it has more to do with my fragrance or essential oils or my method. But I just found it curious that the four or so recipes I've tried with rice bran oil have accelerated.</div>
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What are your thoughts? Does rice bran oil behave well in your recipes?</div>
LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-17607234162316159062014-09-03T09:53:00.001-05:002014-10-30T14:11:52.150-05:00Avocado-Coconut Milk Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i08CDsG_ftc/VADO8NQWQBI/AAAAAAAABL8/TVPAXUyI7Sg/s1600/avocado%2Bcoconut%2B6%2Bwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i08CDsG_ftc/VADO8NQWQBI/AAAAAAAABL8/TVPAXUyI7Sg/s1600/avocado%2Bcoconut%2B6%2Bwm.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></a></div>
So, there I was perusing my copy of <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Soap-Crafting-Book.aspx" target="_blank">Soap Crafting</a>, looking for inspiration, when a project called "Avocado Moisturizing Bars" caught my eye. I've wanted to try avocado in soap for a while and this recipe sounded intriguing.<br />
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I wanted a palm-free recipe, though, so I went in search of such on the interwebs. And I found this <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/sea-clay-avocado-facial-bar/" target="_blank">Sea Clay Avocado Facial Bar</a> recipe on the <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/" target="_blank">Soap Queen blog</a>, guest-written by Amanda from <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/" target="_blank">Lovin' Soap</a>. Bingo. An avocado theme, lots of avocado oil, and no palm oil. I omitted the sea clay, but otherwise followed her recipe.<br />
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And then I remembered that I had bought some coconut milk a few months ago, vowing to use it in a batch of soap. This would be the perfect time to make good on that promise to myself.<br />
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Avocado plus coconut milk should equal mad luxury.<br />
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So, I ended up sort of combining Amanda's recipe with Anne-Marie's technique, adding my own touches along the way.<br />
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Anne-Marie's project in her Soap Crafting book is a gradient soap. I wasn't feeling up to a gradient, so I opted to do a single pour.<br />
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But! Wouldn't a droplet swirl be a pretty way to jazz things up? And what if the soap used for the droplets was colored with activated charcoal! The black and green would look stunning together, and the charcoal would up the spa-like factor.<br />
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So much luxury. I hope everyone can handle it.<br />
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And so, here's how the recipe I ended up with looks:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rS0xP7KCqT0/VAYqSwNEQqI/AAAAAAAABMs/LnuMO20fx0A/s1600/Green%2Bbackground.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rS0xP7KCqT0/VAYqSwNEQqI/AAAAAAAABMs/LnuMO20fx0A/s1600/Green%2Bbackground.JPG" height="305" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Of course, if you use this or any recipe you find on the web or in a book, please run it through a <a href="http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">lye calculator</a> to double-check it! Typos happen!</b><br />
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You may notice that I have listed the coconut milk and water separately. That's because I replaced two ounces of my coconut milk with water for my avocado puree. (More on that in a sec.) The full liquid amount recommended for the entire recipe is 12.160 ounces (345g).<br />
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For the scent, I chose Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Wasabi-Fragrance-Oil-P3338.aspx" target="_blank">Wasabi fragrance oil</a>, which is also the FO Anne-Marie uses for her avocado soap project. I love the Wasabi FO! It smells to me like freshly-cut grass with notes of peppermint and ginger. I thought that the bright, green scent would go perfectly with the avocado theme. The Wasabi FO sticks like crazy, too, and it behaves well in cold process soap.<br />
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I also added some <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Sodium-Lactate-P5127.aspx" target="_blank">sodium lactate</a> at 1.5%, which worked out to about 1 1/2 teaspoons per pound of oils, to help create harder bars. <br />
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So how do you get the avocado into the soap? After slicing and measuring out 2 ounces of avocado (that's one ounce per pound of oils), I subtracted 2 ounces of liquid from my coconut milk and replaced it with distilled water so I could make a slurry of pureed avocado, as Anne-Marie suggests in her recipe. I suppose I could have just used 2 ounces of coconut milk pulled from my total, but the coconut milk was frozen. (To keep my temps low and to prevent the lye from scorching the coconut milk, I measured the milk and then froze it ahead of time.) <br />
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To make the slurry, I added two ounces of water to the avocado and then pureed it with the stickblender until smooth. <br />
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Using fresh fruits and vegetables in soap can potentially affect its shelf-life, so it's important to fully puree fruits and veggies because larger pieces or chunks can go bad and get moldy. It's probably best to use bars containing food ingredients within a year or so for optimal freshness. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YG6w7QykvYY/VADO7iyLpzI/AAAAAAAABL4/uTzWz6-gm2s/s1600/avocado%2Bcoconut%2B1%2Bwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YG6w7QykvYY/VADO7iyLpzI/AAAAAAAABL4/uTzWz6-gm2s/s1600/avocado%2Bcoconut%2B1%2Bwm.jpg" height="400" width="383" /></a></div>
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Once my oils and lye solution were cooled to around 90-95 degrees F, I added the avocado slurry to the oils and stickblended the mixture to get the avocado really well incorporated. Then I stirred in my fragrance oil and added the coconut milk-lye solution. Once the soap was at a light trace, I separated out about one cup and colored it with activated charcoal. I colored the rest of the soap batter with <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Green-Chrome-oxide-Pigment-P4042.aspx" target="_blank">Green Chrome oxide</a>.<br />
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Something I seem afflicted with lately is overmixing my soap batter. It seems that I get to a nice trace and then hit the soap one last time with the stickblender, just for good measure, I guess? I did that with my <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/08/honeysuckle-modified-mantra-swirl-soap.html" target="_blank">Honeysuckle Mantra Swirl soap</a> and I did it again here. This time, I had a light trace - which was what I wanted - but then after I added the colorants, I stickblended briefly just to mix them in well. I should have just stuck with the whisk because my soap was a tiny bit thicker than I would have liked. The soap was still very manageable, but I wanted a lighter trace for swirling. I have to learn to stop myself when I get that urge to mix things one more time.<br />
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I poured the green soap into the mold and then drizzled the black soap onto the green from up high so it would penetrate into the loaf. Looking back at the video, though, I don't think I poured from high enough. That plus the slightly thick trace made for less dramatic droplet swirls. Oh, well, the soap is still pretty!<br />
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After pouring the soap, I stuck it in the freezer overnight to prevent gel phase because there is a risk that the avocado could turn brown if the soap gets too hot. I also used a thin plastic loaf mold - I didn't want anything insulated (like a wooden mold) that would retain heat.<br />
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Here's that video I mentioned showing how I made this soap:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BFHIncnPb_0" width="420"></iframe></center>
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I am very pleased with how the soap turned out! The ingredients are luxurious, and the Wasabi scent is amazing! Overall, I like the droplet swirls and the texturing on the tops. I've tested an end piece, and, boy howdy, is it nice.<br />
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Have you ever tried avocado in soap? Coconut milk? How did you like it?LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-40930194866436297772014-08-05T17:13:00.000-05:002014-08-05T17:13:04.330-05:00Honeysuckle Modified Mantra Swirl Soap<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gbO-wBZd-ts/U9_-NgBgKwI/AAAAAAAABK8/icswV5akf4A/s1600/Honeysuckle+mantra+1+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gbO-wBZd-ts/U9_-NgBgKwI/AAAAAAAABK8/icswV5akf4A/s1600/Honeysuckle+mantra+1+text.jpg" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
You may remember a technique called the Mantra Swirl that was popular a while back. There was even some mantra swirl soapmaking challenges on the interwebs. I thought all of that happened just a few months ago, but it was LAST SUMMER, you guys. A whole year. Time is moving faster than a batch of clove soap.<br />
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Anyways, I figured it was high time that I gave the mantra swirl a whirl, especially since I got some cool tools to help make things easier.<br />
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One of the reasons I put off attempting the mantra swirl is that I'm lazy. And not very handy. And also lazy.<br />
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You see, back when the mantra swirl first caught on, most people made themselves dividers out of cardboard. Those cardboard pieces had to be cut just so. And then they had to be held upright in the mold, usually with more cardboard pieces that were cut into brackets. And I suppose that the brackets had to be anchored to the mold somehow, too. I was like, "Pfft! I'm not doing all that! What am I, an engineer?"<br />
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But then I heard somewhere about <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreatSoapShop" target="_blank">Great Soap Shop</a> on Etsy. Michelle sells lots of nifty soapmaking tools, including <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/157351143/straight-dividers-for-essential-depot?ref=shop_home_active_4" target="_blank">HDPE plastic dividers for the Mantra/Taiwan swirl</a>. So now I have no excuse not to try it.<br />
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The dividers I bought were specifically designed to fit <a href="http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-668/Silicone-Soap-Mold--dsh-/Detail" target="_blank">Essential Depot's RED silicone soap mold</a>. (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreatSoapShop" target="_blank">Great Soap Shop</a> offers tools for other molds, too, so do check it out.)<br />
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I decided to try a modified mantra swirl from Anne-Marie Faiola's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Soap-Crafting-Book.aspx" target="_blank">Soap Crafting book</a>. I did a simple side-by-side two-color batch and then used a squeeze bottle to pour a line of soap down the center. Then I took the stick end of a meat thermometer, put it all the way down to the bottom of the mold, and did a figure-eight pattern all the way across the length of the mold to swirl the tops. (Of course, you don't have to use a meat thermometer. Skewers or chopsticks or any stick-like thing will do.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E6XHKqu2TgQ/U-AGAEm9DMI/AAAAAAAABLM/KgVRaUq-puc/s1600/mantra+swirl+figure+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E6XHKqu2TgQ/U-AGAEm9DMI/AAAAAAAABLM/KgVRaUq-puc/s1600/mantra+swirl+figure+8.jpg" height="173" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Here is my poorly-drawn example of the Mantra Swirl figure-8 pattern. </span></i></td></tr>
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For the fragrance, I chose Bramble Berry's new <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Heavenly-Honeysuckle-Fragrance-Oil-P5928.aspx" target="_blank">Heavenly Honeysuckle</a> scent. I got to try this one out when I was on their <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/02/testing-soap-panel-mystery-scents.html" target="_blank">S.O.A.P. Panel</a> this past spring and it was my second-favorite scent of the eight samples I received. The colors that came to mind for this scent were orange, yellow, and green. So I decided to do <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Tangerine-Wow-Colorant-P4964.aspx" target="_blank">Tangerine Wow</a> and <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Fizzy-Lemonade-Colorant-P4965.aspx" target="_blank">Fizzy Lemonade</a> side-by-side with a line of <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Hydrated-Chrome-Green-Pigment-P4050.aspx" target="_blank">Hydrated Chrome Green</a> along the top.<br />
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I concocted my own recipe of 30% rice bran oil, 25% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, 12% mango butter, 5% sweet almond oil, and 3% castor oil.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e1MIQCG5lY8/U9_9_dPa_7I/AAAAAAAABK0/44nNYkTGdl0/s1600/Collage+honeysuckle+mantra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e1MIQCG5lY8/U9_9_dPa_7I/AAAAAAAABK0/44nNYkTGdl0/s1600/Collage+honeysuckle+mantra.jpg" /></a></div>
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After I brought the soap to trace, I colored about a half cup of the batter with the Hydrated Chrome Green and poured it into a plastic squeeze bottle. <b>(It's good to snip the tips of the squeeze bottles so that the soap flows more easily.)</b> Then I split what remained of the batch into two portions and colored one with the Tangerine Wow and the other with the Fizzy Lemonade.<br />
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I poured the orange and yellow soap into my mold at the same time so that none of the soap would slip under the divider and onto the other side. Once the two halves were poured, I took out the divider and squirted the green soap along the center line. Then I used my stick to do the mantra swirl on the tops.<br />
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My soap did get pretty thick on me and I worried that it would affect my final soap. Everything turned out just fine, though. Bramble Berry notes that the <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Heavenly-Honeysuckle-Fragrance-Oil-P5928.aspx" target="_blank">Heavenly Honeysuckle</a> does accelerate a bit, but I didn't have any trouble with it when I tested it for the S.O.A.P. Panel. But then, I wasn't trying to do anything fancy then, either. When I was on the Panel, I added the FO after trace, whisked it in, watched it for a couple of minutes, and then poured it into the mold. I also suspect that my actions may have caused the soap to accelerate. Looking back, I continued to mix it for too long. When I watch the video (hey, there's a video!), I can pinpoint the moment when I should have stopped mixing. And then I watch myself grab a stickblender for one more go. Aargh. Also, this is a new recipe that I just sorta came up with and hadn't yet tested. (As a side note, it seems to make really nice soap!) I need to try this recipe a few more times before I can truly know how it behaves. I did use full water, though, and I soaped fairly cool, right around 100 degrees F. But I do think the soap may have turned out more swirly if I had poured my soap at a thinner trace.<br />
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Here's a video I made of the process. I tried something new this time, you guys. I talked my way through this video instead of relying on captions. I was shy about talking before - and I still am - because I tend to babble like a crazy person when I feel pressure to talk. Plus I don't really like my voice. But I thought I'd give this new format a shot. Whaddaya think? Do you like the talky stuff? (Oh, and make sure you stick around for the blooper at the end!)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ORoksi1cZgU" width="420"></iframe></center>
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Overall, I'm pleased with this soap. The colors are pretty and the bars smell uhmazing. I think next time I would like to try the mantra swirl with three colors side-by-side (which I can also do with my plastic dividers!) so that the middle of the bars are more interesting. That way, too, I could cut the soap horizontally and have a nice big swirl on each bar, since the swirl will be on the top and the bottom of the loaf that way. This time, since the mantra swirl was only on the top, I cut the bars in the traditional way so that each one would have a bit of the swirl on it.<br />
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I'm already thinking about a mantra swirl for the holidays ...<br />
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Have you tried the Mantra Swirl technique? What about the Taiwan Swirl? That one is on my list, too!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-4138529415680469302014-07-05T16:54:00.002-05:002014-07-05T17:00:58.808-05:00S.O.A.P. Panel Update: Mystery Scents Revealed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Think back. Way back.<br />
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Further.<br />
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Think aaaaaaaall the way back to February.<br />
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That's when I was <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/02/testing-soap-panel-mystery-scents.html" target="_blank">testing fragrance oils for Bramble Berry's S.O.A.P. Panel</a>, which gave me the opportunity - along with seven other soapers - to preview, test, and help select some new scents for <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/" target="_blank">Bramble Berry</a> to carry. None of us knew what the mystery scents were or how they would behave. Our job was to try out each FO and provide feedback.<br />
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You may have been curious all of this time to know what fragrances are what, and which fragrance oils Bramble Berry chose to carry based on feedback from the S.O.A.P. panelists. I've been super curious myself!<br />
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Well, be curious no more! Here are the mystery scents revealed!<br />
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<u><b>Scent #1</b></u><br />
To me, this scent smelled like Balsam & Citrus with notes of orange and fir. It strikes me as a slightly masculine scent with a hint of sweetness. This FO was revealed to be <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Autumn-Fig-Harvest-Fragrance-Oil-P5923.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Autumn Fig Harvest</b></a>, a scent that combines apple, lemon, and ginger with earthy fig, caramel, and cinnamon. I'm happy to see that Bramble Berry is carrying this FO - it was my third favorite of the eight S.O.A.P. Panel mystery scents.<br />
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<u><b>Scent #2</b></u><br />
Out-of-the-bottle, this scent smelled like watermelon with a hint of apple. After soaping it, I thought it smelled more of watermelon exclusively. The FO is actually <b>Pear & Goji Berries</b>.<br />
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<u><b>Scent #3</b></u> <br />
This scent smelled like straight-up Honeysuckle to me. It sticks well and behaved beautifully for me. Turns out, it is honeysuckle! (Score one for my nose!) Bramble Berry has decided to carry <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Heavenly-Honeysuckle-Fragrance-Oil-P5928.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Heavenly Honeysuckle</b></a>, which I am thrilled about since it was my second favorite S.O.A.P. Panel scent.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FfptgYMk3Nk/U7hkAS2ajkI/AAAAAAAABG0/MPa4RDfKl8s/s1600/SOAP+panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FfptgYMk3Nk/U7hkAS2ajkI/AAAAAAAABG0/MPa4RDfKl8s/s1600/SOAP+panel.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The Mystery Scents</span></i></td></tr>
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;">Scent #4</b><br />
I thought of a green apple Jolly Rancher when I sniffed this scent. It smelled to me like sour apple with perhaps a bit of pineapple or pear. Out-of-the-bottle, it was sweet and sugary, but the sugariness seemed to mellow after soaping, allowing the sour apple to come forward. Another score for my nose, because this FO is called <b>Apple Pickin'.</b><br />
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<b><u>Scent #5</u></b><br />
This scent was the only one of the bunch that I didn't care for. I thought that it was supposed to be some kind of garden scent. It had notes of grassiness<b> </b>and fresh dirt (two things I usually like), but it also smelled damp and musty and it kinda reminded me of canned corn. Turns out, this mystery scent is <b>Yerba Mansa</b>. I didn't know what that is, either. After consulting the Googles, I discovered that Yerba Mansa is an herb native to the southwestern U.S. and northwest Mexico. I tried to find out what Yerba Mansa smells like, and I read descriptors such as "musty," "pungent," "warm," "spicy," and "clean." One site said that it smelled like a combination of wild ginger and eucalyptus. I found this particular FO to be more on the musty, pungent earthy side.<br />
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<u><b>Scent #6</b></u><br />
Initially, this fragrance made me think of Sweet Tarts. It smelled sugary with clean, sharp notes of grapefruit. After soaping this FO, I thought that it smelled sweeter and more like pomegranate. If I had to name this one, I would have called it Sweet Pomegranate. It is actually <b>Guava Citrus.</b><br />
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<b><u>Scent #7</u></b><br />
I thought that this scent smelled like delicate Baby Roses. The FO is <b>Cherry Blossom</b>, though.<br />
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<b><u>Scent #8</u></b><br />
I loooooooved this scent! It was my most favorite of all of the mystery FOs. It is a sporty, masculine scent that smelled to me like an Abercrombie & Fitch cologne. This scent is called <b><a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Mahogany-Fragrance-Oil-P5939.aspx" target="_blank">Mahogany</a></b>, and Bramble Berry has decided to carry it. Yay!<br />
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In closing, Bramble Berry is adding what happens to be my top three favorite mystery scents to their lineup - <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Mahogany-Fragrance-Oil-P5939.aspx" target="_blank">Mahogany</a>, <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Heavenly-Honeysuckle-Fragrance-Oil-P5928.aspx" target="_blank">Heavenly Honeysuckle</a>, and <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Autumn-Fig-Harvest-Fragrance-Oil-P5923.aspx" target="_blank">Autumn Fig Harvest</a>.<br />
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You may remember that Bramble Berry decided to do <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/s-o-p-panel-surprise/" target="_blank">two S.O.A.P. Panels this spring</a>, so another group of soapers got to try more mystery fragrances. Last week, BB sent me some full-sized samples of the three scents mentioned above as well as <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Mandarin-Oasis-Fragrance-Oil-P5937.aspx" target="_blank">Mandarin Oasis</a> and <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Lavender-Cedar-Fragrance-Oil-P5938.aspx" target="_blank">Lavender & Cedar</a> from the other S.O.A.P. Panel, which was a very nice surprise!<br />
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Once again, a big thank you to Bramble Berry for allowing me to participate on the Panel! It was lots of fun testing the mystery scents and helping BB choose which scents to include among their products. And another thank you to Bramble Berry for the generous fragrance oil samples! (And I must say an additional thank you to Brittany at BB for all of her help and support!) I am looking forward to soaping with three of my new favorite FOs, and I can't wait to try the other two scents!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-39590819359471148672014-06-22T13:54:00.000-05:002014-06-22T13:54:09.599-05:00Fireburst Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l-tQYjee6_c/U6cdP5MGc4I/AAAAAAAAA8g/rH9VS9v82Cc/s1600/IMG_1240+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l-tQYjee6_c/U6cdP5MGc4I/AAAAAAAAA8g/rH9VS9v82Cc/s1600/IMG_1240+text.jpg" height="385" width="400" /></a></div>
If you've been following this blog for a while, you may remember some <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/11/candy-cane-impressionist-swirl-soap.html" target="_blank">Candy Cane soaps</a> that I made for the holidays using the <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/impressionist-soap-tutorial/" target="_blank">Impressionist Swirl technique</a>. To do the Impressionist Swirl, you divide your soap into as many colors as you'd like and then use squeeze bottles to drizzle the soap into the mold.<br />
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Typically, the soap is drizzled horizontally into the mold, along the long sides, to create the Impressionist Swirl. A while back, I saw <a href="http://www.otionsoap.com/blog/2013/10/10/candy-corn-swirls/" target="_blank">a post by the Otion Soap Blog</a> where they did something similar to an Impressionist Swirl, but instead of squirting the soap horizontally, they squirted it vertically, making S-shapes along the short sides of the mold.<br />
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I thought I'd give that a try for this batch.<br />
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For a project like this one, you want to pick a well-behaved soap recipe and fragrance oil. For the recipe, I chose <a href="http://thenovastudio.blogspot.com/2012/11/3-palm-free-soap-recipes.html" target="_blank">David's palm-free recipe</a> using vegetable shortening, olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. (Make sure you check the label carefully on the vegetable shortening if you want a palm-free recipe. Some shortenings contain palm oil. The one I used was a blend of soybean and cottonseed oils.) To calculate the recipe, I headed over to <a href="http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">SoapCalc</a> to figure out the lye and water amounts. For the vegetable shortening, I selected "Crisco, old" from the Oils, Fats, and Waxes list. (For tips on which shortening to select from SoapCalc's list, see <a href="http://soapcalc.net/info/faq.asp" target="_blank">FAQ #9</a> on their website.)<br />
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I have been experimenting with palm-free recipes lately. I haven't settled on a favorite yet, although I have tried many that I enjoyed. I have used David's recipe once before and knew from my notes that the batter stayed nice and loose for me, which is exactly what a project like this one requires.<br />
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For the scent, I chose Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Energy-Fragrance-Oil-P3861.aspx" target="_blank">Energy fragrance oil</a>. It is one of my favorites, and it has always behaved well for me.<br />
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To do the swirls (or whatever you want to call them), I used squirt bottles that I found in the baking/candymaking aisle of the craft store. After I brought the soap to a light trace - the soap needs to be emulsified, but still fluid and loose - and scented it, I divided the soap evenly among four plastic measuring cups prepped with colorant. For my colorants, I chose Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Brick-Red-oxide-Pigment-P4041.aspx" target="_blank">brick red oxide</a>, <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Yellow-Oxide-Pigment-P4046.aspx" target="_blank">yellow oxide</a>, <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Titanium-Dioxide-Pigment-P4040.aspx" target="_blank">titanium dioxide</a>, and orange mica. (BB no longer carries the orange mica, which gives me sad face.) To avoid clumping, I mixed each colorant with some liquid glycerin before adding the soap to it. After I added the soap to the measuring cups, I whisked it to mix the colors in well, and then gave it a quick buzz with the stickblender to make sure that the colors were fully incorporated, being careful not to blend too much in order to keep the soap at a very light trace.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NLdOTkoXVuE/U6cdfj_tK4I/AAAAAAAAA8o/0F7OfSqb1Rw/s1600/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NLdOTkoXVuE/U6cdfj_tK4I/AAAAAAAAA8o/0F7OfSqb1Rw/s1600/Collage.jpg" height="279" width="400" /></a></div>
Once the soap was colored, I poured each color into a squeeze bottle. <b>(Tip: Be sure you snip the tips of your bottles to create a bigger opening so the soap flows more easily.)</b><br />
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Then, instead of squirting the soap along the long sides of the mold, I squirted the soap in a S-pattern along the short sides, alternating colors as I went. I tried to hit different spots while drizzling, going in between one color with another and covering different parts of the mold.<br />
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After a few sweeps, it's good to rotate the mold so that the colors are more evenly distributed throughout the loaf. Tap it against the countertop, too, to get rid of air bubbles. And if the soap starts to thicken in the bottle, just put your finger over the top (very important!) and give it a good shake.<br />
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When squirting the soap, I try to drizzle the same amount each time I sweep through. A good thing to do is to count to three or whatever each time so that roughly the same amount of soap is being used with each squirt.<br />
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Even though I try to evenly split the soap, it seems that I somehow always end up with more of some colors than others. And it also seems that no matter how hard I try to drizzle the same amount each time, I end up running out of one or two colors before I'm done with the batch. This time, I ran out of yellow and orange before I was completely finished. Fortunately, I was almost done, and I was able to finish off with the red and white without compromising the effect too much. Once I was done drizzling all of the soap, I took a toothpick and did a sort of herringbone swirl on the tops, dragging the toothpick just below the surface in alternating directions.<br />
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Here is a video showing how I made this batch:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2V-urphkxuQ" width="420"></iframe></center>
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I love this effect, and I really like how this batch turned out. Because the scent and colors are so lively, I decided to call this soap "Fireburst." I'm not sure if the soap gelled, as it was still very soft a week later when I cut it even with the sodium lactate that I added to the lye solution at 1.5%. I may experiment with adding some cocoa butter or something like that to the recipe to make a harder batch.<br />
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Squirting the soap vertically along the short sides of the mold creates wavy lines in the cut bars, while squirting the soap along the long sides horizontally creates more of a teardrop effect. Here is how the two compare:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0EeDAoKD4k/U6ccxStLS4I/AAAAAAAAA8Y/haN7QefEWj0/s1600/Collage+Impressionist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0EeDAoKD4k/U6ccxStLS4I/AAAAAAAAA8Y/haN7QefEWj0/s1600/Collage+Impressionist.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Right: Impressionist Swirl (horizontally); Left: Twist on Impressionist Swirl (vertically)</span></b></i></td></tr>
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Oh, and here's another tip - after I was done with the squirt bottles, I got as much soap out of them as I could and then added a couple drops of dishwashing detergent to the bottles along with some warm water. I gave each bottle a few shakes, emptied and rinsed it, and repeated until clean.<br />
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I've already tried an end piece from this batch, and it is very nice soap with lots of bubbly lather. I can't wait until it fully cures!<br />
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Have you used squirt bottles in soapmaking? What are some of your favorite ways to use them?<br />
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<br />LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-52201452522710413052014-05-22T15:07:00.000-05:002014-05-22T15:07:49.208-05:00Spa Salt Bars With Activated Charcoal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are a soapmaker like me, you probably have several batches of soap laying around at any given time. And you probably don't use up one batch and then start in on another. You probably take a bar from this batch, and then next time take one from another, and ooh, I haven't used one of these bars in a while...<br />
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Sometimes I end up with soap that has been around for a year or more. Which is fine. It seems soap is like wine - it gets better with age. I even still have a bar from my very first batch of cold process soap back in February 2011. It's a plain little bar and the scent has completely faded, but it still looks to be a fine bar of soap otherwise.<br />
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Anyway, that is how I ended up making my <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/01/pineapple-ginger-salt-bars.html" target="_blank">last batch of salt soap</a> last over a year. If you've been following this blog for a while, you may remember that it was a Pineapple Ginger-scented soap made with coconut oil, avocado oil, castor oil, and Pink Himalayan salt.<br />
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I really enjoyed that batch. The recipe makes big, long-lasting bars. And I especially like salt bars for my face. I have oily skin, and it feels like the salt just gets into my pores and balances everything out.<br />
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When I realized that I was down to the last bar, I just had to make some more. I did things a little bit differently this time, though.<br />
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Last time, I followed <a href="http://thesoapbar.blogspot.com/2008/07/salt-soap-tutorial-by-ladybug-soapworks.html#" target="_blank">Sarah's salt soap recipe</a>. I love this recipe and highly recommend it. The avocado oil makes the bars more luxurious, and the castor oil gives the lather a boost.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K95y_cfhwss/U3zpaHcI_sI/AAAAAAAAA7c/xqPCf9Zx9xA/s1600/IMG_1225+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K95y_cfhwss/U3zpaHcI_sI/AAAAAAAAA7c/xqPCf9Zx9xA/s1600/IMG_1225+text.jpg" height="235" width="400" /></a>This time, though, I decided to try a recipe of 100% coconut oil with a 20% superfat. Usually soapmakers <br />
use about 30% or less of coconut oil in their recipes because it can be drying. But, as a neat kind of break-the-rules thing, coconut oil can be used exclusively if you include a high superfat. Superfat refers to the amount of unsaponified oils in the soaps, meaning that those oils don't react with the lye and remain free-floating in the soap, resulting in more nourishing bars. For a normal soap recipe, I usually go with a 7% superfat. But for 100% coconut oil soap, I went with 20%.<br />
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Coconut oil is the main oil in salt soap because coconut oil is the only oil that lathers well in salt water, making it perfect for salt bars. It's typically 80-100% of the total oils. Last time I used 80%. This time I wanted to try 100%.<br />
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The salt I used was different, too. Instead of using Pink Himalayan salt, I just used plain old table salt. The amount was different, too. Last time, I used the salt at about 65% of the total oil weight. This time, the rate was 100% of the oil weight, meaning that for 32 ounces of oil, I used 32 ounces of salt.<br />
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Salt soap is great for the entire body, but, as I mentioned, I especially like it for my face. So, when deciding on how to proceed with this new batch, I thought of activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is supposed to be good for detoxifying oily, acne-prone skin. I figured the salt plus the activated charcoal would make a great facial bar. I used one teaspoon of activated charcoal per pound of oil.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVgDUnMIjS0/U3vDIJfp4iI/AAAAAAAAA6o/WcmmCArBfVY/s1600/IMG_1218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVgDUnMIjS0/U3vDIJfp4iI/AAAAAAAAA6o/WcmmCArBfVY/s1600/IMG_1218.jpg" height="327" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>I love how the sides are shiny and smooth like granite!</i></b></span></td></tr>
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Because salt bars have a spa-like feel to me, I wanted to keep things more natural this time, fragrance-wise. So I scented this batch with cedarwood essential oil (which, according to Wanda Sellar's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Directory-Essential-Oils-Includes/dp/0091906679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400533736&sr=8-1&keywords=wanda+sellar" target="_blank">The Directory of Essential Oils</a>, may be good for oily acne-prone skin, too) and clove essential oil. I would have liked to have used sandalwood essential oil as well, but, gawd, have you seen how much that stuff costs? So I used Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Indian-Sandalwood-Cybilla-Fragrance-Oil--P3381.aspx" target="_blank">Indian Sandalwood</a> fragrance oil instead. For 32 ounces of oil, I used 1 ounce of the sandalwood FO, .80 ounce of cedarwood EO, and .20 ounce of the clove EO. I went easy on the clove because too much can irritate the skin. Clove can also accelerate trace.<br />
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When my oil and lye solution were both around 100 degrees F, I added the fragrance blend and the activated charcoal to the melted coconut oil. (I mixed the charcoal with some glycerin first to avoid clumping.) Then I added the lye solution to the oil and stickblended to trace. Once the soap traced - which it did pretty quickly - I gradually whisked in the salt. When it was incorporated well, I poured the soap into the mold.<br />
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For this batch, I opted to use my <a href="http://www.soap-making-resource.com/slab-soap-molds.html" target="_blank">slab mold</a>. Salt soap can set up very quickly, and if you make a loaf and don't slice it at just the right time, you can end up with hard, crumbly soap that is difficult to cut. Using a slab mold with dividers takes the guesswork out of when to cut. I let the soap gel and unmolded it the next day.<br />
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Here is a video showing how I made this batch of salt soap:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AtNEQlpXqD8" width="420"></iframe></center>
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The lather of a salt bar is different from that of a regular bar of soap. Salt soaps tend to be more frothy and less bubbly. The lather kinda reminds me of shaving cream or the foamy head of a beer. You can see the difference in the video above - I compare the lather of my regular soap to that of the salt soap.<br />
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I'm so glad to have salt soap back in my rotation, especially as the weather heats up. It seems that the hotter it is the more oily my skin gets. And these salt bars will be a treat for my face and the rest of my skin!<br />
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Have you made or used salt soap? Did you like it? Do you enjoy any other additives to make salt soap extra special?LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-35563951761682812842014-04-24T08:17:00.000-05:002014-04-26T13:30:17.130-05:00Merlot Wine Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm finally getting around to something that I've been meaning to try for a while now - wine soap!<br />
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Making wine soap is a lot like making beer soap, and wine and beer bring similar qualities to the bars. The natural sugars in each help to boost the lather, making it fluffy, creamy, and luxurious. Both are wonderful additives, and they add interest to a batch.<br />
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Using alcohol in soap can be tricky, though. Alcohol can cause the lye solution to bubble up like a volcano eruption. And it can make the soap <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/06/soap-seize-keep-calm-and-panic-on.html" target="_blank">seize</a>, which will absolutely ruin a day in the soaping kitchen. (If you want to see an epic seize, check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFH71jD5J44&feature=share&list=UU03uigk8usTQRA7XDkmTOSg&index=9" target="_blank">this video</a> to see the time I got soap-on-a-stick.)<br />
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The good news is that you can take steps to avoid volcanoes and soap seizes. The best method I know of is to bring your wine or beer to a boil on the stove top and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or so to cook out the alcohol. You'll lose some of the liquid due to evaporation, but you can either boil more than you need, or simply make up the difference with distilled water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pNX8rcGY4i8/U1WPza5QhuI/AAAAAAAAA6E/nwcOucWB5dc/s1600/Collage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pNX8rcGY4i8/U1WPza5QhuI/AAAAAAAAA6E/nwcOucWB5dc/s1600/Collage+2.jpg" height="335" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Boiling, measuring, and freezing the wine</b></i></td></tr>
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For this batch, I used <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/2012/06/palm-free-recipes-day-1/" target="_blank">Recipe 1</a> from Amanda at <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/" target="_blank">Lovin' Soap</a>. It contains olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, and rice bran oil. I replaced the water with Merlot wine (go ahead and buy the cheap stuff, you guys), which I boiled first as described. A 750 mL bottle worked perfectly for my recipe - I needed 18.24 oz. (or 518g) of liquid, and 750 mL (which is about 25.36 oz. or 719g) of simmered wine ended up being just right. If you end up with more wine than you need or you want to reserve some for later, you can portion some out and freeze the rest. Just weigh what you need and pour it into plastic freezer bags. It's helpful to write the weight on the outside of the bag for future reference.<br />
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Another thing about working with wine or beer or even milks is that the natural sugars can cause the soap to heat up quickly. Also, if your lye solution gets too hot, the sugars can scorch. To combat this problem, I froze my wine after it had been simmered and cooled. After adding my lye to the frozen wine, I stirred the lye solution in an ice bath to keep the temperature low. Overall, I soaped cooler, too. I normally soap between 100-110 degrees F, but for this batch, I combined the lye solution and the oils when the lye solution was at about 84 degrees F and the oils were at 91 degrees F. And because batches that contain wine, beer, or milk can heat up more than batches that don't, I didn't insulate my mold.<br />
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For the fragrance, I chose Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Bordeaux-Blend-Fragrance-Oil-P5164.aspx" target="_blank">Bordeaux Blend</a>, which I had bought a while back. It is perfect for a red wine-type soap. It's fruity and spicy; sweet but sophisticated.<br />
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The wine/lye solution had a bit of a brownish-green tinge, and it smelled a little funky. (Don't worry, the funky smell should disappear during the cure.) To make sure that my soap stayed a deep red Merlot color, I added a generous amount of <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Merlot-Sparkle-Mica-P3064.aspx" target="_blank">Merlot Sparkle mica</a> into my oils before adding the lye. (I mixed the mica with a bit of glycerin first to avoid clumping and streaking.)<br />
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Once I added the fragrance oil and the mica to my cooled oils, I mixed in the lye solution, pouring it through a strainer just in case there was any undissolved lye. Then I stickblended the soap to a medium-thick trace.<br />
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Bramble Berry mentions that the <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Bordeaux-Blend-Fragrance-Oil-P5164.aspx" target="_blank">Bordeaux Blend FO</a> may move quickly, I would guess probably because of the cinnamon and clove notes. The soap did get thick on me, but it wasn't unmanageable at all. Besides, I was doing layers so a thicker trace worked out perfectly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Fragrance oil and micas</i></b></td></tr>
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You guys remember the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U9pHUa8vAg&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">mica oil swirl</a> trend last year, right? I thought that it might be interesting to do mica oil swirls not just on top of the soap, but <i>inside</i> of the soap, too.<br />
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To make the mica oil, I mixed some <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Gold-Sparkle-Mica-P3063.aspx" target="_blank">Gold Sparkle mica</a> with some olive oil. To make the swirls, I drizzled the mica oil onto the soap with a pipette. The olive oil saponifies along with the rest of the soap, leaving behind the shimmery mica.<br />
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I poured about one-third of the batter into my mold, drizzled some mica oil on top and then swirled it with a spoon, poured another third of the batter and drizzled and swirled more mica oil, and finally poured the rest of the soap batter and topped it off with more mica swirls. <br />
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I was going for crackled, wispy gold lines running horizontally through the bars. Overall, I was happy with the results, although the lines ended up being a bit more subtle than I was hoping for. So, I decided to jazz things up a bit more by stamping the soaps. To stamp the soap, I pressed my stamp into some dry mica, tapped off the excess, and then gently pressed the stamp onto the surface of the soap. It is best to stamp freshly-cut soap so that the mica will stick.<br />
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Here is a video showing how I made this batch:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NcAVvMR4ohE" width="420"></iframe></center>
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I am very happy with how these turned out! The stamp adds so much drama, and the gold looks so great against the deep red. You can see the wispy mica lines faintly, which I think is nice even if I was hoping that they'd be a little more distinct. A jagged <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/04/pencil-line.html" target="_blank">mica pencil line</a> might have been cool, too. Or it may have been neat to drizzle the mica oil in between the layers and leave them be without swirling. The effect may not have been as widespread throughout the bars, but it may have created some dramatic mica specks.<br />
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I've already tested an end piece sliver, and these bars lather great! The bubbles are fluffy and creamy, and the soap smells spectacular. I've also got some <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Pinot-Grigio-Fragrance-Oil-P5141.aspx" target="_blank">Pinot Grigio FO</a> in my fragrance bin, so there will probably be more wine soap in my future someday.<br />
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Have you ever made or used wine soap? Did you enjoy it? LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-13132193584905095522014-03-25T07:55:00.000-05:002014-03-25T07:55:10.004-05:00Resizing and Converting Soap Recipes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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Have you ever seen a soap recipe that makes much more soap than you need and you want to scale it down and aren't sure how? Or have you seen a recipe expressed in percentages and wondered what that means and how to translate it into ounces or grams?<br />
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A few weeks ago, a reader asked me how to do those very things, and it got me thinking about writing a blog post dedicated to those questions.<br />
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Percentages and conversions can be confusing, especially in the beginning. Different soapmakers may do different things, but here is how I convert recipes into something I can use.<br />
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First of all, it's important to know how much soap your mold will hold. A three-pound mold holds three pounds of soap. Makes sense, right? But how much of that is oils and how much is water? How do you know how much oil to include in your recipe so that, when added with the lye solution, you end up with three pounds of soap?<br />
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And what if you aren't sure how much soap your mold holds? Let's say you're using a lined shoebox, a silicone baking mold, a homemade mold, or even a wooden box that was once packaging for something else. How do you determine the mold's capacity?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">L x W x H</span></i></td></tr>
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One thing you can do is fill your mold with water and weigh the water. A scale with a tare function is good for this. (The tare weight is the weight of the empty container. The tare function on a scale allows you to reset the scale to zero after you have placed the container on the scale, thereby weighing only the contents of the container once they are added.) Place your mold on the scale, press the tare button, and then add water until your mold is filled to your preferred level. Note the weight of the water to get an idea of how much your mold will hold.<br />
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Of course, the water method works better with some molds than others. You wouldn't want to pour water into a wooden mold unless you lined it with a plastic bag or something first. If it isn't convenient to use water, or if you just don't want the hassle, here is a handy formula you can use to help determine the capacity of your mold:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>L x W x H x 0.4</b></div>
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This formula will give you a good idea of the <b>OIL WEIGHT</b> in ounces for your mold, which is helpful since soap recipes are built on oil weight. The lye solution (water + sodium hydroxide) will account for the rest of the weight, filling your mold to capacity.<br />
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For example, my three-pound wooden mold has the following dimensions: 10 inches in length, 3.5 inches in width, and 2.75 inches in height. To fill the mold all the way to the top, I would need a recipe with 38.5 ounces of oil. If I want to leave a quarter-inch of space at the top to allow for texturing, a lid, etc., I would need 35 ounces of oil (10 x 3.5 x 2.5 x .4).<br />
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If the maths make you sad, the <a href="http://www.summerbeemeadow.com/content/lye-calculator-and-recipe-resizer" target="_blank">Summer Bee Meadow soapmaking calculator</a> will resize a recipe based on the dimensions of your particular mold. Just take a recipe, plug it into the lye calculator, and then use the recipe resizer after you've calculated the recipe.<br />
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Here's an example. Let's say that I found a great-looking soap recipe, like <a href="http://teachsoap.com/2012/03/18/easy-cold-process-recipes/" target="_blank">this Beginner 6.5 Pound Soap Recipe from Teach Soap</a>: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>5 oz. Canola Oil</b><br />
<b>5 oz. Castor Oil</b><br />
<b>32 oz. Coconut Oil</b><br />
<b>32 oz. Palm Oil</b></div>
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<b>11 oz. Lye (5% superfatted)</b></div>
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<b>24.4 oz. Distilled Water</b></div>
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This recipe makes way too much soap for my three-pound mold, so I'm going to need to resize it to fit my mold's dimensions. Let's go to the <a href="http://www.summerbeemeadow.com/content/lye-calculator-and-recipe-resizer" target="_blank">Summer Bee Meadow soapmaking calculator</a> and plug in those numbers:</div>
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After entering the oil amounts and desired superfat, I will hit the "Click Here When Done" button to get the full recipe, including lye and water amounts. <b>(It's always an excellent idea to double-check a recipe that you find online or in a book or wherever by running it through a lye calculator, just to make sure that it is correct.)</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pT-Ub8C7YGw/UyBgtCPHfMI/AAAAAAAAA30/CBS3C9QUkVw/s1600/SBM+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pT-Ub8C7YGw/UyBgtCPHfMI/AAAAAAAAA30/CBS3C9QUkVw/s1600/SBM+2.JPG" /> </a></div>
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So there is the the complete recipe. It's way too big for our mold, though. Right below the recipe is the "Soap Recipe Resizer" area where I can specify the dimensions of my mold and generate a new recipe based on those figures:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pezrcQVLx8w/UyBgtGl9YrI/AAAAAAAAA34/AXqY0CnZPJY/s1600/SBM+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pezrcQVLx8w/UyBgtGl9YrI/AAAAAAAAA34/AXqY0CnZPJY/s1600/SBM+3.JPG" /> </a></div>
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I selected "Rectangular Mold" and plugged in my dimensions. Notice that I opted to use 2.5 inches for the height to allow for a quarter-inch of space at the top. Here is the recipe resized to fit my mold:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6vsrNH_UJA/UyBgt8Hu20I/AAAAAAAAA4E/PEvqPGdd6rY/s1600/SBM+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6vsrNH_UJA/UyBgt8Hu20I/AAAAAAAAA4E/PEvqPGdd6rY/s1600/SBM+4.JPG" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="auto"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Voilà! There's my new recipe, resized to fit my particular mold. (And note that the oil weight is 35.60 ounces, which is pretty close to the 35 ounces of oil I figured I would need by multiplying </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="auto"><span style="font-weight: normal;">10 x 3.5 x 2.5 x .4.) This resized recipe should be about right. Notice that it does give a total recipe weight of 3 pounds, 5.41 ounces. If you have a little left over, just pour it into a small mold. You can tweak the numbers later if you find that you need to.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<b>Tip: This recipe is in ounces, but I recommend measuring ingredients by weight in grams for better accuracy. <a href="http://www.summerbeemeadow.com/" target="_blank">Summer Bee Meadow</a> is working to implement a grams calculator. (SBM also has lots of other great stuff on its website, so do check it out. Also, Steve is working on a new interactive website, <a href="http://www.sbmcrafters.com/" target="_blank">SBMCrafters.com</a>, and it should be lots of fun when it is fully implemented!) In the meantime, you can find handy ounces-to-grams <a href="http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm" target="_blank">conversion calculators</a> online. Or you can plug your recipe into the <a href="http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">SoapCalc lye calculator</a>, which will calculate your recipe in pounds, ounces, grams, and percentages.</b></div>
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Speaking of percentages, what the heck does it mean when you see a recipe that looks like this?:</div>
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<b>45% Olive Oil</b></div>
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<b>29% Coconut Oil</b></div>
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<b>17% Palm Oil</b></div>
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<b>6% Shea Butter</b></div>
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<b>3% Castor Oil</b></div>
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Basically, this is a breakdown of the proportions of each oil in the total amount of oils. Olive oil is 45% of the total oils, coconut oil is 29% of the total oils, and so on and so forth. </div>
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Why would anyone express a recipe in percentages instead of ounces or grams? Well, the great thing about percentages is that it can be adapted for any recipe of any size. If a recipe is expressed in ounces or grams, you would have to either visit the resizer calculator, or figure out the percentages and then translate the percentages into a recipe that fits your needs.</div>
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But how do you translate those percentages into a recipe?</div>
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Let's say that I want to try out the above recipe in my 3-pound wooden mold. I already know that I need about 35 ounces of oils to create a soap recipe that will fit nicely into it. With that information and the recipe's percentages, I can go to <a href="http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">SoapCalc</a> and easily create a recipe that will work for my needs: </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Va3r2Pdkx8/UyDPxYeLFaI/AAAAAAAAA4U/6W5Q5IVTw0g/s1600/SC+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Va3r2Pdkx8/UyDPxYeLFaI/AAAAAAAAA4U/6W5Q5IVTw0g/s1600/SC+1.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
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I am using sodium hydroxide, so I selected NaOH in field #1. In field #2, I entered 35 ounces for my oil weight, since that produces a perfect-sized recipe for my three-pound mold. I am going to leave the water at 38% of the oil weight (which is the "full water amount," something you may hear soapmakers say), but field #3 allows me to specify a water discount if I so desire. In field #4, I set my superfat at 5% (the superfat is the amount of unsaponified oils that are sort of free-floating in your bar, making the soap more nourishing). Here, I can also specify a fragrance oil usage rate, which is .50 ounces per pound by default. I'm not going to worry about field #5, but I could play with soap qualities there if I wanted to. To create my list of oils, I select an oil from the "Oils, Fats, and Waxes" list and hit the "+" to add it in field #6. I can express each oil in either ounces or percentages. I'm using percentages here. (I could also use grams or pounds, too, but I'm going to stick with ounces and percentages for now.)</div>
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Once all of that is done, I click on "Calculate Recipe" and then "View or Print Recipe" to get the full recipe, including lye and water amounts:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azFT7XoGKHA/UyDPxWfDnWI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/mNr1jL85QYc/s1600/SC+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azFT7XoGKHA/UyDPxWfDnWI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/mNr1jL85QYc/s1600/SC+2.JPG" /></a></div>
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And there it is. A recipe that is perfect for my 3-pound mold and shows me all of the measurements in pounds, ounces, grams, and percentages. It even shows the weight of my soap (3.398 pounds), which should be just about right. <a href="http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp" target="_blank">SoapCalc</a> also provides all kinds of interesting info, such as the qualities of the particular recipe.<br />
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Another neat thing you can do? You can reverse-engineer a recipe with SoapCalc to figure out the percentages and then adapt it to your needs.<br />
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Let's use the same recipe, but instead of it being presented in percentages, let's say that it looked like this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>36 oz. Olive Oil</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>23.2 oz. Coconut Oil</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>13.6 oz. Palm Oil<br />4.8 oz. Shea Butter</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>2.4 oz. Castor Oil</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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To make it fit into my 3-pound mold, I can plug those numbers into SoapCalc, find out the percentages, and then do what I did above and plug those percentages into a recipe of my desired size.</div>
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Here's a visual. There are 80 ounces of oil total in this recipe. I enter the ounces of each oil in field #6:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVVtN6CaRfs/UyDXF8DqqtI/AAAAAAAAA4o/jOSHrmj6Adc/s1600/SC+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVVtN6CaRfs/UyDXF8DqqtI/AAAAAAAAA4o/jOSHrmj6Adc/s1600/SC+3.JPG" /></a></div>
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After calculating the recipe and hitting "View or Print Recipe," I can see the percentages for each oil: <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CfVXVk_u5bw/UyDXF8zbdpI/AAAAAAAAA40/bDENgk6fbhs/s1600/SC+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CfVXVk_u5bw/UyDXF8zbdpI/AAAAAAAAA40/bDENgk6fbhs/s1600/SC+4.JPG" /></a></div>
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Now I can recalculate the recipe using 35 ounces of total oil weight and the percentages of 45% olive oil, 29% coconut oil, 17% palm oil, 6% shea butter, and 3% castor oil, just as I did above earlier to make it fit into my 3-pound mold.<br />
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Cool, huh? And SoapCalc is more than just a lye calculator - it has some great tips, links, and videos, too.<br />
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So that's how I convert my recipes. What tips and tricks do you have for resizing your soap recipes?<br />
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(Oh, and if your head hasn't already exploded, check out <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/math-soapers/" target="_blank">this Soap Queen blog post</a> to learn more about converting usage rates, parts and ratios, and percentages!)</div>
LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-43634682900416914802014-02-26T08:52:00.000-06:002014-02-26T08:52:49.025-06:00Testing S.O.A.P. Panel Mystery Scents!<br />
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Here it is - the big, big <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/s-o-p-panel-ers-revealed/" target="_blank">S.O.A.P. Panel </a>fragrance oil testing and results post!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bC2Ufsjci4/UwjMzU_IHNI/AAAAAAAAA2s/iEKbzCN1Q8c/s1600/Collage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bC2Ufsjci4/UwjMzU_IHNI/AAAAAAAAA2s/iEKbzCN1Q8c/s1600/Collage+1.jpg" height="400" width="366" /></a>A couple of weeks ago, I shared my <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/02/soap-panel-fragrances-first-impressions.html" target="_blank">first impressions</a> of the mystery scents out of the bottle. Now it's time for Phase 2 where I actually soap with the fragrance oils and see how they behave and how well the scent holds up.<br />
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I chose to test each fragrance in cold process soap and melt-and-pour soap. <br />
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I kinda geeked out and went all high school science project on this, so I hope you guys won't be too disappointed that I didn't do anything fancy. No swirls or artsy techniques. In fact, I didn't use any colorants at all. Just the soap and the fragrance oil. I decided to keep things simple and pure in order to eliminate as many extraneous variables as possible. (Told you I geeked out.)<br />
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I felt that it was also important to keep conditions as similar as possible throughout the process because of those extraneous variable thingies I just mentioned. I really wanted to isolate the effects of each fragrance oil, so I used the same recipe for all eight scents and soaped at approximately the same temperature for each batch. On Day 1, I soaped at a combined temp of 102 degrees F (the oils were 99 degrees and the lye 105); on Day 2, I soaped again at a combined temp of 102-103 degrees F (the oils were at 101 degrees, the lye at 105). <br />
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The weather even cooperated and was roughly the same both days.
Temperature and humidity can sometimes play a role in soapmaking, and
here in the south one day it can be freezing and the next day you're
running your air conditioner. The indoor temp was about 71 degrees F both days. On Tuesday, it was cold and cloudy (36 degrees F with 96% humidity). On Friday, it was still cold (36 degrees F with 60% humidity) and we actually got <i>snow flurries</i>,
you guys, which was a bit distracting because when it snows in
Louisiana you are supposed to lose your mind and go outside to take
pictures. I resisted the urge, though, because I had Very Important Work To
Do. (We did get a wintry mix of snow and ice the following week, though, and I did run outside to take pictures then.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bZEGOWMsms/UwjMyKl2lgI/AAAAAAAAA2o/Oq2EIIhR6J4/s1600/Collage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bZEGOWMsms/UwjMyKl2lgI/AAAAAAAAA2o/Oq2EIIhR6J4/s1600/Collage+2.jpg" height="400" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Insulating the soap</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For my recipe, I used <a href="http://www.soap-making-resource.com/easy-soap-recipe.html" target="_blank">Steve's "Easy Soap Recipe"</a> from the Soap Making Resource. His five-pound recipe calls for:<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>26.5 ounces Olive Oil (50% of total oils)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>16.5 ounces Coconut Oil (about 31% of total oils)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>10 ounces Palm Oil (about 19% of total oils) </b></div>
<br />
I used full water, which is a lye concentration of about 27%, and a 7% superfat. This was actually the recipe that I used for my very first batch of cold process soap three years ago. Since then, I've used it as a base for many other recipes, tweaking it here and there to allow for a small amount of butter or castor oil. It has a nice slow trace and allows for plenty of time to work. And it makes a pretty great bar of soap!<br />
<br />
Okay, so here's what I did: I split the testing up into two days. On Day 1 (which was February 4), I tested scents 1-4; on Day 2 (February 7), I tested scents 5-8. Both days, I made a five-pound batch of soap and poured four 16-oz. portions into plastic measuring cups. The remaining soap I reserved as my control batch so I could compare it to the scented soap and see how much discoloration occurred. I then added .70 ounces of fragrance oil to each measuring cup, using one 16-oz. portion of soap for each scent. (So, that works out to .70 ounces of fragrance oil per pound of soap.) After stirring the FO in really well, I poured the soap into a cavity of my <a href="http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/4loaves/-Silicone-Soap-Mold--4-Loaf-Molds.html" target="_blank">four-loaf silicone mold</a> from Nature's Garden. This mold is perfect for testing FOs - each cavity holds one pound of soap.<br />
<br />
I did my best to insulate the soap. I set an inverted plastic shoe box on top of the mold and then covered it with towels. <br />
<br />
Here's a video of the process I followed to do my testing:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0mOXGH4xeIk" width="420"></iframe></center>
<br />
After letting the soaps cure for about two weeks, I took photos of each cut soap side-by-side with the unscented control loaf. As you can see, some of the soaps did discolor from the fragrance oils. None of them went too dark, though.<br />
<br />
The fragrances also held up well in the finished soap. Here are my findings, according to my testing procedures. Keep in mind that different soapers may have different results. Different conditions and methods can affect the final outcome. Temperature can play a role - soaping at higher temps can accelerate trace, while soaping cooler can slow it down. The soap recipe itself can be a factor, too. Some recipes trace faster than others.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Py5qKHXAZs/UwjHuB479uI/AAAAAAAAA2U/ewDvVZsUHsE/s1600/Collage+550.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Py5qKHXAZs/UwjHuB479uI/AAAAAAAAA2U/ewDvVZsUHsE/s1600/Collage+550.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cold Process Results (Two Weeks Later)<u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<br />
<b><u>Scent #1</u></b>:<br />
This one smelled like Balsam & Citrus to me with notes of fir and orange. It seems less sweet to me in the finished soap. It matures into a lovely, slightly masculine scent. It is still in my top three of favorites. This FO has a light orange tint and it behaved beautifully - it did not accelerate, rice, or seize. Discolored the soap to a medium yellow.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Scent #2</b></u>: <br />
Out of the bottle, this one smelled like watermelon and maybe a hint of apple. In the finished soap, the scent faded some and it smelled exclusively of watermelon to me. The fragrance didn't completely disappear, but it is very light and I wish that it had stuck a little stronger. The FO is clear and was well-behaved, though. No issues at all. Soap discolored slightly to a creamy off-white.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #3</u></b>:<br />
Ahh, honeysuckle! This was my second-favorite scent. It stayed strong and true in the final soap, too. I was a little nervous about this one acting up since it is a floral, but it behaved gorgeously for me. No issues at all. The FO has a yellow tint and the soap discolored to a medium yellow.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Scent #4</b></u>:<br />
This scent made me think of a green apple Jolly Rancher. It smells like sour apple with perhaps a bit of pineapple or pear. It is a fruity candy-like scent out of the bottle, but it seemed less sweet and more subtle in the finished soap. To me, the sour apple scent came forward and the sugariness mellowed. This FO was well-behaved and gave me no problems. It has a yellow tint and it discolored the soap slightly to a creamy off-white. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #5</u></b>:<br />
You may remember that I did not care for this scent at all out of the bottle. It is supposed to be some kind of garden scent, I believe. I could smell grassiness and fresh dirt - which I usually like - but I thought that this scent also had some musty, damp notes that weren't pleasant. And it also kinda smelled like canned corn to me. I will say that I like this scent a lot better in the finished soap. The mustiness has mellowed, allowing more of the earthiness to come through, although I still think it smells a bit like canned corn. The first few times I sniffed this scent, my reaction was a big Grumpy Cat "No." It may be slowly growing on me, but it is still my least favorite of the mystery scents. The good news is that it is very well-behaved and had a nice, slow trace. This FO is clear and there was no discoloration. I think this soap loaf may not have gelled because it had an ashy layer all around and crumbled a bit at the edges when I cut it.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AenNr3AYg8U/UwjM0CeadNI/AAAAAAAAA24/hG-_Iry3EMc/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AenNr3AYg8U/UwjM0CeadNI/AAAAAAAAA24/hG-_Iry3EMc/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" height="320" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Scent #6</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u><b>Scent #6</b></u>:<br />
This scent initially made me think of Sweet Tarts out of the bottle, but as I kept sniffing it I thought I detected grapefruit and sugar. The soaping process seemed to change this scent a bit. After soaping it, I thought it smelled more like pomegranate with a hint of sweetness. I liked this FO out of the bottle, but I like it even better in the final soap. This fragrance is clear but discolored the soap to a medium yellow. I did experience a bit of acceleration with this FO, as you can see in the photo on the right. It wasn't anything unmanageable, but the soap did thicken to a pudding-like consistency. While this fragrance oil may not be the best choice for delicate swirls or intricate patterns, it would probably be great for layering. I'm wondering now if maybe there are floral notes in this one since it did accelerate some. But this is a really nice scent and it sticks well. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #7</u></b>:<br />
This one smells like delicate baby roses. It is a good, subtle, true-to-scent rose and isn't powdery or perfume-y at all to me. The scent held up well in cold process soap, staying pretty true to the out-of-the-bottle smell. Again, I was a little worried about acceleration since florals are notorious for speeding up trace, but this FO didn't give me any problems at all. This FO is clear and discoloration was minimal. The finished soap ended up being a slightly off-white.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #8</u></b>:<br />
This was my favorite scent out-of-the-bottle and it's still my favorite now that I've soaped it. It is a fresh, sporty masculine scent, like cologne or aftershave. It reminded me of something and I finally realized that it makes me think of the scent that wafts out of an Abercrombie & Fitch store. The scent stayed true and stuck well in the final soap. This FO has a slightly yellow tint and discolored the soap to a light beige, and it behaved well and didn't give me any problems.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<br />
After testing each FO in cold process soap, I had a little bit left over, enough to test each in two ounces of both clear and white melt-and-pour soap base. Most soapmakers use somewhere between .25 - .50 ounces of FO per pound of M&P base. I usually use about .35 ounces per pound of M&P, which works out to about 1/4 teaspoon for two ounces of soap.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wF89sArtcI/UwvKZGY5FQI/AAAAAAAAA3U/V22OpDu5NCo/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wF89sArtcI/UwvKZGY5FQI/AAAAAAAAA3U/V22OpDu5NCo/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" height="320" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Melt-and-pour soaps</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For my M&P testing, I chopped up and melted down two ounces of <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Clear-Melt-And-Pour-Soap-Base-P3189.aspx" target="_blank">clear melt-and-pour soap base</a> in the microwave (which took only 30 seconds) and added the FO after it had cooled down to about 135 degrees F. Then I poured the soap into a silicone mold and allowed it to set up overnight. I did the same with the <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/White-Melt-And-Pour-Soap-Base-P3191.aspx" target="_blank">white melt-and-pour soap base</a>, too.<br />
<br />
<b>Here's a tip: When melting your M&P base in the microwave, cover your container (I use Pyrex measuring cups) with plastic wrap to keep the moisture from evaporating.</b><br />
<br />
I let the soap hang out for about a week and then took photos of each soap side-by-side with an unscented, uncolored control soap so I could see how the FO affected the final soap.<br />
<br />
Because M&P soap doesn't go through the same saponification process as cold process soap - M&P soap is already saponified - the scent did not change much in the finished soap. With M&P, the out-of-the-bottle scent is pretty much WYSIWYG (what you smell is what you get).<br />
<br />
But FOs can discolor M&P soap, so that's really what I'm testing for here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bz7BlDg4PbU/UwvKW1GyghI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/gWcPYNshl3k/s1600/Collage+clear+MP+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bz7BlDg4PbU/UwvKW1GyghI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/gWcPYNshl3k/s1600/Collage+clear+MP+550.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Clear Melt-and-Pour Results</b><b> (1 Week Later)</b></span></div>
<b><u>Scent #1</u></b>:<br />
This was the Balsam & Citrus-like scent. It discolored the clear melt-and-pour to a medium orange hue.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #2</u></b>:<br />
The watermelon scent. The soap took on a slightly yellow tint.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #3</u></b>:<br />
Honeysuckle. This one also discolored the soap slightly yellow.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #4</u></b>:<br />
This one smelled like sour apple to me, almost like a green apple Jolly Rancher. No real discoloration, but it does seem that the base became a bit more cloudy and less transparent.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #5</u></b>:<br />
The garden scent. No discoloration.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #6</u></b>:<br />
This one smells to me like grapefruit and sugar out of the bottle, and more like sweet pomegranate in cold process soap. The FO gave the soap an orange tint.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #7</u></b><u>:</u><br />
Baby roses. No discoloration.<br />
<b><u></u></b><br />
<b><u>Scent #8</u></b>:<br />
Masculine Abercrombie & Fitch-like cologne scent. This FO gave the soap a very slight yellowish tint.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qfsDn2vSLRY/UwvKW15z2eI/AAAAAAAAA3M/_twXGv1GKCc/s1600/Collage+white+MP+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qfsDn2vSLRY/UwvKW15z2eI/AAAAAAAAA3M/_twXGv1GKCc/s1600/Collage+white+MP+550.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>White Melt-and-Pour Results (1 Week Later)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Scent #1</u></b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Discolored to a light creamy orange.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Scent #2</u></b>: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Discolored to a light creamy yellow.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Scent #3</u></b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Almost no noticeable discoloration. Took on a very slight yellow. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b>Scent #4</b></u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
No discoloration.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b>Scent #5</b></u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
No discoloration.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b>Scent #6</b></u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Almost no noticeable discoloration. Very slight yellowish tint.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Scent #7</u></b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
No discoloration.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Scent #8</u></b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Slight discoloration to a light creamy orange/beige.<br />
<br />
So, how would I rank the mystery scents? Here are my preferences, from most favorite to least favorite: Scent 8 (A&F cologne), Scent 3 (Honeysuckle), Scent 1 (Balsam & Citrus), Scent 6 (Sweet Pomegranate), Scent 7 (Delicate Baby Rose), Scent 4 (Sour Green Apple), Scent 2 (Watermelon), and Scent 5 (Garden).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * * </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Whew, so there you have it! This was a long post, so if you've made it this far, congratulations and thanks for hanging with me!<br />
<br />
I want to say a big thank you to <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/" target="_blank">Bramble Berry</a> for allowing me to be a participant on the Spring 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel! This was a fun experience and I enjoyed being a part of it. I hope that my nose got at least a few of the mystery scents right!<br />
<br />
Which of the mystery scents do you think that you'd most like to see Bramble Berry add to their spring 2014 lineup?</div>
LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-70225694290101837402014-02-08T13:26:00.000-06:002014-02-08T13:26:45.343-06:00S.O.A.P. Panel Fragrances: First Impressions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83PFe3Fntl4/UvZIHpiIYRI/AAAAAAAAA2A/wCo8aFZcF8A/s1600/IMG_0958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83PFe3Fntl4/UvZIHpiIYRI/AAAAAAAAA2A/wCo8aFZcF8A/s1600/IMG_0958.jpg" height="312" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Squee!</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week, my <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/s-o-p-panel-ers-revealed/" target="_blank">S.O.A.P. Panel fragrances</a> arrived! Underneath the pretty tissue paper and official S.O.A.P. seal were eight one-ounce samples of mystery fragrance oils from <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/" target="_blank">Bramble Berry</a>. My job is to test them in at least one bath and beauty product and offer my feedback on each scent. Seven other panelists will do the same and then Bramble Berry will decide, based on our feedback, which scents to offer in their 2014 spring lineup.<br />
<br />
Each mystery scent bottle is labeled with a number, and there are no clues as to what the
fragrance is supposed to be. This is so that the testers won't be
biased and can give honest assessments. And also because it's fun.<br />
<br />
Since this is the spring S.O.A.P. panel, the scents are mostly fruity, floral, or outdoorsy. The day I received the FOs, I did an initial sniff test and took some notes. A few days later, I returned to the scents and my notes and sniffed again, hoping to deepen my interpretation of each fragrance.<br />
<br />
It can be tough to identify scents when you don't know what you are sniffing. It's kind of like trying to figure out who is doing a voice-over in a commercial. Maybe you think you've heard the voice before, or maybe you think you haven't. But then when someone says, "Hey, that sounds like so-and-so," you're like, "Oh, yeah, that's totally who that is!" Same with mystery scents. You may identify some notes or maybe think, "I've smelled this before, but I can't put my finger on it ..." If someone hands you something that is Brown Sugar and Fig-scented and says, "Here, smell this. It's Brown Sugar and Fig," you'll smell it and be all like, "Hey, this totally smells like brown sugar and figs!" But if someone hands you something that is Brown Sugar and Fig-scented and says, "Here, guess what this is," you might be all, "I have no idea, dude."<br />
<br />
So, here are my first takes on the fragrances. And I did purposely avoid reading about the other panelists' impressions until I had organized my own thoughts so that I would not be influenced by their opinions of the scents.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4F7YKuNj0L4/UvZIGWTXQ_I/AAAAAAAAA18/9KrkoFZawUE/s1600/IMG_0959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4F7YKuNj0L4/UvZIGWTXQ_I/AAAAAAAAA18/9KrkoFZawUE/s1600/IMG_0959.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: small;">The mystery S.O.A.P. fragrances</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Okay, here we go:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #1</u></b>: This fragrance reminded me of something I had smelled before. I immediately detected citrus, but also something else. After much sniffing and pondering, I realized that the other note was fir-like and that the scent makes me think of a Balsam & Citrus FO that I bought from another supplier a couple of years ago. This scent makes it into my top three of favorites.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #2</u></b>: This one smells strongly of watermelon with maybe a hint of apple. Very yummy.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #3</u></b>: Strong floral scent. Again, I thought, "I've smelled this before." Sniff, sniff, sniiiiiiiiiff. Ah, it's honeysuckle! This fragrance is my second favorite of the bunch.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #4</u></b>: This one is very sweet and candy-like. To me, it smells like sour apple with a touch of pear or maybe pineapple. It reminds me of a green apple Jolly Rancher.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #5</u></b>: I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, you guys, but I didn't like this fragrance out of the bottle at all. It smells kinda grassy and green, which I usually like, and it also has earthy notes, which I also usually like. But the notes in this scent smell musty and damp, not like the lovely fresh-dirt earthiness of patchouli that I adore. And this may sound weird, but to me it also sorta smells a bit like canned corn. I think it is supposed to be some sort of garden scent. This is my least favorite fragrance. Maybe it will smell better after I've soaped it.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #6</u></b>: Initially this fragrance made me think of Sweet Tarts, but as I kept sniffing, the scent grew sharper and cleaner. Once again, I found myself thinking, "I've smelled this before, what is this?" And then it hit me - grapefruit! And something else - something sweet, like sugar.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #7</u></b>: Another floral scent. This one smells like delicate baby roses. It is a good, subtle, true rose scent. Not powdery or perfume-y at all. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Scent #8</u></b>: This is my favorite fragrance. It is a fresh, clean masculine scent, like cologne or aftershave. Very sporty. I kept thinking that it smells like a men's cologne I've smelled before, but I couldn't remember which one. Then I realized that it reminds me of the scent that wafts out of Abercrombie & Fitch stores. <br />
<br />
With the exception of Scent #5, I enjoyed all of the fragrances. Of course, these are out-of-the-bottle impressions. The scents might be somewhat different in the finished product. Sometimes scents can fade, especially in cold process soap. Or the scent may change a bit, with some notes becoming stronger or mellower in the final soap. It will be interesting to see how each scent holds up after it's been soaped.<br />
<br />
I have already begun testing each fragrance in cold process soap, and I may also experiment with melt-and-pour soap, too. I am taking lots of notes, photos, and video. Later this month, I'll share the results of my testing!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-80092728640086079432014-01-28T16:29:00.000-06:002014-01-28T16:29:07.771-06:00Grapefruit Geranium Hanger SwirlWell, Bramble Berry's <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/s-o-p-panel-ers-revealed/" target="_blank">S.O.A.P. panel</a> mystery FOs are on their way! They've been shipped and now I just have to wait for them to get here. <br />
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In the meantime, I'm finally getting around to trying the <a href="http://thesoapbar.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-hanger-swirl-technique-tutorial.html" target="_blank">hanger swirl</a>! This technique has been around for a while, but I never gave it a try. Honestly, I think what held me back was the idea of having to get out the pliers and alter a coat hanger to fit my mold. I can make soap, but I'm otherwise not very crafty or handy.<br />
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Then I found this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/162533827/hanger-tool-to-make-your-hanger-swirls?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">hanger swirl tool</a> from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/GreatSoapShop" target="_blank">Great Soap Shop</a> on Etsy. It fits Essential Depot's <a href="http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-558/Silicone-Soap-Mold--dsh-/Detail" target="_blank">RED silicone mold</a> - I have the <a href="http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-668/Silicone-Soap-Mold--dsh-/Detail" target="_blank">natural-colored RED mold with the stainless steel basket</a> - and it looks like Michelle offers a hanger swirl tool and straight dividers that fit the RED mold, the Crafter's Choice 1501 or Bramble Berry's 10" silicone molds. (She sells lots of great soaping tools - do check out her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/GreatSoapShop" target="_blank">shop</a>!)<br />
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Celine, the lovely and talented soapmaker behind <a href="http://iamhandmade.com/" target="_blank">iamhandmade.com</a>, created a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS-Cro9YIr4" target="_blank">tutorial</a> to demonstrate how to do the hanger swirl and I followed her tips.<br />
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For the soap, I used a <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/2012/06/palm-free-recipes-day-1/" target="_blank">palm-free recipe</a> from Amanda at <a href="http://www.lovinsoap.com/" target="_blank">Lovin' Soap</a> that includes olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, and rice bran oil. (It's Recipe 1.)<br />
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To color the soap and to add a touch a luxury, I used activated charcoal and red Moroccan clay. The scent is a combination of grapefruit and geranium rose essential oils at a 4:1 ratio. I added the EOs to the cooled oils before adding the lye, and then split the batch in two after reaching trace. One half was colored with the charcoal (1 tsp per pound of oils) and the other with the clay (1 Tbsp per pound of oils). I mixed each with a little glycerin to avoid clumping. Be careful not to overdo it with the charcoal - too much can make your lather gray and possibly stain your washcloths.<br />
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I wanted the soap at about a medium trace so I could layer it. Starting with the black soap, I poured a thin layer maybe a half-inch thick. Then I spooned a pink layer on top of it, being careful not to let it break through the layer beneath. I repeated that process, alternating the colors, until I had built up six layers.<br />
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Next came the fun part! I took my very special hanger swirl tool and carefully pushed it into the soap and onto the bottom of the mold along the side farthest away from me. With the tool on the bottom of the mold, I moved it just a tiny bit toward myself. Then I lifted it straight up, moved it a tiny bit toward myself again, and then pushed it straight down to the bottom again. I repeated the movement until I had traveled all the way across the mold. Then I reversed course and did the same, only pushing the tool away from me this time. I also tried to lift and sink my tool in between the lines I had already created, hitting different spots to maximize the effect.<br />
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When I had moved all the way to the other side again, I was done. I had reserved some soap, and I drizzled it over the top of the loaf. Using a spoon, I texturized the tops, being careful not to disturb the swirled layers beneath.<br />
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Here is a video I made of the process:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yLG5_LjMhHw" width="420"></iframe></center>
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I really like the hanger swirl technique! It's a fun, easy way to create a gorgeous and unique soap bar. I'll be revisiting this method, methinks.<br />
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And the lather on these bars feels so nice! Activated charcoal and red Moroccan clay are supposed to be wonderful for the skin. These bars should be quite luxurious!<br />
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Have you tried the hanger swirl technique? Do you like it?LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-51827051437364456062014-01-19T15:57:00.000-06:002014-01-19T15:57:43.230-06:00Woo-hoo! I Can S.O.A.P.!Hi, everyone! Just a quick update to pass along that <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/s-o-p-panel-ers-revealed/" target="_blank">I was selected to be a member of Bramble Berry's S.O.A.P. panel</a>!<br />
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Last week, I <a href="http://www.lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2014/01/can-i-soap.html" target="_blank">applied</a> for the panel and I found out yesterday morning that I was one of the lucky few chosen to help <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/" target="_blank">Bramble Berry</a> test and select some new fragrance oils for spring 2014. Within the next few weeks, I'll receive eight mystery FOs and try them out in a bath and body product. Then I'll give my feedback about each scent and how it performed. Seven other panel members will do the same, and then Bramble Berry will decide which of the mystery FOs to include in their spring lineup.<br />
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I definitely plan to test my FOs in cold process soap, and possibly melt-and-pour soap, too. <br />
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A big thank you to Bramble Berry for this awesome opportunity, and congratulations to all of the panel members! I'm so excited to be a part of this process, and I can't wait to get started with the mystery scents! I'm also looking forward to following the other panel members and reading about their impressions and experiments.<br />
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More on the S.O.A.P. panel in the weeks to come ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNgc9wuaqMI/UtxAZfjw7TI/AAAAAAAAA1I/uvc5NqVK_QY/s1600/me.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNgc9wuaqMI/UtxAZfjw7TI/AAAAAAAAA1I/uvc5NqVK_QY/s1600/me.JPG" height="400" width="330" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LET'S DO THIS</span></td></tr>
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<br />LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-31763265801039373722014-01-11T16:53:00.000-06:002014-01-11T16:53:54.821-06:00Can I S.O.A.P.?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4E84q7b8HYE/UtFu3SlAmKI/AAAAAAAAA0k/6Eq02IV12_Y/s1600/Me+EO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4E84q7b8HYE/UtFu3SlAmKI/AAAAAAAAA0k/6Eq02IV12_Y/s1600/Me+EO.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>I'm real good at sniffing stuff.</b></i></td></tr>
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It's that time again! Bramble Berry has <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/searching-s-o-p-panel/" target="_blank">announced that they are looking for S.O.A.P. panel members</a> to test some of their new spring fragrances.<br />
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S.O.A.P. stands for "Soap Opinion Awesome Panel," and here's how it works: The selected panel members receive eight one-ounce bottles containing mystery fragrances. The scents are unlabeled in order to get an honest, uninfluenced review of the fragrance. Panel members must test each fragrance in a bath and body product (e.g., cold process soap, melt-and-pour soap, lotion, etc.) of their choice. Then members share their results and give feedback to Bramble Berry.<br />
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In order to be considered for the panel, applicants must blog, Tweet, Facebook, Pin, or Instagram about their favorite BB product and why they should be chosen for the panel (and leave a link to their post in the comments section of the Soap Queen blog post so Bramble Berry sees it). So that's what I'm doing here.<br />
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I got to get a taste of what being on the S.O.A.P. panel would be like about a year and a half ago when <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/08/meeting-soapy-friend.html" target="_blank">I met my soaping friend Laura</a>, who had been picked for the fall/winter panel in 2012. (You can check out more of Laura's soaps <a href="http://silkandclaysoaps.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.) She brought the mystery fragrances along to our lunch date to get my impressions of them. It was great fun to try to decode the scents, and it was interesting to see how closely our noses agreed ... or disagreed. After that, I started thinking, <i>Hmm, maybe one of these days I'll toss my name into the hat when another S.O.A.P. panel opportunity comes along. I think that it would be fun to be a part of the process!</i><br />
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Picking just one favorite Bramble Berry product is difficult, though. Several products come to mind when I think of my favorites. I love their <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Coconut-Oil-P3196.aspx" target="_blank">7-lb. bag of coconut oil</a> because I can pop the plastic bag into the microwave to soften the coconut oil. (Same with their <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Palm-Oil-P3210.aspx" target="_blank">7-lb. bag of palm oil</a> since palm oil needs to be completely melted down and mixed before each use so that the stearic acid doesn't settle at the bottom. The microwaveable bag makes that super easy.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OFW7mhrU6LE/UtFxl0VhF3I/AAAAAAAAA00/_OHBnZKnhiw/s1600/Collage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OFW7mhrU6LE/UtFxl0VhF3I/AAAAAAAAA00/_OHBnZKnhiw/s1600/Collage+1.jpg" height="312" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Bramble Berry's vertical mold</i></b></td></tr>
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And I also love BB's <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Sodium-Hydroxide-Lye-2-lbs-P3037.aspx" target="_blank">lye flakes</a>.
The flakes don't pick up static electricity and jump around or cling
like lye pellets can, and they dissolve well in water, milks, beer, etc.<br />
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If I had to pick only one favorite item from Bramble Berry, though, I'd have to go with their <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Vertical-Wood-Mold-P4927.aspx" target="_blank">vertical mold</a>. It's so easy to create two-toned bars and creative swirls with this mold. The center divider evenly splits the soap into two halves. Lift the divider straight up and out for a half-and-half look, or twist it on the way up to make all sorts of neat effects. And the mold has plastic liners on all sides, eliminating the need to use freezer paper to line it. Unmolding is a breeze, too - one side of the wooden mold can be removed to allow the soap to be released. Once the soap is firm enough, the plastic sides can be gently slid away.<br />
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Here are a few soaps that I have made with the <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Vertical-Wood-Mold-P4927.aspx" target="_blank">vertical mold</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNvYhD4TxzA/UtFxl0tlnpI/AAAAAAAAA04/fgbRd1r7Zu0/s1600/Collage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNvYhD4TxzA/UtFxl0tlnpI/AAAAAAAAA04/fgbRd1r7Zu0/s1600/Collage+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><b>From left to right:</b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/03/peppermint-lemongrass-sage-swirl-soap.html" target="_blank">Peppermint Lemongrass Sage Swirl Soap</a><b> </b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-and-tan-beer-soap-and-surprise.html" target="_blank">Black and Tan Beer Soap </a></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/04/getting-ready-for-soapy-swap.html" target="_blank">Wasabi Swirl Soap</a> </i></div>
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I still need to try <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/vertical-sandalwood-vanilla-soap-with-a-twist/" target="_blank">this look</a>, too. I love the half circles that are made by twisting the divider 180 degrees.<br />
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Being a S.O.A.P. panel member sounds like great fun, and I would love to be considered as a participant! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!<br />
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And if you would like to apply for the panel, head over to the Soap Queen blog and <a href="http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/searching-s-o-p-panel/" target="_blank">check out this post</a>. Be quick about it, though - you've got until January 15 to apply! LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-54698029319233476322013-12-31T16:53:00.000-06:002013-12-31T16:53:45.263-06:00Flashback 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Where has the year gone? And where have the past six weeks in particular gone? I think I heard a <i>whoosh </i>as they rushed by. Things get so hectic around Thanksgiving time, and it continues through the holidays. But in a fun way. And you know what they say - time flies when you're having fun.<br />
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I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday! My husband and I went home to Northwest Florida for Christmas and we had a great time hanging out with family and friends. The time went by too fast, as it always does, but we packed as much fun as we could into the time that we had.<br />
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It's hard to believe that 2013 is almost over. I like to take a look back at the year as it draws to a close. I made quite a few soaps this year, and I am looking forward to making some more in the upcoming year!<br />
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Let's revisit 2013, shall we?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_WBvhfCpXKs/UsH2iEDYuhI/AAAAAAAAA0E/UCfnBSFQ9mg/s1600/Collage+1+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_WBvhfCpXKs/UsH2iEDYuhI/AAAAAAAAA0E/UCfnBSFQ9mg/s1600/Collage+1+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Clockwise from upper-left:</i></b></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/01/shaving-soap-then-and-now.html" target="_blank">Blue Man Shaving Soap</a> (January 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/01/pineapple-ginger-salt-bars.html" target="_blank">Pineapple Ginger Salt Bars</a> (January 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-day-soap-roses-and-champagne.html" target="_blank">Roses & Champagne Valentine's Day Soap</a> (February 2013)</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/03/honeycomb-soap-revisited.html" target="_blank">Honeycomb Soap</a> (March 2013)</i><br />
<i> </i><i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/04/bacon-soap.html" target="_blank">Bacon Soap</a> (April 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/03/peppermint-lemongrass-sage-swirl-soap.html" target="_blank">Peppermint Lemongrass Sage Swirl Soap</a> (March 2013)</i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wz_zJ4arFH8/UsH2iE85MdI/AAAAAAAAA0A/BFEi4uv-IzM/s1600/Collage+2+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wz_zJ4arFH8/UsH2iE85MdI/AAAAAAAAA0A/BFEi4uv-IzM/s1600/Collage+2+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Clockwise from upper-left:</b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/04/getting-ready-for-soapy-swap.html" target="_blank">Wasabi Vertical Swirl Soap</a> (April 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/05/castile-soap-revisited.html" target="_blank">Castille Soap (with mica swirls)</a> (May 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/07/mediterranean-garden-spa-shaving-soap.html" target="_blank">Mediterranean Garden Spa Shaving Soap</a> (July 2013)</i><br />
<i> </i><i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/08/gumball-soap.html" target="_blank">Gumball Soap</a> (August 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/08/geranium-patchouli-soap.html" target="_blank">Geranium Patchouli Soap</a> (August 2013)</i><br />
<i> </i><i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/07/orange-basil-swirled-hearts-soap.html" target="_blank">Orange Basil Swirled Hearts Soap</a> (July 2013)</i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWpj5pghJj8/UsH2iDPGnrI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Hvw6gmN7mHE/s1600/Collage+3+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWpj5pghJj8/UsH2iDPGnrI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Hvw6gmN7mHE/s1600/Collage+3+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Clockwise from upper-left:</i></b></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/09/adventures-in-candlemaking.html" target="_blank">Candy Cane Soy Candles</a> (September 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/09/dolphin-soap-miami-style.html" target="_blank">Dolphin Soap, Miami-Style</a> (September 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/10/snow-day-soap.html" target="_blank">Snow Day Soap</a> (October 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/11/candy-cane-impressionist-swirl-soap.html" target="_blank">Candy Cane Impressionist Swirl Soap</a> (November 2013) </i></div>
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<i> <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/10/pumpkin-gingersnap-soap.html" target="_blank">Pumpkin Gingersnap Soap</a> (October 2013)</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/11/yuletide-cheer-soap.html" target="_blank">Yuletide Cheer Soap</a> (November 2013)</i></div>
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It's hard to pick a favorite from all of the soaps I made this year, but the Orange Basil Swirled Hearts and Snow Day make the short list. As do the Honeycomb soap (which is a favorite in my house) and the Geranium Patchouli (it smells great, and the Red Moroccan Clay is such a nice ingredient). And I discovered salt bars this year, which I especially love for my face! Which reminds me - I need to make more salt bars.</div>
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Goals for the New Year? I plan to finally make some wine soap. And I got some new soaping tools that I'm looking forward to trying out. The hanger, mantra, and peacock swirl techniques are still on my to-do list, and I'm particularly eager to experiment with them.</div>
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The New Year also means that this little blog is nearly two years old now! I published <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/01/greetings-and-salutations.html" target="_blank">my first post</a> here on January 15, 2012. Since then, this blog has grown and I have met some wonderful new friends in the process. I have discovered many new blogs and I enjoy interacting with you all here and on your sites. Thank you to each and every one of you for following me here at my blog as well as on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LatherBeSoaping" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/LatherBeSoaping" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, and <a href="https://plus.google.com/102770522808475999404/posts" target="_blank">Google+</a>. Thanks for coming on this journey with me. You make my soaping adventures even more fun!</div>
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Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve, everyone! And I wish you all a fantastic 2014!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3373649330246824979.post-29871087587922703952013-12-15T14:48:00.000-06:002013-12-15T14:48:38.883-06:00Christmas Packaging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vkn-qSYMmwU/UqaJO-hqUlI/AAAAAAAAAy0/y5GutKCuK_g/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vkn-qSYMmwU/UqaJO-hqUlI/AAAAAAAAAy0/y5GutKCuK_g/s400/IMG_0919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Soaps and candles, packaged up and ready to go under the tree!</em></strong></td></tr>
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The holidays are almost here! Is everybody ready?<br />
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I made it home to Florida earlier this week, and I finished Christmas shopping a couple of days ago. I've got everything wrapped, except for a couple more packages I'm waiting on. <br />
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And, of course, everyone on my list is getting a special something handmade by me. The nice thing about being able to make soap and candles is that your shopping list gets shorter, and everyone likes receiving what you've made! (At least, I think that they do.)<br />
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I started making my holiday soaps in August and had them finished by October. With all of the hustle and bustle from Thanksgiving on, it was a relief to know that a lot of my Christmas gifts were ready to go. There was still labeling and packaging to consider, though, and it seems that no matter how early I get the soaps done, I still end up doing the labels and packaging at the last frantic minute. (But you know what they say - if you wait until the last minute, it takes only a minute.) <br />
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The labels for my soap were made with Microsoft Word. (This <a href="http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=294614.0#axzz2nZptZXKv" target="_blank">tutorial</a> helped me immensely.) As you can see below, the front of the label has a graphic and the name of the soap. The back lists the ingredients and my blog address.<br />
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For the candles, I used <a href="http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/186244/Avery-Easy-Peel-InkjetLaser-Glossy-White/" target="_blank">2.5" round white labels</a> and designed them using a Word template. The stickers fit perfectly on the wide-mouth pint mason jar lids. (The bottom of the jar has a <a href="http://www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/products/candlemakingaccessories_warningcaution-labels-(large-soy).html" target="_blank">caution label</a> - CYA!)<br />
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I wanted to package things up nice and pretty for the holidays. In the past, I've tied bars together with ribbon and then put them in a gift bag. That works fine, but I wanted to do something different this year.<br />
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This Christmas, I went with <a href="http://www.nashvillewraps.com/take-out-boxes/take-out-box/large-red-chinese-take-out-boxes/sku-116512.html" target="_blank">large red Chinese take out boxes</a> and <a href="http://www.nashvillewraps.com/basket-supplies/gable-gift-boxes/c-041296.html" target="_blank">gable gift boxes</a>, stuffed with <a href="http://www.nashvillewraps.com/shreds/eco-friendly-gift-basket-filler/red-green-basket-filler/sku-efzs6rg.html" target="_blank">Eco Fill Christmas Blend filler paper</a>. It's pretty, festive, and the contents are protected. Easy to carry, too.<br />
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The take out boxes are perfect for little presents, like hostess gifts or for when you want to give someone a little something. And the gable boxes can hold several soap bars and a candle.This year, the gift boxes include <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/10/pumpkin-gingersnap-soap.html" target="_blank">Pumpkin Gingersnap,</a> <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/10/snow-day-soap.html" target="_blank">Snow Day,</a> <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/11/yuletide-cheer-soap.html" target="_blank">Yuletide Cheer,</a> and <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/11/candy-cane-impressionist-swirl-soap.html" target="_blank">Candy Cane Swirl</a> soaps. And everyone gets a <a href="http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2013/09/adventures-in-candlemaking.html" target="_blank">soy candle</a>, too - either <a href="http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/cinnabun/-Cinnabun-Type-Fragrance-Oil.html" target="_blank">Cinnabun Type</a> or <a href="http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/rf-416/-Peppermint-Patty-Fragrance-Oil-.html" target="_blank">Peppermint Patty</a>. Yum!<br />
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I hope that everyone on my shopping list likes the soap and candles! And I hope that all of you are enjoying the holiday season. <br />
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This will probably be my last post until just before the New Year, so I want to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy holiday!LatherBeSoapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18018716091511424218noreply@blogger.com24