Lemon Tea Soap

My seventh batch of soap was my first play using cosmetic colours approved for use with soap. I recently bought some mica from here, they're also used in mineral makeup.

I decided to use two essential oils - Lemon and Tea Tree ... and the smell is divine.

I put three heaped scoops of grape pop mica, lemon pop mica and red oxide into three plastic cups. I mixed the red oxide with a little water to make sure there were no lumps ... and I should have mixed the mica with a little oil ... so have made a note to do that next time. At light trace I added unscented soap to each of these cups and mixed them well. Then poured each one into a sauce bottle.

Next I added the EO to the main soap and stick blended. Here's were things happened quicker than I expected and I let the soap get to thick trace ... instead of pouring in to the mould at medium trace.

I squirted a few lines of the three colours on the base and sides of the moulds and then gently poured the soap in.

The soap was too thick, so when I started to make 'flower' patterns, the lightly traced coloured soap appeared to 'roll' off the bumps on top of the heavy trace soap. At this point I decided to change the plan and to make lines and patterns with the three colours.

I don't like this looks, but the smell is divine!

Unmoulded logs



Bars up close ... still don't like this look ... but am loving the smell!

Lavender Oats Soap

My sixth batch of soap was my first attempt at layers and I got the idea from a soap I'd seen shared by another member of Soap Making Forum.


I decided to use olive oil and coconut oil, lavender essential oil, pale blue clay to colour the bottom layer, oatbran to mix into the top layer and cocoa powder to sprinkle on top of the first layer, before putting the top layer on ... so there'd be an obvious line. I also chose to add some pearl mica to the top of one mould and to sprinkle some oatmeal on the top of the other mould ... just for something different.


I was careful adding the second layer, by pouring it gently over the back of a spatula, as I'd read this would help prevent the layers mixing. I was so curious during the 'gel' stage ... as I really wanted to see how the layers were working.

I was thrilled when I took the soap out of the moulds about 24 hours later.

I'd read a hint about cutting layered soap and soap with lines in it. Turn the soap on it's side and to cut the soap across the layers, so that you are less likely to affect the layered look. I'm thrilled with how the bars look.

I think I prefer the natual look of the oatbran sprinkled on top, although the pearl mica does have a soft glitter in the light.

The pale blue clay is good for all skin types ... especially mature skin and the oatbran will gently exfoliate the skin.

I love with how this soap looks!

Nag Champa Soap

My fifth batch of soap was my first one for 2011. I was keen to get back to soapmaking after having spent a couple of weeks away on holiday ... plus I was keen to try the Nag Champa FO that I bought from Aussie Soap Supplies. Nag Champa is one of my all time favourite incense flavours.

This was the first time I trialled a recipe I 'made up'. I decided on this one, after more research and reading in a few places, that coconut oil should be no more than 20% of the total oils. I know opinions vary on this, but it was worth trying.


My Nag Champa soap is made of olive oil, rice bran oil and coconut oil. I added 33 gm of Nag Champa FO when the soap mix was 'light trace'. Then I removed about 200 gm and added 8 gm of black oxide (that I'd mixed with a little water) to that. I poured the soap into two silicon moulds, then poured half the 'black soap' down the centre of each. One I mixed it in the top half quite a bit, and the other I barely mixed ... just a few gently swirls.

I covered the moulds with cling and then wrapped them in towels.

24 hours later ... they're still quite soft and I couldn't unmould them due to feeling that my finger would go into the soap. It's hot and humid ... wonder if this is affecting the soaps ability to set.


48 hours later ... the soap is still soft, but I unmoulded it. I left the blocks sitting for a few hours then cut them. The cutting was a bit messy ... I think due to the soap still being too soft.


The smell and the look ... I love them both!

Soapmaking - some things I've learned

Trace

Trace is when there is a 'trace (memory)' of the soap left showing, after some of the mix has been dripped from the mixer ... or you can see a 'drag' mark as the mixer is moved through the soap mix. A light trace is when this is barely visable ... a medium trace is when you can see it clearly but the mix will still pour easily ... and a thick trace is when the soap mix is almost peaking like a meringe mix. I personally have found that if I go to thick trace ... there's a chance the mix won't be so good when I have to spoon it into the moulds ... but it can be done. Thick trace sometimes happens by accident ... an accident known as 'seizing'. This is when you add something, like essential and/or fragrance oils, and the mixtures turns from a light pudding type mix to concrete is a second. It's scary ... but if you can manage to beat this a little to mix whatever it was you were adding, spoon it into moulds, smooth it out, wrap it well ... and hopefully the next day it won't look so bad. Sometimes you may have to toss this mix ... especially if the lye hasn't mixed properly. By checking the ph, you can tell if the lye has mixed properly ... soap when cured should have a ph of 9 or less. If you use your tongue to do the 'zap' test ... 9 or less will result in no zap!

Trace can happen very quickly ... in less than a minute ... or it can take many minutes. Relax and try not to stress ... although be confident you will for the first few batches you make.

After adding the lye mix to the oil mix, mix with a had beater for a minute or two, then stir for a minute or two ... now check if getting to a light trace. If it is ... now might be the time to add your oils (essential and/or fragrance). Light trace is often a good time to remove some soap to add colours. Soap is easy to play with at a light trace, but remember it can become thick very quickly when things are added, or it might still require quite a bit of mixing ... this is dependent on what you're adding and using ... and the temp you mixed at ... and the temp of the day ... so best to relax and work out these things as you go along.

Some people add the essential and/or fragrance oils to the oils before the lye mix is added ... others add them at light trace ... others at medium trace ... and some when the soap mix is a thick trace. What you decide to do, will depend on what you experience ... so keep making soap to you're happy with what you're doing ... and then enjoy it ever more.

Moulds
Make sure your moulds are wrapped up well with towels and/or rugs, after you've put the soap mix in them ... the soap needs a few hours to gel and during that time it gets quite warm (this is the lye working on the oils and making soap ... so make sure the moulds ar on something that won't be damaged by heat. I use a oven rack and have the towels going under the rack, up and over the moulds and tuck in the sides to prevent any draughts. Be careful not to move the moulds, so that the mix moves and sets unbalanced.

Cover the moulds with cling wrap ... before wrapping towels around them. This helps keep the heat in.

I've found the silicon moulds are the easiest to use, as they don't require lining with anything! I like the log silicon mould and have bought a couple on ebay.

I've learned heaps more than this ... and will add more posts like this about essential and/or fragrance oils, colourings etc.

Orange Poppy Seed and Oat Bran Soap

My fourth batch of soap ... and another recipe to try. I'm learning heaps from a forum called 'The Soap Makers' forum and have learned about 'soap calculators' ... places you can enter the quantities of oils you're planning to use and it will tell you how much lye and how much water you need for those oils.

This time I thought about a soap for hands ... with poppy seeds to exfoliate and oat bran to soothe. I've read that orange essential oil won't last due to it being a 'top note' oil, so I used patchouli essential oil to 'anchor' it.


I also mixed about a 1/2 cup of the soap mix with some turmeric to get a golden orange colour. I then mixed this into the top 1/4 of the soaps when they were in the moulds. The colour looks like it might fade, but it was fun trying something different and I like how it looks.

Peppermint with Ground Pumice Soap

For my third batch I used a different combination of oils and this time added a french green clay ... for a hint of colour and it's good for your skin. I used peppermint essential oil and ground pumice stone. I was thinking that this one might be good for Gardener's or for use on dry skin, like around your feet.


I felt much more relaxed making this batch ... think I'm coping better with the 'lye monster'.




The smell is divine ... but I've noted not to use so much essential oil next time!

Cinnamon and Patchouli Soap

I chose to make a second batch, using a slightly different recipe and this time using cinnamon and patchouli essential oils and ground cinnamon to make a swirl ... or to try to make one.

These are the ingredients for this soap.


This soap went to a thick trace much sooner than I expected ... it seemed like it happened after only a few minutes of using the stick blender. I still added the cinnamon and patchouli essential oils. Plus I removed about half a cup of the soap mix and stirred the ground cinnamon into it. Then I returned this to the main mix and stirred it through carefully with some chopsticks. Then put the mix into moulds with a large stainless steel spoon. The mix was too thick to pour in.


24 hours later I unmoulded this soap ... it smelled beautiful, but looks a bit rough.







Next I cut it and decided it doesn't look so bad. Maybe after it's cured for six weeks, it will be an ok batch. Have to remember that cinnamon is not good for people with sensitive skin.

My first batch - Lavender Soap - 27 November 2010

My soap unmould after 24 hours. I sliced the bar from the silicone mould into six pieces.









Up close with the bars of lavender soap









Up close with the muffins of lavender soap


Now I have to wait six weeks to try my first patch! Damn!

Soapmaking Process

Put apron on!
Measured the olive oil in the measuring jug, then into the large saucepan
Measure the coconut oil in the measure jug, then into the large saucepan
Placed the large saucepan on an element, to heat later
Measured the water in a 2 cup pyrex measuring jug

Put gloves on!
These stayed on until after everything was washed up!
Weighed a small glass bowl, then added the lye to this bowl

Took the pyrex measuring jug with the water outside and put it in a cardboard box on my deck
Took the stainless steel mixing spoon and thermometer outside and put them in the cardboard box

Put on my goggles and paper filter face mask!
Carefully carried the glass bowl with the lye outside to my deck and slowly and carefully poured it into the water. You must add the lye to the water, as the reaction of doing it the other way can cause major health risk. Gently stir it with the mixing spoon. I couldn’t smell or feel any fumes, which was a great relief!

NOTE – the lye reacts with the water and will become very hot and fumy, so make sure you and the area around you is protected. Also this is not the time to have children or animals around. Make sure they are safely in bed or inside the house.



I put the thermometer in the lye mixture and it was about 80 C, now you have to wait, until it gets down to 50 C

While waiting I prepared some moulds. I had no idea how many to use, so I had more than I needed, including a mix of plastic, cooking ‘rubbery’ ones, cardboard shoe box, ceramic bowls, glass and pyrex bowls. Also I had wax paper and spray cooking oil.


Next I turned my element on to low to slowly heat the oils


I kept checking on the lye mix to see how the temperature was dropping ... I’ve read that you can cool this down in a sink/bowl of cold water if you need to.




When the temperature of the lye mix was 50 C and the oils 50 C, I added the lye mix to the oils (I had the saucepan with the oils in my sink, ready for this). The colour of the oils became slightly cloudy, but the smell was fine. I think all I could smell was the beautiful coconut oil.





I started to blend with the stick blender. Mix carefully as this mixture remains caustic until the soap has cured. The mixture will be runny to begin with and then slowly it will thicken.


At around the 10 minute mark I recognised that the mixture had thickened and I’m not sure, but it may have already been at ‘trace’.



I added 1 tsp of lavender essential oil and the heads from some lavender flowers

I mixed a little further and I was sure the mixture was now ‘trace’, as I could clearly see ripples on the top and when I removed the blender marks remained on the surface. Plus drops of liquid from the blender left a ‘trace’ on the mixture when they dropped. I suspect my mixture was a little too thick ... but I’m hoping that it will still make great soap.


I now poured this mixture into the moulds I prepared. I had to use a spatula to complete this, due to the mixture being thicker than necessary.

I wrapped the moulds with towels so they won’t cool too quickly and put them on a tray. Now I have to leave them to set ... this is the ‘not so good’ part!


I’ve read to leave the moulds for between 15 hours and a day or two ...

First Batch - Lavender Soap

Here's the protective equipment I used -


Here's the containers and other bits and pieces I need to use -










Here's the moulds I might use ... haven't really decided which ones I'll need, as I have no idea how much soap the recipe will make -


And here's the ingredients for the recipe I'm trialling -

Soapmaking

Four weeks ago I finally found the courage to make my first batch of soap. I'd researched this subject for years and was always a bit scared of the 'lye monster' ... in fact I didn't want to believe that I had to use such a caustic ingredient as potassium hydroxide ... it just seems all wrong to use the main ingredient in drain cleaner when I'm trying to change my lifestyle to be as chemical free as possible.

Finally I did more research and learned about the scientific process that oils and lye go through, and how soap is actually made ... and what happens to that nasty 'lye monster'.

So with that knowledge I got myself the necessary protective equipment ... goggles, paper filter mask, heavy duty gloves and apron ... and made sure all the bits and pieces I wanted to use were either stainless steel, pyrex or plastic ... no other metals.

Then it was about gathering the ingredients, measuring precisely ... making sure the laundry door was shut, so my dog couldn't get outside ... as I decided to mix the water and lye outside ... to keep all 'chemical fall out' away from the inside of my house.

I decided my first soap would be lavender and that I'd keep the mix smallish ... as I really had no idea what would happen.

To be continued ...