I’m a huge, huge fan of black licorice. I know the flavor is a bit polarizing and my stance might be a little controversial…but I think it’s delicious! While anise and licorice are completely different, they smell very similar. Produced from the seeds of the anise star, Anise Essential Oil has a wonderful warm and slightly medicinal smell. These Star Anise Melt and Pour Bars are made with a fresh combination of Anise Essential Oil and Orange 10X Essential Oil. The orange notes brighten the anise and create a fantastic blend.
To create a rustic look that complements the smell, real anise stars and cinnamon sticks are embedded into the top of the soap. I just love the way the anise stars look. They give a great holiday feel without being “too Christmas-y.” The green color in these bars come from a natural blend of green zeolite clay and spirulina powder. The anise star can be poky, so keep that in mind when washing with these bars. You may prefer to wash with the bottom of the soap to avoid any scratchiness or peel off the clear melt and pour layer that the scratchy hard embeds in them. Or, you may prefer to use these bars solely as hand soap. They’re just too pretty not to use in some way =)
What You’ll Need:
12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold
50 oz. Shea Melt and Pour Base
13 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
Green Zeolite Clay
Spirulina Powder
.3 oz. Anise Essential Oil
.2 oz. Orange 10x Essential Oil
Anise Stars
Cinnamon Sticks
99% Isopropyl Alcohol
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FRAGRANCE PREP: Mix together the Anise Essential Oil and Orange 10X Essential Oil in a fragrance safe, glass container. Set aside.
COLORANT PREP: In a small container, mix together 1 tsp. spirulina powder in 1 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol. Use a spoon to mix and remove any clumps. In a separate container, mix together 2 tsp. green zeolite clay and 2 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol and stir to remove any clumps.
ONE: Chop and melt 50 oz. of Shea Melt and Pour in the microwave using 30 second bursts. Once completely melted, add the essential oil blend and use a spoon or spatula to stir in thoroughly.
TWO: Add all of the dispersed green zeolite clay and 1 Tbs. of the dispersed spirulina powder. Thoroughly mix in the colorants until there are no clumps.
THREE: Check the temperature of the soap. You want the soap to be around 120-130 ° F. If the soap is too hot when it’s poured into the mold, the majority of the clay will sink to the bottom. Pour the melted soap evenly into each mold cavity and spritz the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set the soap aside to allow to cool and harden. I love these silicone molds because they are so easy to release the soap from.
FOUR: Once the poured green soap has cooled enough to develop a thick skin, arrange the anise stars and cinnamon sticks on the top of each soap to your preference. Then, chop and melt 13 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour in the microwave using 20 second bursts.
FIVE: Once the clear soap is completely melted and is no hotter than 130 ° F, spritz the top of each soap with rubbing alcohol, and carefully pour a thin layer of clear soap on the top of each mold. You want the clear soap to just cover the anise stars and cinnamon sticks. Immediately spritz with alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Repeat with all cavities and allow the soap to fully cool and harden.
SIX: Once hardened, remove from the mold by pulling on the side of each cavity to break the airlock. Then, flip the mold over and press gently on the back of each cavity with your thumb or the palm of your hand until the soap releases. To prevent glycerin dew, wrap each soap in plastic wrap or another airtight container. Wash carefully with each bar, as the anise stars can be a little poky. =) Because of this, you may prefer to use these as hand soap, or wash with the bottom side.
What’s your favorite way to incorporate botanicals into your soapy projects?
Star Anise Melt & Pour Bars
Ingredients
- 12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold
- 50 oz. Shea Melt and Pour Base
- 13 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
- Green Zeolite Clay
- Spirulina Powder
- .3 oz. Anise Essential Oil
- .2 oz. Orange 10x Essential Oil
- Anise Stars
- Cinnamon Sticks
- 99 % Isopropyl Alcohol
Instructions
FRAGRANCE PREP: Mix together the Anise Essential Oil and Orange 10X Essential Oil in a fragrance safe, glass container. Set aside.
COLORANT PREP: In a small container, mix together 1 tsp. spirulina powder in 1 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol. Use a spoon to mix and remove any clumps. In a separate container, mix together 2 tsp. green zeolite clay and 2 Tbs. 99% isopropyl alcohol and stir to remove any clumps.
- Chop and melt 50 oz. of Shea Melt and Pour in the microwave using 30 second bursts. Once completely melted, add the fragrance blend and use a spoon or spatula to stir in thoroughly.
- Add all of the dispersed green zoelite and 1 Tbs. of the dispersed spirulina powder. Thoroughly mix in the colorants until there are no clumps.
- Check the temperature of the soap. You want the soap to be around 120-130 ° F. If the soap is too hot when it’s poured into the mold, the majority of the clay will sink to the bottom. Pour the melted soap evenly into each mold cavity and spritz the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set the soap aside to allow to cool and harden.
- Once the poured green soap has cooled enough to develop a thick skin, chop and melt 13 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour in the microwave using 20 second bursts. Then, arrange the anise stars and cinnamon sticks on the top of each soap to your preference.
- Once the clear soap is completely melted and is no hotter than 130 ° F, spritz the top of each soap with rubbing alcohol, and carefully pour a thin layer of clear soap on the top of each mold. You want the clear soap to just cover the anise stars and cinnamon sticks. Immediately spritz with alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Repeat with all cavities and allow the soap to fully cool and harden.
- Once hardened, remove from the mold by pulling on the side of each cavity to break the airlock. Then, flip the mold over and press gently on the back of each cavity with your thumb or the palm of your hand until the soap releases. To prevent glycerin dew, wrap each soap in plastic wrap or another airtight container. Wash carefully with each bar, as the anise stars can be a little poky. =) Because of this, you may prefer to use these as hand soap, or wash with the bottom side.
