Give your cuticles a little winter lovin’ with this nourishing combination of oils. Chia, Argan and Jojoba are packed with vitamins and skin-loving fatty acids, and the additional Vitamin E oil provides a boost of anti-oxidants. This simple oil takes about 10 minutes to create and doubles as a small, thoughtful gift or, economical version of something you spend 10X more for in the salon.
Search Results for: Nourishing Recipe
Creamy Goat Milk Soap Recipe
Goat milk soap is well known for its creamy lather and skin-loving properties. Goat milk is particularly nourishing because of capric-caprylic triglyceride, which helps form a barrier on the skin to help inhibit the loss of moisture. Goat milk also contains vitamins A, D and B6, as well lactic acid which is thought to contribute to skin smoothness. It’s no wonder why goat milk soap is loved by so many!
This goat milk soap recipe contains goat milk from a local farm. Using fresh goat milk is a fantastic way to highlight local products and the unique, handmade properties of your goat milk soap. If you can’t get your hands on fresh goat milk in your area, powdered goat milk is a great alternative. You may also find goat milk at your local grocery store, co-op or farmer’s market.
Creating goat milk soap does take some extra prep work. If you’ve never tried making milk soap before, you may want to get a simpler cold process soap recipe under your belt first (this one is great!). Adding lye to milk can scorch the milk without proper preparation. Freezing the milk first keeps temperatures cool and prevents scorching. Learn how to prep milk for milk soap, and watch this Goat Milk Soap video to see the process in action.
If you’re ready to dive into goat milk soap for the first time, this recipe is perfect. It’s simple with one color and a thick texture, so no need to worry stick blending too much. It’s scented with Oatmeal Milk and Honey, one of our all-time most popular fragrance oils. It does discolor in cold process soap, so titanium dioxide is added to keep the bars light and creamy looking. There is something so appealing about a simple bar of creamy milk soap!
Lavender Kombucha Soap Recipe
Last year, I experimented with brewing my own kombucha, which is a fermented and sweetened tea. I ended up with so much kombucha that I created kombucha soap with the SCOBY to use it up. This recipe uses kombucha produced by a local company, Kombucha Town. Kombucha Town has become a fixture in our community with their local brewery and products in local grocery stores. Using locally brewed products in your recipe highlights the town you call home.
This soap was made with Kombucha Town’s lavender kombucha, so it only made sense to create lavender soap! It’s scented with Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil for a calming scent. A mixture of titanium dioxide and Lavender Mica create a soft purple swirl. It’s topped with dried lavender for a finishing touch. It’s debatable whether or not any of the beneficial properties of kombucha tea hold up during the saponification process. But, the extra sugar does boost lather and kombucha soap is great from a marketing perspective.
If you’ve never made soap with alternative liquids like kombucha, they do require extra prep. First, the kombucha needs to be boiled to get rid of the carbonation. Then, it’s frozen to help keep temperatures cool when the lye flakes are added. You could add the lye to room temperature or cold kombucha if you prefer. Using room temperature or cold kombucha will result in a darker lye solution, and may require more titanium dioxide. This recipe contains a 3% superfat to compensate for the large amount of dispersed colorant in the recipe. The large amount of titanium dioxide can create glycerin rivers, so this recipe has a 10% water discount to prevent that.
Nourishing Nail Polish Formula
Nail polish is an easy way to add color and personality to your look. Nail art has recently flourished, and there are now more nail polish options than ever before. While nail polish is fun, it can take a toll on your nails. This Nourishing Nail Polish Formula contains skin-loving argan oil to help care for your nails while adding color. Mixing the colorant in the oil before adding it to the Suspending Nail Polish Base also makes the blending process easier.
For this recipe, I use argan oil, but any lightweight liquid oil would work. Sweet almond oil, chia seed oil, green tea seed oil, avocado oil or hazelnut oil would all be great choices. While slightly more oil could be added to the mixture, adding too much can prevent the polish from drying. If you’d like to add more oil, make a small test batch first to make sure the polish dries and hardens. This technique also works with other colors. The Radiant Plum Colorant used in this tutorial gives a gorgeous vibrant purple hue.
Keep in mind that nail polish base is extremely flammable; do not make or store your polish near an open flame. Because nail polish can be hard to clean, you may want to cover your counter space with newspaper in case of a spill. If you prefer to mix the polish, oils and colorants in a separate container before pouring it into the bottle, use a nail polish-safe, disposable container.
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Argan Oil Shampoo Recipe
Sunshine, ocean water and hotter temperatures are great for lifting your mood, but unfortunately they can be less than ideal for your locks. To help you achieve healthy, summer-ready hair, we’re rolling out a series of tutorials this week to rejuvenate and refresh your mane.
This Argan Oil shampoo is particularly loving to your hair and scalp. Argan Oil has long been used as an additive to hair products because of its high content of Vitamin E and essential fatty acids. The addition of Nettle and Carrot Extract provide some extra strand-nourishing power.
Check out the other tutorials in this series: Argan Oil Conditioner and Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray
3 Scrub Recipes on Soap Queen TV
We filmed this Soap Queen TV episode earlier in the summer with Erin Pikor of Naiad Soap Arts. We had so much fun on the set (she’s such a hoot to work with)! We couldn’t fit in all of the hilarious out-takes, but don’t worry, we squeezed a couple in.
In this episode, Erin and I demonstrate how to make (and use) not just one, but 3 scrub recipes! The first is Erin’s Salt Glow Scrub with sea salt and nourishing oils. Next, Erin shows how to make her Gentle Facial Scrub with Lavender and Green Zeolite Clay. And finally, I show my favorite sugar lip scrub with luxurious Shea Butter and the super yummy Buttercreme Flavor.
My Favorite Cold Process Recipes
Cold Process Soap is amazing and produces a better bar of soap than most store-bought soaps. It does require research before diving in. If you are not familiar with sodium hydroxide or CP soapmaking, please watch the Soap Queen TV Video on lye and how to use lye properly, or read the lye safety section in the Soap Crafting book. These are my favorite 3 Cold Process soap recipes that I tend to stick to when making soap for classes, family and friends.
The Avocado Moisturizing Bars from the Soap Crafting Book.
Lots of Lather
(my most favorite, tried and true, teach this in every class, really, really hard soap bar)
16 oz. Coconut Oil
16 oz. Palm Oil
16 oz. Olive Oil
2 oz. Castor Oil
16.5 oz. water
7.3 oz. lye
Recommend 3% superfat for best bubbles
Moisturizing
4 oz. Avocado Oil
8 oz. Coconut Oil
1 oz. Jojoba Oil
16 oz. Olive Oil
8 oz. Palm Oil
4 oz. Shea Butter
13.5 oz. water
5.6 oz. lye
Nourishing
2 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
2 oz. Avocado Oil
8 oz. Coconut Oil
2 oz. Hempseed Oil
16 oz. Olive Oil
8 oz. Palm Oil
4 oz. Shea Butter
2 oz. Wheatgerm Oil
2 oz. Vitamin E
14.5 oz. water
6 oz. lye
If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.
For more on Cold Process soaping, check out the following resources:
- Free Beginner’s Guide to Cold Process
- Formulating Cold Process Recipes
- Beginner’s Guide to Oils and Butters
Have a question about this blog post? Come join us at Bramble Berry’s Facebook page and we can help you out with any of your soapy questions!
Cream Soaps – Final Instructions & Recipes
Day 1 – Handmade Lotion Soap
Full instructions for making melt and pour soap are here and here.
10% Handmade Lotion soap
Resulting (yellow) soap is very light, fluffy and floats in water.
Day 2 – Sweet Almond Oil Soap
10% Sweet Almond Oil soap
1 drop Fuchsia Labcolor
25% Sweet Almond Oil Soap
Day 3 – Store-Bought Lotion Soap
10% Store-Bought Lotion soap
25% Store-Bought Lotion Soap
Full instructions for making melt and pour soap are here and here.
Conclusions:
None of the recipes lather very well. This is because the extra oil (from the lotion or the Sweet Almond Oil) is weighing down the bubbles. This causes an oil slick which is moisturizing for your skin.
The recipes with the handmade lotion both float. This is exciting. The resulting bars are light, fluffy and marshmallow like. If you were retailing these bars, you would be selling 25% air. That will help your margins dramatically.
Our favorite recipe is the one with the 25% handmade lotion. It is lighter, and fluffier than the purple (Day 3 Store Bought Lotion) bar and leaves the skin supple and soft.
Good names for these bars would be: Shaving Soap, Cleansing Bar, Nourishing Clean, No Bubbles Bar … Post if you have any other ideas!
The premium I would charge for these bars (extra labor, extra ingredients, more education for the public) would be 25%, or $1-$1.50 extra per bar.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s project. Many thanks to Nicole in Customer Service at BB for her help on this project!
DIY Cleansing Balm with Avocado Oil
🌿 Embrace Moisturized, Protected Skin with DIY Cleansing Facial Balm!
Unmask your natural beauty with this easy-to-make, cost-effective Cleansing Balm! Designed to seamlessly melt away makeup, this balm stands out as a practical alternative to commercial formulas. For those new to the world of solid cleansing balms, consider this your gateway to a realm of skincare enriched with nourishing ingredients. 🌾🍐
This project is fueled with a mixture of lightweight Avocado Oil, soothing Chamomile Extract, and enchanting Natural Juicy Pear Fragrance Oil, allowing you to experience a symphony of refreshing and hydrating sensations. This formula is engineered to loosen makeup effortlessly and ensures that the balm washes away without leaving any greasy residue. 💧🌟
The instructional video included in this blog post is your visual companion to crafting this smooth cleansing balm, guiding you through each step with precision and clarity. 🎥
What You’ll Learn:
- How to blend essential ingredients like Emulsifying Wax and Polysorbate 80 for a smooth application.
- The art of incorporating scents and preserving agents, like the Natural Juicy Pear Fragrance Oil and Optiphen, to enhance the cleansing experience and ensure your product remains mold and bacteria free.
- Detailed application methods focusing on areas with stubborn makeup.
Benefits of this Cleansing Balm:
- Holistic Care: The combination of Avocado Oil and Chamomile Extract nurtures your skin, offering a holistic cleansing experience.
- Eco-Friendly & Cost-Effective: This DIY approach grants you the freedom to control the quality and quantity, proving to be an eco-conscious, economical choice.
- Customizable Scent: The recipe can be modified to include your preferred fragrance or be left unscented.
Whether you’re a seasoned skincare enthusiast or stepping into the world of DIY skincare, this cleansing balm promises a journey of creativity with a useful end product. So why wait? Dive in, create your personalized cleansing balm, and elevate your skincare routine! 🍃💄
Remember, once your skin is free from makeup, follow up with a DIY facial oil to lock in the freshness and let your skin breathe freely. Enjoy the path to clearer, happier skin!
Lemon Poppy Seed Hot Process Soap
Lemon and poppy seeds are a classic combination. This hot process recipe is scented with a bright and bubbly combination of Lemon Verbena and Champagne Fragrance Oil. It’s also made with poppy seeds for exfoliation. The end result is a cheerful bar that smells great and leaves skin feeling smooth.
Love the look of these bars, but prefer cold process soap? This project is based off our popular Lemon Poppy Seed Cold Process Soap. Cold process soap is smoother than hot process, which means you can create a straight mica line. Click here to watch this recipe in action.
One of the great things about this process is the extra heat speeds up saponification. That means the soap is ready to use after 24 hours and it doesn’t need a 4-6 week cure time like cold process soap. We still like to let our hot process soap cure for 1-2 weeks, just to make sure any excess water has evaporated.
Lemon Poppy Seed Hot Process Soap
What You Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
33 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
1 oz. Sodium Lactate
0.5 oz. Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil
1 oz. Champagne Fragrance Oil
Poppy Seeds
Yellow Mica
Activated Charcoal
If you’ve never made hot process soap before, stop here. Check out our FREE four-part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. Bramble Berry also carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 0.5 ounces of Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil and 1 ounce of Champagne Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.
COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of Yellow Mica into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Sunflower, sweet almond, or canola are great options. Stir or use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps. Set aside. Have activated charcoal nearby, along with a powder duster or fine mesh sifter.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add the 4.7 ounces lye to 10.9 ounces distilled water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Once cooled to about 130° F, add the 1 ounce sodium lactate to the lye water. Sodium lactate is used in hot process at 3% of the oil weight to help produce a smoother bar.
TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there’s no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 oz. into your Crock-Pot and turn it on.
NOTE: The heat setting you use may vary depending on your cooking vessel. We have cooked hot process soap on low and high heat with equally good results. For this recipe, we used the high heat setting for a faster cook time. If you’re making hot process soap in your cooking vessel for the first time, start with the low setting. Next time try the high setting and see which you prefer.
THREE: Slowly add the lye water to the oils. Make sure the mixture does not fill up more than half of the pot. Tap the stick blender on the bottom of the pot to release air bubbles and begin to blend.
FOUR: Mix with a stick blender until thick trace. Put the lid on the Crock-Pot and allow the soap to start cooking.
FIVE: After about 10-15 minutes, check the soap. Starting from the outside, the texture and color of the soap will start to change into a glossy, slightly Vaseline-like texture.
NOTE: Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume. Do not leave your soap unattended in the first 10 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, make sure you’re wearing gloves, take the pot off heat, and stir like crazy.
SIX: Stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Place the lid back on the pot and allow it to cook for about another 10-20 minutes. The time may vary depending on the temperature of your Crock-Pot. Keep an eye on it, checking it every 5-10 minutes or so.
SEVEN: The batch is ready when it’s the texture of glossy mashed potatoes. To be sure, use a pH strip. Place a small amount of the soap into a cup of distilled water and stir. Dip the pH strip into the water – it should be below 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap, you don’t want it too dry for the next steps.
EIGHT: Add 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds directly to the soap and stir.
NINE: Add all of the fragrance blend and use a large spatula to stir in thoroughly.
TEN: Use a large spatula to transfer half of the soap to the mold. Tap firmly on the counter to even the soap out and get rid of bubbles. Place about 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal into the powder duster and quickly apply a thin layer onto the soap. Be careful to not add too much, or the top layer may not stick.
ELEVEN: Add all of the dispersed Yellow Mica to the remaining soap and stir. Plop the soap into the mold and use your gloved hands to press it in. Tap firmly on the counter to help the soap evenly distribute.
TWELVE: Allow the soap to stay in the mold for at least 24 hours. Unmold and cut into bars. This soap is ready to use right away, but will last longer in the shower after at least a 2 week cure time. Enjoy!
- 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- 33 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
- 4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
- 10.9 oz. Distilled Water
- 1 oz. Sodium Lactate
- 0.5 oz. Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil
- 1 oz. Champagne Fragrance Oil
- Poppy Seeds
- Yellow Mica
- Activated Charcoal
- Slowly and carefully add the 4.7 ounces lye to 10.9 ounces distilled water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Once cooled to about 130° F, add the 1 ounce sodium lactate to the lye water. Sodium lactate is used in hot process at 3% of the oil weight to help produce a smoother bar.
- Fully melt the entire bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there’s no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 oz. into your Crock-Pot and turn it on. NOTE: The heat setting you use may vary depending on your cooking vessel. We have cooked hot process soap on low and high heat with equally good results. For this recipe, we used the high heat setting for a faster cook time. If you’re making hot process soap in your cooking vessel for the first time, start with the low setting. Next time try the high setting and see which you prefer.
- Slowly add the lye water to the oils. Make sure the mixture does not fill up more than half of the pot. Tap the stick blender on the bottom of the pot to release air bubbles and begin to blend.
- Mix with a stick blender until thick trace. Put the lid on the Crock-Pot and allow the soap to start cooking.
- After about 10-15 minutes, check the soap. Starting from the outside, the texture and color of the soap will start to change into a glossy, slightly Vaseline-like texture. NOTE: Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume. Do not leave your soap unattended in the first 10 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, make sure you’re wearing gloves, take the pot off heat, and stir like crazy.
- Stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Place the lid back on the pot and allow it to cook for about another 10-20 minutes. The time may vary depending on the temperature of your Crock-Pot. Keep an eye on it, checking it every 5-10 minutes or so.
- The batch is ready when it’s the texture of glossy mashed potatoes. To be sure, use a pH strip. Place a small amount of the soap into a cup of distilled water and stir. Dip the pH strip into the water – it should be below 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap, you don’t want it too dry for the next steps.
- Add 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds directly to the soap and stir.
- Add all of the fragrance blend and use a large spatula to stir in thoroughly.
- Use a large spatula to transfer half of the soap to the mold. Tap firmly on the counter to even the soap out and get rid of bubbles. Place about 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal into the powder duster and quickly apply a thin layer onto the soap. Be careful to not add too much, or the top layer may not stick.
- Add all of the dispersed Yellow Mica to the remaining soap and stir. Plop the soap into the mold and use your gloved hands to press it in. Tap firmly on the counter to help the soap evenly distribute.
- Allow the soap to stay in the mold for at least 24 hours. Unmold and cut into bars. This soap is ready to use right away, but will last longer in the shower after at least a 2 week cure time. Enjoy!
Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap
Patchouli essential oil has an earthy, smoky scent. It can elicit strong opinions because it’s an assertive fragrance, but what many people don’t know is how versatile patchouli essential oil is. It adds depth and complexity to a variety of scents. It blends wonderfully with floral, citrus, vanilla, and minty notes.
In this Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap, it’s blended with a touch of lime essential oil. Together they create a bright and earthy scent that’s sure to please. Patchouli is the defining scent of the blend, so if you prefer you can add more lime and less patchouli.
In addition to essential oils, the bars are made with natural activated charcoal, indigo powder, and bentonite clay. Bentonite clay is created from volcanic ash. It gives bath and beauty products a nice slip. This texture is great for shaving soaps, as it helps the razor glide over the skin. Bentonite clay also has strong oil absorbing properties, making it a great choice for oily skin.
Indigo powder creates the lovely gray-blue shade. Promoting gel phase helps the color pop a bit. If you’re looking for a natural blue color, jagua extract is a great option. You can also add a touch of Ultramarine Blue Oxide.
What You Need: Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
1.5 oz. Patchouli Essential Oil
0.5 oz. Lime Essential Oil
Bentonite Clay
Activated Charcoal
Indigo Powder
Titanium Dioxide
If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here. We highly recommend checking out our FREE four-part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking.
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of titanium dioxide into 1 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond. In a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons of indigo powder into 2 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 1 teaspoon of bentonite clay into 3 tablespoons of distilled water – this mixture will be quite thick. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of activated charcoal into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass fragrance oil-safe container, measure out 1.5 ounces of patchouli essential oil and 0.5 ounces of lime essential oil. Set aside.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add 4.6 ounces of lye to 10.9 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into a heat-safe bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
THREE: Add all of the bentonite clay mixture. Pulse and stir with the stick blender to fully incorporate. Clay tends to speed up trace, so be careful to not over blend during this stage.
FOUR: Add all of the essential oil blend and use a whisk to fully mix in.
FIVE: Split the soap into 3 separate containers. One container should hold 350 mL, and the remaining 2 should hold 600 mL. Add the following amounts of dispersed powders and whisk thoroughly.
- Container A (350 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed activated charcoal
- Container B (600 mL): 1 tablespoon dispersed indigo powder + 1/2 teaspoon dispersed titanium dioxide
- Container C (600 mL): remaining dispersed titanium dioxide
SIX: At this point you want the soap to be a medium trace – thin enough to pour, but thick enough that it slightly holds its shape. If it’s still thin, quickly pulse each container with the stick blender starting from lightest to darkest. Once you reach a good texture, begin pouring small dollops of the blue soap into the mold in different areas. Don’t worry too much about the placement of the plops or making them the same size.
SEVEN: Pour plops of the white soap on top of the blue, followed by dollops of the black soap. Because you have less black soap, make these plops slightly smaller.
EIGHT: Continue to layer the various colors into the mold. The more dollops the more layers your soap will have. Alternating the spots you pour and the amounts will also create more variety in your bars. There’s really no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it.
TIP: If your soap gets grainy, whisk until it’s smooth. If it gets too thick to pour, use a spoon to layer the soap.
NINE: Once all the soap is in the mold, use a spoon to create texture on top. We created a side wave pattern by moving the spoon in one direction vertically down the mold.
TEN: Once you’re happy with the top, spritz it with 99% isopropyl alcohol. To help the indigo powder pop, we placed this soap on a heating pad set to medium high for about 2 hours to promote gel phase. Learn more about gel phase here.
Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
- 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- 33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
- 4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 10.9 oz. Distilled Water
- 1.5 oz. Patchouli Essential Oil
- 0.5 oz. Lime Essential Oil
- Bentonite Clay
- Activated Charcoal
- Indigo Powder
- Titanium Dioxide
- Slowly and carefully add 4.6 ounces of lye to 10.9 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
- Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into a heat-safe bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
- Add all of the bentonite clay mixture. Pulse and stir with the stick blender to fully incorporate. Clay tends to speed up trace, so be careful to not over blend during this stage.
- Add all of the essential oil blend and use a whisk to fully mix in.
- Split the soap into 3 separate containers. One container should hold 350 mL, and the remaining 2 should hold 600 mL. Add the following amounts of dispersed powders and whisk thoroughly.
Container A (350 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed activated charcoal
Container B (600 mL): 1 tablespoon dispersed indigo powder + ½ teaspoon dispersed titanium dioxide
Container C (600 mL): remaining dispersed titanium dioxide - At this point you want the soap to be a medium trace – thin enough to pour, but thick enough that it slightly holds its shape. If it’s still thin, quickly pulse each container with the stick blender starting from lightest to darkest. Once you reach a good texture, begin pouring small dollops of the blue soap into the mold in different areas. Don’t worry too much about the placement of the plops or making them the same size.
- Pour plops of the white soap on top of the blue, followed by dollops of the black soap. Because you have less black soap, make these plops slightly smaller.
- Continue to layer the various colors into the mold. The more dollops the more layers your soap will have. Alternating the spots you pour and the amounts will also create more variety in your bars. There’s really no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it. TIP: If your soap gets grainy, whisk until it’s smooth. If it gets too thick to pour, use a spoon to layer the soap.
- Once all the soap is in the mold, use a spoon to create texture on top. We created a side wave pattern by moving the spoon in one direction vertically down the mold.
- Once you’re happy with the top, spritz it with 99% isopropyl alcohol. To help the indigo powder pop, we placed this soap on a heating pad set to medium high for about 2 hours to promote gel phase. Learn more about gel phase here. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
Hydrating Body Butter Sticks
If your skin is extremely dry, moisturizing products like body butter and lotion bars work wonders. These body butter sticks are made with a combination of nourishing avocado butter, sweet almond oil, and oat oil. Beeswax helps them harden and protects the skin. They are lightly scented with warm and inviting Cashmere Fragrance Oil. With notes of white magnolia and violet, it’s perfect for leave-on products.
Once mixed together, the recipe is poured into twist tubes. They’re easy to use – first ensure the clear cap at the top is in place, then secure it by twisting on the top firmly. Flip the tube over and pour the mixture into the hole in the bottom. Allow to cool and secure the bottom with the base.
Allow the body butter to cool and harden for several hours or up to overnight before removing the clear cap. If it’s removed too early, it could stick. When you’re ready to use, twist up the body butter and apply to dry skin.
To give the twist tubes a polished look that’s ready to give, download the Body Butter Stick Labels. It’s a free PDF that can be printed on label paper. The document includes both the black and gray versions, so you can choose the color combination you prefer.
Hydrating Body Butter Sticks
What You Need:
About 10 Twist Tubes (white or black)
3.5 oz. Avocado Butter
3 oz. White Beeswax
2.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz. Oat Oil
0.2 oz. Cashmere Fragrance Oil
Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: In a heat-safe container, add 1 ounce of oat oil, 3.5 ounces of avocado butter, 3 ounces of white beeswax, and 2.5 ounces of sweet almond oil. Place the container in the microwave and melt using 30-60 second bursts. The beeswax will take longer to melt than the other ingredients. Use caution when removing the container from the microwave – it will be hot.
TWO: Add 0.2 ounces of Cashmere Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly stir in.
THREE: Make sure the clear cap is on the tube and screw the top securely. Flip over, then pull off the base cap and pour in the mixture.
TIP: If you overfill the twist tubes, you can use a dropper to remove the excess oil.
FOUR: Allow the product to fully set, then press the base cap in securely and enjoy.
- About 10 Twist Tubes (white or black)
- 3.5 oz. Avocado Butter
- 3 oz. White Beeswax
- 2.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
- 1 oz. Oat Oil
- 0.2 oz. Cashmere Fragrance Oil
- In a heat-safe container, add 1 ounce of oat oil, 3.5 ounces of avocado butter, 3 ounces of white beeswax, and 2.5 ounces of sweet almond oil. Place the container in the microwave and melt using 30-60 second bursts. The beeswax will take longer to melt than the other ingredients. Use caution when removing the container from the microwave – it will be hot.
- Add 0.2 ounces of Cashmere Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly stir in.
- Make sure the clear cap is on the tube and screw the top securely. Flip over, then pull off the base cap and pour in the mixture. TIP: If you overfill the twist tubes, you can use a dropper to remove the excess oil.
- Allow the product to fully set, then press the base cap in securely and enjoy.
Alpine Swirl Cold Process Soap
New Alpine Frost Fragrance Oil will be your go-to winter scent. The notes of eucalyptus, sparkling icicle, amber, and musk inspired this cold process soap.
The blue and white color palette complements the fragrance perfectly. Soap colored with Ultramarine Blue Pigment, Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant, and titanium dioxide are poured into the mold with a drop swirl technique. A Hanger Swirl Tool is used to create a more intricate design. The best part is you don’t have to be too careful with the design and each bar will look unique.
What You Need: Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!Alpine Swirl Cold Process Soap
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Hanger Swirl Tool
3.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
1 oz. Castor Oil (2.8%)
8.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25.1%)
8.8 oz. Olive Oil (25.1%)
8.8 oz. Palm Oil (25.1%)
4.2 oz. Rice Bran Oil (12%)
4.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.4 oz. Distilled Water (10% water discount)
1.75 oz. Alpine Frost Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Ultramarine Blue Pigment
Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant
If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here. We highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking.
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of titanium dioxide into 1 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond. Then in separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of Ultramarine Blue Pigment and 1 teaspoon of Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass fragrance oil-safe container, measure out 1.75 ounces of Alpine Frost Fragrance Oil and set aside.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add 4.9 ounces of lye to 10.4 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
TWO: Melt and combine 3.5 ounces of avocado oil, 1 ounce of castor oil, 8.8 ounces of coconut oil, 8.8 ounces of olive oil, 8.8 ounces of palm oil (remember to fully melt the entire container of palm oil before portioning), and 4.2 ounces of rice bran oil into a large mixing bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
THREE: Split the soap into three separate containers and add the following colors. Use a whisk to mix them in.
- Container A (300 mL ): 1.5 teaspoons dispersed Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant
- Container B (300 mL): 2 teaspoons dispersed Ultramarine Blue Pigment
- Container C (remaining soap): All dispersed titanium dioxide
FOUR: Add the 1.75 ounces of Alpine Frost Fragrance Oil to each container proportionally – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to mix in the fragrance.
FIVE: Pour a small amount of the white soap into the mold – just enough to cover the bottom. Then alternate pouring small amounts of the dark blue, white, and light blue soap into the mold at varying heights. That helps the soap drop to different areas of the mold rather than sitting on top and creating layers. Don’t worry about being too precise when you’re pouring.
Tip: Pouring white soap between the two shades of blue helps define the swirls.
SIX: Continue pouring the soap into the mold. Save a very small amount of each color for the top.
SEVEN: Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into one side of the mold. Then, use loop-de-loop motions to swirl the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this necessarily, but different motions and patterns will result in slightly different looking swirl. Some loops should be big and some small. Varying the direction (horizontal versus vertical) also creates a more complex swirl. Once you’ve swirled the soap about 7-10 times, remove the Hanger Swirl Tool by bringing it up and out on one side of the mold.
EIGHT: Pour or plop (depending on your trace – ours was quite thick at this point) dollops of the remaining soap on top. Don’t worry too much about the placement of each color.
NINE: Use the back of a spoon to create peaks and divots into the soap. Have fun with the texture – there is no right or wrong way to do it. Watch this video for cold process soap texture inspiration.
TEN: Once you’re happy with the top, spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol. We placed this soap on a heating pad for about 1 hour to help promote gel phase. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 1-3 days (depending if you used sodium lactate or not). Unmold and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
- 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- Hanger Swirl Tool
- 3.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
- 1 oz. Castor Oil (2.8%)
- 8.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25.1%)
- 8.8 oz. Olive Oil (25.1%)
- 8.8 oz. Palm Oil (25.1%)
- 4.2 oz. Rice Bran Oil (12%)
- 4.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 10.4 oz. Distilled Water (10% water discount)
- 1.75 oz. Alpine Frost Fragrance Oil
- Titanium Dioxide
- Ultramarine Blue Pigment
- Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant
- Slowly and carefully add 4.9 ounces of lye to 10.4 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
- Melt and combine 3.5 ounces of avocado oil, 1 ounce of castor oil, 8.8 ounces of coconut oil, 8.8 ounces of olive oil, 8.8 ounces of palm oil (remember to fully melt the entire container of palm oil before portioning), and 4.2 ounces of rice bran oil into a large mixing bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
- Split the soap into three separate containers and add the following colors. Use a whisk to mix them in.
Container A (300 mL ): 1.5 teaspoons dispersed Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant
Container B (300 mL): 2 teaspoons dispersed Ultramarine Blue Pigment
Container C (remaining soap): All dispersed titanium dioxide - Add the 1.75 ounces of Alpine Frost Fragrance Oil to each container proportionally – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to mix in the fragrance.
- Pour a small amount of the white soap into the mold – just enough to cover the bottom. Then alternate pouring small amounts of the dark blue, white, and light blue soap into the mold at varying heights. That helps the soap drop to different areas of the mold rather than sitting on top and creating layers. Don’t worry about being too precise when you’re pouring. Tip: Pouring white soap between the two shades of blue helps define the swirls.
- Continue pouring the soap into the mold. Save a very small amount of each color for the top.
- Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into one side of the mold. Then, use loop-de-loop motions to swirl the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this necessarily, but different motions and patterns will result in slightly different looking swirl. Some loops should be big and some small. Varying the direction (horizontal versus vertical) also creates a more complex swirl. Once you’ve swirled the soap about 7-10 times, remove the Hanger Swirl Tool by bringing it up and out on one side of the mold.
- Pour or plop (depending on your trace – ours was quite thick at this point) dollops of the remaining soap on top. Don’t worry too much about the placement of each color.
- Use the back of a spoon to create peaks and divots into the soap. Have fun with the texture – there is no right or wrong way to do it.
- Once you’re happy with the top, spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol. We placed this soap on a heating pad for about 1 hour to help promote gel phase. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 1-3 days (depending if you used sodium lactate or not). Unmold and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
Birchwood Oud Cold Process Soap
Birch trees are known for their beautiful white trunks. The colors and textures of those trees, along with new Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil, inspired this cold process soap. These bars feature two layers separated by a line of activated charcoal. The bottom half is colored with activated charcoal and the top layer is made using the Clyde Slide technique. If you’re an advanced soaper ready for a challenge, this project is for you.
This recipe contains several luxurious oils including jojoba oil, chia seed oil, and lingonberry seed oil. Coconut oil and palm oil add cleansing properties and firmness to the bars. Olive oil is moisturizing and slows down trace, which allows for the complicated swirl on top.
The Clyde Slide technique was made popular by Clyde Yoshida of Vibrant Soap. It involves layering soap into a large bowl and then pouring it in the mold. It can result in very different swirls depending on the number of layers, the thickness of trace, and how the soap is poured into the mold. We recommend always using a well-behaving fragrance oil for this technique, and be ready to work quickly but carefully.
Check out the winners from Amy Warden’s Clyde Slide challenge several years ago to see the wide range of swirls that can be created with the technique. We love how each bar looks so different!
What You Need: Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!Birchwood Oud Cold Process Soap
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
13.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
2.8 oz. Jojoba Oil (5.1%)
5.5 oz. Lingonberry Seed Oil (10%)
2.8 oz. Chia Seed Oil (5%)
16.5 oz. Olive Oil (29.9%)
13.7 oz. Palm Oil (24.9%)
7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
16.4 oz. Distilled Water (10% water discount)
3.5 oz. Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Activated Charcoal
Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
Evergreen Mica
If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here. We highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking.
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of titanium dioxide into 1 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond. In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Green Chrome Oxide Pigment and 1/2 teaspoon Evergreen Mica into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal into 1 tablespoon of lightweight oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass fragrance oil-safe container, measure out 3.5 ounces of Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil and set aside.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add 7.6 ounces of lye to 16.4 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
TWO: Melt and combine 13.8 ounces of coconut oil, 2.8 ounces of jojoba oil, 5.5 ounces of lingonberry seed oil, 2.8 ounces of chia seed oil, 16.5 ounces of olive oil, and 13.7 ounces of palm oil (completely melt the entire container of palm oil before portioning) into a large mixing bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
THREE: Pour off 800 mL of soap into a separate container and add 1.5 teaspoons of dispersed activated charcoal.
FOUR: Add a proportional amount of the measured Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil to the gray soap – it’s okay to eyeball it.
FIVE: Stick blend the soap for a few pulses to fully mix in the fragrance and colorant, and to reach a slightly thicker trace. The soap needs to be thin enough to pour and spread out in the mold evenly. You want the soap to be smooth and not hold any texture. That will give you the straightest layer.
SIX: Pour all of the gray soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and to evenly distribute the soap.
NOTE: If this layer of soap gets too thick, you may want to texture the soap with a spoon to create a purposefully uneven layer. It will still look great, just a little bit different. You can see that technique in the Lingonberry Spice Cold Process Soap or the Coastal Rain Cold Process Soap.
SEVEN: Place a spoonful of activated charcoal into a Powder Duster. Use your finger to gently tap the Powder Duster and apply a thin, even layer of charcoal. Work quickly but carefully – activated charcoal can be a pain to clean up. Once the entire layer of soap is covered with a layer of charcoal, set the mold aside.
EIGHT: Section off the remaining soap into separate containers. Add the following amounts of dispersed colorants to each container, and mix them in with a whisk.
- Container A (700 mL): All dispersed titanium dioxide
- Container B (400 mL): Remaining dispersed activated charcoal
- Container C (400 mL): 1/4 teaspoon dispersed Green Chrome Oxide + 1/2 teaspoon dispersed Evergreen Mica
NINE: Pour the remaining Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil into the three containers proportionally – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance.
TEN: Begin pouring white soap into the large bowl, allowing it to run down the side. As you pour, count 1, 2, 3, 4 to keep each pour consistent. The exact amount of soap you pour at a time is up to you. The more soap you pour into the bowl at a time, the fewer total layers there will be.
NOTE: We tilted the bowl while pouring to help the soap run down the side of the bowl more. This could make pouring trickier. If it feels too unstable, leave the bowl level on the table. Just be very careful when pouring that the soap doesn’t drop into the soap and break through to the layers in the bowl.
ELEVEN: Continue pouring the soap into the bowl in the pattern of white, black, white, green. Counting while pouring helps keep the pours consistent.
TWELVE: Once all of the soap is in the large bowl, begin to pour the soap into a corner of the mold. Be very careful – you don’t want the soap to break through the layer below.
THIRTEEN: As the mold begins to fill up, slowly move the bowl down the length of the mold while pouring.
FOURTEEN: Once there is about 1/4 of the soap left to pour, begin moving the bowl down the length of the mold more and more to create long stripes. Try to pour as straight as you can.
FIFTEEN: Once all the soap has been poured, tap the mold on the counter to get rid of bubbles. Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. To help the colors pop, we forced the soap through gel phase by placing it on a heating pad set to medium-high for about 1-2 hours. We covered the mold using cardboard and a towel to insulate for 24 hours.
SIXTEEN: Remove the soap from the mold after 1-3 days (depending if you used sodium lactate or not). Cut the soap into bars. After the bars were cut, we used the Soap Shaver to smooth the tops. Adjust the shaver to only slice off a small amount and quickly slide the soap over the blade. Continue to do this until you’re happy with the look of the top. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
The two bars in the top left haven’t been shaved while the three bars on the right have. You’ll notice the Soap Shaver took off a bit of soda ash, which made the colors look more vibrant. The smooth and even texture also looks more polished.
- 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
- 13.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
- 2.8 oz. Jojoba Oil (5.1%)
- 5.5 oz. Lingonberry Seed Oil (10%)
- 2.8 oz. Chia Seed Oil (5%)
- 16.5 oz. Olive Oil (29.9%)
- 13.7 oz. Palm Oil (24.9%)
- 7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 16.4 oz. Distilled Water (10% water discount)
- 3.5 oz. Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil
- Titanium Dioxide
- Activated Charcoal
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
- Evergreen Mica
- Slowly and carefully add 7.6 ounces of lye to 16.4 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
- Melt and combine 13.8 ounces of coconut oil, 2.8 ounces of jojoba oil, 5.5 ounces of lingonberry seed oil, 2.8 ounces of chia seed oil, 16.5 ounces of olive oil, and 13.7 ounces of palm oil (completely melt the entire container of palm oil before portioning) into a large mixing bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
- Pour off 800 mL of soap into a separate container and add 1.5 teaspoons of dispersed activated charcoal.
- Add a proportional amount of the measured Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil to the gray soap – it’s okay to eyeball it.
- Stick blend the soap for a few pulses to fully mix in the fragrance and colorant, and to reach a slightly thicker trace. The soap needs to be thin enough to pour and spread out in the mold evenly. You want the soap to be smooth and not hold any texture. That will give you the straightest layer.
- Pour all of the gray soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and to evenly distribute the soap. NOTE: If this layer of soap gets too thick, you may want to texture the soap with a spoon to create a purposefully uneven layer. It will still look great, just a little bit different.
- Place a spoonful of activated charcoal into a Powder Duster. Use your finger to gently tap the Powder Duster and apply a thin, even layer of charcoal. Work quickly but carefully – activated charcoal can be a pain to clean up. Once the entire layer of soap is covered with a layer of charcoal, set the mold aside.
- Section off the remaining soap into separate containers. Add the following amounts of dispersed colorants to each container, and mix them in with a whisk.
Container A (700 mL): All dispersed titanium dioxide
Container B (400 mL): Remaining dispersed activated charcoal
Container C (400 mL): ¼ teaspoon dispersed Green Chrome Oxide + ½ teaspoon dispersed Evergreen Mica - Pour the remaining Birchwood Oud Fragrance Oil into the three containers proportionally – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance.
- Begin pouring white soap into the large bowl, allowing it to run down the side. As you pour, count 1, 2, 3, 4 to keep each pour consistent. The exact amount of soap you pour at a time is up to you. The more soap you pour into the bowl at a time, the fewer total layers there will be. NOTE: We tilted the bowl while pouring to help the soap run down the side of the bowl more. This could make pouring trickier. If it feels too unstable, leave the bowl level on the table. Just be very careful when pouring that the soap doesn’t drop into the soap and break through to the layers in the bowl.
- Continue pouring the soap into the bowl in the pattern of white, black, white, green. Counting while pouring helps keep the pours consistent.
- Once all of the soap is in the large bowl, begin to pour the soap into a corner of the mold. Be very careful – you don’t want the soap to break through the layer below.
- As the mold begins to fill up, slowly move the bowl down the length of the mold while pouring.
- Once there is about ¼ of the soap left to pour, begin moving the bowl down the length of the mold more and more to create long stripes. Try to pour as straight as you can.
- Once all the soap has been poured, tap the mold on the counter to get rid of bubbles. Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. To help the colors pop, we forced the soap through gel phase by placing it on a heating pad set to medium-high for about 1-2 hours. We covered the mold using cardboard and a towel to insulate for 24 hours.
- Remove the soap from the mold after 1-3 days (depending if you used sodium lactate or not). Cut the soap into bars. After the bars were cut, we used the Soap Shaver to smooth the tops. Adjust the shaver to only slice off a small amount and quickly slide the soap over the blade. Continue to do this until you’re happy with the look of the top. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
- The two bars in the top left haven’t been shaved while the three bars on the right have. You’ll notice the Soap Shaver took off a bit of soda ash, which made the colors look more vibrant. The smooth and even texture also looks more polished.