Cold Process Soap Archives - Page 8 of 8

Back to Basics: Crisp Cotton Swirl Cold Process

July 30, 2015 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Today the Back to Basics series wraps up with the final tutorial, this Crisp Cotton Swirl Cold Process Soap. Swirls in cold process soap require a thin trace, so it’s important to not over stick blend the batter. It helps to have a recipe with a large percentage of slow moving oils, like olive or canola. If you missed the previous three Back to Basic tutorials, be sure to check them out! The tutorials are accompanied by the Back to Basic Soapmaking Kit, which includes all the ingredients (except lye) you need to make the four projects. Now, let’s get swirling!

Creating swirls in cold process soap takes a little bit of practice. Swirls require a good understanding of trace; it’s crucial that the soap does not become too thick or the soap will not swirl together. On the flip side, the soap cannot be too thin or the colors may muddle together. Learn more about trace here. The key is a recipe that contains plenty of slow moving oils, like canola or olive oil. It’s also important to choose a fragrance oil that behaves well in cold process soap, and does not cause the soap to accelerate. This recipe contains 30% olive oil and 25% canola oil to make sure you have plenty of time to work. It also uses Crisp Cotton Fragrance Oil, which does not accelerate trace.

The type of swirl used in this bar is referred to as a “drop swirl.” This means the colors are poured, or “dropped,” into the mold from varying heights. As the soap is poured, it will begin to swirl inside the mold. For this project, we also used the Hanger Swirl Tool to give the soap extra movement. This project is colored with Titanium Dioxide and Ultramarine Blue pigments. These colorants do not bleed into each other, which is the key to crisp and clean swirls. If you have never prepped colorants for cold process soap before, check out this Soap Queen TV video to learn how.

[Read more…]

Back to Basics: Creamy Orange Cold Process Tutorial

July 23, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Today is the second tutorial in the Back to Basics Cold Process Series. Now that we have made a basic recipe with coconut oil, palm oil and olive oil, we are adding cocoa butter into the mix! The addition of cocoa butter adds to the firmness of the bar. It also causes the soap batter to reach a thick trace more quickly. In addition, 10X Orange Essential Oil is added to give this soap a beautiful, natural orange color. The Back to Basics Soapmaking Kit includes all the soaping ingredients you need to create all four recipes in this series, including the 10″ Silicone Mold. Now, let’s get soaping!

The soap bands shown above are included in the Back to Basics Kit!

One of the most best parts of soap making is trying out different oils and butters. It’s interesting to see how various oils and butters affect trace and the final product. There are so many soaping oils, it can take a few batches to find “the perfect bar” for you. Everybody likes different soap properties (cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating, etc), so it’s fun to experiment! This recipe is comprised of coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil and cocoa butter. To learn more about properties of common soap making oils, check out this blog post.

The coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter contribute to the firmness of the bar. A large percentage of olive oil is used to give the bar softness. In addition to firmness, coconut oil also gives the bar a lush lather and cleansing properties. Cocoa butter is used at 10% for firmness and for its skin loving properties. Cocoa butter is a stable fat and also contains natural antioxidants, making it a popular choice for cold process recipes. Read more about it in this Sunday Night Spotlight.

[Read more…]

Back to Basics: Lye Safety Guide

July 20, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Starting today, we are revisiting the basics of cold process soap with the Back to Basic series. Over the next two weeks, we will cover basic concepts and tutorials designed for the beginner in mind. If you have never made cold process soap before, now is the perfect time! The Back to Basics Soapmaking Kit includes all the ingredients you need to make all 4 projects. If you are a seasoned soaper, it’s always good for a little refresher course. For our first lesson, we are covering the most important part of soaping (other than having fun)…safety! In particular, we are chatting about lye safety, including how to safely mix and handle your lye solution. Pencils ready? Let’s get started!

In order to make soap, oils must emulsify with lye, which begins the saponification process. During this process it’s important to make safety a top priority. Sodium hydroxide lye is an inorganic compound commonly found in drain cleaners like Draino. Sodium hydroxide lye is highly caustic and has the potential to burn the skin. Like driving a car, sodium hydroxide is safe when handled properly. But because lye has the potential to be extremely dangerous, it’s important to take every safety precaution when making cold process soap.

Sodium hydroxide lye is available in various forms, such as flakes, pellets and powder. To make cold process soap, lye is introduced to a liquid like distilled water. The liquid dissolves the lye and creates a lye solution. Mixing water and lye creates an exothermic reaction that causes a dramatic temperature increase. Adding lye to room temperature water can cause the water to reach temperatures up to 200 ° F. The mixture also creates fumes, which should not be inhaled.

[Read more…]

When to Insulate Handmade Soap

June 10, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Temperature plays a very important part in soaping. It can affect the trace, color, texture and scent of your final soap. In general, we recommend soaping at around 120-130 ° F. This means that both the lye and oil are this temperature range immediately before the two are combined and the saponification process begins.

An important factor that affects the temperature of your cold process soap is insulating it after it has been poured into the mold. Insulating the soap involves covering the mold with a lid or homemade device (we often use cardboard) to keep the soap warm. In addition to covering the soap with a lid or cardboard, you can also wrap the mold in a blanket to insulate. For soap that has a textured top, I recommend creating a “tent” with cardboard and cover with a blanket to ensure the top of your soap is not smashed. Below is a soap covered in cardboard and wrapped in a blanket. I always write a little note so people don’t disturb the soap =)

Above, soap is being insulated with a lid and cardboard to promote gel phase.
[Read more…]

Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial

April 23, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Soap made with goat milk is popular, but did you know luxurious soap can also be made with cow milk? For this Creamy Cow Milk Cold Process Tutorial, whole cow milk is used to add extra moisture and skin-loving properties. Full of contrast, this project features black and white layers reminiscent of a cow pattern. The scent combination of Vanilla Rosewood and Grass Stain fragrance oils creates a blend that is both warm and green…similar to a barn!

Freezing the cow milk before adding the lye prevents the milk from scorching. For a step by step tutorial of this process, check out this How to Add Lye to Milk for Cold Process Soap blog post. When selecting milk for soap making, be on the lookout for the least amount of additives such as vitamins, preservatives or thickeners. These additives can cause unpredictable soaping results. It can be difficult to find milk without vitamins. This recipe uses whole milk with added vitamin D; it worked great. You can also use skim, 1% or 2% milk if you’d like.

[Read more…]

Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar on Soap Queen TV

April 9, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

In soap making, the term “bastille,” commonly refers to cold process soap made with at least 70% olive oil. Olive oil is extremely gentle, making it the perfect oil for delicate or sensitive skin. This Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar is comprised of olive oil and a small amount of coconut oil for cleansing properties. This recipe also uses luxurious and moisturizing buttermilk. Carrot puree which is known for its antioxidant properties, is added at trace to give the soap a soft natural color. All these skin-loving and gentle ingredients make this bar great for babies and young children.

This skin-loving soap recipe was generously shared by Amanda from Lovin Soap (check out the original blog post here). Making soap with milk is an advanced soap technique. The key to milk soap is keeping the temperatures low by freezing the milk beforehand. Watch the video below to learn how, and check out the How to Add Lye to Milk for Cold Process Soap post. If you have never made cold process soap before, check out the Basics of Cold Process Soapmaking video series on Soap Queen TV; in particular, be sure to watch the video on lye safety.

What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
27 oz. Olive Oil- Pomace
5 oz. Coconut Oil
8 oz. Buttermilk
2.5 oz. Carrot Puree
4.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
1.5 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

What are your favorite skin-loving additives for cold process soap?

Winter 2015 Soap Crafting Club…Don’t Wait!

January 15, 2015 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

One of my favorite things about making soap is sharing the craft with others. It’s rewarding to share ideas, tips & tricks and encouragement with the awesome soap making community. If you feel the same way, the Soap Crafting Club is the perfect way to develop cold process skills while receiving personalized support every step of the way from myself, and fellow soap makers.

Each month, you receive pre-measured ingredients (including the mold!) needed to create a unique cold process recipe in the Soap Crafting Book. The only tools you need to provide are the book, lye, and soap making tools such as a stick blender, mixing bowls and spatulas. Shipping is also included in the price! The Winter Soap Crafting Club starts soon; the last day to sign up is January 16th at noon, PST. With only 21 spots left, don’t wait!
[Read more…]

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Soap Soap Again!

January 5, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Dreaming up soapy designs and projects is incredibly fun…there are so many possibilities! When it’s time to make the image in your head come to life, sometimes it can be tricky. In the Soap Lab, the team and I are constantly testing new designs and recipes. Often, these projects turn out great after the first attempt…but not always. Sometimes, a project on Soap Queen has been made several times in order to get the design or recipe just right. That way, you’ll have the most success when you recreate it.

One great example of a project that required several attempts is the Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process. A fairly simple design, it took a few tries to get the colors and layers just right. To be exact, I made this soap three times in order to feel 100% happy with the final product. The first three attempts resulted in perfectly lovely bars of soap. In fact, I gave them away to delighted friends and family for Christmas. But, they were not exactly what I pictured in my head.
[Read more…]

Soap Challenge: Leopard Spots Tutorial

July 18, 2013 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Take a walk on the wild side with this trendy Leopard Spot Soap. This was yet another dramatic entry to the Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge series. It involves a unique frosting bag technique to achieve the fierce, big cat-inspired spots. For those of you looking to expand your soaping skill set, this is the tutorial for you!

What You’ll Need:

38 oz. Basic Quick Mix

12.5 oz. distilled water

5.4 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

Two Disposable Frosting Bags

2.2 oz. Pikake Flower Fragrance Oil

10″ Silicone Loaf Mold

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

Want to make a recipe up from scratch?It needs to give you plenty of time to work with it so I’d recommend at least 60% liquid oils and no more than 40% (total) of solid oils and butters.

If you have never made cold process soap before, I highly recommend you get a couple of basic recipes under your belt. Check out this (free!) 4-part series on cold process soap making, especially the episode on lye safety. Bramble Berry carries quite a few books on the topic as well, including this downloadable book on making cold process soap.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of the Tangerine Wow into 1 tablespoon of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil, 1 teaspoon Brown Oxide Pigment into 1 tablespoon of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil, and 1 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl plus 1 mini-scoop of Ultramarine Blue into into 1 tablespoon of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil. Use a mini mixer to get clumps worked out smoothly.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and 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 lye to the water, and stir until clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that lasts longer in the shower and 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.

TWO: Pour approximately 1.5 cups of soap batter each into two separate containers. These containers will hold the colors for the spots.

THREE: In the large container, add about 1.5 teaspoons of the Aqua Pearl/Ultramarine Blue colorant. Using a whisk or spatula, mix the colorant into the batter.

FOUR: In the first 1.5 cup container, add .5 teaspoon of Brown Oxide Pigment. Using a whisk or spatula, mix the colorant into the batter.

FIVE: In the second 1.5 cup container, add 2 teaspoons of Tangerine Wow pigment. Using a whisk or spatula, mix the colorant into the batter.

SIX: In the green soap, add about 1.2 oz. of Pikake Flower Fragrance Oil. Be sure to use a whisk or spatula to mix the fragrance into the soap. You don’t want to accelerate trace! Then, pour about 1/4 of the soap into the mold.

SEVEN: Using a whisk or spatula, pour .5 oz. of fragrance oil into the brown soap.

EIGHT: Cut the tip off one of the frosting bags and set it inside a container to minimize messiness. Then, slowly pour about three-fourths of the brown soap into the bag.

NINE: Starting in the lower left corner of the mold, squirt a line of brown soap diagonal across the mold until you reach the other side. Make another diagonal line starting about 2 – 3 inches away from the first. Draw it up to the other end of the mold, parallel with the first line. Make a final line another 2 – 3 inches away from the second, and draw it across the mold, parallel to the second line, until you reach the other side. Each line should between .5 – 1 inch wide.

TEN: Cut the tip off the second frosting bag and set it inside a container to minimize messiness. Then, slowly pour about three-fourths of the orange soap into the bag. Make slightly smaller lines of orange soap over the original brown lines.

ELEVEN: Pour a final layer of brown soap over the orange soap, making sure to fully cover any visible orange soap.

TWELVE: Using a large spoon or spatula, gently plop the remaining green soap over the stripes. Be careful because you do not want the green soap the destroy the carefully layered lines of orange and brown soap. Tamp the mold gently on the table to ensure even coverage and disperse any trapped air bubbles.

TWELVE: Using a spoon or spatula, plop three spoonfuls of the remaining orange soap across the length of the mold, about one inch apart from one another.

THIRTEEN: Using the same technique, fill in the gaps with spoonfuls of the remaining brown soap.

FOURTEEN: Using the tip of a spoon, gently spread the soap from the edge into the middle of the mold, forming a ridge down the center. This will create the “whipped” peak you see in the final result.

Spray the entire top with 91% – 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. Cover and insulate for 24 hours and unmold after 3-4 days. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

Cheery Holiday Cold Process Soap Tutorial

November 30, 2010 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Wouldn’t these be an extra special Christmas gift? If you start your recipe this week it will be cutting it close with the cure time, so make sure to add a “ready to use date” on the packaging. Enjoy!

Buy everything you need for this three part recipe in the click of a button!

Cranberry Embed Directions

Two days ahead of time, make your cranberry embeds This is an unscented batch of soft soap that is almost play dough like in its consistency. The batch is a small 45 oz. size and is meant to fit into our Silicone Pans.

Recipe

16 oz. Olive Oil

7.9 oz. Macadamia Nut Oil

6.1 oz. Coconut Oil

.8 oz. Jojoba Oil

4.2 oz. Lye

10 oz. Water

Burgundy Oxide

Merlot Mica

Wearing full safety gear and following basic CP principles (unsure about CP soap? Watch the FREE SoapQueen.TV tutorials on CP soap here), make your soap.

Add Burgundy Oxide and Merlot mica at thin trace and stick blend in. If you want to ensure no clumps at all, pre-mix color with 2 tsp of oil. Pour your soap and do not insulate. To keep the soap softer and more pliable, not going through gel phase is essential.

After the soap has set-up for just one day, use a melon baller, a cookie dough batter tool or just cut into squares and round off the corners and form with your hands. If the soap is too sticky, mix a little flour with Merlot Mica and apply to your hands to keep your hands from getting sticking to the soap.

Next make layers 1, 2 and 3: Get your soap to thin trace then, separate it into three batches. This recipe is designed to give a good amount of working time for multiple swirls and layers.

White with Green and Black Swirl Directions

Recipe
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom

14 oz. Olive Oil

8 oz. Coconut Oil

6 oz. Canola Oil

5 oz. Palm Oil

2 oz. Palm Kernel

5.0 oz. Lye

11.6 oz. water

2.6 oz. Cranberry Fig Fragrance

Colorants

Emerald Green LabColor

Green Soap: 20 oz soap batter with Emerald Labcolor and Green Chrome Oxide. Add approximately 1 oz fragrance.

White Soap Mix: 20 oz soap batter with Super Pearly White. Add approximately 1 oz fragrance.

Black Soap Mix: 12 oz soap batter with Black Iron Oxide and Vintage Gray Mica. Add approximately 3/4 oz fragrance.

Add the fragrance right before you pour so that if your fragrance accelerates trace you will still have time to embed your cranberry inclusions.

Fragrance the white layer of soap. Pour a thin layer of white soap over the black/green mixture. Add the Cranberry Inclusions, two by two, spacing evenly along projected bar cut lines. Pour the rest of the white soap.

Spoon or pour the remainder of the black and green swirl over the Cranberry Inclusions/White layer.

For the last layer: Split the batch into two containers.

Red and White Swirls

Recipe

4.88 oz. Olive Oil

2.79 oz. Coconut Oil

2.09 oz. Canola Oil

1.74 oz. Palm Oil

.7 oz. Palm Kernel

1.76 oz. Lye

4.03 oz. Water

.9 oz. Cranberry Fig

Burgundy Oxide + Merlot mica

Red Soap: 7 oz soap batter blended with Burgundy Oxide and Merlot Mica. Approximately 1/2 oz fragrance blend.

Uncolored Soap: 11 oz soap batter with approximately 3/4 oz fragrance oil.

Swirl the colored soap and white soap together. Pour over the Green/Black layer.

Insulate well and allow to harden for a minimum of 2 days before cutting. To ensure your soap is mild and hard, be sure to make your soap by November 15th so it can dry for a full 4-6 weeks before the big day!

Advanced Oatmeal Stout Cold Process Soap

October 7, 2010 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

The tutorial and recipe you’ve all been waiting for…Oatmeal Stout scented cold process made with real Oatmeal Stout Beer. Can it be? It’s true and it’s made with real oatmeal too!

Learn how to make oatmeal stout cold process soap in this tutorial!

If you have never made cold process soap before, I strongly suggest getting a couple of basic recipes under your belt before diving in…working with beer is definitely an advanced technique. Click here to read more about how to use alcoholic beverages such as beer in your soap. Check out Soap Queen TV on Cold Process if you want to get started with cold process. It’s a 4 part series that will take you through the basics (and be sure to watch the episode on Lye Safety). If you’re a book worm, Bramble Berry also has some helpful reading on the cold process.

technique.

Ingredients

Oatmeal Stout Fragrance Oil

18 Bar Birch Wood Mold

Oatmeal Stout Beer

Titanium Dioxide

Super Pearly White (optional)

Long-Cook Ground Oatmeal

Tools

2 large glass mixing bowls

Stick Blender

Spatulas and spoons

Infrared Thermometer

Get all of the ingredients in one click!

(olive oil, beer and oatmeal not included)

PREP: The first step to a successful beer batch (in my opinion) is boiling flat beer. Let your beer sit open for 24 hours to get rid of the fizz then boil it for about 5 minutes to cook out all of the alcohol. The beer really ‘poofs’ up during this boiling phase so don’t leave it unattended. Also, be sure to line your wooden mold with freezer paper, shiny side up.

ONE: Measure out your lye (by weight) and beer (by volume) and slowly add the lye to the beer in 3 batches (pour a little lye and stir- repeat 2 more times). Repeat until the lye is completely added and stir until the lye is dissolved. Let the lye mixture cool to about 130 degrees.

TWO: Melt and measure the Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Kernel Flakes and Palm Oil. Then stir in the Shea Butter (until liquid). Let the oils cool to 130 degrees.

THREE: Slowly pour the lye mixture into the melted oils and mix with your stick blender for about 30 seconds.

FOUR: Separate your soap batter in half. It does not have to be exact but try to eyeball it so it’s equally separated.

FIVE: Add a heaping table spoon of Titanium Dioxide to the one half of the batch to lighten it up and mix with the stick blender. Then add 1.5 tablespoons of long-cook ground oatmeal to the mixture and stick blend.

SIX: Hand stir in 2 ounces of Oatmeal Stout Fragrance Oil and pour the soap into the mold.

OPTIONAL: I dusted a vein of Super Pearly White Mica. This is an optional step. I couldn’t see it as much as I wanted in the final, cut soap.

SEVEN: To your other half of soap batter, add the rest of your Oatmeal Stout Fragrance Oil (2.1 ounces). Hand mix the fragrance in and pour the second layer.

TIP: To make sure the top layer of soap doesn’t penetrate the bottom layer of soap, pour the soap onto a spatula so it drips slowly into the mold.

EIGHT: Press your dividers down into the mold and sprinkle on some whole oats on the top for decoration. Pop the lid on and insulate with a towel to keep the temperature up. It will help with a lovely gel phase and also prevent soda ash. Once the soap hardens up, carefully unmold the soap and let it cure for 4-6 weeks.