This project was originally published on The Soap King blog (run by our retail store, Otion). Thank you Erik and Kat for a great technique post!
Rubbing in a little mica pigment on the surface of a soap will pop out that gorgeous detail that may normally go unnoticed. This trick is super easy and the results are very dramatic. For this project, I made my melt-and-pour soap like normal, used a clear soap base that I colored with a variety of mica pigments, and scented it with Woodland Elves fragrance oil. But instead of calling it done with the de-molding, I added a special touch to finish my soap. Remember, it’s those extra little efforts that will catch the eye.
You will need:
Step One: Pour a variety of colors and swirls for a basic bar. After de-molding your melt-and-pour soap, spray with rubbing alcohol to create a slick surface for rubbing in the pigment.
Step Two: Using a mini-scoop, tap a very small amount of opalescent green mica on a paper towel and then rub all over the surface of your soap. Repeat with the heavy gold mica. The deep parts of the detail in the soap will contrast beautifully against the higher surface that catches the pigment.
Before and After. Less is more! I like to apply the gold in patches on top of the opalescent green mica to create depth.
Try this technique with different colors. The darker your soap is to begin with, the more stunning the detail.
Most of them are fantastic but a few morph and change colors. Check the individual descriptions of the colors to make sure they won’t morph. My fave mica of all time for CP is the Bramble Berry Merlot mica.
Happy Soaping!
Anne-Marie
http://www.brambleberry.com
Blog: http://www.soapqueen.com
does the mica stay as well on cold process soap or is it really just for melt and pour?
I do love shiny things! 😉 And I’m very intrigued by the sound of the Woodland Elves scent.
That is a brilliant idea, Jude and David. Great suggestion. Thank you for sharing it.
great technique! I was looking around how to get this effect 🙂 now i know! Thanks so much!
Gorgeous :). I use a touch of hairspray to hold the Mica in place on the soap’s surface before wrapping and then it stays put and doesn’t come off on your hands or move inside the shrink wrap.
These soaps are beautiful. I love the shine. I think I’ll try this technique soon.
These are just beautiful! Thank you for sharing this simple way to make soaps even more stunning!
The mica washes off after the first few uses so it is primarily there for decoration AND to do the important job of intriguing the (potential) customer enough to pick up the soap and take it home. And then, your fragrance should/will do a great job of convincing them to to buy the bar again (because really, after the soap is used a few times, who cares about the color so much as the fragrance at that point?) =)
I totally agree. And since we sell the molds, I kept hoping that I’d figure out how to really make the molds ‘pop!’ but Kat beat me to it. She did a great job.
(swoon) I just love Black Amber & Lavender fragrance. Glad to hear you’re using it for a wholesale order.
Agree – Kat did a great job really showcasing how to utilize the molds to their best and highest use.
Now that’s making it pop! Does the mica wash off after the first use though?
Wow! Such a difference. The effect is really mesmerizing!
Oh wow! What a contrast! I was admiring the first pic but when I saw the ‘rubbed’ soap….totally gorgeous 😀 I have that mould too so I will be trying this next time I use it – thanks!
that is a wonderful tip. i found with some molds it didnt really stand out but this will really help!
thanks!
Anne-Marie, Thank you for this awesome tip! I always use your micas in my elegant soaps, but this is just the thing! I am working on a black amber and lavender wholesale order for a boutique and this is the perfect elegant touch! I can’t wait to do this! You are a doll!
XOXO!!!
its almost like they are fabrage eggs (spelt horribly wrong). wow what a difference