Search Results for: trace

Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Tutorial

April 16, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Inspired by the popular song, this Lime in the Coconut Milk soap is a tropical vacation in bar form! Coconut milk powder replaces water in this recipe to give additional moisture. Coconut milk powder is full of vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6, along with potassium and folate. The lauric acid of coconut milk also gives the bar a luxurious and fluffy lather. If you have never worked with milk in soap before, check out the How to Add Lye to Milk post for tips on keeping the milk cold. Looking for more information? The Goat Milk Soap Tutorial demonstrates how to add lye to milk, with examples of scorched milk vs. non-scorched milk.

This Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process features a fresh smelling blend of Lime Essential Oil and Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil. Adorable melt and pour lime embeds are placed on the top, giving the illusion of a fruity, tropical drink. Mica is brushed on the embeds to help the details really pop.

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Goat Milk & Oatmeal Cold Process Soap Tutorial

April 14, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Goat milk may be the most popular type of milk when it comes to soap making. Moisturizing and nourishing, goat milk contains lactic acid which helps keep skin smooth by naturally exfoliating skin. Goat milk also contains vitamins A, D and B6. Many soap makers find fresh goat milk via local farms and markets, or raise their own goats. When fresh goat milk is unavailable, goat milk powder is a fantastic option. Simply add the goat milk to distilled water to reconstitute and receive all the skin loving benefits. For more information on working with milk in soap, check out this How to Add Lye to Milk post, and the Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar video on Soap Queen TV.

This Goat Milk and Oatmeal Cold Process soap is made with powdered goat milk, oat extract and colloidal oatmeal for a bar that is gentle on the skin. Colloidal oatmeal is extremely fine ground oatmeal that is fantastic for irritated or sensitive skin. Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Fragrance Oil gives this bar a warm and comforting scent. The fragrance also lends its vanilla discoloration to the top layer, which darkens the Brown Oxide used to color it. For more information on fragrance discoloration, click through the Why Did My Soap Turn Brown post.

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Unmolding Cold Process Soap from Plastic Molds

April 13, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

One of the questions we get asked all the time is, “Can I put cold process soap in your plastic molds?” The answer is yes, absolutely! However, the unmolding process is a little different compared to cold process in wood molds and silicone molds. The plastic molds are airtight. While your cold process soap is in the mold, no air is touching the soap inside. That means the soap has to stay in the mold longer. Never fear! There are several tricks to getting your soap out of the mold with all the beautiful details intact.

First and foremost, patience is key. While soap in silicone or wood molds is ready to unmold as early as 3-4 days, cold process soap in plastic molds can take up to 2 weeks. If your soap is still soft when you try to unmold it, it can leave drag marks or holes. Some of the details may be left in the mold as well. So, if your soap doesn’t want to come out of the mold, let it sit for another day or two.

The recipe you use plays a huge role in determining how long the soap needs to stay in the plastic mold. Soap with a lot soft oils – oils that are liquid at room temperature – takes longer to harden. Soap with mostly soft oils, like olive oil and sweet almond oil, can take even longer than 2 weeks to unmold. Also, some of the details may not be as clear. Recipes with a lot of hard oils – oils that are solid at room temperature – will pop out of the molds faster. Hard oils include coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter and shea butter. Read more about hard and soft oils in the Formulating Cold Process Recipes post.

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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?

Saturday Night Spotlight: Liquid Silk & Tussah Silk Fibers

April 4, 2015 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News, Tips & Tricks

Soft and luxurious, silk is produced from caterpillar-like insects called silk worms. In bath and body products, liquid silk and Tussah silk fibers are added for a soft “silky” feel. Liquid silk is perfect for water based products such as lotion and emulsified scrubs. Small amounts can also be added to melt and pour soap. Tussah silk fibers can be dissolved in your lye solution and added to cold process soap.

The silk making process starts once the silkworm begins to construct its cocoon. Silkworm have glands on the mouth part of their body that produce a clear, proteinaceous fluid called fibroin. This fluid becomes hard once exposed to air. The silkworm rotates its body in a figure-8 motion while producing the protein material, which forms a cocoon around its body. Building the cocoon takes about 3-8 days.

Once the cocoon is complete, the silk can be harvested. In order to obtain the longest strands of silk fiber, some silk is harvested by boiling the cocoons with the worms inside. Tussah silk fiber sold at Bramble Berry is cruelty free and collected after the worms have left their cocoons. That causes the fibers to be short.

Left to right: Liquid Silk, Tussah Silk Fiber

The addition of Tussah silk fibers to cold process soap gives a luxurious “silky” feel. It also contributes to a slightly more shiny appearance and is great from a marketing standpoint. Because silk fibers are a little tricky to weigh or measure precisely, we recommend a small pinch per pound of soap.

To use the silk fibers, add them directly into your lye solution, immediately after the lye is dissolved. Your lye water should be around 170-190 ° F. The hotter the lye solution, the easier the fibers will dissolve. Then, stir, stir stir…and keep stirring! This process will take several minutes.

You’ll notice immediately that some of the fibers will start to dissolve. But, some of the fibers may clump together. If this happens, firmly press the clump against the container with your spoon to break it up. Breaking the clump apart will help the silk to dissolve faster.

You may notice very small pieces of the lye fibers still in your lye mixture. This is fine. Allow your lye mixture to cool and use as normal.

Liquid silk can also be used in cold process soap up to 5%. Because the liquid silk it already dissolved, you can add it directly to your soap at trace. When making emulsified scrubs or lotions, add the silk with a usage rate of 1% during the water phase. If adding to melt and pour, add the liquid silk at a rate of 1/2 tsp. per pound of melt and pour soap.

If you’re looking for some lotion or scrub recipes to use your liquid silk, check out the Soaks & Scrubs and Lotion categories. The Emulsified Sugar Scrub tutorial on Soap Queen TV would be perfect for liquid silk; simply add the silk into the distilled water. Liquid silk would feel fantastic in the Rose & Aloe In-Shower Lotion as well.

Have you used liquid silk or Tussah silk fibers in your soapy projects? I would love to hear what you thought of it!

How to Make Dragon’s Breath Cold Process Soap

April 2, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Powerful, beautiful and full of fire, the appeal of dragons can’t be denied. Dragons have been reimagined for decades, from the menacing Smaug in “Lord of the Rings,” to the friendly Toothless in DreamWorks “How to Train Your Dragon.” Now, with the popularity of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” dragons are more relevant than ever!

This Dragon’s Breath Cold Process soap is inspired by the fire and smoke emitted from a dragon’s mouth. Scented with Dragon’s Blood Fragrance Oil, this project smells wonderfully warm and smoky. To achieve the sloped fiery layers, the soap is poured into the Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold at an angle. A medium trace gives the layers the textured variability of a true flame.

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Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (March 21st ~ March 27th)

March 27, 2015 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

The longer you soap, the more soapy supplies tend to build up. Before you know it, your house is overflowing with oils, fragrances and molds. This week had tips on how to use and care for your supplies. For instance, if your wood molds get messy, you can use a soap scraper/cutter to remove any hardened soap and polish them with Simple Citrus Furniture Polish. Silicone molds are easy to maintain, and can be cleaned with 99% isopropyl alcohol, dish soap and warm water. Read more tips in the How to Care for Silicone and Wood Molds post.

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Once Upon a Dream Cold Process Tutorial

March 26, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Princess stories often include themes of true love, happiness, magic and morality. They are universally appealing. When these themes are mixed with plenty of sparkle and beauty, what’s not to love? This Once Upon a Dream Cold Process was inspired by the magic of fairy tale princesses. In particular, the new Cinderella movie served as a direct inspiration for the soft color palette and girly design. Of course, there is lots of shimmer and sparkle!

This project features a hanger swirl technique. Best suited for more advanced soapers, this technique involves layers and swirling with the use of a bent hanger or wire tool. Scented with the crisp and fresh White Rose Fragrance Oil, this soap smells as feminine as it looks. Like many florals, this fragrance does slightly accelerate trace, so be prepared to move quickly. Sparkly melt and pour spheres on top give the allusion of pearls for added charm and elegance. A big thanks to the.balm.boutique on Instagram for the “Once Upon a Dream,” name idea!

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Mermaid Tail Cold Process Soap

March 19, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Mysterious and beautiful, mermaids are universally appealing. Mermaids appear in various folklore stories from a wide range of cultures, and became extremely popular by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid.” This cold process soap was inspired by scales of a mermaid’s tail. The base features a simple blue and white in-the-pot swirl to mimic waves of the ocean. Iridescent glitter gives this soap plenty of sparkle and shine, while Crisp Cotton Fragrance Oil adds a fresh, clean scent.

To create the scale effect, this project uses the petal technique introduced by Erica Pence in the Artisan Soapmaker Ezine and made popular by Kenna of Modern Soap Making. The petal technique takes a steady hand and a bit of practice. First, small dots of soap are squeezed in a row. A spoon is pressed into the dot to spread the soap and create a petal/scale shape. Before attempting a large batch, you may want to practice the technique on parchment paper to get a feel for the movement. Once you get the hang of it, it’s surprisingly simple.

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How to Substitute Oil in Cold Process Recipes

March 16, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Selecting soap making oils and butters is a fun and personal process. Each oil and butter contributes various properties to the finished bar. For example, some oils may give a silky lather, while others may contribute extra moisturizing properties. Many soapers spend years perfecting their cold process recipes to create what they consider to be “the perfect bar.” The great thing about making your own soap is recipes can be altered depending on personal preference, or with what oils you have on hand. But be careful, not every oil substitution is made equally!
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Soapy Mess-Up Quick Guide

February 25, 2015 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Soapmaking is an art form AND a science. It requires precise measuring of properly selected ingredients to initiate the saponification process. Temperature and time are also important in the chemical reaction between sodium hydroxide lye, water and oils. Because of its precise nature, mistakes are bound to happen. I have experienced plenty of soapy mess ups and still learn new tricks of the trade when soaping. Soapy mistakes happen to us all! Luckily, there methods to prevent and fix these blunders.

Below are some of the most common soapy mistakes, and ways to fix them. Many of these fixes include rebatching the soap, which involves melting the soap with a small amount of additional liquid. To see this process in action, check out this Soap Queen TV video. Also, check out the Tips & Tricks section of the blog to see a wide variety of in-depth posts about these soapy problems.
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Luck of the Irish Hot Process Tutorial

February 19, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

When you don’t have time to make cold process soap, hot process soap making is a good next choice. The extra heat speeds up the saponification process, which cuts down on cure time. Hot process soap only requires 1-2 days in the mold, even with palm-free recipes like this one. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, this hot process soap will be ready in time to celebrate the holiday.

This Luck of the Irish Hot Process soap features layers of green ombré. Each layer is defined with a line of Gold Sparkle Mica, which adds plenty of shimmer. Don’t use too much mica – a thick mica vein may cause the layers to separate from each other. When creating this effect it’s important to work fast. Hot process soap has a tendency to thicken quickly, which can make creating even layers tricky.

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Purple Blackberry Flower Candle

February 15, 2015 Filed Under: Home Crafts

Candles are popular anytime, but especially so during the cold and dark winter months. They fill the room with a warm glow, light and scent. When spring comes, candles are a time-tested way to add color and scent to your space. This Purple Blackberry Flower Candle is scented with the sweet and juicy Blackberry Sage Cybilla Fragrance Oil. This project features flower wax cut-outs that add a spring flair.

To make the flower cut-outs, pour beeswax into a Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Once the wax has cooled down but is still warm, use the Flower Template as a stencil to draw flowers into the wax. If you do not have a Glossy Tray Silicone Mold, other silicone molds such as the 6″ Silicone Slab Mold would work well too. These flowers are then layered onto the candle, and held in place with hot wax.

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Blue Rain Drop Swirl Cold Process

February 14, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

The Pacific Northwest experiences its fair share of rainfall. While the abundant precipitation can limit outdoor activities, it keeps the air fresh and the landscape lush. This Blue Rain Drop Swirl Cold Process is inspired by the current rainy season. The drop swirl technique gives the illusion of water and the crisp Ocean Rain Fragrance Oil smells like fresh rainfall.

This project uses the new Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold. This sturdy mold produces tall bars of soap which allows for a dramatic swirl effect. Before using this mold, don’t forget to line it! Lining a mold can be a little tricky at first, but is easy once you get the hang of it. This blog post shows you how to line any mold, step by step.

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