Search Results for: trace

French Curl Cold Process Tutorial

October 31, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

We are so excited about our new swirl tools that we went on a bit of a soaping spree with them (and by ‘spree‘, I mean I made well over 90 pounds of soap in three weeks with them just to try out new techniques). We started with the Frog Foot, continued with the Butterfly Swirl and now we’re bringing you this fabulous French Curl. Inspired by a paper marbling technique, this pattern translates beautifully in soap. This soap also has scent blend reminiscent of a gourmet meal: a savory blend of Litsea, Black Pepper and Basil essential oil is a sprightly, uplifting somewhat masculine scent.

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Sunday Night Spotlight: Brazilian Clay

October 27, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Shorter days and longer nights don’t have to be a bad thing — hopefully that means more time to spend with family and maybe even more time to soap! If you’re looking for some stunning natural colorants that can be used in both cold process and melt & pour recipes, you will be interested in these new colorants that have been added to the Bramble Berry line: Brazilian Clays. Our Brazilian Clays are versatile, natural, beautiful and non-bleeding.

These clays are naturally colored and do not contain any artificial dyes or pigments. The various shades are actually achieved by variations in the minerals found in the soil in the different regions of Brazil. Bramble Berry carries five different natural clays — Natural Brazilian, Purple, Yellow, Pink and Dark Red.You can buy each color individually, or buy all five at once in our Brazilian Clay Sampler.

The clays are stable in cold process soaps and make a great addition to any clay mask or cream. Clays can be a bit tricky if you haven’t used them before, and you’ll need some additional preparation before using them in your cold-process soaps. Clays are incredibly absorbent and tend to accelerate trace when added dry. They can also cause cracking if they aren’t dispersed first. To prevent this, disperse your clays in distilled water using a mini-mixer. You can use a ratio of 1 teaspoon of clay to 1 tablespoon of water per color. Make sure that the clay is completely saturated with water before mixing or you might end up with a messy cloud of clay.

If you are making melt & pour and want to add any of Bramble Berry’s clays without clumping or settling, we suggest dispersing the clay in a small amount of rubbing alcohol before adding it to your batch. We recommend a dispersion ratio of 2 teaspoons of clay to 1 tablespoon of alcohol. To learn more about natural colorants in melt & pour, check out this blog post.

Below are some fun tutorials that include our Brazilian Clays. If you get a chance to try out the different colors (Natural, Purple, Yellow, Pink, & Dark Red), we’d love for you to leave us a review on the product’s page or share a picture with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. Happy soaping!

Top Left – Clockwise: Cute as a Button, Under Your Spell – Melt and Pour Clay Tutorial, Tiger Stripe “Hanger” Swirl Tutorial, In-The-Pot Swirl & Hot Process Series: Oven Process Layers

Enjoying Soapy Cupcakes with Lucia Soaps

October 26, 2013 Filed Under: Business Musings

I just can’t seem to get enough of soapy cupcakes lately! Earlier this week we featured a soaper who specializes in dessert-themed treats (including plenty of cupcakes!) and I’ve made many batches of cupcakes myself (check out these cuties we made earlier this summer for the Soap Crafting release party.) Soapy cupcakes have always been one of my favorite things to make, and I’m always excited to see my fellow soapers’ take on them. Lucia Felty, owner of Lucia Soaps Etc, LLC., shares my enthusiasm for soapy cupcakes and other soaps with a foodie flair, and I couldn’t wait to chat with her about how creates her sweet treats.

Soap Queen: How long have you been soaping? Why did you start?

I began soaping about 10 years ago when I was almost 50. My friend Becky, who had been reading a book on soapmaking, asked me to join her making soap because the lye made her nervous. I still remember us watching with awe as the soap reached trace. In no time I was hopelessly addicted — searching the internet and reading everything I could find. Ten years later, I’m still doing that!

Soap Queen: What prompted you to start your business?

I couldn’t (and still can’t) get enough of making soap! I loved using my soap, and I gave my friends and family soaps as Christmas gifts. Still I made more soap so I started doing some craft shows. I got a business license, registered my business as an LLC and got my logo trademarked. I continued to learn all I could about making soap and other skin care products.

From very early on it was my dream to have a shop and be able to make product there. Anne-Marie’s newsletter about writing out your plan for “Ten Years From Now” prompted me to take action. I rented a very small space for my shop just 2 years ago. Then, six months ago, I was able to add a large room for production and classes.

Soap Queen: What kind of lessons have you learned from owning your own “brick and mortar” store versus an online store?

I have had to work on my sales skills because I am definitely an introvert and not particularly outgoing. My husband “doesn’t meet a stranger” and has worked in sales so he has been coaching me. He is my #1 supporter and helps me tremendously. In a “brick and mortar” store, I think it is important to offer “local” products. I offer Kentucky Rain, Mint Julep and Kentucky Bourbon Ball soaps. I’m thinking of adding Bluegrass Sunrise. People who are visiting and want a Kentucky souvenir are attracted by these as well as people who want to send a Kentucky memento to someone who has moved away.

Soap Queen: What business advice can you give soapers who are just starting?

Learn all you can and strive to do things right. Learn all you can about the products you make. Learn the laws and comply with them. Learn to keep good records, production records and financial records. Do right by your customers. Conduct business with honesty and integrity.

Soap Queen: What are your dreams and goals for your business?

I love my nursing job but I want to retire from it sometime. When my husband retires, we will work in the shop together. My plan (he doesn’t know this yet) is to delegate some of the drudgery (record keeping) chores to him. Then I can make more soap!

Soap Queen: What is your favorite type of bath and body product to make?

Cold process soap! The scents, color combinations, artistic possibilities are endless.

Soap Queen: What is your favorite Bramble Berry product?

I love Bramble Berry’s fragrance oils, especially Lemon Verbena! I use it in bar soap, liquid soap and lotion. I use a blend of Bramble Berry fragrance oils to create my Kentucky Rain scent. Plumeria is another favorite. I’ll try more when I clear some room on my fragrance oil shelves!

You can find more about Lucia Soaps at their website or on their Facebook page.

Indigo Spoon Plop Soap Cold Process Tutorial

October 24, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

For this recipe, we went all natural: earth colorants and a soothing blend of rosemary, lavender and eucalyptus essential oils make this soap a raw beauty. We were very excited to incorporate our brand new natural Indigo Powder colorant into this soap and it turned a beautiful blue-grey in the finished product. Handmade soap with indigo provides a great contrast to the Paprika, which turned a lovely orange, and the Safflower Powder, which turned a soft yellow. The spoon plop is also an easy technique that yields intriguing results every time.

What You’ll Need:

11 oz. Coconut Oil

2.2 oz. Mango Butter

13.2 oz. Olive Oil

11 oz. Palm Oil

6.6 oz. Sweet Almond Oil

6.1 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

14.5 oz. distilled water

ELF 4 lb. Wood Loaf Mold

Paprika

Safflower Powder

Natural Indigo Powder

Titanium Dioxide

1.1 oz. Rosemary Essential Oil

1.1 oz. Eucalyptus Essential Oil

.6 oz. 40/42 Lavender Essential Oil

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

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.

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.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon all colorants into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower). Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass container, combine the Rosemary, Eucalyptus and 40/42 Lavender Essential Oils. Set aside.

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, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe.

TWO: Then, melt and combine the Coconut Oil, Mango Butter, Olive Oil, Palm Oil and Sweet Almond Oil in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Equally split the batter into three containers.

FOUR: Add one colorant per container in the following measurements:

3 teaspoons dispersed Indigo Powder
3 teaspoons dispersed Paprika
3 teaspoons dispersed Safflower Powder + 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide

Mix in the colorants using a wire whisk or spoon.

FIVE: Split the essential oil blend equally between the three containers and stir in with a wire whisk or spoon.

SIX: Use a large spoon (we like our Round Silicone Spoon) to plop spoonfuls of color into the mold. Repeat this process with each color, keeping the same color order, until you have about 1/5 of the soap remaining in the cups.

SEVEN: Using the remaining soap in the cups, pour lines of soap horizontally into the mold.

EIGHT: Insert a chopstick or dowel about 1/4″ into the soap and make a vertical zig-zag pattern down the length of the mold for that finishing touch swirl.

NINE: Using your chopstick or dowel again, make a series of small loops down the length of the soap. Once you’ve gone from one end of the soap to the other, make small loops back down the length of the mold. When you reach the end of the mold, create one big loop that carries you into the next row, and do a reverse loop back across the mold again. You may recognize this swirling technique from the Elemental Swirl.

Spray the entire top with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. It is particularly important to insulate this soap for 24 hours because gel phase will help bring out a nice, vibrant color in the Indigo. Unmold after 3-4 days and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

Butterfly Swirl Soap Tutorial

October 17, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

This beautiful Butterfly Swirl is inspired by the nonpareil paper marbling of old (not sure what a nonpareil pattern looks like? Check out the beautiful handmade paper that inspired this tutorial for a good example!). Four different tones create dynamic complex and rich patterns both on top of the soap and within the bars themselves. It is the perfect recipe for giving these new swirl tools a whirl.

What You’ll Need:
24 oz. Canola Oil
16 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Hemp Seed Oil (refined)
4 oz. Mango Butter
20 oz. Palm Oil
12 oz. Rice Bran Oil
10.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
26.4 oz. Distilled Water
3.8 oz. Lychee Red Tea
1.2 oz. Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distill
Titanium Dioxide
Aqua Pearl Mica
Activated Charcoal Powder
Fired Up Fuchsia Pigment
Ultramarine Violet Oxide
18 Bar Birchwood Mold
Liner for 18 Bar Mold
Comb Swirl Tool

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

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl, Activated Charcoal, Fired Up Fuchsia and Ultramarine Violet into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower oils). Disperse two teaspoons of Titanium Dioxide in 2 tablespoons of liquid oil. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE BLEND: In a glass container, combine the Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil and the Peppermint 2nd Distilled Essential Oil. Give the mixture a good stir and then set it aside.

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, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe.

TWO: Melt and combine the Canola, Coconut, Hempseed, Mango, Palm and Rice Bran oils in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Equally split the batter into 5 containers. Then use a wire whisk or spatula to stir in one colorant per container at the following rate:

• ½ teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide and 1 teaspoon dispersed Aqua Pearl
• ½ teaspoon dispersed Activated Charcoal and 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide
• 1½ teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide
• 1½ teaspoon dispersed Fired Up Fuschia and 1 teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide
• 2 teaspoons dispersed Ultramarine Violet

FOUR: Once you’ve fully incorporated the colorant, split the fragrance blend between the five containers and mix with a whisk or spoon.

FIVE: Once the fragrance has been fully incorporated, pour each color into its own condiment bottle. Fill each bottle about halfway (6 oz.) full.

SIX: Beginning in the bottom left-hand corner of the mold, pour about half of the remaining color in your mixing containers in a diagonal zigzag motion. Repeat this pattern with each color, layering one color on top of another and keeping the same order.

SEVEN: When you have used about half the soap in all five containers, change your pour pattern. Begin at the far left hand corner and pour the soap in the same diagonal zigzag pattern across the mold to the near right hand corner. Repeat this process until all the soap in the containers is gone.

EIGHT: Insert a chopstick or dowel into the soap beginning in the near left hand corner. Drag the tool in a diagonal zigzag pattern to the far right hand corner.

NINE: Using the condiment bottles, squirt each color vertically across the mold. Repeat this pattern layering colors on top of each other in the same order until you have about 2 oz. of soap in the bottles.

TEN: When you have about 2 oz. left in your bottles, start making your lines more purposeful. Carefully lay down lines of thick color, working your way from one end of the mold to the other. Space your color lines about an inch apart.

TEN: Using a chopstick or dowel again, start in the far left-hand corner and make a diagonal zig-zag across the mold to the lower left-hand corner. And then, back again.

ELEVEN: Drag the Comb Swirl Tool in a slow and smooth motion from the top of the mold to the bottom. Lift it straight up out of the soap, and the design is done!

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

Fall Leaves Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

October 15, 2013 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Autumn is upon us and to celebrate we’ve created this gorgeous soap project full of colorful leaves. This project takes advantage of the clarity of Bramble Berry’s House Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base to highlight the depth created by layering the soap leaves. You can even customize this project to mimic the new spring leaves come springtime.

What You’ll Need:

27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base

27 oz White Melt and Pour Base

Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block

Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block

Shimmer Light Gold Color Block

Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block

Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block

Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block

1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter

8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil

0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil

3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor

Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold

Clean-up Tool

Fall Leaves Template (PDF)

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

ONE: Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.

TWO: For this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.

THREE: After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.

FOUR: Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.

FIVE: Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!

SIX: Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!

Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.

Want tips on wrapping your beautiful melt and pour soaps to prevent them from sweating? Check out this Soap Queen TV video on quick and easy packaging techniques!

Fall Leaves Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

These bars contain soapy leaves on the inside for a multi-layered look!

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Melt and Pour

Ingredients

27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base
27 oz White Melt and Pour Base
Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block
Shimmer Light Gold Color Block
Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block
Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block
Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block
1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter
8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil
0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil
3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor
Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold
Clean-up Tool
Fall Leaves Template (PDF)

Instructions

Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of Glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.
or this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.
After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.
Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.
Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!
Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!
Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.

Holly Berry Cold Process Soap

October 10, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

We’re continuing our Christmas-y cold process kick because of the 4-6 week cure time required for cold process recipes. On Tuesday we showed you the absolutely delectable Holiday Cookie Bar recipe and today we’re introducing the festive Holly Berry design. For this project we used squirt bottles to make fun holly leaf designs on top of a two color in-the-pot-swirl, and then we garnished it with real cranberry seeds to mimic plump holly berries. We fragranced with Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil, which performed beautifully in our recipe and smells airy and clean — just like freshly fallen snow!

What You’ll Need:
Silicone Square Tray Mold
2 oz. Avocado Butter
8 oz. Coconut Oil
10 oz. Olive Oil
8 oz. Palm Oil
2 oz. Palm Kernel Flakes
6 oz. Rice Bran Oil
4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
13.2 oz. distilled water
Cranberry Seeds
Hydrated Chrome Green
Titanium Dioxide
Merlot Sparkle Mica
Electric Bubblegum
Super Pearly White
Activated Charcoal
1.8 oz. Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil

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

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant 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. Disperse 1 teaspoon all colorants except the Super Pearly White into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower). Make a double batch of the Super Pearly White by mixing two teaspoons of colorant into 2 tablespoons of oil. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

TWO: Begin by melting down the Palm Kernel Flakes in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Then, combine the melted Palm Kernel Flakes with the melted Avocado Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Rice Bran Oil and Sweet Almond Oil in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Pour approximately 2 – 3 oz. of soap batter into a condiment bottle and color with 1 teaspoon of dispersed Hydrated Chrome Green. Plug the tip with your finger and then shake vigorously. Release your finger with the tip pointing away from your face and then set aside.

FOUR: In two additional containers, pour off about 2 cups each. You should have about 4 cups left in the original container.

FIVE: Add the following colorants to the three containers:

2 teaspoons dispersed Super Pearly White in the original container.
3 teaspoons dispersed Merlot Sparkle Mica and 1/2 teaspoon Electric Bubblegum in one of the 2-cup containers.
3 teaspoons dispersed Super Pearly White and 1/4 teaspoon dispersed Activated Charcoal in the remaining 2-cup container.

SIX: Using a wire whisk or spoon, split the fragrance equally among the 3 containers.

SEVEN:For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the grey colored soap into the Titanium Dioxide colored soap in 4 places: 12:00 o’clock, 4:00 o’clock, 8:00 o’clock, and center. Repeat with the Merlot Sparkle Mica. Pour from a high point so that the soap penetrates the entire depth of the soap in the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.

EIGHT: Using a spatula, chopstick or dowel, swirl the soap by running the tool through each of the entry points once. Only once! You want to swirl but not mix the soap.

NINE: After you’ve swirled the soap, slowly pour the batter into the mold. We started pouring in the upper left hand corner and moved diagonally to the bottom right hand corner.

We’ve even got a video of this pour too!

TEN: Now use the condiment bottle to “draw” holly leaf designs on the surface of the soap. We free-handed our designs, so have fun with this part!

ELEVEN: Once you’re satisfied with your leaves, pour the Cranberry Seeds as berries. In order to get little round berries that were relatively the same shape, we poured the seeds through an 8 oz. Funnel.

TWELVE: We recommend keeping a chopstick or pair of tweezers on hand to clean up any stray seeds. That will help you keep your “berries” looking like berries and not scattered bunches of seeds!

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

Bonus: Check out the cut of this soap below!

Holly Berry Cold Process Soap

This Holly Berry Soap is perfect for the holidays!

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Cold Process

Ingredients

Silicone Square Tray Mold
2 oz. Avocado Butter
8 oz. Coconut Oil
10 oz. Olive Oil
8 oz. Palm Oil
2 oz. Palm Kernel Flakes
6 oz. Rice Bran Oil
4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
13.2 oz. distilled water
Cranberry Seeds
Hydrated Chrome Green
Titanium Dioxide
Merlot Sparkle Mica.
Electric Bubblegum
Super Pearly White
Activated Charcoal
1.8 oz. Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil

Instructions

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.
COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant 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. Disperse 1 teaspoon all colorants except the Super Pearly White into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower). Make a double batch of the Super Pearly White by mixing two teaspoons of colorant into 2 tablespoons of oil. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.
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, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe.
Begin by melting down the Palm Kernel Flakes in the microwave on 30 second bursts. Then, combine the melted Palm Kernel Flakes with the melted Avocado Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Rice Bran Oil and Sweet Almond Oil in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
Pour approximately 2 – 3 oz. of soap batter into a condiment bottle and color with 1 teaspoon of dispersed Hydrated Chrome Green. Plug the tip with your finger and then shake vigorously. Release your finger with the tip pointing away from your face and then set aside.
In two additional containers, pour off about 2 cups each. You should have about 4 cups left in the original container.
Add the following colorants to the three containers:
2 teaspoons dispersed Super Pearly White in the original container.
3 teaspoons dispersed Merlot Sparkle Mica and ½ teaspoon Electric Bubblegum in one of the 2-cup containers.
3 teaspoons dispersed Super Pearly White and ¼ teaspoon dispersed Activated Charcoal in the remaining 2-cup container.
Using a wire whisk or spoon, split the fragrance equally among the 3 containers.
For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the grey colored soap into the Titanium Dioxide colored soap in 4 places: 12:00 o’clock, 4:00 o’clock, 8:00 o’clock, and center. Repeat with the Merlot Sparkle Mica. Pour from a high point so that the soap penetrates the entire depth of the soap in the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.
Using a spatula, chopstick or dowel, swirl the soap by running the tool through each of the entry points once. Only once! You want to swirl but not mix the soap.
After you’ve swirled the soap, slowly pour the batter into the mold. We started pouring in the upper left hand corner and moved diagonally to the bottom right hand corner.
Now use the condiment bottle to “draw” holly leaf designs on the surface of the soap. We free-handed our designs, so have fun with this part!
Once you’re satisfied with your leaves, pour the Cranberry Seeds as berries. In order to get little round berries that were relatively the same shape, we poured the seeds through an 8 oz. Funnel.
We recommend keeping a chopstick or pair of tweezers on hand to clean up any stray seeds. That will help you keep your “berries” looking like berries and not scattered bunches of seeds!

What’s New for Fall

October 9, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Santa came early this year to Bramble Berry, and he brought a whole host of new products with him! With winter quickly approaching, we want to highlight some of our new products before the busy soaping season starts. We’ve got a few exciting new tools, several fragrance and essential oils and a library’s worth of books and e-books. If you have any suggestions for products you’ d like to see Bramble Berry carry, be sure to let us know in the comments below.

In the past few months, we’ve been working hard on some new soaping tools that will change the way you swirl. Our Easy Swirl and Comb Swirl Tools (also available in our Swirl Tool Kit) are a cold process soaper’s dream. Instead of spending time painstakingly getting those peacock or frog foot swirls just perfect, these tools make the designs possible in a matter of minutes.

Our two newest essential oils — Cedarwood Atlas and Palmarosa, are fantastic for any all-natural recipe. Cedarwood Atlas Essential Oil is said to have aromatherapy benefits, and it’s it’s been said to be helpful for acne-prone skin. In cold process soap, this essential oil has a lovely woodsy scent. Palmarosa Essential Oil, on the other hand, has a soft floral aroma vaguely reminiscent of rose and blends well with citrus-y oils such as Bergamot or milder oils such as Chamomile. We used Palmarosa in the beautiful Fall Leaves soap we cut earlier this week.

To achieve a beautiful blue jean-blue, we’ve introduced a Natural Indigo Powder that can be dispersed in isopropyl alcohol and used in melt & pour or added to the lye water for cold process coloring. Indigo requires a super hot gel phase to go blue and we found that adding it directly to lye water gets you the most blue color. For the below video, we added it, pre-dispersed, at trace. We used Indigo Powder, Safflower Powder and Paprika Powder to color our Celine Swirl. Check out the cut below:

Easy Grip Silicone Ladle, Round Silicone Spoon, Silicone Spatula, & Square Silicone Spoon

These easy-grip silicone tools have been our go-to tools for our soaping sessions. They’re also easy to clean and sanitize. The rubber handles have a non-slip grip and can resist temperature up to almost 500 degrees Fahrenheit. You can purchase the tools individually or purchase the entire Silicone Tool Set.

Do you want to learn more about making your own lotions, cremes and emulsified scrubs? These three new e-books — Back to Basics, Formulating Lotions & Cremes, and Lotion Making 101 — will give you all the information you need to start formulating your own recipes. And at the very last moment (minutes before this post went up), we added this 194 page e-book on Hair Care Products. With this e-book, you’ll have a comprehensive overview of hair chemistry, how shampoo and conditioner work and most importantly, how to formulate great quality hair products for everyday use. They’re available for quick download and instant formulation gratification.

We added three new molds for your melt and pour & cold process soaping (or chocolate or plaster or wax crafting). We couldn’t help but add the Ornaments Mold, and the Guest Goat Milk Tray Mold and an art-deco inspired Filigree Bee Mold were too cute to pass up.

In Bubbles to Bucks, veteran soapmaker Elin Criswell explores what it takes to turn your soapmaking hobby into a business. She gives you useful advice on starting a small business so you’ll have the tools to succeed. This is a must-read for any soapmaker wanting to start or grow their business.

We also snuck a brand new fragrance oil into our line. Introducing the Amazon Lily & Rain, which smells like florally fresh line-dried linens. If you want a sneak-peek of how it works in cold process, check out our Rainbow Squirty Swirls (it performed beautifully!). Also, be sure to also check out the refill for the Guava Shave Ice Fragrance Oil, which is part of the SoapyLove Island Style Soap Colorants Kit. It’s a great way to keep this perennial summer favorite in-stock.

To achieve the perfect decorative finish for your bath bomb cupcakes, soap meringues, or even your fluffy soap filling, use this brand new Basket Weave Frosting Tip to take your designs to the next level.

Now you can get all your major soapmaking oils in one place. We’ve introduced Canola Oil to our fixed oils line for an affordable, inexpensive oil to use in your recipes. We like using Canola Oil as a partial substitute for Olive Oil when we’re trying to get precise colors in soap because it doesn’t discolor the way Olive Oil sometimes can.

Have you used any of these new products yet? If so, we’d love for you to leave a review on our website. Not sure how to do it? Learn how to leave a review on our website here.

Holiday Cookie Bar Cold Process Tutorial

October 8, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Holiday madness is officially upon us … well, it is if you’re a cold process soaper! I am always so inspired by all the wonderful treats and desserts that show up at yearly holiday parties, and we wanted to try and replicate a delectable holiday treat in soap form. This recipe was inspired by a lovely dessert I came across on Pinterest: soft, doughy cookies with ample fudge and swirled holiday frosting. Delish!

The goal with this soap is to get your layers as straight as possible by using a pour-over-the-spatula technique. We also incorporated the fragrance sample of the month, the delightfully warm Chai Tea Cybilla. It does discolor in cold process soap, which is something we kept in mind when formulating this recipe. In the end, we think the result is just as sweet as the original dessert inspiration!

[Read more…]

Sunday Night Spotlight: Beeswax

October 6, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

It’s time for another Sunday Night Spotlight, and this week’s ingredient is an all-natural wonder. You can use it in lotions, cremes, soaps and even lip balms. Have you guessed what it might be yet? It’s Beeswax! It is a popular ingredient in natural and handmade bath and body products, and there is no shortage of it in Soap Queen blog tutorials. Read on to learn more about this versatile product.

White Beeswax & Yellow Beeswax

Beeswax has an indefinite shelf life and it’s usually added to bath and body recipes as a hardening agent. The difference between the waxes is slight: Yellow Beeswax is fully refined, while the White Beeswax is naturally bleached by exposing it in thin layers to air, sunlight and moisture. In cold process soap, Beeswax is a natural way to harden your soaps and can be used up to 8% in your recipes. When using it in a recipe, melt it first (make sure not to explode it in your microwave), and add it at thin trace when the batter has reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher (hint: this means you have to mix your lye-water and oils at 140 or above; hotter than most normal recipes). Otherwise, the beeswax will begin to harden in your soap. Be aware that beeswax can contribute to overheating your soap, and you could end up with a soap volcano or heat tunnels if your temperatures are too high. Because of this, I typically don’t insulate beeswax soap or only lightly insulate it for recipes containing 1-3% beeswax.

Everything Balm (using White Beeswax)

Beeswax makes cold process soap harder, but that’s not the case in melt & pour soaps. Adding beeswax to most melt & pour bases will actually make it softer. If you are finding that your particular base is too soft, take a look at your ingredients. If you want a harder base, try our LCP (Like Cold Process) Melt & Pour Bases, which are available in both White and Clear. Alternatively, you can let your soap sit out under a fan for up to a week to get a harder bar of melt and pour soap. If you’re still curious about beeswax and melt & pour, check this post from the beginning days (2007!) of the Soap Queen blog — the recipe didn’t work out as expected, that’s for sure!

Chocolate Lip Balms with Cocoa Powder (using Yellow Beeswax)

You can also use beeswax in your lotions, lip balms, cremes, salves and soaps. Below are some examples of the wide range of products you can create with either yellow or white beeswax.

Tutorials using white beeswax, top left (clockwise):

Coffee Butter Foot Creme, Valentine Cold Process Soap, Lotion Bar Love & Cuticle Salve Recipe

Tutorials using yellow beeswax:

Left (Clockwise): Busy Beeswax Soap Tutorial, Bite Me Not Lotion Bar, Naturally Trimming The Tree & Exfoliating Kisser Scrub

What are you favorite recipes that include Beeswax? Or, have any questions I can answer for you?

Frog Foot Swirl

October 3, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with swirling because of these new swirl tools — they make achieving techniques like the Peacock Swirl a breeze! For this tutorial we tried our hand at the Peacock Swirl’s counterpart, the Frog Foot! Simply drag the Easy Swirl Tool in a different way (basically, the opposite way) to achieve this beautiful, striking design.

What You’ll Need:

16 oz. Coconut Oil

16 oz. Canola Oil

24 oz. Palm Oil

3.2 oz. Castor Oil

4.8 oz. Hazelnut Oil

8 oz. Rice Bran Oil

8 oz. Sunflower Oil

11 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

26.4 oz. distilled water

Aqua Pearl Mica

Apricot Blush Mica

1982 Blue Mica

Super Pearly White Mica

Activated Charcoal

18 Bar Birchwood Mold with Silicone Liner

Swirl Tool Kit

Fragrance blend of:

3.4 oz. Cedarwood Essential Oil and 1.6 oz. Peppermint 2nd Distilled Essential Oil

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

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of each pigment into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower oils). Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass container, combine the Cedarwood and Peppermint Essential Oils. Give the mixture a good stir, and then set it aside.

TOOLS: This is a tutorial that uses two brand new soaping tools: the Comb Swirl Tool and the Easy Swirl Tool. You’ll use them in steps seven and eight to create the beautiful Frog Foot Swirl in just two motions. If you decide to order the new tools, please note that they will arrive fully assembled and ready for use in our 18 Bar Birchwood Mold. If you’d like to use them in a smaller mold, or rearrange the screws to create a different pattern, you can easily disassemble the whole tool and configure it to your specifications. Each tool is lovingly handcrafted in our Bellingham, Wash. warehouse, and just like all handmade items, variations between products are normal.

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, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe.

TWO: Melt and combine the Coconut, Canola, Palm, Castor, Hazelnut, Rice Bran and Sunflower oils in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Split the batter equally into five containers, and then add one colorant per container. We added:

1.5 teaspoons of dispersed Super Pearly White in container 1.
3/4 teaspoons of dispersed Super Pearly White and 1/3 dispersed Activated Charcoal in container 2.
1.5 teaspoons dispersed Aqua Pearl in container 3.
1.5 teaspoons Apricot Blush in container 4.
1 teaspoon 1982 Blue in container 5.

Using a spatula or whisk, mix the colorant into the batter.

FOUR: Once you’ve fully mixed in the colorant, divide the fragrance oil blend equally between the 5 containers and mix.

FIVE: Once the fragrance has been fully incorporated, pour each color into its own condiment bottle. Fill each bottle about halfway (6 oz.) full.

SIX: Using the remaining soap in the containers, pour one color at a time down the middle of the mold. Layer each color on top of the other in the same order to create a unique pattern that will spread outward. Repeat this process until you’ve emptied all 5 soap containers.

SEVEN:Once you’ve emptied all 5 containers, use your condiment bottles to squirt horizontal lines of soap across the mold. Repeat this process with all 5 colors, layering one on top of the other in the same order, until you’ve emptied all the bottles.

EIGHT: Insert the Comb Swirl Tool at the top of the mold and slowly and smoothly drag it straight down to create a non-pareil pattern.

NINE: Pay close attention, because this is where the Frog Foot differs from the Peacock Swirl. Instead of dragging the Easy Swirl Tool in the same direction you drug the Comb Swirl Tool, drag it in the opposite direction. So, if you drug the comb tool down from the top of the mold, start with the swirl tool at the bottom and drag it up in slowly undulating ‘S’ curves. The resulting design will create the same S-curves, but they will have points instead of soft bubbly plumes like the Peacock.

Spray the entire top with 91 or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. Cover and insulate for 24 hours and unmold after 3-4 days, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Below you can really see the difference between the Frog Foot (top) and the traditional Peacock (bottom).

Have you used either of our new swirl tools to create either the Frog Foot or the Peacock Swirl? We’d love to hear how they’ve worked out for you!

Soap Challenge: Peacock Swirl

September 26, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

I’m no stranger to making multiple batches of soap and perfecting recipes and techniques. It’s just part of soaping! However, the Peacock Swirl technique set a new record for me — we tried this recipe at least 6 times, resulting in more than 40 pounds of soap! Some of our batches didn’t quite make it, some of them allowed us to experiment with exciting new color palettes and some of them, after many attempts and several hours, actually turned out quite beautifully. This was all in the name of perfecting these awesome swirl tools, which makes creating the beautiful technique a breeze.

What You’ll Need:

20 oz. Coconut Oil

28 oz. Olive Oil

24 oz. Palm Oil

8 oz. Rice Bran Oil

11.2 Sodium Hydroxide

26.4 oz. distilled water

18-Bar Unfinished Birchwood Mold with Silicone Liner

Fragrance Blend of:

3.2 oz. Kumquat and 2 oz. Ginger Ale

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

Don’t want to make the oil blend from scratch? Consider purchasing our Swirl Quick Mix for this recipe. You’ll save time weighing and blending the oils while still getting the same great swirly result!

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of each pigment into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower). Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass container, combine the Kumquat and Ginger Ale Fragrance Oils. Give the mixture a good stir, and then set it aside.

TOOLS: This is the debut tutorial for two brand new soaping tools: the Comb Swirl Tool and the Easy Swirl Tool. You’ll use them in steps seven and eight to create the beautiful Peacock Swirl in just two motions. If you decide to order the new tools, please note that they will arrive fully assembled and ready for use in our 18 Bar Birchwood Mold. If you’d like to use them in a smaller mold, or rearrange the screws to create a different pattern, you can easily disassemble the whole tool and configure it to your specifications. Each tool is lovingly handcrafted in our Bellingham, Wash. warehouse, and just like all handmade items variations between products are normal.

TWO: Melt and combine the Coconut, Olive, Palm and Rice Bran oils in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Once the batter has reached a thin trace, use a spatula or whisk to incorporate the fragrance blend.

FOUR: Fill four condiment bottles roughly two-thirds of the way full. Mix one colorant per bottle in the following measurements: 1 teaspoon disperse Fizzy Lemonade with 1/2 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide; 1 teaspsoon dispersed Aqua Peal with 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide; 1 teaspoon Ultramarine Blue with 1/2 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide; and 1 teaspoon Black Oxide. Securely fasten the cap, plug the opening with your finger and shake vigorously, releasing the tip away from your face.

FIVE: Pour the remaining batter into the mold. Tamp the mold several times on the table to ensure even coverage and disperse bubbles.

SIX: Now take your squirt bottles and pour thin, horizontal lines across the length of the mold until you reach the bottom. Repeat this process with the other colors, methodically layering one on top of the other in the same order and pattern. Do this until you’ve emptied all the colored squirt bottles.

SEVEN: Once you’ve layered all the colors, insert the Comb Swirl Tool at the top of the soap and slowly drag it downward. When you reach the end, pull it straight up and out of the soap so as not to ruin the pattern.

EIGHT: Now insert the Easy Swirl Tool into the soap. Be sure to drag it in the same direction you drug the Comb Swirl Tool. Gently move the tool from side to side, working your way down to the end of the mold. Take care to move the tool in a smooth, fluid motion. Ideally you should end up with rounded S curves that run down the length of the mold.

Spray the entire top with 91 or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. Cover and insulate for 24 hours and unmold after 3-4 days, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy your beautifully swirled Peacock Soap!

Soap Challenge: Mica Topped Cold Process

September 19, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

We’re hooked on the Great Cakes Soapworks Soap Challenges! They’re a great way to practice new techniques and learn from other soapers, and this particular challenge was all about finishing off the soap with a mica swirled top. It’s a relatively simple yet beautiful technique that adds the perfect finishing touch. For the base of the soap we did a simple spoon plop technique, which closely resembles the faux funnel pour. The good thing about the mica top technique is it can used with any cold process soap, no matter what technique was used in the base.

If you’d like to check out our other entries to the Soap Challenge, take a look at our Leopard Spot, Mantra Swirl or Elemental Swirl tutorials.

What You’ll Need:

33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix

4.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

11 oz. distilled water

1.1 oz. Blueberry Fragrance Oil

1.1 oz. Pineapple Cilantro Fragrance Oil

10″ Silicone Loaf Mold

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

Don’t want to buy the Swirl Mix or want to make a recipe up from scratch? I’d recommend at least 60% liquid oils and no more than 40% (total) of solid oils and butters to give yourself a long time to work with this intricate design.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of each pigment into 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

TWO: Melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix and portion out 33 oz. in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. You can use any standard recipe with this design if you don’t have the Swirl Mix on hand but keep in mind that you need a lot of working time with multiple techniques.

TWO: Split the batch into two equal portions. Eyeballing it is okay! After the split, you should have about three cups of batter per container.

THREE: Add 3 teaspoons dispersed Titanium Dioxide to one cup and 1/2 teaspoon dispersed Black Oxide to the other. Mix the colorant into the batter with a wire whisk or spoon. After the colorant has been incorporated, mix the Pineapple Cilantro Fragrance Oil into the white batter and the Blueberry Fragrance Oil into the black batter.

FOUR: Using a spoon, start with the black soap and plop three spoonfuls into the mold. Do the same with the white soap, layering the spoonfuls on top of the black soap. Repeat this process until you’ve emptied both containers of batter.

SIX: Insert a chopstick or dowel about 1/2 inch into the top of the soap. Beginning in the top left-hand corner, make a figure eight pattern through the soap, working your way across the mold.

SEVEN: Using a dropper, drizzle the Aqua Pearl Mica across the top of the soap. We drizzled the mica in loop-de-loop swirls, but you can create your own design too!

EIGHT: Repeat the process with the Amethyst Purple Mica.

NINE: Once all the mica has been drizzled on the soap, use a chopstick or dowel to make small loop-de-loops across the length of the mold. When you reach the edge, begin your curve again and make a second set of loops under the first.

TEN: Spray the entire top with 91 or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. Cover and insulate for 24 hours and unmold after 3-4 days, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy.

Hawaiian Shirt Cold Process Tutorial

September 12, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

If you didn’t get to take a tropical vacation this summer, making this Hawaiian shirt-themed soap might be the next best thing. Big, bright flowers of color give this soap a special pop, and it’s scented with our brand new Shave and a Haircut Fragrance Oil, which was a favorite of our 2013 S.O.A.P. Panel. The powdered coconut milk in this recipe gives the finished soap a thick, conditioning lather, and the milk won’t discolor in the final product. Surf’s up!

What You’ll Need:

16 oz. Coconut Oil

16 oz. Olive Oil

16 oz. Palm Oil

16 oz. Canola Oil

12 oz. Sweet Almond Oil

4 oz. Hemp seed Oil

10.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

26.4 oz. distilled water

4.9 oz. Shave and a Haircut Fragrance Oil

Fired Up Fuchsia Colorant

Fizzy Lemonade Colorant

Tangerine Wow Colorant

Ultraviolet Blue Colorant

Titanium Dioxide Pigment

18 Bar Unfinished Birchwood Mold with Silicone Liner

1 oz. Coconut Milk Powder

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! And remember, you can always remove anything you don’t need. If you want to use one of Bramble Berry’s Quick Mix oils instead of doing a recipe from scratch, I’d go with the Swirl Mix.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of each pigment into 1 tablespoon of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil. Be careful to saturate all the colorant under the oil before mixing or you’ll end up with a messy poof of color. Use a mini mixer to disperse clumps of colorant.

ADDITIVE PREP: Mix 1 oz. Powdered Coconut Milk in 2 oz. of distilled water. Saturate the powder with water before using a mini mixer to blend the two together.

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 releases more quickly 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: Melt and combine the Coconut, Palm, Olive, Canola, Hempseed and Sweet Almond oils in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Using a whisk or spatula, mix in the powdered coconut milk.

FOUR: Fill five 12 oz. condiment bottles halfway full (about 6 oz.) with soap batter.

FIVE: In the remaining batter, whisk in the entire container of fragrance oil.

SIX: Split the large batch of soap batter again, this time into two separate containers. Fill each container with approximately 2.5 cups of soap batter, and add 1/2 teaspoon of Ultraviolet Blue to one, 1 teaspoon of Fizzy Lemonade to another and 1 teaspoon of Titanium Dioxide to the third.

SEVEN: Add one color per condiment bottle. We added 1 teaspoon of Fired Up Fuchsia, Tangerine Wow and Titanium Dioxide to three separate bottles. Add 1/2 teaspoon Ultraviolet Blue to the fourth bottle and 1.5 teaspoons Fizzy Lemonade to the last bottle. Cover the tip of the bottle and shake vigorously to disperse the colorants. Release your finger with the tip pointing away from your face. A little bit of soap always comes out the top and that’s the last thing you want on your skin.

EIGHT: To create the in-the-pot swirl in the base of the soap, start by pouring the yellow colored soap into the white soap in 4 places: 12:00 o’clock, 4:00 o’clock, 8:00 o’clock, and center. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the soap in the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the mixture. Use the same technique when pouring the blue soap. To complete the swirl, use a spatula, chopstick or dowel and swirl the soap by running the tool through the entry points once. It is important to swirl only once because you do not want the colors to completely blend together.

NINE: Pour the freshly swirled soap into the silicone mold. Tamp the mold on the table after you are finished pouring to ensure even coverage and disperse bubbles, but be careful to not over-agitate the swirl.

TEN: Add color by squirting golf ball-sized pools of color on the top of the soap. Layer up to four colors on top of each other to create a “flower” look.

ELEVEN: With a chopstick or dowel, start at the outer edge of the color pools and drag the tool into the center. Do this 4 to 5 around the pools to create the “petals”. Be sure to wipe your tool off between drags. Repeat with all the pools of color in the mold.

TWELVE: Spray the entire top with 91 or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. Cover and insulate for 24 hours and unmold after 3-4 days, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy.

Tip: Highlight the design by cutting the bars horizontally around the flowers. You may not end up with equal-sized bars, but you will have an awesome design!

Bonus video: Want to watch us cut this soap? Check out the Instagram video!