Soap making with milk is popular because of milk’s natural moisturizing properties. For the past two weeks, the blog has been full of soapy projects made with milk and milk powders. Milk can replace up to 100% of the water in your cold process recipe. Because milk contains natural sugars that can burn when introduced to sodium hydroxide lye, it’s important to keep temperatures cool. My favorite way to prevent scorched lye milk is to freeze the milk in advance and add the lye slowly. For more information on creating the lye and milk mixture, check out the How to Add Lye to Milk for Cold Process Soap blog post.
Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Tutorial
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.
Soap Queen Cuisine: Tom Kha Gai Soup with Tofu
The weather here in the Pacific Northwest has been grey, windy and incredibly wet. Luckily, we have not yet been hit with snow (knock on wood). This kind of soggy weather puts me in the soup making mood, as you can probably tell as this is my second soup recipe in a row! Instead of the creamy, pureed Roasted Rosemary Carrot Soup from two weeks ago, I’m whipping up a lighter, spicier soup with plenty of veggies.
Tom kai gai soup is a Thai dish, made with traditional ingredients such as lemongrass, fish sauce, ginger and coconut milk. The flavors are complex and comforting, perfect for a chilly winter day. Usually made with chicken, I used tofu to get my protein fix. I also added zucchini to add an extra serving of veggies. If you’re curious, the kids aren’t a fan of this soup. Too spicy for them!
Soap Queen Cuisine: Mango & Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
When the weather becomes gloomy and gray, small reminders of warm, tropical locations can do wonders. These reminders may come in the form of a spicy fragrance, lush colors or a fruity flavor. This past week, tutorials using tropical fragrances and vibrant hues (such as the Vibrant Mehndi Cold Process) have been highlighted…now it’s time for a fruity (edible) treat!
Made from fresh mangos, creamy coconut milk and nutritious chia seeds, this pudding is guilt-free and full of flavor. If you are unfamiliar with chia seeds they small, tasteless and full of omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and fiber. Once they come in contact with liquid, after a few hours they transform the liquid into a creamy, thick consistency.
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