Cold Process Soap Archives - Page 3 of 8

Jade Cold Process Soap Tutorial

November 20, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

The jade stone is known for its beautiful green color and the thought that it has healing properties. The stone inspired our Jade Fragrance Oil, which is a fresh and green floral scent. It has notes of English ivy, jasmine, green apple, and neroli. The wispy swirls in these jade bars are created by pouring the green and white soap into the mold, then swirling them together with the Hanger Swirl Tool.

The great thing about this project is there are no concrete rules on how to create the swirls. You can pour the green and white soap with lots of layers or just a few. You can also experiment with moving the Hanger Swirl Tool in different directions and frequency. Each bar looks completely unique. Jade Fragrance Oil allows for plenty of time to swirl the soap, making it ideal for cold process beginners. This soap has a 10% water discount to help prevent glycerin rivers.

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Lump of Coal Soap Tutorial

November 15, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

The lore of children receiving a lump of coal for Christmas occurs in many cultures. While the origin stories are all slightly different, one aspect is consistent: bad children receive a lump of coal and good children receive a present. These Lump of Coal Soaps put a fun spin on holiday gifts. Your friends and family will actually want these in their stockings.

They’re created with rebatch soap base. Rebatching refers to melting grated cold process soap over low heat. The soap can then be customized with color and fragrance. The Luxury Grated Rebatch Soap used in this project contains a skin-loving blend of oils and butters such as shea butter and olive oil. It’s made fresh so it’s easy to melt down.

Rebatch soap can be melted using a few different heating methods. In this video, the rebatch soap is melted using a double boiler. You can also use a Crock-Pot, as shown in this tutorial. For this project we used a Presto Pot, which is similar to a fondue pot. The key is low, consistent heat.

Once the soap is melted, activated charcoal is added to give a coal-like appearance. Then Sandalwood Vanilla Fragrance Oil is mixed in for a sultry and delicious scent. The soap is allowed to cool slightly and formed into balls using your hands. Finally, a touch of Snowflake Sparkle Mica and a bit more activated charcoal are sprinkled on top. Because of the large amount of charcoal, these bars do lather gray.

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Beet Cold Process Soap Tutorial

October 30, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

We love testing new ingredients. Beet root powder and rosehip powder are two additives that have interesting results in cold process soap. Despite its vibrant natural color, beet root powder fades almost completely in cold process soap. On the other hand, rosehip powder goes through an interesting color transformation.

This recipe contains both beet root powder and rosehip powder. Beet root powder might not add color, but it’s full of vitamins, magnesium, and folate. Rosehip powder contains plenty of vitamin C, making this bar a treat for your skin. Blackberry seeds add a rosy hue and texture on top.

Beet root powder, rosehip powder, and blackberry seeds are all part of the new Exotic Naturals Collection. Click here to see all of the new ingredients, which also include exotic oils like neem and wheat germ.

On its own, rosehip powder is a bright yellow color. This color remains when added to cold process soap batter. Once the soap is unmolded and cut into bars, that’s when things get interesting. Immediately after cutting into the soap, you’ll notice a burgundy color around the bars (shown below). Within about 10 minutes, this color makes its way throughout the entire bar of soap and deepens over 2-3 days.

Rosehip powder does color the lather a bit, and you will find that with these bars. If you’re worried about color transfer, you can use 1 teaspoon of powder. Just keep in mind you will have a lighter color.

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Lime LaCroix Soap Tutorial

October 20, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

The fridge at the Bramble Berry studios is currently filled with lime LaCroix. It’s a crowd-pleasing flavor that’s the perfect pick-me-up during the afternoon. With so much LaCroix in the office, we had to make soap with it.

This Lime LaCroix Soap is a more abstract interpretation than the Grapefruit LaCroix Soap. Rather than trying to recreate the can, the Lime LaCroix inspired the colors for an In-The-Pot Swirl. Scented with Lime Fragrance Oil, these bars smell bright and fruity.

LaCroix doesn’t contain any alcohol so it doesn’t need to be boiled prior to using it in soap. It also doesn’t contain sugar, so you don’t need to worry about the lye scorching or the soap overheating. Does the LaCroix add any real skin benefits to the soap? No, not really. But it’s fun from a label standpoint, and it’s the perfect gift for any LaCroix lover.

Interestingly, the lime LaCroix behaved better in soap than the grapefruit LaCroix. We found that the grapefruit LaCroix became a little grainy, while this soap stayed nice and smooth during the entire process. Just a heads up that the performance of LaCroix in soap may vary flavor to flavor.

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Grapefruit LaCroix Soap Tutorial

October 18, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

It seems everyone is obsessed with LaCroix right now, and we’re no exception. If you scan the office, you’re bound to see a few cans. The bubbly beverage inspired this Grapefruit LaCroix Soap. It’s made with flat LaCroix instead of distilled water and scented with Grapefruit Bellini Fragrance Oil.

We’ve never made soap with sparkling water before, so this was a fun experiment. Because it doesn’t contain alcohol we didn’t boil it. Instead, we opened a few cans of LaCroix and let them sit for a couple days to get rid of the carbonation. Once we were ready to soap, we added the lye directly to the room temperature LaCroix. Because it doesn’t contain sugar, you don’t need to worry about scalding or overheating.

Overall, the LaCroix behaved fairly well in soap. We did find that the soap thickened more quickly, and at one point it did become grainy. Stick blending smoothed out the texture. Interestingly, when we soaped with lime flavored LaCroix, it behaved better. So, the performance of LaCroix in cold process soap may vary flavor to flavor.

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Using the Bramble Berry Lye Calculator

October 5, 2017 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

This post was updated in 2017 with the new Bramble Berry Lye Calculator design.

Customizing soap recipes is one of the many advantages of making products from scratch. There’s a lot of joy in experimenting and finding the perfect combination of ingredients that make your skin feel great. The Bramble Berry Lye Calculator makes it easy to do just that. You can find it near the bottom of the homepage in the pink area pictured. All you have to do is plug in your oil and superfat numbers and the calculator determines how much liquid and lye you need for the recipe. Before getting started, make sure to review this post on lye safety. Learn how to use the calculator below.

ONE: Choose the type of soap, unit of measurement, and the superfatting level. Click “Next.”
Note: Liquid soap is made with potassium hydroxide lye, solid soap is made with sodium hydroxide lye.

TWO: The oils are listed in alphabetical order. Find the ones you plan to use and enter the amount in the box to the left. Click “Next” at the bottom of the list.

THREE: Your recipe will appear. The lye and liquid amounts are listed at the top, followed by the ounces or grams and percentages of oils you chose.

FOUR: It’s easy to edit your recipe. If you want to change the type of soap, unit of measurement, superfat, or oils, select “Edit” next to the numbers. You can also click the “Ounces Grams” button to change the unit of measurement.

FIVE: If you need to adjust the size of your recipe, select the “Resize Batch” button and enter a new oil weight.

SIX: When your recipe is complete, you can enter a title and any notes if you like. Then, select “Print this Recipe.”

If you need help figuring out what to plug into the Lye Calculator, we’ve got you covered. The Common Soapmaking Oils post talks about the properties and shelf lives of the oils we carry, as well as how much to use in your recipe. The Formulating Cold Process Recipes post has great tips as well. If you need to resize your recipe, this post shows you how.

The superfat level is the amount of leftover oil in your recipe that’s not turned into soap. Essentially, it’s free-floating oil that adds extra luxury to your bars and acts as insurance in case of small measuring mistakes. Learn more about superfatting in this post.

We typically superfat our recipes at 5% because it adds moisture without making the bars too soft. That’s a good superfat level to use if you’re just getting started. You may find you like the level lower or higher as you continue to work on your recipe. Right now the calculator only goes up to 10%, so if you want a higher superfat you’ll need to find that amount manually. Not to worry, the 100% Coconut Oil and Annatto Soap tutorial shows you how.

Beginner’s Cold Process Soap Kit

October 3, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

It’s best to start with an easy recipe when making cold process soap for the first time. The Beginner’s Cold Process Soap Kit is specially designed for just that – it includes ingredients for a simple and straightforward bar of soap.

The Beginner’s Cold Process Soap Kit is one of our oldest kits, so it was time for an update. It now includes a durable silicone mold for perfectly-shaped bars every time. It also comes with printed, easy-to-follow instructions to make the process as smooth as possible.

If you’ve never made cold process soap before, the Basics of Cold Process Soapmaking video series on Soap Queen TV is a great place to start learning. It covers soap basics like lye safety and how to use fragrance oils. After your first batch, you’ll be hooked.

The Beginner’s Cold Process Soap Kit Includes:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
1 Jar Sodium Hydroxide Lye
1 lb. Coconut Oil
1 lb. Palm Oil
1 lb. Olive Oil
4 oz. Castor Oil
2 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
Printed Instruction Card

5.0 from 2 reviews

Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit

The Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit is the perfect project for a first time soaper.

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Cold Process

Serves: 2-3 pounds of soap

Ingredients

10" Silicone Loaf Mold
13.5 oz. Olive Oil Pure
9 oz. Coconut Oil
9 oz. Palm Oil
1.5 oz. Castor Oil
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Fragrance Oil

Instructions

Lye is a hazardous substance, but is safe for use in home soapmaking as long as necessary

precautions are taken. Wear gloves and protective goggles when handling lye. Work in a well-ventilated area. Use heat-safe glass and stainless steel products (never aluminum) when working with lye.
Completely melt the bags of coconut oil and palm oil in the microwave before weighing. Weigh the coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil, and olive oil into a glass container with a volume of at least 64 oz. Set aside.
With gloves and goggles on, weigh out the lye in a glass container. Then weigh the water and fragrance oil in separate glass containers.
With gloves and goggles on, prepare the lye water mixture using heat-safe glass and stainless steel products. Add the lye to the distilled water (never the other way around). Stir until all the lye is dissolved and the mixture turns clear. Take care not to breathe in the fumes. Set the lye water aside to cool in a safe place where it will not be disturbed.
Wait until the lye water cools to between 110° F to 130° F, and the oils are between 110° F and 130° F. If necessary, reheat the container of oils in the microwave until they are the correct temperature.
With gloves and goggles on, add the lye water to the melted container of oils. Slowly pulse the stick blender on and off in short bursts, stopping and using it to stir between bursts. Move the blender around the bowl so all parts of the mixture are getting blended.
Once you’ve achieved a pudding-like texture (known as medium trace) and all oils are fully mixed, add the measured fragrance oil and stick blend until combined.
Once the fragrance is fully incorporated, pour the soap batter into the 10” Silicone Loaf Mold. Use a silicone spatula to scrape out any remaining soap. Tap the mold on the counter to get rid of bubbles. Optional: spray top with rubbing alcohol to prevent soda ash.
Place the mold in a safe place where it will not be disturbed. Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 2-4 days. Remove the soap from the mold. If it does not unmold easily, wait another day.
Using a sharp knife, cut the soap to your desired bar size. For the best results, allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks in a well-ventilated area before use.

Eggnog Cold Process Soap DIY

September 13, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

When the temperature starts to drop, nothing beats a glass of eggnog. Well, nothing except a glass of eggnog with a little splash of rum. If you’re a fan of that combination, you’ll love our new Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil. It has notes of vanilla, nutmeg, caramel, and rum.

Those warm and comforting notes inspired this Eggnog Cold Process Soap. The base is made with fresh eggs, which add a creamy feeling to the bars. Then, shredded soap is added for texture – you can use any leftover scraps you have on hand. Finally, the base is topped with fluffy white soap and cute embeds colored with cocoa powder. The final bars make perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones.

This project requires a good understanding of temperature. This soap is created at slightly lower temperatures (around 90 ° F) to prevent the egg yolks from “cooking” in the soap batter. To further prevent this, a portion of the soaping oils are slowly introduced to the egg yolks prior to adding them to the soap at trace. This helps slowly raise the temperature of the eggs. It’s a similar process to creating hollandaise sauce.

The cooler temperatures also prevent the soap frosting from losing its shape and prevents extreme glycerin rivers. We did experience some minimal glycerin rivers in the soap frosting due to the amount of titanium dioxide. Learn more about glycerin rivers here. If you live in a very hot climate, you may want to place this soap in the fridge or freezer once it’s in the mold for 5-24 hours.

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Moonstone Cold Process Soap Tutorial

August 25, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

It’s amazing what a little mica can do. It adds a beautiful iridescence to handmade bath and beauty products. This Moonstone Cold Process Soap has a layered design, but what makes it special is the glimmer on top.

The recipe is topped with Snowflake Sparkle, Aqua Pearl, Party Pink, and Lavender Micas. You can place the colors on top of the soap easily using the new Powder Sprayer, which is part of our gemstone collection. All you have to do is press the top of the sprayer and the mica is dusted onto your soap. It’s an easy way to work with powders, and also happens to be pretty fun to use.

This recipe is scented with new Moonstone Fragrance Oil, which is a combination of soft floral, light powder, and sweet fruit. It has notes of lavender, bergamot, jasmine, violet, sandalwood, and vanilla. You can sample Moonstone and three other new scents in the Gemstone Fragrance Oil Collection. It includes 2 ounces of each fragrance for just $16.95, and is available until Sept. 3rd.

The Moonstone Fragrance Oil discolors to a soft brown. To combat the discoloration, this recipe includes plenty of titanium dioxide. An abundance of titanium dioxide can lead to glycerin rivers – learn more about glycerin rivers here. To prevent glycerin rivers this recipe has a 15% water discount, so be ready to move quickly.

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Agate Spin Swirl Soap Tutorial

August 23, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

This Spin Swirl Soap is inspired by the beautiful layers and textures of agate stones. The design is created with a technique known as the “Spin Swirl.” It’s an advanced technique that involves layering colors of soap in the mold. Once the mold is full, it’s spun on a Lazy Susan or directly on the counter. The spinning motion causes the soap to swirl together. See the spin swirl in action here.

Once the soap is swirled, pieces of LCP Melt and Pour Soap Base are sprinkled into the corner of each bar. LCP soap base has less glycerin than regular melt and pour soap, which helps prevent sweating. But, because cold process soap needs to cure unwrapped, you may still experience some glycerin dew. Our bars got a little bit, but the glycerin dew actually added some extra “sparkle” to the embeds!

The key to the spin swirl is formulating a recipe that gives you plenty of time to pour all the layers. Once the layers are poured, the soap needs to be liquid enough to move during the spinning process. This recipe contains plenty of slow-moving oils like olive and apricot kernel. It also features the new Amethyst Fragrance Oil, which doesn’t accelerate in cold process soap.

If the soap needs to be fluid for a long period of time, you may be wondering why there is a water discount. The first time we made this soap, we experienced heavy soda ash on the bars. Soda ash is more likely to occur if the soap is poured thin and temperatures are kept cool, like this batch. A water discount is the best way to prevent soda ash. Luckily, even with the water discount, we were still able to create a spin swirl. Just remember to use your stick blender sparingly and work quickly.

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Swirl Handmade Soap Kit & Tutorial

August 18, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Creating swirls in handmade soap may be intimidating, but it’s easier than it looks. This Swirl Handmade Soap gets its beautiful design by pouring various colors into the mold and swirling them with a Hanger Swirl Tool. To make this project as easy as possible, the new Swirl Handmade Soap Kit includes everything you need to create these swirled bars.

The kit was specially designed for beginner soapers. It includes all the ingredients you need, as well as soapmaking essentials such as a stick blender, scale, safety gear, and a thermometer. It also comes with printed instructions and labels to give your bars a finishing touch. You can see just how simple it is in the video below.

Swirl Handmade Soap Kit
Soap Recipe:
33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water*
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 tsp. Sodium Lactate
2.4 oz. Neroli & Shea Blossom Fragrance Oil
¼ tsp. Black Oxide Pigment
½ tsp. Mermaid Blue Mica

Tools You’ll Need:
Tall 12” Silicone Loaf Mold
Mini Mixer
Pair of Goggles
Pair of Disposable Gloves
Stick Blender
2 Quart Glass Bowl
Two Easy Pour Containers
8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup
Spatula
Thermometer
Scale
Whisk
Hanger Swirl Tool
Measuring Spoons*
Non-Serrated Knife*
Stainless Steel Spoon*
Chopstick or Other Pointed Tool*

The * indicates items that are not included in the kit.

Once you make this batch, you’ll be hooked on soapmaking. The Original Refill Kit includes more oil, fragrance, and colorant to make another batch. If you’d like to make a slightly different bar, the Pink Refill Kit includes a new colorant and fragrance oil.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Swirled Handmade Soap Kit & Tutorial

This recipe creates a beautiful swirled soap. You can get all the ingredients you need, including tools and printed instructions in the Swirl Handmade Soap Kit on BrambleBerry.com.

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Cold Process Soap

Serves: 2-3 pounds of soap

Ingredients

12" Tall Silicone Loaf Mold
Hanger Swirl Tool
33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water*
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 tsp. Sodium Lactate
2.4 oz. fragrance oil
¼ tsp. black colorant
½ tsp. blue colorant

Instructions

Lye Prep: With your safety gear on, weigh out 4.6 oz. of sodium hydroxide lye flakes in the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. In one of the Easy Pour Containers, weigh out 10.9 oz. of room temperature distilled water. Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir with the stainless steel spoon until the lye has fully dissolved. Never add the water to the lye or it may boil over. As you stir, the mixture will emit fumes; do not breathe them in. The lye mixture will heat to about 180-190 ° F. Label the container “DANGER: LYE” and place in a safe space to cool until about 120-130 ° F. This takes about an hour. Wash and dry the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup to weigh the fragrance and wash and dry the spoon to stir the soap.

Oil prep: While the lye solution cools, prep the oils. Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix in the microwave or in a double boiler. If melting the oils in a double boiler, do not let the bag touch the sides or bottom of the pot or it can melt. You’ll know the oils are melted when there are no chunks or cloudiness in the bag. Once the oils are completely melted, give the bag a good shake. Weigh 33 oz. into the 2 Quart Glass Bowl.

Fragrance prep: This kit includes 4 ounces of fragrance oil. If you like a medium to strong scent, measure out 2.4 oz. of fragrance into the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. If you prefer a lighter scent, measure 1.3-2 oz. Undiluted fragrance oils can degrade plastic, so it’s important to use the glass container provided.

Color prep: Add ¼ tsp. of the black colorant into one disposable cup and ½ tsp. of the blue colorant into another disposable cup. Then, take ½ Tbsp. of melted oil from the Swirl Quick Mix and put it into the black colorant. Add ½ Tbsp. of the base oil to the blue colorant. Blend the oil and colorants together with the Mini Mixer. Don’t prep the color too soon, otherwise the oils can thicken. You’ll want to prep and use the color within about 30 minutes.

Tool prep: Bend the Hanger Swirl Tool so it fits into the corners of the Tall 12” Silicone Loaf Mold.

Temperatures: Check the temperature of your lye solution and oils. You want the oils and lye to be 110-130° F. If you took off your safety goggles and gloves, place them back on. When your oils and lye are in the correct temperature range, carefully add 2 tsp. of sodium lactate to the lye solution and use the spoon to gently stir in. Wash off spoon immediately. Sodium lactate is a liquid salt that helps the soap harden and unmold faster.

Suit up for Safety! Once all your ingredients are prepped, it’s time to make soap! Before starting, put back on your safety goggles and gloves. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and close-toed shoes. It’s important to leave on your safety gear during the entire soaping process.

Tap the stick blender on the bottom of the bowl to get rid of bubbles. Slowly and carefully add the lye solution to the oils. Set the Easy Pour Container to the side for future use. Don’t worry about cleaning it out. Pulse the stick blender on and off to begin blending the oils and lye together. Continue to pulse the stick blender for 15-20 seconds and use the stick blender to stir the mixture.
Once you start blending, the mixture will begin to look creamy. After about 1 minute of blending and stirring, the oils and lye are combined and the soap will be the texture of thin pudding. Don’t stick blend past this stage or the soap may get too thick for the swirl design.
Add the fragrance oil to the soap batter. Use your whisk to combine the fragrance with the soap batter.
Pour about 470 mL of soap into the Easy Pour Container previously used for lye and about 470 mL into the second Easy Pour Container. Add all the dispersed black color to one container and all the dispersed blue color to the second container. Use whisk to mix in the color into the soap batter, going from the lightest to the darkest color.
You now have a container of black soap, a container of blue soap and a container of uncolored soap.
Pour about half of the uncolored soap into the mold down the center. Then, pour about half the black soap in down the center. Hold the container higher up so the black soap breaks through the uncolored soap. Then, pour about half of the blue soap in down the center.
Pour the rest of the uncolored, black, and blue soap into the mold in the same order.
Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into the mold on the side farthest from you. Begin creating random loops throughout the soap. Once you’ve created several random loops, pull the tool out of the side of the mold closest to you. Tap the mold on the counter to disperse any bubbles.
Insert the chopstick or other pointed tool about ½ inch into the soap. You’re just swirling the top, not the entire loaf. Create a tight “S” curve horizontally down the mold. Then, repeat the tight “S” curve vertically down the mold.
Cover the mold with cardboard or a cutting board and wrap it with a blanket or towel. Insulating the soap traps the heat and raises the soap temperature. When freshly made soap becomes hot, gel phase occurs. Gel phase results in brighter colors and a slightly shiny appearance. It also helps the soap harden faster.
The soap needs to harden in the mold for 3-5 days. It can be hard to wait, but it’s worth it! If you unmold the soap too early, you can get dents or drag marks. After 3 days, pull the sides of the mold away from the soap. If it releases easily, pull the other 2 sides away from the soap and gently press from the bottom to release the airlock. Gently and carefully remove the soap and place on a cutting board. If the sides of the mold do not easily release, give the soap another day to harden in the mold.
Using the non-serrated knife, cut the soap into bars. Once the bars are cut, they need to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

Layered Handmade Soap Kit & Tutorial

August 16, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Layered soap is a classic design. Depending on the technique, creating layers can be easy or difficult. This recipe is made using a technique known as the “spoon plop.” The soap is plopped into the mold, which is easy to do and creates a completely different bar each time.

To make the process even easier, the Layered Handmade Soap Kit includes all the ingredients and tools necessary for this soap. It was designed with complete beginners in mind, and includes everything from oils and lye to a stick blender and safety gear. It also SHIPS FREE to the lower 48 United States. Learn more about the kit here.

Layered Handmade Soap Kit
Ingredients:
33 oz. Basic Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water*
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 tsp. Sodium Lactate
2.4 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
1 tsp. Kelly Green Mica

Tools You’ll Need:
10” Silicone Loaf Mold
Mini Mixer
Pair of Goggles
Pair of Disposable Gloves
Stick Blender
2 Quart Glass Bowl
Easy Pour Container
8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup
Spatula
Whisk
Thermometer
Scale
Measuring Spoons*
Two Stainless Steel Spoons*
Non-Serrated Knife*

The * indicates items not included in the kit

In the video below, you can see the spoon plop technique in action. The great thing about the technique is how imprecise it is. By layering uneven plops of soap into the mold, each bar comes out unique.

Once you make the recipe, you can order the Original Refill Kit, which includes more oil, fragrance, and colorant to complete another batch. If you’d like to make a slightly different bar, the Lavender Refill Kit includes a different colorant and fragrance oil for a new look and scent.

If you’re looking to give cold process soap a try for the first time, check out the other all-in-one soap kits below. Each features different colors, fragrances, and techniques to suit your preference.

Exfoliating Handmade Soap Kit
Swirl Handmade Soap Kit

Layered Handmade Soap Kit & Tutorial

This layered soap is easy to make, and each bar looks completely unique!

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Cold Process Soap

Serves: 2-3 pounds of soap

Ingredients

33 oz. Basic Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 tsp. Sodium Lactate
2.4 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
1 tsp. Kelly Green Mica

Instructions

Lye prep: With your safety gear on, measure out 4.7 oz. of sodium hydroxide lye flakes in the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. In one of the Easy Pour Containers, measure out 10.9 oz. of room temperature distilled water. Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir with the spoon until the lye has fully dissolved. Never add the water to the lye or it may boil over. As you stir, the mixture will emit fumes; do not breathe them in. The lye mixture will heat to about 180-190 ° F. Label the container “DANGER: LYE” and place in a safe space to cool until about 120-130 ° F. This takes about an hour. Wash and dry the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup to weigh out the fragrance and wash and dry the spoon to plop soap into the mold.

Oil prep: While the lye solution cools, prep the oils. Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix in the microwave or in a double boiler. If melting the oils in a double boiler, do not let the bag touch the sides or bottom of the pot or it can melt. You’ll know the oils are melted when there are no chunks or cloudiness in the bag. Once the oils are completely melted, give the bag a good shake. Weigh 33 oz. into the 2 Quart Glass Bowl.

Fragrance prep: This kit includes 4 ounces of fragrance oil. If you like a medium to strong scent, weigh out 2.4 oz. of fragrance into the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. If you prefer a lighter scent, weigh 1.3-2 oz. Undiluted fragrance oils can degrade plastic, so it’s important to use a glass container.

Color prep: Add 1 tsp. of the green colorant into the disposable cup. Then, take 1 Tbsp. of melted oil from the Basic Quick Mix and blend the two together with the Mini Mixer. Don’t prep the color too soon, otherwise the oils can thicken. You’ll want to prep and use the color within about 30 minutes.

Suit Up for Safety! Once all your ingredients are prepped, it’s time to make soap! Before starting, put back on your safety goggles and gloves. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and close-toed shoes. It’s important to leave on your safety gear during the entire soaping process.

Slowly and carefully add the lye solution to the oils. Set the Easy Pour Container to the side to use again to hold soap. Don’t worry about cleaning it out. Pulse the stick blender on and off to begin blending the oils and lye together. Continue to pulse the stick blender for 15-20 seconds and use the stick blender to stir the mixture.
Once you start blending, the mixture will begin to look creamy. After about 1 minute of blending and stirring, the oils and lye are combined and the soap will be the texture of thin pudding.
Add the fragrance oil to the soap batter. Use your whisk to combine thoroughly.
Split half of the soap into the Easy Pour Container previously used for lye. To this container, add all of the dispersed green colorant and whisk in. It turns a mossy/army green at first, but don’t worry! It will turn bright green after 24 hours.
You now have a container of uncolored soap and a container of green soap. You want the soap to be slightly thick - it should look like cake batter. If it’s still the consistency of thin pudding, stick blend each container from lightest to darkest color for 5-10 seconds. The thicker texture allows you to get defined layers.
With one of spoons, place 3-4 large dollops of green soap in the mold. Then, place 3-4 dollops of uncolored soap on top of the green soap. Keep plopping green and uncolored soap into the mold in this pattern until it is used up. Every once in awhile, tap the mold on the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Vary the size of dollops to create interest.
When the mold is full, tap it firmly on the counter again to release bubbles. Then, take a spoon and start pulling soap toward the center to create peaks. You can also create swirls or divots with the spoon. There is no right way to do this, so have fun with it!
Once all the soap is in the mold, tap it on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. If you'd like the soap to go through gel phase, cover and insulate the soap for 24 hours.
Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 3-4 days. To remove, pull the sides of the mold away from the soap to break the airlock. Push from the bottom to remove the soap. Cut into bars, and allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

Exfoliating Handmade Soap Kit & Tutorial

August 14, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Making soap from scratch is the perfect mix of science and art. This exfoliating soap highlights both aspects and is great for beginners. To make the recipe as easy as possible, we created a thorough soapmaking kit that includes everything you need.

The Exfoliating Handmade Soap Kit includes ingredients, tools, printed instructions, and labels. From the oils and lye to safety gear and a stick blender, this kit includes it all. The kit also includes FREE SHIPPING to the lower 48 states.

If you’re a visual learner, watch the video above. You can see just how easily the recipe comes together. The cranberry seeds give the bars a scrubby texture that exfoliates the skin. Once the soap has hardened in the mold for 3-4 days, you can cut it into bars. The kit also includes printed labels to give your bars a finishing touch for gifts.

Once you have the Exfoliating Handmade Soap Kit, you can purchase a refill kit to make the soap again. Or, if you’d like to make a new exfoliating soap, the Walnut Refill Kit includes a different exfoliant and fragrance oil.

Exfoliating Handmade Soap Kit
Ingredients:
33 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water*
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 tsp. Sodium Lactate
2.4 oz. Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil
1 Tbsp. Cranberry Seeds

Tools You’ll Need:
10” Silicone Loaf Mold
Mini Mixer
Pair of Goggles
Pair of Disposable Gloves
Stick Blender
2 Quart Glass Bowl
8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup
Easy Pour Container
Spatula
Whisk
Thermometer
Scale
Tablespoon*
Non-Serrated Knife*
Stainless Steel Spoon*

The * indicates items that are not included in the kit.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Exfoliating Handmade Soap Tutorial & Kit

This Exfoliating Soap is perfect for beginners and leaves skin feeling soft.

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Cold Process Soap

Serves: 2-3 pounds of soap

Ingredients

33 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 tsp. Sodium Lactate
2.4 oz. Fragrance Oil
1 Tbsp. Exfoliant

Instructions

Lye Prep: With your safety gear on, weigh out 4.7 oz. of sodium hydroxide lye flakes in the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. In the Easy Pour Container, weigh out 10.9 oz. of room temperature distilled water. Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir with the stainless steel spoon until the lye has fully dissolved. Never add the water to the lye or it may boil over. As you stir, the mixture will emit fumes; do not breathe them in. The lye mixture will heat to about 180-190 ° F. Label the container “DANGER: LYE” and place in a safe space to cool until about 120-130 ° F. This takes about an hour. With gloves on, wash and dry the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup to weigh the fragrance oil.

Oil Prep: While the lye solution cools, prep the oils. Fully melt the entire bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix in the microwave or in a double boiler. If melting the oils in a double boiler, do not let the bag touch the sides or bottom of the pot or it can melt. You’ll know the oils are melted when there are no chunks or cloudiness in the bag. Once the oils are completely melted, give the bag a good shake. Weigh 33 oz. into the 2 Quart Glass Bowl.

Fragrance Prep: This kit includes 4 ounces of fragrance oil. If you like a strong scent, measure out 2.4 oz. of fragrance into the washed 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. If you prefer a lighter scent, measure 1.3-2 oz. Undiluted fragrance oils can degrade plastic, so it’s important to use the glass container provided.

Suit up for safety! Once all your ingredients are prepped, it’s time to make soap! Before starting, put back on your safety goggles and gloves. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and close-toed shoes. It’s important to leave on your safety gear during the entire soaping process.

Tap the stick blender on the bottom of the bowl to get rid of bubbles. Slowly and carefully add the lye solution to the oils. Pulse the stick blender on and off to begin blending the oils and lye together. Continue to pulse the stick blender for 15-20 seconds and use the stick blender to stir the mixture.
Once you start blending, the mixture will begin to look creamy. After about 1 minute of blending and stirring, the oils and lye are combined and the soap will be the texture of thin pudding.
Add the fragrance oil to the soap and use your whisk to combine thoroughly.
At this point, the soap batter will have thickened slightly. Add 1 Tbsp. of exfoliant and whisk to combine.
Once the exfoliant is thoroughly mixed in, slowly and carefully pour the soap into the silicone loaf mold.
Tap the mold firmly on the counter to release bubbles.
Cover and insulate soap to promote gel phase.
Unmold and cut after 3-5 days. Cure for 4-6 weeks before using.

Black Tea Soap Tutorial

July 14, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Black tea has been renowned for centuries as a potent source of powerful antioxidants. This Black Tea Cold Process Soap recipe harnesses those properties by replacing water with black tea. It’s also scented with the new Bergamot Black Tea Fragrance Oil. The fragrance is a complex blend of smoky tea leaves and bright bergamot with a subtle base of amber. It’s a fantastic uni-sex fragrance oil.

If you’ve never replaced water in your recipe with tea, it’s easier than you think. Simply brew the tea, allow it to cool and mix in the lye like you would with water. The lye solution will become a dark brown, so this recipe contains titanium dioxide to lighten the color. Purple Brazilian clay adds a natural purple hue, while activated charcoal gives a deep grey color.

Because this recipe does contain plenty of titanium dioxide, it has a 20% water discount. The first time we made the soap without a water discount, we got a lot of glycerin rivers (Learn more about glycerin rivers here.) The water discount — or in this case, tea discount — eliminated them completely. The discount also helps to achieve a thick, easy-to-layer texture.

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Find the supplies you need for this project below

Find the supplies you need for this project below

Find the supplies you need for this project below