Exfoliant Archives - Soap Queen

Sunday Night Spotlight: Loofah Sponges

November 9, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

All natural loofah sponges provide excellent exfoliation to a wide variety of projects. Loofah sponges (Botanical Name: Luffa cylindrica) may come in the form of long tubes, shredded loofah and pre-cut loofah disks. These sponges can then be used in scrubs, melt and pour and cold process soap. Loofah sponges can also be used on their own to increase lather.

Loofah sponges come from the luffa plant, which is a member of the cucumber family. The luffa plant is often consumed as a vegetable when harvested while the large pods are still young. When the plant is allowed to mature, the skin and seeds are removed to reveal the loofah fiber. The loofah fiber is then washed to remove any leftover seeds and skin. Once the loofah fiber is completely clean, the fiber is dried out completely.
To use the flat loofah sponges, dunk the sponges in water to plump them up! You can then cut in the loofah sponges into the perfect size for your project. Or, cut them while flat and submerge in water after. When storing loofahs, keep them in a dry cool place away from excess moisture. If used in the shower, allow the loofah to hang dry after each use. Avoiding excess moisture eliminates possible bacteria and mold growth within the sponge.

If you’re looking to incorporate loofah sponges into your next project, the Loofah Cold Process Soap Tutorial is a great recipe for the beginner soap maker. With shredded loofah, skin-loving fixed oil, and a crisp combination of Moroccan Mint and Moonlight Pomegranate Fragrance Oils, this soap leaves skin feeling incredibly fresh. If using loofah in cold process, the recommended usage rate is 1 tablespoon (or about 1/4 oz.) ground loofah per pound of soap.

In the Gardening Cold Process Soap, shredded loofah is sprinkled on top alongside jojoba beads to add extra scrubbiness. If you are unsure which exfoliant is right for your project, the Exfoliant Sampler Pack is a great way to experiment with shredded loofah and seven other scrubby options.

The Making Loofah Soap video on Soap Queen TV shows you how to incorporate the scrubby sponges into an adorable melt and pour project. First, shredded loofah is added into a colorful layered melt and pour project. Then, larger pieces of loofah sponges are embedded into individual melt and pour bars for a different look. The design possibilities with loofah sponges are extremely broad!

Have you used loofah in any of your soapy projects? I would love to see photos of your loofah inspired projects on our Facebook page, or hashtag #brambleberry on Instagram!

Sunday Night Spotlight: Jojoba Beads

September 21, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Looking to add gentle exfoliation and a pop of color to your next project? Small, spherical jojoba beads are a great option. Created from jojoba oil, jojoba beads (sometimes referred to as jojoba esters) are odorless, firm and come in a various colors and sizes. Jojoba beads can be used in various projects including melt and pour, scrubs and cold process.

Love the cheery orange color of jojoba bead shown above? This new color will be available soon!

Jojoba oil is a luxurious liquid wax derived from the seed of the Jojoba shrub. Jojoba oil is made of up various long chain molecules. These molecules are transformed from a liquid to a solid wax by processes called hydrogenation or transesterification. This firm wax is referred to a jojoba ester, also known as a jojoba bead!

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Espresso Shot Cold Process Tutorial

May 22, 2014 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

It’s no secret that the Pacific Northwest is the coffee capital of the world. There’s a coffee shop on every corner (sometimes two!), and a never-ending thirst for the latest and greatest new drink. The passion for coffee spills over into passion for soapmaking, so when we brought in the brand new Espresso Fragrance Oil, we went to work designing the most coffee-tastic soap we could.

The Espresso Fragrance Oil is a true espresso scent. Whereas Turkish Mocha has hints of sweetness and cream and Chocolate Espresso Cybilla is brimming with chocolate-y goodness, Espresso is for the coffee purist. Along with a recipe that includes Coffee Butter, Cocoa Butter, Hazelnut Oil and real coffee grounds, this is the ultimate soap for coffee lovers everywhere.

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Carnation Cube Cuties Melt and Pour Tutorial

April 15, 2014 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

We’re getting back to the basics today with this cute cube melt & pour. This project is great for beginners and it’s also an excellent way to build some basic melt and pour skills. It requires that you keep a close eye on your temperatures because you don’t want to melt the delicate jojoba beads or break the smooth layers. The project also uses the Carnation Fragrance Oil, which is our sample of the month for April.

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Havana Layers Melt & Pour Soap

March 20, 2014 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

The Havana Classic series continues today with this super sensory melt and pour project. Loaded with natural additives such as Shredded Loofah, Poppy Seeds, Lemon Peel, White Pumice and Walnut Shells, this is a fun textured bar of soap that exfoliates as it cleans.

Now through March 26 we’re rolling out specials tutorials, coupons and discounts as part of Havana Classic. Subscribe to our newsletter, and keep an eye on our Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Homepage and the blog for the coupon codes so you don’t miss the savings!

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3 Scrub Recipes on Soap Queen TV

August 9, 2012 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

We filmed this Soap Queen TV episode earlier in the summer with Erin Pikor of Naiad Soap Arts. We had so much fun on the set (she’s such a hoot to work with)! We couldn’t fit in all of the hilarious out-takes, but don’t worry, we squeezed a couple in.

In this episode, Erin and I demonstrate how to make (and use) not just one, but 3 scrub recipes! The first is Erin’s Salt Glow Scrub with sea salt and nourishing oils. Next, Erin shows how to make her Gentle Facial Scrub with Lavender and Green Zeolite Clay. And finally, I show my favorite sugar lip scrub with luxurious Shea Butter and the super yummy Buttercreme Flavor.

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Gardening Cold Process Soap

June 30, 2011 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

If you have never made cold process soap before, I strongly suggest getting a couple of basic recipes under your belt before diving in. Check out Soap Queen TV on Cold Process if you want to get started with cold process. It’s a 4 part series that will take you through the basics (and be sure to watch the episode on Lye Safety). If you’re a book worm, Bramble Berry also has some helpful reading on the cold process technique.

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Soap Queen TV Makes Soap for a Gardener

June 2, 2011 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Learn to make a soap that is perfect for scrubbing those green thumbs clean! In this episode of Soap Queen TV, Anne-Marie shows how to make a beautifully layered soap using 2 kinds of natural exfoliants – Walnut Shells and Shredded Loofah. This project is perfect for that gardener in your life or just someone who needs a little extra help getting those little piggies clean! And if you’ve ever wondered about our tray molds, this episode shows just how easy it is to make 8 bars of soap at once.

Make Gardener’s Soap from Soap Queen on Vimeo.

We’ve created a kit with all of the ingredients you need to make the soap in this video. You can make at least 8 bars of soap with our kit. Buy it NOW!

In this episode, Anne-Marie uses:

Last Minute Project for Mom!

May 5, 2011 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Hand-Milled Rose/Lilac Salt Bar for Mother’s Day

I woke up this morning and realized that Mother’s Day is Sunday and I hadn’t made any soap for the occasion! Yikes! I needed to come up with something. So here is what I made…

Ingredients for Hand-Milled Rose/Lilac Salt Bar

28 oz shredded soap (rebatch)

2 cups salt (or your favorite scrubby ingredient)

1 tablespoon Walnut Shells

2 ml Fuchsia LabColor

.5 ml Canary LabColor

.5 oz Lilac Fragrance Oil

.5 oz Baby Rose Fragrance Oil

Individual cavity molds. I really liked using a silicone muffin pan.

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DIY Soapy Confetti: Soapylove E-Zine

April 6, 2011 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Feast your eyes on a few of the projects in the new Soapylove E-Zine for Spring 2011.

Get the newest edition here!

Soap Sprinkles: Make your own!

Salty Stripes: Using salt in melt and pour.

Bottle Soaps: You won’t believe how Debbie created this technique!

In other (off topic yet amazing) news, check the Bella Lucce Blog to win a trip to Miami to attend the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference! Yes, you read that correctly. Lela from Bella Lucce is throwing one heck of a contest to win some sunny skies and soapy inspiration. Read the contest details here!

Scrub into Spring: Solid Exfoliating Scrub Tutorial

March 24, 2011 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

Make your own solid sugar scrubs jam packed with skin-loving ingredients. No more mixing the liquid oils and the sugar before you shower – which can be a bit of a mess! Just grab one of these adorable solid sugar scrub cubes for an easy, mess free, luxurious shower.

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Lux Naturals Shout Out

March 22, 2011 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Lux Naturals Handcrafted Soap and Candles

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Loofah Cold Process Soap Tutorial

February 10, 2011 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Loofah soap can be super scrubby on the skin. I designed this recipe with a mild scrub in mind. This recipe is great because it has a nice gentle scrub on one side of the soap and it’s silky smooth on the other. Plus the fragrance combination of Pomegranate and Mint is positively swoon-worthy.

What You’ll Need:

8 oz Coconut Oil

1.0 oz Jojoba Oil

11.20 oz Olive Oil

8 oz Palm Oil

1.6 oz Palm Kernel Flakes

1.0 oz Shea Butter

1.3 oz Sweet Almond Oil

4.5 oz Sodium Hydroxide

10.5 oz Distilled Water

1.5 oz Moonlight Pomegranate

1.5 oz Moroccan Mint

1 Tablespoon Shredded Loofah

1 Teaspoon Super Pearly White

9 Bar Baltic Birch Mold

Buy everything you need below (less the olive oil and distilled water).

Also remember that you can delete anything from your shopping cart.

Preparation: Safety First: familiarize yourself with the safety precautions of Cold Process Soap Making. Please watch these videos on Lye Safety, Basic Terms, Using Fragrance and Essential Oils, Using Colorants. Review the lye safety blog post here. Also, be sure to line your mold ahead of time with freezer paper.

ONE: In your soaping gear (gloves, goggles and long sleeves) prepare your Lye Water.

TWO: Heat/melt and combine the Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Palm Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. Then mix in the Shea Butter until fully melted and incorporated.

TIP: When adding the shea butter to your melted oil, put the stick blender right on top of the shea and blend it in. Trap it down on the bottom. This will speed up the process of the normal hand stirring.

THREE: Carefully add your Lye water to the oils and mix with your stick blender.

TIP: Remember to “burp” your stick blender by tapping the air out of your stick blender before you start mixing.

FOUR: Once all of the ingredients are combine split the batch in two containers (make sure they’re big enough to mix in). Does not have to be perfect but try to eyeball it the best that you can.

FIVE: In one half of the batter, add 1 tablespoon of shredded loofah and 1.5 ounce of Moonlight Pomegranate fragrance oil. Mix well. Moonlight Pomegranate is an Advanced Soaper Fragrance; it will want to separate on you but if you keep mixing and mixing and mixing with the stick blender you’ll get it to incorporate. The fragrance combo is worth the effort! But, if you want something easier because you’re not quite sure you want to deal with a fragrance that likes to separate? Mangosteen or Berry “I smell horrible out of the bottle but soap up way nicer” Wine would be great with Mint!

SIX: Pour this layer into your lined, 9 Bar Baltic Birch Mold.

SEVEN: In the second half of your batter, add about ½ teaspoon of Super Pearly White mica and 1.5 ounce of Moroccan Mint fragrance Oil. Give it a mix with the stick blender and pour the second layer.

TIP: Pour the second layer over a spoon or spatula so the top layer does not break through the bottom layer.

EIGHT: Carefully smooth the top layer out with your spatula. Leave as is or texture the top of your soap using a spoon or whisker. Have your dividers assembled already and carefully place them in the mold.

NINE: Let the soap harden up for 24 hours and it’s ready to unmold and cure for 4-6 weeks.

PS – We’re testing the awesome soap beveler that I used to bevel this soap above. I can’t wait to approve that nifty piece of equipment for sale!

Camouflaging the Bump with Cupcakes?

January 31, 2011 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

We shot a couple of more episodes of Soap Queen TV this weekend. We’re trying to store a few up so I can take some time off when the baby makes his appearance. That black apron + table does a pretty job of hiding my bump. But, believe me, it’s there.

To dress the set we use cute soap from recent projects, like these from last weeks CP gradation tutorial

I really wanted to wear this adorable cupcake apron but Amber (I like to call her the ‘SQTV producer‘ though during the regular week she’s our Marketing Guru) said it would be too busy and detract from the soap projects.

We did two really fun melt and pour projects. Here’s the sneak peak of both of them:

Bringing Soap Ropes back in a big way!

Loofah Fun!