An in-the-pot swirl is a classic soapmaking technique that results in a unique design every time. The batch is portioned off into separate containers, color is added, and the soap is poured back into the main batch. The colors are poured into different areas of the pot and at different heights. The imprecise nature of the swirl makes it great for beginners and advanced makers alike.

This Coastal Rain Cold Process Soap uses multiple shades of blue. Jagua blue extract creates a natural blue hue and Icelandic black sand adds depth to the bottom layer, as well as a touch of exfoliation. When working with Kelly Green Mica, don’t be afraid of the olive green color it creates at first – it returns to a bright shade of green in finished soap.

The batch is scented with Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil, which features notes of ocean mist, white tea, lily, and musk. It does discolor to a light yellow, which is why titanium dioxide is added. We found it did discolor the top of the soap, giving it a slight green hue.

The Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil, Icelandic black sand, and jagua blue extract are all part of the new Seascape Collection. It includes four ocean-inspired fragrance oils, exfoliants, sugar pearls, and more. Click here to shop the entire collection.

What You Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
54 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
7.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
16 oz. Distilled Water (10% water discount)
3.4 oz. Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil
Jagua Blue Extract
Icelandic Black Sand
Titanium Dioxide Pigment
Ultramarine Blue Pigment
Kelly Green Mica
Activated Charcoal

Click below 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. We 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 Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.4 ounces of Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

COLORANT PREP: Disperse 3 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond oil. In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon Kelly Green Mica, 1 teaspoon activated charcoal, and 1 teaspoon Ultramarine Blue Pigment into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps. Then, mix together 1/2 teaspoon of jagua blue extract with 1/2 tablespoon of distilled water. Be very careful with this mixture – it’s highly concentrated and will stain skin and other surfaces. Use a small spoon to mix together the jagua blue extract and water. If necessary, you can use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps. We recommend covering the container with your hands if you use the mixer, it can cause the water to spray.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder 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. 

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, 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.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add 7.5 ounces of lye to 16 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 54 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.

THREE: Add 1 tablespoon of dispersed titanium dioxide to the entire batch and use a whisk to mix it in.

FOUR: Split the soap and add the dispersed colorants listed below. Use a whisk to mix each colorant in.

• Container A (500 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed Kelly Green Mica + 1/2 tsp. dispersed Ultramarine Blue Pigment
• Container B (500 mL): Remaining dispersed titanium dioxide pigment
• Container C (500 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed Ultramarine Blue Pigment

Kelly Green Mica turns a dark olive green when first added, but it returns to a bright green in the finished soap. Notice the color change from the photos above.

FIVE: To the remaining soap, add all of the dispersed jagua blue extract and use a whisk to mix it in thoroughly.

SIX: Pour off 500 mL of the jagua blue colored soap into a separate container. Stick blend the soap to reach a medium trace. Add 2 tablespoons of Icelandic black sand and 2 teaspoons of dispersed activated charcoal, and use a whisk to fully incorporate. Add a proportional amount of the Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil (it’s okay to eyeball it) and use a whisk to mix in.

SEVEN: Pour the dark jagua blue soap into the mold. Use a spoon to evenly spread it throughout the mold and to create peaks and divots into the soap.

EIGHT: Add the Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil proportionally to each of the remaining containers of soap – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance oil.

NINE: Begin pouring the blue, green, and white soap into the large bowl of jagua blue soap. Pour each color into different areas of the bowl and at different heights. Don’t worry too much about the exact placement of each color. We like to pour a little bit of white in between each color to help differentiate the colors.

TEN: Once all the colors have been poured into the bowl, use a large spatula to swirl the batter. Only swirl 1-2 times so the colors don’t muddle together.

ELEVEN: Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.

TWELVE: Allow the soap to sit in the mold and thicken. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Once it’s firm, use a small spoon to create texture. We created a wave on one side of the mold, but feel free to texture the top however you like.

To promote gel phase, place the soap on a heating pad set to medium for 30-60 minutes. To help insulate, we bent a piece of cardboard and placed it on over the mold without touching the top. Allow it to stay covered and insulated for at least 6 hours. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and crack. If you see a crack starting to form, take it off the heating pad and remove any insulation.

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Coastal Rain Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This ocean-inspired design is easier to create than you think.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 5 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
• 54 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
• 7.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 16 oz. Distilled Water 10% water discount
• 3.4 oz. Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil
• Jagua Blue Extract
• Icelandic Black Sand
• Titanium Dioxide Pigment
• Ultramarine Blue Pigment
• Kelly Green Mica
• Activated Charcoal

Instructions

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.4 ounces of Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

COLORANT PREP: Disperse 3 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond oil. In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon Kelly Green Mica, 1 teaspoon activated charcoal, and 1 teaspoon Ultramarine Blue Pigment into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps. Then, mix together 1/2 teaspoon of jagua blue extract with 1/2 tablespoon of distilled water. Be very careful with this mixture – it’s highly concentrated and will stain skin and other surfaces. Use a small spoon to mix together the jagua blue extract and water. If necessary, you can use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps. We recommend covering the container with your hands if you use the mixer, it can cause the water to spray. Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder 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.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, 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.

• Slowly and carefully add 7.5 ounces of lye to 16 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 54 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
• Add 1 tablespoon of dispersed titanium dioxide to the entire batch and use a whisk to mix it in.
• Split the soap and add the dispersed colorants listed below. Use a whisk to mix each colorant in.<br>Container A (500 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed Kelly Green Mica + 1/2 tsp. dispersed Ultramarine Blue Pigment<br>Container B (500 mL): Remaining dispersed titanium dioxide pigment<br>Container C (500 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed Ultramarine Blue Pigment
• To the remaining soap, add all of the dispersed jagua blue extract and use a whisk to mix it in thoroughly.
• Pour off 500 mL of the jagua blue colored soap into a separate container. Stick blend the soap to reach a medium trace. Add 2 tablespoons of Icelandic black sand and 2 teaspoons of dispersed activated charcoal, and use a whisk to fully incorporate. Add a proportional amount of the Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil (it’s okay to eyeball it) and use a whisk to mix in.
• Pour the dark jagua blue soap into the mold. Use a spoon to evenly spread it throughout the mold and to create peaks and divots into the soap.
• Add the Coastal Rain Fragrance Oil proportionally to each of the remaining containers of soap – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance oil.
• Begin pouring the blue, green, and white soap into the large bowl of jagua blue soap. Pour each color into different areas of the bowl and at different heights. Don’t worry too much about the exact placement of each color. We like to pour a little bit of white in between each color to help differentiate the colors.
• Once all the colors have been poured into the bowl, use a large spatula to swirl the batter. Only swirl 1-2 times so the colors don’t muddle together.
• Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
• Allow the soap to sit in the mold and thicken. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Once it’s firm, use a small spoon to create texture. We created a wave on one side of the mold, but feel free to texture the top however you like.
• To promote gel phase, place the soap on a heating pad set to medium for 30-60 minutes. To help insulate, we bent a piece of cardboard and placed it on over the mold without touching the top. Allow it to stay covered and insulated for at least 6 hours. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and crack. If you see a crack starting to form, take it off the heating pad and remove any insulation.

The post Coastal Rain Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

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.

What You Need:
9 Cube Soap Silicone Mold
33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.9 oz. Flat Lime LaCroix
2.4 oz. Lime Fragrance Oil
Blue Slushy Mica
Kermit Green Mica
Hydrated Chrome Green Colorant
Aqua Pearl Mica
Titanium Dioxide

Click below 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. Check out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. Bramble Berry also carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking.

LA CROIX PREP (1-2 days before): Open one can of Lime LaCroix and allow it to sit out for 1-2 days to get rid of carbonation. The best way to test if the LaCroix is flat is to taste it. Once it no longer contains carbonation and you’re ready to soap, pour 10.9 ounces into a lye safe container.

COLOR PREP: In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of titanium dioxide, Aqua Pearl Mica, Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment, and Slushy Blue Mica into 1/2 tablespoon sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In a separate container, disperse 1 teaspoon Kermit Green Mica into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps.
OPTIONAL: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. To micronize the colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend it. That breaks up any clumps of color and prevents 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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.4 ounces of Lime Fragrance Oil into a glass fragrance-oil-safe container. Set aside.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, 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.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the LaCroix and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.

THREE: Pour 200 mL of the soap batter into two separate containers. Then pour 400 mL of soap into another container. Add the following amounts of dispersed colorants to each container of soap and use a whisk to fully mix in the colorants.

• Container A (200 mL): 1 tsp. Blue Slushy Mica
• Container B (200 mL): 1 tsp. Aqua Pearl Mica
• Container C (400 mL): 2 tsp. Kermit Green + 1/2 tsp. Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment
• Container D (remaining soap in largest container): 1 tsp. titanium dioxide + 1 tsp. Kermit Green

FIVE: Add the Lime Fragrance Oil proportionally to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it) and use a whisk to mix it in thoroughly. The soap batter should be thin enough to pour but thick enough so the colors don’t muddle when mixed together. If the soap batter is extremely thin, give it a few pulses with the stick blender to slightly thicken.

SIX: Pour all of the light blue soap into the bowl of light green soap, concentrating it on one side. Pour from various heights above the bowl to distribute the blue soap throughout the green soap in the bowl.

SEVEN: Pour all of the aqua soap into the large bowl, concentrating it on the other side of the bowl. Pour from various heights above the bowl to distribute the aqua throughout the green soap in the bowl.

EIGHT: Finally, pour all of the darker green soap into the bowl at various heights. Concentrate it in the center of the bowl.

NINE: Pour the soap directly into each cube cavity. We slightly overfilled our molds, so one was not completely full (see below). Fill them slightly less than we did to avoid a short bar.

TEN: Once all the cavities are full, tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Spritz the top with alcohol to prevent soda ash. Cover the mold with a cutting board or other flat surface for 24 hours.

Allow the soap to stay in the mold for another 2-3 days. Soap needs to stay in this mold a little longer than most. See if you can pull the sides of the mold away from the soap. If the sides do not easily pull away, give it another day or two. Pull the sides away to release the airlock and give the soap one more day to stay in the mold. At this point, gently push the soap from the bottom to see if they release. If the bottom feels soft, you can wait another few days, or place the soap in the freezer for about 3 hours. This helps harden the soap enough to push it out from the bottom. Once the soap is out of the mold, allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy.

Print

Lime LaCroix Soap Tutorial

This soap is made with and inspired by Lime LaCroix.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 3 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 9 Cube Soap Silicone Mold
• 33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
• 4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 10.9 oz. Flat Lime LaCroix
• 2.4 oz. Lime Fragrance Oil
• Blue Slushy Mica
• Kermit Green Mica
• Hydrated Chrome Green Colorant
• Aqua Pearl Mica
• Titanium Dioxide

Instructions

LA CROIX PREP (1-2 days before): Open one can of Lime LaCroix and allow it to sit out for 1-2 days to get rid of carbonation. The best way to test if the LaCroix is flat is to taste it. Once it no longer contains carbonation and you’re ready to soap, pour 10.9 ounces into a lye safe container.

COLOR PREP: In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of titanium dioxide, Aqua Pearl Mica, Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment, and Slushy Blue Mica into 1/2 tablespoon sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In a separate container, disperse 1 teaspoon Kermit Green Mica into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps. OPTIONAL: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. To micronize the colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend it. That breaks up any clumps of color and prevents 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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.4 ounces of Lime Fragrance Oil into a glass fragrance-oil-safe container. Set aside.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, 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.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the LaCroix and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
• Pour 200 mL of the soap batter into two separate containers. Then pour 400 mL of soap into another container. Add the following amounts of dispersed colorants to each container of soap and use a whisk to fully mix in the colorants.

  Container A (200 mL): 1 tsp. Blue Slushy Mica

  Container B (200 mL): 1 tsp. Aqua Pearl Mica

  Container C (400 mL): 2 tsp. Kermit Green + 1/2 tsp. Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment

  Container D (remaining soap in largest container): 1 tsp. titanium dioxide + 1 tsp. Kermit Green
• Add the Lime Fragrance Oil proportionally to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it) and use a whisk to mix it in thoroughly. The soap batter should be thin enough to pour but thick enough so the colors don’t muddle when mixed together. If the soap batter is extremely thin, give it a few pulses with the stick blender to slightly thicken.
• Pour all of the light blue soap into the bowl of light green soap, concentrating it on one side. Pour from various heights above the bowl to distribute the blue soap throughout the green soap in the bowl.
• Pour all of the aqua soap into the large bowl, concentrating it on the other side of the bowl. Pour from various heights above the bowl to distribute the aqua throughout the green soap in the bowl.
• Finally, pour all of the darker green soap into the bowl at various heights. Concentrate it in the center of the bowl.
• Pour the soap directly into each cube cavity. We slightly overfilled our molds, so one was not completely full (see below). Fill them slightly less than we did to avoid a short bar.
• Once all the cavities are full, tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Spritz the top with alcohol to prevent soda ash. Cover the mold with a cutting board or other flat surface for 24 hours. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for another 2-3 days. Soap needs to stay in this mold a little longer than most. See if you can pull the sides of the mold away from the soap. If the sides do not easily pull away, give it another day or two. Pull the sides away to release the airlock and give the soap one more day to stay in the mold. At this point, gently push the soap from the bottom to see if they release. If the bottom feels soft, you can wait another few days, or place the soap in the freezer for about 3 hours. This helps harden the soap enough to push it out from the bottom. Once the soap is out of the mold, allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy.

The post Lime LaCroix Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Last year, I experimented with brewing my own kombucha, which is a fermented and sweetened tea. I ended up with so much kombucha that I created kombucha soap with the SCOBY to use it up. This recipe uses kombucha produced by a local company, Kombucha Town. Kombucha Town has become a fixture in our community with their local brewery and products in local grocery stores. Using locally brewed products in your recipe highlights the town you call home.

This soap was made with Kombucha Town’s lavender kombucha, so it only made sense to create lavender soap! It’s scented with Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil for a calming scent. A mixture of titanium dioxide and Lavender Mica create a soft purple swirl. It’s topped with dried lavender for a finishing touch. It’s debatable whether or not any of the beneficial properties of kombucha tea hold up during the saponification process. But, the extra sugar does boost lather and kombucha soap is great from a marketing perspective.

If you’ve never made soap with alternative liquids like kombucha, they do require extra prep. First, the kombucha needs to be boiled to get rid of the carbonation. Then, it’s frozen to help keep temperatures cool when the lye flakes are added. You could add the lye to room temperature or cold kombucha if you prefer. Using room temperature or cold kombucha will result in a darker lye solution, and may require more titanium dioxide. This recipe contains a 3% superfat to compensate for the large amount of dispersed colorant in the recipe. The large amount of titanium dioxide can create glycerin rivers, so this recipe has a 10% water discount to prevent that.

What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
39 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye (3% superfat)
11.6 oz. Prepped Kombucha (10% “water” discount)
Lavender Mica
Titanium Dioxide
2 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
Lavender Buds

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, Pure Soapmaking. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

KOMBUCHA PREP: Before lye is mixed with kombucha, it needs to be prepped. Adding lye to carbonated beverages does not work well, so the kombucha is boiled first to get rid of the carbonation. Some kombucha can also have a small amount of alcohol, so boiling helps get rid of that as well. Pour about 1.5x the amount of kombucha that you need into a saucepan. Some of the kombucha will boil off, so adding more than you need helps ensure you’ll have enough for your entire recipe. For this recipe, I used one 16 oz. can of kombucha and needed to supplement a little with distilled water later in the process.

Turn the heat to medium high and allow the kombucha to reach a rolling boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.

Weigh out 11.6 ounces of the kombucha into a separate container. If you don’t have enough, you can add distilled water later. If you have too much, save the rest for another batch. Then, pour the kombucha into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer. Allow the kombucha to fully freeze. Once frozen, place a container appropriate for mixing lye onto a scale and hit the tare button. Empty the frozen kombucha into the container and extra distilled water if necessary (we added about an ounce of water).

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.

KOMBUCHA LYE PREP: With safety gear on, measure out the sodium hydroxide lye flakes into a container. Then, add about 1/4 of the sodium hydroxide lye flakes directly to the frozen kombucha. Stir together for several minutes. Then, add about another 1/4 of the lye flakes and stir. The lye flakes will begin to dissolve and heat up the kombucha ice cubes. As the kombucha heats up, it will begin to change color and emit an unpleasant odor – this is normal!

Continue slowly adding the lye flakes and stirring. This process can take some time, so be patient. Once all the lye flakes have been added, continue to stir for several minutes. Because the kombucha is cold, the lye flakes do not dissolve as quickly. The more lye that is added, the more the color of the kombucha will change.

Continue to stir until you no longer see or hear any undissolved lye flakes on the bottom of the container. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases from the mold quicker, you can add sodium lactate at a rate of 1 tsp. per pound of oils. For this recipe you’d add about 2.5 tsp. of sodium lactate. Set lye aside in a safe place while you prep the other ingredients.

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 3 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 3 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil, like sweet almond oil or sunflower oil. Then in a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons Lavender Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use the mini mixer to help break up any clumps. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil into a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

ONE: Fully melt the entire bag of the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 39 ounces of oil. Once the lye solution and the oils have cooled to 120 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. Most likely, the kombucha lye solution will be on the cooler side – that’s okay.

TWO: Once you reach a thin trace, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use the stick blender to stir and pulse in the colorant until it’s completely combined. If your soap is becoming thick, use a whisk to stir in the colorant instead of using the stick blender.

THREE: Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all the dispersed Lavender Mica. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant.

FOUR: Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil proportionately to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a whisk to fully mix in the essential oil.

FIVE: For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the purple-colored soap into the white-colored soap in various places in the bowl. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.

SIX: Insert a chopstick or dowel all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Swirl the tool several times in various directions and loops to get the design started. Don’t worry about being too exact, just try to move the chopstick/dowel through the different areas where the purple soap was poured.

SEVEN: Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles.

EIGHT: Use a spoon to create texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it! If you find the soap is not holding its shape, wait a few minutes for the soap to thicken and try again.

NINE: Once you’re happy with the top, sprinkle lavender buds down the center of the soap. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Because kombucha contains sugar, this soap has a tendency to become extra hot. Our soaping area was cold, so the soap was left uncovered at room temperature for the first 24 hours. If you live in a hot climate, you may want to place the soap in the fridge or freezer for several hours to avoid overheating and cracking. After the soap has been in the mold for about 2-3 days, unmold and cut into bars. To avoid drag marks you can lay the loaf on its side, and cut from the side, down. I used a Multi-Bar Cutter for this batch and embraced the drag marks! Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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Lavender Kombucha Soap Recipe

This soap is made with kombucha instead of distilled water!

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 ″ Silicone Loaf Mold
• 39 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
• 5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye 3% superfat
• 11.6 oz. Prepped Kombucha 10% “water” discount
• Lavender Mica
• Titanium Dioxide
• 2 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
• Lavender Buds

Instructions

KOMBUCHA PREP: Before lye is mixed with kombucha, it needs to be prepped. Adding lye to carbonated beverages does not work well, so the kombucha is boiled first to get rid of the carbonation. Some kombucha can also have a small amount of alcohol, so boiling helps get rid of that as well. Pour about 1.5x the amount of kombucha that you need into a saucepan. Some of the kombucha will boil off, so adding more than you need helps ensure you’ll have enough for your entire recipe. For this recipe, I used one 16 oz. can of kombucha and needed to supplement a little with distilled water later in the process. Turn the heat to medium high and allow the kombucha to reach a rolling boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes. Weigh out 11.6 ounces of the kombucha into a separate container. If you don’t have enough, you can add distilled water later. If you have too much, save the rest for another batch. Then, pour the kombucha into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer. Allow the kombucha to fully freeze. Once frozen, place a container appropriate for mixing lye onto a scale and hit the tare button. Empty the frozen kombucha into the container and extra distilled water if necessary (we added about an ounce of water).

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.

KOMBUCHA LYE PREP: With safety gear on, measure out the sodium hydroxide lye flakes into a container. Then, add about 1/4 of the sodium hydroxide lye flakes directly to the frozen kombucha. Stir together for several minutes. Then, add about another 1/4 of the lye flakes and stir. The lye flakes will begin to dissolve and heat up the kombucha ice cubes. As the kombucha heats up, it will begin to change color and emit an unpleasant odor – this is normal! Continue slowly adding the lye flakes and stirring. This process can take some time, so be patient. Once all the lye flakes have been added, continue to stir for several minutes. Because the kombucha is cold, the lye flakes do not dissolve as quickly. The more lye that is added, the more the color of the kombucha will change. Continue to stir until you no longer see or hear any undissolved lye flakes on the bottom of the container. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases from the mold quicker, you can add sodium lactate at a rate of 1 tsp. per pound of oils. For this recipe you’d add about 2.5 tsp. of sodium lactate. Set lye aside in a safe place while you prep the other ingredients.

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 3 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 3 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil, like sweet almond oil or sunflower oil. Then in a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons Lavender Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use the mini mixer to help break up any clumps. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil into a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

• Fully melt the entire bag of the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 39 ounces of oil. Once the lye solution and the oils have cooled to 120 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. Most likely, the kombucha lye solution will be on the cooler side – that’s okay.
• Once you reach a thin trace, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use the stick blender to stir and pulse in the colorant until it’s completely combined. If your soap is becoming thick, use a whisk to stir in the colorant instead of using the stick blender.
• Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all the dispersed Lavender Mica. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant.
• Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil proportionately to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a whisk to fully mix in the essential oil.
• For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the purple-colored soap into the white-colored soap in various places in the bowl. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.
• Insert a chopstick or dowel all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Swirl the tool several times in various directions and loops to get the design started. Don’t worry about being too exact, just try to move the chopstick/dowel through the different areas where the purple soap was poured.
• Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles.
• Use a spoon to create texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it! If you find the soap is not holding its shape, wait a few minutes for the soap to thicken and try again.
• Once you’re happy with the top, sprinkle lavender buds down the center of the soap. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Because kombucha contains sugar, this soap has a tendency to become extra hot. Our soaping area was cold, so the soap was left uncovered at room temperature for the first 24 hours. If you live in a hot climate, you may want to place the soap in the fridge or freezer for several hours to avoid overheating and cracking. After the soap has been in the mold for about 2-3 days, unmold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

The post Lavender Kombucha Soap Recipe appeared first on Soap Queen.

Rose quartz is such a lovely stone. It’s sometimes referred to as the heart stone, love stone, and the “Crystal of Unconditional Love.” With its beautiful rose pink color, it’s easy to see why it has garnered such adored titles. Rose quartz was the inspiration for this rosy and sparkly soap.

This project is scented with the new Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil, which is a fresh take on a rose scent. Notes of orange zest, jasmine and soft sandalwood make the Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil a modern spin on traditional rose fragrances. An In-The-Pot Swirl technique using shades of white and light pink emulate the natural pattern in the gem. Snowflake Sparkle Mica is dusted on top for a pearl effect, and pink sea salt gives texture. This project is perfect for the crystal lover in your life, or for a Valentine’s Day gift.

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
13.5 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
14.6 oz. Palm Oil (27%)
18.9 oz. Olive Oil (35%)
5.4 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil (10%)
1.6 oz. Castor Oil (3%)
7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
17.8 oz. Distilled Water
3.5 oz. Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Electric Bubble Gum
Snowflake Sparkle Mica
Pink Sea Salt, Medium
Optional: Powder Duster

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, Pure Soapmaking. 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: 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. Then, disperse 3 teaspoons of the colorant into 3 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Electric Bubble Gum Colorant into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 2 teaspoons Snowflake Sparkle Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have extra Snowflake Sparkle Mica nearby to dust on top.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Fully melt and combine the coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, green tea seed oil and castor oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). 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. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate. Stick blend the soap until it’s at a thin trace.

THREE: Add all the titanium dioxide to the soap and whisk to fully incorporate.

FOUR: Split off half the soap into a separate container.

FIVE: To the white soap, add all of the dispersed Snowflake Sparkle Mica and use a whisk to mix in fully.

SIX: To the other container, add a heaping teaspoon of Electric Bubble Gum and stir in with a whisk or spoon.

SEVEN: Add half the fragrance to each container. It’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to incorporate the fragrance.

EIGHT: Now it’s time to make an in-the-pot swirl! Pour the pink soap in various areas of the pot. Pour steadily from a high point to get the color all the way to the bottom of the container.

NINE: Use a chopstick or dowel twice through the soap, hitting each entry point. Only run the chopstick through twice! Too many swirls in the pot can muddle the colors.

TEN: Slowly and carefully pour the soap into one side of the mold. This will allow the soap to swirl as it pours.

ELEVEN: When the soap is thick enough, use a spoon to build the soap towards the center of the mold, and create peaks and divots. There is no right or wrong way to create texture on top of soap, so just have fun with it. We found our soap was still fairly thin when poured, so we waited about 30 minutes for it to thicken enough to hold the shape.

TWELVE: Once you’re happy with the texture, pour Snowflake Sparkle Mica into a powder duster and sprinkle on a thin layer.

THIRTEEN: Sprinkle on the pink sea salt, concentrating it toward the center. Gently press the salt into the soap with gloves hands to help it stick to the soap a little better. Add a little more than you want, as some will fall off when cut.

FOURTEEN: Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 3-5 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap features a soft pink swirl and a fresh and floral fragrance!

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
• 13.5 oz. Coconut Oil 25%
• 14.6 oz. Palm Oil 27%
• 18.9 oz. Olive Oil 35%
• 5.4 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil 10%
• 1.6 oz. Castor Oil 3%
• 7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 17.8 oz. Distilled Water
• 3.5 oz. Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Electric Bubble Gum
• Sparkle Snowflake Mica
• Pink Sea Salt Medium

Instructions

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.

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. Then, disperse 3 teaspoons of the colorant into 3 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Electric Bubble Gum Colorant into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 2 teaspoons Snowflake Sparkle Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have Snowflake Sparkle Mica nearby to dust on top.

Measure 3.5 ounces of Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Fully melt and combine the coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, green tea seed oil and castor oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). 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. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate. Stick blend the soap until it’s at a thin trace.
• Add all the titanium dioxide to the soap and whisk to fully incorporate.
• Split off half the soap into a separate container.
• To the white soap, add all of the dispersed Snowflake Sparkle Mica and use a whisk to mix in fully.
• To the other container, add a heaping teaspoon of Electric Bubble Gum and stir in with a whisk or spoon.
• Add half the fragrance to each container. It’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to incorporate the fragrance.
• Now it’s time to make an in-the-pot swirl! Pour the pink soap in various areas of the pot. Pour steadily from a high point to get the color all the way to the bottom of the container.
• Use a chopstick or dowel twice through the soap, hitting each entry point. Only run the chopstick through twice! Too many swirls in the pot can muddle the colors.
• Slowly and carefully pour the soap into one side of the mold. This will allow the soap to swirl as it pours.
• When the soap is thick enough, use a spoon to build the soap towards the center of the mold, and create peaks and divots. There is no right or wrong way to create texture on top of soap, so just have fun with it. We found our soap was still fairly thin, so we waited about 30 minutes for it to thicken enough to hold the shape.
• Once you’re happy with the texture, pour Snowflake Sparkle Mica into a powder duster and sprinkle on a thin layer.
• Sprinkle on the pink sea salt, concentrating it toward the center. Gently press the salt into the soap with gloves hands to help it stick to the soap a little better. Add a little more than you want, as some will fall off when cut.
• Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 3-5 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

The post Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

If you’ve never heard of salt bars before, they are a very unique project. Interestingly, adding salt to cold process soap does not create a super scratchy bar. Instead, the salt creates a creamy and mild lather with very light exfoliation. The pink Himalayan salt used this recipe is well known for its stimulating and soothing properties. Of course the fact that it’s pink is a bonus as well. =) These bars are scented with luxurious Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil and colored with rose clay. These bars are perfect if you prefer natural cold process soap. If you’re looking for more salt bar recipes, check out the Pretty in Pink: Salty Cold Process Tutorial.

Adding salt to cold process soap inhibits lather. To combat this, a higher amount of coconut oil is used in this recipe than normal. Usually, I recommend using around 25-33% coconut oil in a recipe. To help boost the lather, I used 50% coconut oil. Some soapers go all the way up to 100% coconut oil when using salt in their soap. Don’t worry, they still feel great on the skin. In addition, salt bars are usually cut as soon as the soap is hard enough which can be as little as a few hours. The salt makes the soap harden up super quick! If you wait too long, the salt bars can be very crumbly once you cut into them. Because this project uses individual cavity molds, you don’t need to worry about cutting the bars.

What You’ll Need:
Simple Heart Mold (three molds)
10 oz. Coconut Oil (50%)
4 oz. Olive Oil (20%)
4 oz. Palm Oil (20%)
1.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil (7%)
0.6 oz. Castor Oil (3%)
3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
6.6 oz. Distilled Water
0.9 oz. Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil
2 cups Pink Sea Salt, Small
Rose Clay
Titanium Dioxide

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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure .9 ounces of the Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil in a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

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. Then, disperse 1 teaspoon of the colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, add 2 teaspoons rose clay and mix together with 2 tablespoons of distilled water. Clays are best dispersed in water rather than oil, because of their ability to absorb moisture.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Melt and combine the coconut oil, olive oil, castor, sweet almond and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). 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. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add about 1 teaspoon sodium lactate.
THREE: Once the batter has reached a thin trace, split off about 200 mL of the soap into a separate container. To this container, add 1 Tablespoon of the dispersed titanium dioxide and mix together with a whisk or spoon.
FOUR: To the other larger container of soap, add all the dispersed rose clay and mix together thoroughly with a spoon or whisk.

FIVE: Add the Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil to both containers proportionately; it’s okay to eyeball it! Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the essential oil.

SIX: Add 2 cups of the pink sea salt to the rose clay soap, and mix in with a whisk or spatula.

SEVEN: Holding the white soap about six inches above the pot of rose clay soap,  pour the white soap into various areas of bowl. Pouring from high above the bowl allows the white soap to break through to the bottom of the rose clay soap.

EIGHT: Using a spoon, chopstick or dowel, give the soap one stir to help swirl the colors slightly. Don’t stir too much, you don’t wan to completely mix them!

NINE: Pour the soap into each heart cavity in all three molds until completely full. You’ll have nine bars total. Tap the mold on the counter to release bubbles and settle soap evenly in the mold. 

TEN: Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 2-3 days. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

Have you ever made salt bars before? What did you think? 

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Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars

These salt bars are made with lavender essential oil and rose clay to create a bar of soap that really shows the love!

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 9 bars

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Simple Heart Mold three molds
• 10 oz. Coconut Oil 50%
• 4 oz. Olive Oil 20%
• 4 oz. Palm Oil 20%
• 1.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil 7%
• 0.6 oz. Castor Oil 3%
• 3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 6.6 oz. Distilled Water
• 0.9 oz. Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil
• 2 cups Pink Sea Salt Small
• Rose Clay
• Titanium Dioxide

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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure .9 ounces of the Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil in a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

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. Then, disperse 1 teaspoon of the colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, add 2 teaspoons rose clay and mix together with 2 tablespoons of distilled water. Clays are best dispersed in water rather than oil, because of their ability to absorb moisture.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Melt and combine the coconut oil, olive oil, castor, sweet almond and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). 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. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add about 1 teaspoon sodium lactate.
• Once the batter has reached a thin trace, split off about 200 mL of the soap into a separate container. To this container, add 1 Tablespoon of the dispersed titanium dioxide and mix together with a whisk or spoon.
• To the other larger container of soap, add all the dispersed rose clay and mix together thoroughly with a spoon or whisk.
• Add the Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil to both containers proportionately; it’s okay to eyeball it! Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the essential oil.
• Add 2 cups of the pink sea salt to the rose clay soap, and mix in with a whisk or spatula.
• Holding the white soap about six inches above the pot of rose clay soap, pour the white soap into various areas of bowl. Pouring from high above the bowl allows the white soap to break through to the bottom of the rose clay soap.
• Using a spoon, chopstick or dowel, give the soap one stir to help swirl the colors slightly. Don’t stir too much, you don’t wan to completely mix them!
• Pour the soap into each heart cavity in all three molds until completely full. You’ll have nine bars total. Tap the mold on the counter to release bubbles and settle soap evenly in the mold.
• Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 2-3 days. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

Basic layers are a great technique to master. Layers require an understanding of trace, and how thick soap is able to support soap on top. It’s best to reach a thick trace for bottom layers and allow top layers to be thinner. If soap is too thin on the bottom, the top layer may fall through and break the even layers. A great example of this technique is the Black White and Gold All Over Cold Process, which features contrasting black and white layers. To help make sure the top layer of soap does not break through to the bottom, soap is poured over a spatula to “flood” the concentrated pour of soap.

Black, White and Gold All Over Cold Process

Another example of the layering technique is in the Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process tutorial. In this project, an accelerating fragrance oil is used to create thick textured soap for each layer. When all the layers are thick, the chance of the top layers breaking through is greatly decreased. This project is perfect for learning how to work with acceleration. If you attempt the Layered Lilac Cold Process tutorial, be ready to move fast during this project; soap that has become too thick is hard to smooth evenly throughout the mold.

Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process

Working with thick trace is great for intermediate soapers because it gives plenty of time to work. The leopard spot print in the Wild Leopard Print Cold Process looks difficult to achieve, but it’s surprisingly simple! The key is to stick blend each color to a thick trace. The soap should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped out of disposable frosting bags.

Wild Leopard Print Cold Process Tutorial

After working with layers and thick trace, swirls are another fun technique to try. Swirls require a thin to medium trace, so it’s important to not stick blend too much. The fragrance or essential oil you use is crucial to prevent the soap from accelerating. All fragrance oils at Bramble Berry are thoroughly tested, and will include notes regarding acceleration on the product description. If a fragrance has notes of acceleration, you may want to consider another for swirling. To learn more about fragrance oils misbehaving in soap, check out the Soap Behaving Badly blog post.

One of my favorite swirl techniques for beginners is the “In-the-Pot Swirl.” This technique involves swirling the soap in your bowl before pouring it into the mold. After mixing the colors in the bowl or pot, the colors continue to swirl together as the soap is poured into the mold. The key is to not over-swirl the soap while in your bowl, or the colors may muddle together. See this technique in action in the In-the-Pot Swirl Cold Process video below!

If you love the In-the-Pot Swirl, check out the Juicy Orange & Sweet Rose Cold Process tutorial. This project uses natural colorants and 10X Orange Essential Oil to create a bright and cheery bar. Rose petals and orange peel are placed on top for texture.

Another fun swirl option is the “drop swirl.” For this technique, various colors of soap are poured, or “dropped,” into the mold from several inches above. As the colors are poured, they will break through into the other colors, creating a swirl within the mold. This technique is fun because it does not involve precise pouring…there really is no right or wrong way to do it! The key is to make sure the colors are not too thin when poured to avoid muddling of color. Check out the Blue Rain Drop Swirl Cold Process Tutorial for drop swirl instructions.

Blue Rain Drop Swirl Cold Process Tutorial

Taking the step from beginner to intermediate soaper can be a little intimidating, but practice makes perfect! Just remember to build your techniques slowly, and set realistic expectations. Be on the lookout for a layered cold process tutorial tomorrow, and a easy swirl tutorial on Thursday. Both projects are ideal for somebody who is ready to experiment with different traces and colorant options. And don’t forget, the Back to Basics Kit contains all the ingredients (except lye) needed to create the four tutorials in this series.

What project or technique did you feel particularly proud of mastering? Recently, the spin swirl gave me difficulty. I was thrilled once I finally got it right; see it here!

The post Back to Basics: Beginner Project Roundup appeared first on Soap Queen.

Created with sea clay, kaolin clay and pink sea salt, this soap conjures images of crystal clear waters and white-sanded beaches. In cold process soap, sea clay results in a natural grey hue, but when combined with Hydrated Chrome Green, it transforms into a soft minty green.

To achieve the wispy swirl, the white and green soap are swirled in one pot, then poured into the mold. This technique is referred to as an “in the pot swirl,” and is a great swirling method for beginner to intermediate soapers. To see the in the pot swirl in action, check out this Soap Queen TV video!

Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil gives this project a fantastic floral scent that is great for both men and women. As shown in the photo above, the subtle swirl makes this design a great candidate for soap stamps. If you are looking for labeling ideas, you can find a clean and modern label for this soap here. Simply print, apply to the soap and use a shrink band to keep the label in place.  

What You’ll Need:

3.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
8.75 oz. Coconut Oil
1.75 oz. Meadowfoam Oil
8.75 oz. Olive Oil
10.5 oz. Palm Oil
1.75 oz. Shea Butter
4.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
11.6 oz. Distilled water
2 oz. Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil
Kaolin Clay
Sea Clay
Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment 
Pink Sea Salt, Medium 
Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold

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 of the Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 2 teaspoons of the kaolin into 2 tablespoons of distilled water, then disperse 2 teaspoons of the sea clay into 2 tablespoons of distilled water. Use a mini mixer to get clumps worked out smoothly. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Melt and combine the coconut, olive, shea, sweet almond, meadowfoam and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). 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. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 teaspoons of Sodium Lactate.
THREE: Once the batter has reached a light trace, split the batch in half. Each container will be about 3.5 cups. To one container, add all of the dispersed sea clay and 1/2 tbs. of the dispersed Hydrated Chrome Green. Use a whisk to fully incorporate the colorants.
FOUR: To the other container, add all the dispersed kaolin clay and use a whisk to fully incorporate.
FIVE: Add half of the Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil into each container. You can eyeball it! Use a whisk to mix in.
SIX: For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the white-colored soap into the green-colored soap in 4 places: 12:00 o’clock, 3:00 o’clock, 6:00 o’clock, and 9:00 o’clock. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.
SEVEN: Using a 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.
EIGHT: Pour the swirled soap into the mold, keeping the pouring container in one place as the soap fills the mold. Tamp the mold on the tabletop to eliminate any air bubbles.
NINE: Use a spoon to create peaks and texture on top. Once you’re happy with the texture, garnish the top of the soap with pink sea salt. Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash.
TEN: Unmold the soap after 3-4 days and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. When you’re ready to cut this soap, turn it on its side to avoid pulling salt through your soap and accidentally creating deep drag marks. Enjoy!

What is your favorite ways to use clay in your projects? There are several more clay projects coming up, so keep your eyes out for them! =)

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Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process

Made with sea clay, kaolin clay and hydrated chrome green pigment, this Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process soap is a show stopper!

Course Cold process soap

Ingredients

• 3.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 8.75 oz. Coconut Oil
• 1.75 oz. Meadowfoam Oil
• 8.75 oz. Olive Oil
• 10.5 oz. Palm Oil
• 1.75 oz. Shea Butter
• 4.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
• 11.6 oz. Distilled water
• 2 oz. Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil
• Kaolin Clay
• Sea Clay
• Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment
• Pink Sea Salt Medium
• Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold

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: Disperse 1 teaspoon of the Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 2 teaspoons of the kaolin into 2 tablespoons of distilled water, then disperse 2 teaspoons of the sea clay into 2 tablespoons of distilled water. Use a mini mixer to get clumps worked out smoothly. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap.
• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Melt and combine the coconut, olive, shea, sweet almond, meadowfoam and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning).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. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster 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. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. Sodium Lactate.
• Once the batter has reached a light trace, split the batch in half. Each container will be about 3.5 cups. To one container, add all of the dispersed sea clay and 1/2 tbs. of the dispersed Hydrated Chrome Green. Use a whisk to fully incorporate the colorants.
• To the other container, add all the dispersed kaolin clay and use a whisk to fully incorporate.
• Add half of the Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil into each container. You can eyeball it! Use a whisk to mix in.
• For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the white-colored soap into the green-colored soap in 4 places: 12:00 o’clock, 3:00 o’clock, 6:00 o’clock, and 9:00 o’clock. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.
• Using a 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.
• Pour the swirled soap into the mold, keeping the pouring container in one place as the soap fills the mold. Tamp the mold on the tabletop to eliminate any air bubbles.
• Use a spoon to create peaks and texture on top. Once you’re happy with the texture, garnish the top of the soap with pink sea salt. Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash.
• Unmold the soap after 3-4 days and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. When you’re ready to cut this soap, turn it on its side to avoid pulling petals or orange peels through your soap and accidentally creating deep drag marks. Enjoy!

The post Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process appeared first on Soap Queen.

The natural color clay adds to cold process soap is gorgeous yet subtle. Another option for coloring your soap is LabColors. This In-The-Pot-Swirl Cold Process Tutorial on Soap Queen TV was created using bright and bold Labcolors. The throwback video,  filmed with Christy from KB Shimmer, shows you how to get gorgeous swirls that are different in every bar. The brightly-colored swirls are accented with Energy Fragrance Oil for a fresh and fruity scent. Watch the video to learn Christy’s secret for air-bubble-free soap every time!

If you want to add a little sparkle to your crafty projects, click through the Burnt Sugar Shimmer Lotion post. A mix of Lip Safe Copper Mica and Cappuccino Mica add a subtle shimmer to your skin, while Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil adds a smoky and sweet scent. Because the project is made with Aloe Lotion Base, it’s super simple to make.

Even with a straightforward recipe, it can take several tries to get it just right. In the Soap Lab, some recipes are tested several times to ensure you have the most success when recreating it. This was the case with the Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process. I tried several layered designs and a swirl design before the making the final product. Read about the design evolution in the If at First You Don’t Succeed, Soap Soap Again post.

All that soaping sure builds up an appetite! Satisfy your hunger with the Brussels Sprout and Spaghetti Squash Pesto Salad. With crunchy brussels sprouts and a tangy dressing made of pesto and balasmic vinegar, the dish is perfect as a side or a light lunch. It’s also a great way to stay healthy in 2015.

Green is a great color in both salad and your soapy creations! Glynith with KCK Soaps used a beautiful color palette of green, brown and blue in this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week. It’s a fun spin on the Christmas Tree Swirl Cold Process Tutorial.

Glynith’s soap has fun colorful layers pointed up with the help of a hanger. She also added some stunning swirls on top that really pop against the white base. If you want some swirly fun on top of your soap, click through the How to Make the Perfect Peacock Swirl in Cold Process Soap Tutorial. A simple black and white soap is dressed up with a gold swirl on top in the Black, White and Gold All Over Cold Process.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Glynith’s Solid Body Lotion, Heart Cupcakes, Snowflakes and Heart Swirl. To add some hearts to your soapy project, click through the Queen of Hearts Cold Process Tutorial. For some rainbow-colored hearts, check out the Rainbow Hearts Melt and Pour Tutorial.

Find KCK Soaps
On Facebook
On the web

Post pictures of your crafty creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

The post Facebook Photo of the Week (Jan. 3rd ~ Jan. 9th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

A more advanced technique, I recommend watching the Basics of Cold Process Soapmaking series before attempting this project. In particular, be sure to review lye safety guidelines; when working with sodium hydroxide lye goggles, long sleeves and gloves are a must! Once you’ve got a few batches under your belt, an in-the-pot swirl is a great swirl technique before moving on to trickier swirls, like the Infinity Swirl, or the Classic Swirl.

What You’ll Need:
23.9 oz. Olive Oil
13 oz. Palm Oil
10.4 oz. Coconut Oil
3.12 oz. Cocoa Butter
1.5 oz. Castor Oil
16.8 oz. Distilled water
7.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
1 mL Marigold LabColor
.7 mL Bright Cherry LabColor
.7 mL Green Apple LabColor
.7 mL Vibrant Orange LabColor
3 oz. Energy Fragrance Oil
5 Lb Wood Log Mold with Velcro Straps

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

The post In the Pot Swirl Cold Process on Soap Queen TV appeared first on Soap Queen.

This week we also shared the Springtime Room Spray Tutorial, which is a great recipe for beginners. Made with a refreshing combination of Crisp Apple Rose and Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil, it brings the fresh scent of spring inside. If you’re looking for more quick and simple projects inspired by warmer weather, the Sparkle Power Bath Bomb Tutorial and Sweet Summer Scrub Tutorial are great places to start. Speaking of warm weather, our Facebook Photo of the Week from Margaret of Sweet Soft Skin Handmade Soaps is a great example of a spring cold process project:

Scented with Strawberry and Blackberry Sage Cybilla, this soap features a beautiful in-the-pot swirl technique with adorable berry embeds on top. The berry colors are spot on — the subtle hints of black really bring out the reds and pinks, making this a standout soap. This is also an example of the In-The-Pot-Swirl technique. If you’re interested in conquering this technique, check out the 4 Color In-The-Pot-Swirl Cold Process Tutorial. Once you feel comfortable with the swirl, step it up and try the Element Swirl Cold Process Tutorial which combines two separate in-the-pot-swirls.

Margaret’s soap is full of bright colors and wide range of techniques. Pictured above (top left, clockwise) is her Blissful Blueberry Soap, Champagne Kisses Soap,  Moonlit Walk Soap and Rainbow Soap. If you’d like to create your own rainbow hued soap, check out the Rainbow Squirty Swirls Tutorial.

Find Sweet Soft Skin Handmade Soaps

On Etsy 

Would you like your photo or project to be featured on the blog? Come join us for soap talk, contests and lots of crafty inspiration on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page and share a photo of your latest project. Your handmade soap might be next week’s feature!

The post Facebook Photo of the Week (March 29th ~ April 4th) appeared first on Soap Queen.