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

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

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

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

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
54 oz. Basic Quick Mix
7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
15.1 oz. Distilled Water (15% water discount)
3.5 oz. Moonstone Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Snowflake Sparkle Mica
Aqua Pearl Mica
Magenta Mica
Lavender Mica
Party Pink Mica
Four Powder Sprayers

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. Or if you’d prefer to read, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out 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 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.

Next, disperse 4 teaspoons of the colorant into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica, Lavender Mica, and Magenta Mica into 1/2 tablespoon of liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps. Fill the four powder sprayers separately with Snowflake Sparkle Mica, Lavender Mica, Party Pink Mica, and Aqua Pearl Mica. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Moonstone Fragrance Oil into a glass container that is safe for use with fragrance oil. 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. If you prefer 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 tsp. of sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. 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 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 all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and Moonstone Fragrance Oil to the soap. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in. If the mixture is still very thin, quickly pulse it with the stick blender to thicken the soap to a light medium trace.

FOUR: Pour 17 ounces of soap into each of three separate containers. Add the following dispersed colorants into each container, and use a whisk to fully mix them in.

• Container A (pink): 1 1/4 tsp. dispersed Magenta Mica
• Container B (purple): All dispersed Lavender Mica
• Container C (blue): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica

FIVE: Pour 1/3 of the white soap into the mold (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Don’t worry about the layer being straight. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.

SIX: Pour half of the blue soap onto the white. Use a spoon to spread the blue soap throughout the mold. Again, don’t worry about the layer being straight.

SEVEN: Use the powder sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the blue layer of soap with mica.
NOTE: We sprayed Snowflake Sparkle Mica in between the layers of this soap. The final effect is not quite as noticeable as we thought it would be. You can skip these steps if you’d like, or follow the instructions as written if you like as much sparkle as possible.

EIGHT: Pour half of the pink soap onto the blue layer. Use a spoon to spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the powder sprayer with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the pink layer.

NINE: Cover the pink layer with half of the purple soap. Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap. Use the Powder Sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the purple layer. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.

TEN: Repeat this layering process with another 1/3 of the white soap and the remaining blue, pink, and purple soaps. Between the blue, pink, and purple layers, use the powder sprayer again to completely cover the soap with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.

ELEVEN: Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Cover the purple layer with the remaining white soap and use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the spoon to create texture on the top. There is no right or wrong way to create texture, so have fun with it!

TWELVE: Once you’re happy with the top, use the powder sprayer to completely cover the top with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.

THIRTEEN: Use the powder sprayers filled with Lavender Mica, Aqua Pearl Mica, and Party Pink Mica to spray the colors on the top of the soap in different areas. There is no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it! But remember – you can always add more color, so start slow. Adding too much color will take away the soft “pearly” look. Less is more in this case!

FOURTEEN: Once you’re happy with the top, allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Because it has a water discount, you may be able to unmold it faster than a normal recipe. Once it’s ready, unmold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Because it has a water discount, it will cure slightly faster than a normal recipe. Enjoy!
NOTE: We did not spray the top of the soap with alcohol because it may disrupt the mica dusting. We didn’t notice any soda ash. If you’d like, you can spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just make sure the spray is extremely fine, and test a small area first to make sure it doesn’t cause the mica dust to drip.

Print

Moonstone Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This Moonstone Cold Process Soap has a layered design, but what makes it special is the glimmer on top.

Course Cold process

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
• 54 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 15.1 oz. Distilled Water 15% water discount
• 3.5 oz. Moonstone Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Snowflake Sparkle Mica
• Aqua Pearl Mica
• Magenta Mica
• Lavender Mica
• Party Pink Mica
• Four Powder Sprayers

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip, but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to 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. Next, disperse 4 teaspoons of the colorant into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica, Lavender Mica, and Magenta Mica into 1/2 tablespoon of liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps. Fill the four powder sprayers separately with Snowflake Sparkle Mica, Lavender Mica, Party Pink Mica, and Aqua Pearl Mica. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Moonstone Fragrance Oil into a glass container that is safe for use with fragrance oil. 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. If you prefer 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 tsp. of sodium lactate.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. 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 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 all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and Moonstone Fragrance Oil to the soap. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in. If the mixture is still very thin, quickly pulse it with the stick blender to thicken the soap to a light medium trace.
• Pour 17 ounces of soap into each of three separate containers. Add the following dispersed colorants into each container, and use a whisk to fully mix them in.

  Container A (pink): 1 1/4 tsp. dispersed Magenta Mica

  Container B (purple): All dispersed Lavender Mica

  Container C (blue): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica
• Pour 1/3 of the white soap into the mold (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Don’t worry about the layer being straight. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
• Pour half of the blue soap onto the white. Use a spoon to spread the blue soap throughout the mold. Again, don’t worry about the layer being straight.
• Use the powder sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the blue layer of soap with mica. NOTE: We sprayed Snowflake Sparkle Mica in between the layers of this soap. The final effect is note quite as noticeable as we thought it would be. You can skip these steps if you’d like, or follow the instructions as written if you like as much sparkle as possible.
• Pour half of the pink soap onto the blue layer. Use a spoon to spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the powder sprayer with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the pink layer.
• Cover the pink layer with half of the purple soap. Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap. Use the Powder Sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the purple layer. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
• Repeat this layering process with another 1/3 of the white soap and the remaining blue, pink, and purple soaps. Between the blue, pink, and purple layers, use the powder sprayer again to completely cover the soap with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
• Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Cover the purple layer with the remaining white soap and use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the spoon to create texture on the top. There is no right or wrong way to create texture, so have fun with it!
• Once you’re happy with the top, use the powder sprayer to completely cover the top with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
• Use the powder sprayers filled with Lavender Mica, Aqua Pearl Mica, and Party Pink Mica to spray the colors on the top of the soap in different areas. There is no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it! But remember – you can always add more color, so start slow. Adding too much color will take away the soft “pearly” look. Less is more in this case!
• Once you’re happy with the top, allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Because it has a water discount, you may be able to unmold it faster than a normal recipe. Once it’s ready, unmold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Because it has a water discount, it will cure slightly faster than a normal recipe. Enjoy! NOTE: We did not spray the top of the soap with alcohol because it may disrupt the mica dusting. We didn’t notice any soda ash. If you’d like, you can spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just make sure the spray is extremely fine, and test a small area first to make sure it doesn’t cause the mica dust to drip.

The post Moonstone Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

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

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

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

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

What You’ll Need:
Embeds:
 10 oz. LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap
Lavender Mica
Snowflake Sparkle Mica

Base
18 Bar Birchwood Mold
Silicone Liner for 18 Bar Mold
8.1 oz. Apricot Kernel Oil (15%)
13.5 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
21.6 oz. Olive Oil (40%)
10.8 oz. Palm Oil (20%)
7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
15.1 oz. Distilled Water (15% water discount)
3.5 oz. Amethyst Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Black Oxide
Queen’s Purple Mica
Lavender Mica
Radiant Plum Colorant

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

Make the Embeds

ONE: Chop and melt 10 ounces of LCP Clear Soap Base in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Once melted, add 1/4 tsp. of Lavender Mica. Stir to thoroughly mix in the colorant. Pour the soap into a mold. The exact shape doesn’t matter because the soap will be cut into pieces. We poured the soap into the 12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of bubbles and allow to fully cool and harden.

TWO: Once the soap is completely cool and firm, remove from the mold and cut into small pieces. Don’t worry about making them perfect. In fact, they look better when they are random shapes and sizes. Dust the embeds with Lavender Mica and Snowflake Sparkle Mica. Mix to completely cover the embeds. Set aside.

Make the Base

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 book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out 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. Disperse 1 teaspoon of the colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil).

Then in separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Lavender Mica, Queen’s Purple Mica, and Radiant Plum Colorant into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Black Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Amethyst Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and 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. 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: Melt and combine the coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, and palm 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 a very thin trace.

THREE: Be careful to not over emulsify the batter. The soap batter should be very thin. You can always stick blend more later. Split the batch into five containers. Three of the containers should contain 400 mL, one should contain 600 mL, and the last should contain 300 mL.

FOUR: Add the dispersed colorants to the five containers in the following amounts. To work as quickly as possible, we added the colorants directly into the containers first. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorants.

• Container A (400 mL): All dispersed Radiant Plum Colorant
• Container B (400 mL): 2 tsp. dispersed Lavender Mica
• Container C (400 mL): 2 1/2 tsp. dispersed Queen’s Purple Mica
• Container D (600 mL): 2 tsp. dispersed titanium dioxide + 1/2 tsp. dispersed Lavender Mica
• Container E (300 mL): 1 tsp. dispersed Queen’s Purple Mica + 1/8 tsp. dispersed Black Oxide

FIVE: Add the fragrance oil blend proportionally between the containers (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the fragrance oil. The batter should still be very thin.

SIX: Now it’s time to pour. We like to place the mold on a Lazy Susan to help spin the soap. The order in which you pour the colors into the mold is up to you. For this soap, we did not stick to the same color order throughout. We just poured the colors into the mold depending on what looked good. With each pour, keep in mind there is less dark purple soap and more white than the other colors. Pouring the white more frequently between the purple shades gives nice contrast.

Pour a shade of purple soap into one corner of the mold. Count to three during the pour to help pour an even amount. Pour a different color in the opposite corner of the mold, counting to three to help pour evenly. Start pouring various colors into both corners of the mold. As you layer the colors, the soap is pushed toward the center of the mold. Work as quickly as possible during this process, as the soap will continue to thicken up with time. Every now and then, give the colors a whisk to help keep them fluid.

SEVEN: Once the colors meet in the center, begin pouring soap into the empty corners of the mold. Every now and then, give the mold a little shake to disperse the soap. Working quickly, continue to pour the soap in the mold until it’s gone.

EIGHT: Give the mold a few firm taps on the counter to help eliminate air bubbles and to help the layers of soap settle. Begin to spin the Lazy Susan, stopping it quickly to help give the soap movement. You want the centrifugal force created by the spin and stop movement to move the soap in various directions within the mold. Be careful not to spin too hard, or the soap may spill out of the mold.

NINE: Continue swirling until you’re happy with the pattern. Be careful to not over-swirl the soap, or the colors will muddle together.

TEN: Once you’re happy with the swirl, place the divider set into the mold until it reaches the bottom. Begin placing the melt and pour pieces into the corner of each bar. Use your fingers to gently press the embeds into the soap to help them stick.

TWELVE: Continue adding the melt and pour pieces to each cavity. Once you’re done, spray the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. The melt and pour embeds can melt if they become too hot, so store this soap in a cool place. Allow them to sit in the dividers for at least 3 days. Because this is a soft recipe and the soap was poured at a thin trace, it may take a little longer to unmold. But, the water discount helps speed up the process.

After 3 days, check to see if the silicone mold pulls away easily from the soap. If it does, remove the soap from the silicone mold. If it doesn’t, give the soap another day or two to harden. Gently remove the soap from the dividers. To prevent tearing, do not pull the dividers. Push the soap down, or slide the dividers up or down to remove the soap without tearing. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks, and enjoy!

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Agate Spin Swirl Soap Tutorial

This Spin Swirl Soap is inspired by the colors and textures of agates.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6 pounds

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Embeds:

• 10 oz. LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap
• Lavender Mica
• Snowflake Sparkle Mica

Base

• 18 Bar Birchwood Mold
• Silicone Liner for 18 Bar Mold
• 8.1 oz. Apricot Kernel Oil 15%
• 13.5 oz. Coconut Oil 25%
• 21.6 oz. Olive Oil 40%
• 10.8 oz. Palm Oil 20%
• 7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 15.1 oz. Distilled Water 15% water discount
• 3.5 oz. Amethyst Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Black Oxide
• Queen’s Purple Mica
• Lavender Mica
• Radiant Plum Colorant

Instructions

Make the Embeds

• Chop and melt 10 ounces of LCP Clear Soap Base in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Once melted, add 1/4 tsp. of Lavender Mica. Stir to thoroughly mix in the colorant. Pour the soap into a mold. The exact shape doesn’t matter because the soap will be cut into pieces. We poured the soap into the 12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of bubbles and allow to fully cool and harden.
• Once the soap is completely cool and firm, remove from the mold and cut into small pieces. Don’t worry about making them perfect. In fact, they look better when they are random shapes and sizes. Dust the embeds with Lavender Mica and Snowflake Sparkle Mica. Mix to completely cover the embeds. Set aside.

Make the Base

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 1 teaspoon of the colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Lavender Mica, Queen’s Purple Mica, and Radiant Plum Colorant into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Black Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Amethyst Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and 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. 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.
• Melt and combine the coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, and palm 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 a very thin trace.
• Be careful to not over emulsify the batter. The soap batter should be very thin. You can always stick blend more later. Split the batch into five containers. Three of the containers should contain 400 mL, one should contain 600 mL, and the last should contain 300 mL.
• Add the dispersed colorants to the five containers in the following amounts. To work as quickly as possible, we added the colorants directly into the containers first. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorants.

  Container A (400 mL): All dispersed Radiant Plum Colorant

  Container B (400 mL): 2 tsp. dispersed Lavender Mica

  Container C (400 mL): 2 1/2 tsp. dispersed Queen’s Purple Mica

  Container D (600 mL): 2 tsp. dispersed titanium dioxide + 1/2 tsp. dispersed Lavender Mica

  Container E (300 mL): 1 tsp. dispersed Queen’s Purple Mica + 1/8 tsp. dispersed Black Oxide
• Add the fragrance oil blend proportionally between the containers (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the fragrance oil. The batter should still be very thin.
• Now it’s time to pour. We like to place the mold on a Lazy Susan to help spin the soap. The order in which you pour the colors into the mold is up to you. For this soap, we did not stick to the same color order throughout. We just poured the colors into the mold depending on what looked good. With each pour, keep in mind there is less dark purple soap and more white than the other colors. Pouring the white more frequently between the purple shades gives nice contrast. Pour a shade of purple soap into one corner of the mold. Count to three during the pour to help pour an even amount. Pour a different color in the opposite corner of the mold, counting to three to help pour evenly. Start pouring various colors into both corners of the mold. As you layer the colors, the soap is pushed toward the center of the mold. Work as quickly as possible during this process, as the soap will continue to thicken up with time. Every now and then, give the colors a whisk to help keep them fluid.
• Once the colors meet in the center, begin pouring soap into the empty corners of the mold. Every now and then, give the mold a little shake to disperse the soap. Working quickly, continue to pour the soap in the mold until it’s gone.
• Give the mold a few firm taps on the counter to help eliminate air bubbles and to help the layers of soap settle. Begin to spin the Lazy Susan, stopping it quickly to help give the soap movement. You want the centrifugal force created by the spin and stop movement to move the soap in various directions within the mold. Be careful not to spin too hard, or the soap may spill out of the mold.
• Continue swirling until you’re happy with the pattern. Be careful to not over-swirl the soap, or the colors will muddle together.
• Once you’re happy with the swirl, place the divider set into the mold until it reaches the bottom. Begin placing the melt and pour pieces into the corner of each bar. Use your fingers to gently press the embeds into the soap to help them stick.
• Continue adding the melt and pour pieces to each cavity. Once you’re done, spray the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. The melt and pour embeds can melt if they become too hot, so store this soap in a cool place. Allow them to sit in the dividers for at least 3 days. Because this is a soft recipe and the soap was poured at a thin trace, it may take a little longer to unmold. But, the water discount helps speed up the process. After 3 days, check to see if the silicone mold pulls away easily from the soap. If it does, remove the soap from the silicone mold. If it doesn’t, give the soap another day or two to harden. Gently remove the soap from the dividers. To prevent tearing, do not pull the dividers. Push the soap down, or slide the dividers up or down to remove the soap without tearing. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks, and enjoy!

The post Agate Spin Swirl Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

At the end of a stressful day, a bath is the perfect way to relax, unwind, and prepare for bed. These Lavender Sleep Time Bath Truffles were designed with that purpose in mind. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil gives these truffles a calming scent – perfect for preparing your mind and body for sleep.

Simple to make, bath truffles are essentially bath bombs with extra skin-loving butters. The large quantities of cocoa butter and coconut oil in this recipe create a texture similar to pie crust or cookie dough. The mixture can easily be rolled into rustic balls of buttery goodness. Polysorbate 80 helps disperse the butters in the bath water. But, because there is so much butter and oil, some will still pool on top, so be careful not to slip when getting out of the tub.

Love the idea of super moisturizing bath bombs, aka bath truffles? Check out the video for How to Make Bath Truffles on Soap Queen TV. It’s an oldie but a goodie! That recipe contains SLS, which produces bubbles when introduced to water. If you want your bath truffle to bubble, check out the Mermaid Bubbling Bath Truffles and the Rainbow Bubbling Bath Truffle recipes as well.

What You’ll Need:
 32 oz. Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
16 oz. Citric Acid
7 oz. Coconut Oil
5 oz. Cocoa Butter
0.8 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
0.5 oz. Polysorbate 80
Lavender Mica

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

ONE: In a large bowl, mix together the baking soda and citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powders through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir the ingredients together.

TWO: Melt the coconut oil in the microwave using bursts of 30-60 seconds. Pour the coconut oil into a heat and fragrance-safe container. Add the cocoa butter cubes to the container, and heat in the microwave using 60-second bursts until the butter is fully melted. Be careful when removing from the microwave, as the mixture may be very hot. Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil and polysorbate 80, and stir to fully combine.

THREE: Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients. Use your hands to fully combine.

FOUR: Once the ingredients are fully combined, the mixture should hold its shape when squeezed. Split the mixture in half. You can eyeball it, but if you’d like to measure each container will weigh about 25 ounces.

FIVE: To one half of the mixture, add 1 tsp. of the Lavender Mica and use your hands to fully mix in.

SIX: Grab a small amount of each color and squeeze them together in your hand. Use your hands to shape into a ball. The size of each truffle is up to you. The truffles we created each weighed about 3 – 4 ounces each.

SEVEN: Gently place your truffles on wax paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking. Depending on how hot your butter mixture is, the bath truffles may “deflate” a bit. If you like a rounder shape, you can continue to shape them as they cool on the parchment paper. Continue creating truffles until the mixture is used up. Allow them to fully cool and harden – overnight is recommended. If the truffles are removed from the parchment or wax paper too soon, they may stick.

Remove from the parchment paper and store in a cool, dry place. When you’re ready to use, place them in a hot bath and enjoy. Because the truffles contain plenty of hard butters and oils, very hot bath water works best. Enjoy!

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Lavender Sleep Time Bath Truffle DIY

These bath truffles are perfect for a hot bath before bed.

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 32 oz. Baking Soda Sodium Bicarbonate
• 16 oz. Citric Acid
• 7 oz. Coconut Oil
• 5 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 0.8 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
• 0.5 oz. Polysorbate 80
• Lavender Mica

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together the baking soda and citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powders through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir the ingredients together.
• Melt the coconut oil in the microwave using bursts of 30-60 seconds. Pour the coconut oil into a heat and fragrance-safe container. Add the cocoa butter cubes to the container, and heat in the microwave using 60-second bursts until the butter is fully melted. Be careful when removing from the microwave, as the mixture may be very hot. Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil and polysorbate 80, and stir to fully combine.
• Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients. Use your hands to fully combine.
• Once the ingredients are fully combined, the mixture should hold its shape when squeezed. Split the mixture in half. You can eyeball it, but if you’d like to measure each container will weigh about 25 ounces.
• To one half of the mixture, add 1 tsp. of the Lavender Mica and use your hands to fully mix in.
• Grab a small amount of each color and squeeze them together in your hand. Use your hands to shape into a ball. The size of each truffle is up to you. The truffles we created each weighed about 3 – 4 ounces each.
• Gently place your truffles on wax paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking. Depending on how hot your butter mixture is, the bath truffles may “deflate” a bit. If you like a rounder shape, you can continue to shape them as they cool on the parchment paper. Continue creating truffles until the mixture is used up. Allow them to fully cool and harden – overnight is recommended. If the truffles are removed from the parchment or wax paper too soon, they may stick
• Remove from the parchment paper and store in a cool, dry place. When you’re ready to use, place them in a hot bath and enjoy. Because the truffles contain plenty of hard butters and oils, very hot bath water works best. Enjoy!

The post Lavender Sleep Time Bath Truffle DIY 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.

For this Violet Confetti Tutorial, soap colored with Queen’s Purple Mica and Titanium Dioxide are layered to create contrast. Shreds of soap made with Queen’s Purple Mica and Orchid Mica are added to the white layer for interest. If you don’t have leftover purple soap, other colors would look great as well. In particular, shreds of green, yellow or pink soap would look beautiful. Violet Fragrance Oil mimics the purple colors. This fragrance accelerates slightly, which aids in creating a textured top. Lavender Mica is sprinkled on top for sparkle.

I can’t believe this is the last tutorial for the #SoaptheRainbow series! Six weeks went by so quickly. If you haven’t participated in the series yet, there is still time. Share your purple projects on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the tag #SoaptheRainbow for a chance to win a $10 Bramble Berry gift certificate. There is also still time to enter to win the GRAND PRIZE of over $250 worth of colorants, fragrances, molds and more.

What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Approx. 5-6 oz. Shredded Cold Process Soap
33 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.8 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Violet Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Queen’s Purple Mica
Lavender Mica

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

[sq_products]

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 1/2 teaspoon of the colorant into 1/2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons of the Queen’s Purple Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps. Have the Lavender Mica nearby to sprinkle on the very top of the soap.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Violet Fragrance Oil into a small glass, fragrance oil safe container and set aside.

SHREDDED SOAP PREP: Shred leftover or scrap cold process bars with a cheese grater. You can experiment with different grates, but we found the larger holes on the grater worked best and were most visible in the finished soap. For this project, we used about 5-6 ounces of shredded soap but ultimately how much you shred is up to you. For this project, we shredded purple soap made with Queen’s Purple Mica and Orchid Mica. Set the shredded soap 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 the bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 33 ounces. Once the lye water and the oils have both 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 you reach a light 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 sodium lactate.

TWO: Split the mixture into two containers. One container should contain about 2 cups, while the other should contain about 4 cups. To the larger container, add all the dispersed Queen’s Purple Mica. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant. Split the purple batch in half; each container should contain about 2 cups.

THREE: To the remaining soap, add 1 teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant.

FOUR: To one of the purple containers, add about 1/3 of the Violet Fragrance Oil. It’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in. If the soap is still quite thin, pulse with the stick blender for a few seconds until it’s a medium to thick trace.

FIVE: Pour the soap into the mold, and tap firmly on the counter to help release bubbles. Use a spoon or spatula to make divots and peaks in the soap. Because we aren’t going for perfectly straight layers, this helps give them a slight “wave.”

SIX: Add about 1/3 of the Violet Fragrance Oil into the white soap and use a whisk to mix in. If the soap is still thin, use a stick blender to pulse the mixture to thicken. Add the shaved purple soap into the white soap, and use a whisk to mix in.
NOTE: If you add the shavings while the soap is still quite thin, do not stick blend to thicken. The stick blender will blend the “confetti” into small chunks, which isn’t the look we are going for. Instead, wait for the white soap to thicken by slowly whisking or stick blending the soap. Keep the other container of purple soap moving during this time as well to avoid it from becoming too thick.

SEVEN: Pour the white soap into the mold. If your soap is quite thick, use a spoon to plop the soap into the mold evenly. If possible, use a spoon to create peaks and divots in the white layer.

EIGHT: Add the rest of the Violet Fragrance Oil into the remaining purple soap and whisk in. If necessary, pulse the soap with the stick blender to thicken.

NINE: Plop the purple soap on top of the white layer. Use the spoon to even out the purple soap and create texture. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just continue moving the soap with your spoon until you’re happy with the look.

TEN: Sprinkle Lavender Mica on top of the soap. You can use your fingers or a powder duster for a more even look. Then, close your eyes and gently blow on the top of the soap. This will disperse the mica, but be careful…it can get a little messy! =)

Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash and leave the soap in the mold for 2-3 days. Once unmolded, cut into bars and allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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Violet Confetti Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This cold process soap uses shredded soap from previous batches to create a "confetti" layer in the center!

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 " Silicone Loaf Mold
• Approx. 5-6 oz. Shredded Cold Process Soap
• 33 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
• 4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 10.8 oz. Distilled Water
• 2 oz. Violet Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Queen's Purple Mica
• Lavender Mica

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of the colorant into 1/2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons of the Queen's Purple Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps. Have the Lavender Mica nearby to sprinkle on the very top of the soap.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Violet Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

SHREDDED SOAP PREP: Shred a few leftover or scrap cold process bars with a cheese grater. You can experiment with different grates, but we found the larger holes on the grater worked best and were most visible in the finished soap. For this project, we used about 5-6 ounces of shredded soap but ultimately how much you shred is up to you. For this project, we shredded purple soap made with Queen’s Purple Mica and Orchid Mica. Set the shredded soap 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 the bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 33 ounces. Once the lye water and the oils have both 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 you reach a light 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 sodium lactate.
• Split the mixture into two containers. One container should contain about 2 cups, while the other should contain about 4 cups. To the larger container, add all the dispersed Queen’s Purple Mica. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant. Split the purple batch in half; each container should contain about 2 cups.
• To the remaining uncolored soap, add 1 teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant.
• To one of the purple containers, add about 1/3 of the Violet Fragrance Oil. It's okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in. If the soap is still quite thin, pulse with the stick blender for a few seconds until it's a medium to thick trace.
• Pour the soap into the mold, and tap firmly on the counter to help release bubbles. Use a spoon or spatula to make divots and peaks in the soap. Because we aren't going for perfectly straight layers, this helps give them a slight "wave."
• Add about 1/3 of the Violet Fragrance Oil into the white soap, and use a whisk to mix in. If the soap is still thin, use a stick blender to pulse the mixture to thicken. Add the shaved purple soap into the white soap, and use a whisk to mix in.
• Pour the white soap into the mold. If your soap is quite thick, use a spoon to plop the soap into the mold evenly. If possible, use a spoon to create peaks and divots in the white layer.
• Add the rest of the Violet Fragrance Oil into the remaining purple soap and whisk in. If necessary, pulse the soap with the stick blender to thicken.
• Plop the purple soap on top of the white layer. Use the spoon to even out the purple soap, and create texture. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just continue moving the soap with your spoon until you’re happy with the look.
• Sprinkle Lavender Mica on top of the soap. You can use your fingers, or a powder duster for a more even look. Then, close your eyes and gently blow on the top of the soap. This will disperse the mica, but be careful…it can get a little messy! Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash and leave the soap in the mold for 2-3 days. Once unmolded, cut into bars and allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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The post Violet Confetti Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.