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.

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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.

Inspired by the popular song, this Lime in the Coconut Milk soap is a tropical vacation in bar form! Coconut milk powder replaces water in this recipe to give additional moisture. Coconut milk powder is full of vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6, along with potassium and folate. The lauric acid of coconut milk also gives the bar a luxurious and fluffy lather. If you have never worked with milk in soap before, check out the How to Add Lye to Milk post for tips on keeping the milk cold. Looking for more information? The Goat Milk Soap Tutorial demonstrates how to add lye to milk, with examples of scorched milk vs. non-scorched milk.

This Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process features a fresh smelling blend of Lime Essential Oil and Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil. Adorable melt and pour lime embeds are placed on the top, giving the illusion of a fruity, tropical drink. Mica is brushed on the embeds to help the details really pop.

What You’ll Need:
Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold
1.9 oz. Avocado Butter
1.9 oz. Castor Oil
11.1 oz. Coconut Oil
5.6 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
1.9 oz. Mango Butter
14.8 oz. Olive Oil
5.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
1.5 oz. Coconut Milk Powder
12.3 oz. Distilled Water
Chrome Green Oxide
Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
Titanium Dioxide
1 oz. Lime Distilled Essential Oil
1 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil

Embeds:
Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
2 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
Chrome Green Color Block

 Make the Embeds

ONE: Cut and melt 2 ounces of clear melt and pour base in the microwave using 5 second bursts. It’s easy to burn such a small amount of melt and pour, so using small bursts helps avoid this. Add small shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block and stir until a rich green color is achieved. Carefully pour the soap into each cavity until the citrus shape is covered; don’t fill the cavity all the way. Spritz with alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Allow to fully cool and harden.

TWO: Remove each embed from the mold. Use a paintbrush to lightly dust the lime shape with Yellow Mica. This step is optional, but the mica really helps the details pop! Set embeds aside.


 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 Chrome Green Oxide into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 3 teaspoons of the Fizzy Lemonade Colorant into 3 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Finally disperse 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide into 1 tablespoon light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.  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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Mix 1 oz. of the Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil and 1 oz. of the Lime Essential Oil. Set aside.

MILK PREP: Mix 1.5 oz. of coconut milk powder into the distilled water. When using this Coconut Milk Powder we found it was a little tricky to mix into water however, heating the water slightly (to about 95°F) made it easy. Once the powder is completely mixed into the water and contains no clumps, pour the milk into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer until completely hard (several hours to overnight).

ONE: Remove the fully frozen milk from the ice cube trays and place into a container that has been placed in an ice bath. Slowly add lye and stir until the lye is fully dissolved and the milk has become liquid. Click here to see this process and more tips on creating a lye and milk mixture. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye milk. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt and combine the coconut, olive, green tea seed, castor, avocado butter and mango butter.  Once the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below, add the lye milk to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.


THREE: Pour off two containers, each measuring 1 cup. The large container should then hold about 4 cups.

FOUR: To the large container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 tablespoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to fully incorporate. 

FIVE: To one of the smaller containers, add 2.5 tablespoons of dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. To the other small container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. Add the fragrance oil blend proportionally to each of the three containers (it’s okay to eyeball it!) and use a whisk to fully combine.

SIX: Pour the entire container of green soap into the mold, and tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of any air bubbles. Don’t scrape the bowl clean, leave a small amount of green soap in the bowl for the top.

SEVEN: Pour half of the white soap into the center of the mold. Pour from about 10 inches above the mold; this helps the white soap drop into the green soap, rather than sitting on top and creating layers.

EIGHT: Pour the yellow soap into the green and white soap. Pour the yellow soap from 8-10 inches above the mold to ensure the yellow soap breaks through into the green soap. Leave a small amount of soap in the container for the top.

NINE: Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles. Stick blend the leftover white soap until you reach a thick trace. 

TEN: Use a spoon to gently place the thick white soap on top of the green soap. Gently spread the soap to ensure an even layer. 

ELEVEN: Use a spoon to place the leftover yellow soap from the container onto the white.

TWELVE: Place any leftover green soap onto the yellow, and use a spoon to create peaks and texture with the yellow, white and green soap.

THIRTEEN: Place the lime embeds into the side of the soap. Ensure the lime is far enough in the soap that they don’t fall out.

FOURTEEN: Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash, and place the soap into the freezer for 24 hours. Doing so prevents the soap from going through gel phase which will scorch the coconut milk. After 24 hours, remove the soap from the freezer and allow to sit in the mold for 3-4 days. Milk soap can be a little softer due to the extra milk fat. Patience is key! Remove from the mold, cut and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

Have you used coconut milk in your soap before?  Do you have any tips to share with SQ readers? I love the fluffy and moisturizing lather it gives!
 

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Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Tutorial

This Lime in the Coconut Cold Process Soap uses coconut milk instead of water for a fluffy and rich lather.

Course Cold process

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Tall 12" Silicone Loaf Mold
• 1.9 oz. Avocado Butter
• 1.9 oz. Castor Oil
• 11.1 oz. Coconut Oil
• 5.6 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
• 1.9 oz. Mango Butter
• 14.8 oz. Olive Oil
• 5.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 1.5 oz. Coconut Milk Powder
• 12.3 oz. Distilled Water
• Chrome Green Oxide
• Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
• Titanium Dioxide
• 1 oz. Lime Distilled Essential Oil
• 1 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil

Embeds:

• Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
• 2 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• Chrome Green Color Block

Instructions

Make the Embeds

• Cut and melt 2 ounces of clear melt and pour base in the microwave using 5 second bursts. It’s easy to burn such a small amount of melt and pour, so using small bursts helps avoid this. Add small shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block and stir until a rich green color is achieved. Carefully pour the soap into each cavity until the citrus shape is covered; don’t fill the cavity all the way. Spritz with alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Allow to fully cool and harden.
• Remove each embed from the mold. Use a paintbrush to lightly dust the lime shape with Yellow Mica. This step is optional, but the mica really helps the details pop! Set embeds aside.

Make the Cold Process Soap

COLOR PREP: In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then, in separate containers, disperse 2 teaspoons of the Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, Titanium Dioxide of light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Mix 1 oz. of the Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil and 1 oz. of the Lime Essential Oil. Set aside.

MILK PREP: Mix 1.5 oz. of coconut milk powder into the distilled water. When using this Coconut Milk Powder we found it was a little tricky to mix into water however, heating the water slightly (to about 95°F) made it easy. Once the powder is completely mixed into the water and contains no clumps, pour the milk into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer until completely hard (several hours to overnight).

• Remove the fully frozen milk from the ice cube trays and place into a container that has been placed in an ice bath. Slowly add lye and stir until the lye is fully dissolved and the milk has become liquid. Click here to see this process and more tips on creating a lye and milk mixture. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye milk. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. sodium lactate.
• Fully melt and combine the coconut, olive, green tea seed, castor, avocado butter and mango butter. Once the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below, add the lye milk to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
• Pour off two containers, each measuring 1 cup. The large container should then hold about 4 cups.
• To the large container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 tablespoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to fully incorporate.
• To one of the smaller containers, add 2.5 tablespoons of dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. To the other small container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. Add the fragrance oil blend proportionally to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it!) and use a whisk to fully combine.
• Pour the entire container of green soap into the mold, and tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of any air bubbles. Don’t scrape the bowl clean, leave a small amount of green soap in the bowl for the top.
• Pour half of the white soap into the center of the mold. Pour from about 10 inches above the mold; this helps the white soap drop into the green soap, rather than sitting on top and creating layers.
• Pour the yellow soap into the green and white soap. Pour the yellow soap from 8-10 inches above the mold to ensure the yellow soap breaks through into the green soap. Leave a small amount of soap in the container for the top.
• Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles. Stick blend the leftover white soap until you reach a thick trace.
• Use a spoon to gently place the thick white soap on top of the green soap. Gently spread the soap to ensure an even layer.
• Use a spoon to place the leftover yellow soap from the container onto the white.
• Place any leftover green soap onto the yellow, and use a spoon to create peaks and texture with the yellow, white and green soap.
• Place the lime embeds into the side of the soap. Ensure the lime is far enough in the soap that they don’t fall out.
• Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash, and place the soap into the freezer for 24 hours. Doing so prevents the soap from going through gel phase which will scorch the coconut milk. After 24 hours, remove the soap from the freezer and allow to sit in the mold for 3-4 days. Milk soap can be a little softer due to the extra milk fat. Patience is key! Remove from the mold, cut and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

The post Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.