The Circling Taiwan Swirl is a twist on the classic Taiwan Swirl. The design involves swirling soap down the length of the mold and then swirling around the edge of the mold. That pulls the soap in a circular motion and creates a beautiful and delicate look. See the technique in action in the How to Create a Circling Taiwan Swirl video.

The Circling Taiwan Swirl is an advanced technique because it requires a good understanding of trace. It’s best to use a slow-moving recipe with plenty of liquid oils and a fragrance that doesn’t accelerate. New Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil behaves wonderfully, and it’s perfect for the green color palette.

This recipe uses aloe vera liquid in place of distilled water. When lye is added to room temperature aloe vera liquid, it turns a light amber color and has a slight smell. This is completely normal. The lye scorches components of the liquid, causing it to change color. We found that didn’t have a huge effect on the colors in the soap. Feel free to use distilled water for this recipe if you prefer.

The first time we made this batch, we made the classic mistake of over stick blending the soap. It got too thick and didn’t have a fluid texture. Below, you can see our first batch on the right and our second batch on the left.

Trace makes a huge difference when it comes to the Circling Taiwan Swirl. Medium trace soap was used on the right, while the soap on the left was made with thinner soap. 

If the soap is too thick, the swirling tool won’t pull the soap in different directions and the swirl looks more bulky. It’s still a very pretty soap, but it looks completely different. If you’re debating whether to to stick blend more, walk away from the blender!

We bevelled these bars to give them a polished look.

What You Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool for 10″ Silicone Loaf
3.3 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
8.3 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
3.3 oz. Cucumber Seed Oil (10%)
9.9 oz. Olive Oil (30%)
8.3 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
10.9 oz. Aloe Vera Liquid
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
1.75 oz. Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil
Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
Aqua Pearl Mica
Titanium Dioxide
Black Oxide

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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1.75 ounces of Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

COLORANT PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of the titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps. Disperse 1 teaspoon of Green Chrome Oxide Pigment into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Aqua Pearl Mica and 1/2 teaspoon black oxide into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, 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. 

MOLD PREP: Insert the two end pieces of the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool into the 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold. The side with three sections should be facing out. Insert the three long dividers into the two end pieces to create four equal sections of the mold. Set aside. See how this is done here.

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 4.6 ounces of lye to 10.9 ounces of aloe vera liquid. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. The liquid will turn a yellow color and have a light smell – this is normal. 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 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.

TWO: In a large glass bowl, combine and melt 3.3 ounces of avocado oil, 8.3 ounces coconut oil, 3.3 ounces cucumber seed oil, 9.9 ounces olive oil, and 8.3 ounces of 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 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 very thin trace.

THREE: Split the soap batter evenly into four equal containers – it’s okay to eyeball it. Each container will be about 350 mL. Add the following amounts of dispersed colorants to each container, and use a whisk to mix in thoroughly.

• Container A (white): 1 tablespoon dispersed titanium dioxide
• Container B (light green): 1 teaspoon dispersed titanium dioxide + 1 teaspoon dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica + 1/4 teaspoon Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
• Container C (dark green): 2 teaspoons dispersed Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
• Container D (black): 1/2 teaspoon dispersed black oxide

FOUR: Add the 1.75 ounces of Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil evenly to each container of soap – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the fragrance.

FIVE: Begin pouring each color into the four sections of the mold in the order of dark green, white, light green, and black. Pour a small amount of each color in equal amounts to keep each section filled evenly. If one section is completely full and the others are empty, the soap can leak into the other sections.

SIX: Continue pouring each color into each section, trying your best to keep them filled equally. Work carefully but quickly.

SEVEN: Carefully, pull the three long divider pieces up and out of the mold. Try to do this as cleanly as possible. The swirl looks more crisp if there are no drips of color. Pull out the end divider pieces as well.

EIGHT: Insert a dowel or chopstick into the bottom of the mold and swirl back and forth down the length of the mold.

NINE: Clean the chopstick/dowel and insert it into a corner of the soap all the way to the bottom of the mold. Begin swirling the chopstick or dowel around the outside of the mold in a circle. Continue this motion over and over again to pull the swirls in a circular motion.

TEN: Continue moving the chopstick around the mold until you’re happy with the look. The more you swirl, the more curved the design will be. Eventually, the swirl will stop moving – this is a good place to stop.

ELEVEN: Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol and cover the soap to insulate if you’d like to promote gel phase. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. This design benefits from a horizontal cut – that’s what we did. The Wire Soap Slicer makes this process incredibly easy. If you don’t have this tool, see how to use a knife in the Infinity Swirl Soap video (around the 11:05 mark). Once cut, allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy.

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Cucumber & Aloe Circling Taiwan Swirl Soap

New Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil performs beautifully in this soap, which is made with the Circling Taiwan Swirl technique.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 3 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 ″ Silicone Loaf Mold
• Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool for 10″ Silicone Loaf
• 3.3 oz. Avocado Oil 10%
• 8.3 oz. Coconut Oil 25%
• 3.3 oz. Cucumber Seed Oil 10%
• 9.9 oz. Olive Oil 30%
• 8.3 oz. Palm Oil 25%
• 10.9 oz. Aloe Vera Liquid
• 4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 1.75 oz. Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil
• Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
• Aqua Pearl Mica
• Titanium Dioxide
• Black Oxide

Instructions

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1.75 ounces of Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

COLORANT PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of the titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps. Disperse 1 teaspoon of Green Chrome Oxide Pigment into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Aqua Pearl Mica and 1/2 teaspoon black oxide into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps. Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, 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.

MOLD PREP: Insert the two end pieces of the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool into the 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold. The side with three sections should be facing out. Insert the three long dividers into the two end pieces to create four equal sections of the mold. 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 4.6 ounces of lye to 10.9 ounces of aloe vera liquid. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. The liquid will turn a yellow color and have a light smell – this is normal. 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 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• In a large glass bowl, combine and melt 3.3 ounces of avocado oil, 8.3 ounces coconut oil, 3.3 ounces cucumber seed oil, 9.9 ounces olive oil, and 8.3 ounces of 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 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 very thin trace.
• Split the soap batter evenly into four equal containers – it’s okay to eyeball it. Each container will be about 350 mL. Add the following amounts of dispersed colorants to each container, and use a whisk to mix in thoroughly.

  Container A (white): 1 tablespoon dispersed titanium dioxide

  Container B (light green): 1 teaspoon dispersed titanium dioxide + 1 teaspoon dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica + 1/4 teaspoon Green Chrome Oxide Pigment

  Container C (dark green): 2 teaspoons dispersed Green Chrome Oxide Pigment

  Container D (black): 1/2 teaspoon dispersed black oxide
• Add the 1.75 ounces of Cucumber Garden Fragrance Oil evenly to each container of soap – it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the fragrance.
• Begin pouring each color into the four sections of the mold in the order of dark green, white, light green, and black. Pour a small amount of each color in equal amounts to keep each section filled evenly. If one section is completely full and the others are empty, the soap can leak into the other sections.
• Continue pouring each color into each section, trying your best to keep them filled equally. Work carefully but quickly.
• Carefully, pull the three long divider pieces up and out of the mold. Try to do this as cleanly as possible. The swirl looks more crisp if there are no drips of color. Pull out the end divider pieces as well.
• Insert a dowel or chopstick into the bottom of the mold and swirl back and forth down the length of the mold.
• Clean the chopstick/dowel and insert it into a corner of the soap all the way to the bottom of the mold. Begin swirling the chopstick or dowel around the outside of the mold in a circle. Continue this motion over and over again to pull the swirls in a circular motion.
• Continue moving the chopstick around the mold until you’re happy with the look. The more you swirl, the more curved the design will be. Eventually, the swirl will stop moving – this is a good place to stop.
• Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol and cover the soap to insulate if you’d like to promote gel phase. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. This design benefits from a horizontal cut – that’s what we did. The Wire Soap Slicer makes this process incredibly easy. If you don’t have this tool, see how to use a knife in the Infinity Swirl Soap video (around the 11:05 mark). Once cut, allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy.

The post Cucumber & Aloe Circling Taiwan Swirl Soap appeared first on Soap Queen.

Turmeric powder gives cold process soap a lovely orange hue. The shade of orange depends on how much turmeric powder is added and how it’s incorporated. In this Turmeric Secret Swirl Soap, dispersed powder and an oil infusion are both used. The turmeric-infused oil gives a soft orange color, while the darker orange shade is created by adding the dispersed turmeric directly to the soap batter. To see the different shades you can achieve, check out our turmeric color tests.

The swirl in this soap is a bold version of the “Secret Feather Swirl.” Made famous by Zahida of Handmade in Florida, the Secret Feather Swirl is an advanced soaping technique. It involves layering various colors in the center and then using a Hanger Swirl Tool to create the “feather” effect. See the process in this video by Handmade in Florida.

This soap is scented with the new ginger essential oil – it smells just like freshly grated ginger. The turmeric powder does not scent the soap at all, so the ginger essential oil is the perfect scent to mimic zesty turmeric powder. Keep in mind that ginger essential oil does slightly accelerate the soap. Use the stick blender sparingly for this recipe.

If you take a look at the recipe below, you’ll notice it has a 2% superfat. This is to compensate for the 6 tablespoons turmeric-infused oil added to soap at trace. Learn how to make the turmeric infusion here. We used sweet almond oil for the infusion, but you can use a different lightweight liquid oil if you prefer.

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool
Hanger Swirl Tool
54 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye (2% superfat)
17. 8 oz. Distilled Water
1.8 oz. Ginger Essential Oil
Turmeric Powder
Sweet Almond Oil (for infusing turmeric)
Large Sealable Tea Bag

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 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: Disperse 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). We used a slightly more concentrated oil dispersion to avoid adding too much oil to the batter. Then in a separate container, measure out 5 tablespoons of the turmeric-infused oil. Set aside. Learn how to make the turmeric infusion here.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1.8 ounces of the ginger essential oil into a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

TOOL PREP: Bend your Hanger Tool so it fits the mold perfectly by length. Insert the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool into the mold to create three sections. 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 the entire bag of Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until 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 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 3 teaspoons sodium lactate.

THREE: Once you have reached a very thin trace, pour off 16 ounces of batter into a separate container. To aid in pouring later on, a container with a pour spout is recommended, like the Easy Pour Mixing Measuring Container. To the large container of soap, add all the turmeric infused oil and stir with a whisk. The batter will turn a bright orange color.

FOUR: To the small container, add all the dispersed turmeric powder. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant. The batter will turn a darker orange than the large container.

FIVE: Add the ginger essential oil to each container proportionally—it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance oil.

SIX: At this point, the batter should be a thin to thin-medium trace. The key to the Hidden Feather Swirl Technique is that the batter needs to be thin enough to swirl, but thick enough to layer. If the batter is still extremely thin, give each container of soap a few bursts with the stick blender to slightly thicken trace. Be careful to not over stick blend!

SEVEN: Pour a small amount of the turmeric-infused soap (the large container) into all three sections of the mold evenly. This first layer should be small, but large enough to support the first layer in the “feather.”

EIGHT: Very carefully, pour a thin layer of the turmeric-powder soap (the small container) into the middle section of the mold. You will be creating three layers of turmeric-powder soap in the center of the mold, and using some of this soap on top for the swirl. Keep this in mind when pouring each layer. Be careful to not break through the first layer of soap. Pouring very thin lines of soap until the first layer is covered is a good way to prevent breakthrough.

NINE: Pour more of the turmeric-infused soap into the two outside sections of the mold. Then very carefully, pour a layer of the turmeric-infused soap into the middle section of the mold. Be careful to not break into the layers below.

TEN: Carefully pour a second layer of the turmeric powder soap into the middle section. As the soap becomes thicker, layering the soap will get easier. But be careful to not break through to the layers below. Pour slowly and gently.

ELEVEN: Gently cover the turmeric-powder soap in the middle section of the mold with a layer of turmeric-infused soap. Pour more turmeric-infused soap into the outside sections to keep all the sections filled evenly.

TWELVE: Cover the middle section with a third (and last) layer of turmeric powder soap. Keep in mind that you need a small amount of the turmeric-powder soap leftover to create the swirl on top at the very end. Fill the outside sections of the mold with turmeric-infused soap if necessary to keep the sections even. If the sections are filled unevenly, one section of soap may cover the other sections when the dividers are pulled out. Keep in mind you need more of the lighter, turmeric-infused soap to cover the top.

THIRTEEN: Slowly and carefully, pull the two dividers straight out of the soap. Set them aside. Tap the mold gently on the counter to help settle the soap. This action is what creates the upward design on the outside of the “feather.” Remove the two pieces of the divider set on either end of the mold. You can also leave them in the mold if you’d like. You’ll just need to slice the divider pieces off when the soap is unmolded.

FOURTEEN: Cover the top of the soap with the lighter, turmeric-infused soap. Use a small spoon to evenly distribute the top layer if necessary.

FIFTEEN: Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into the center of the soap so that the tool goes through the layers in the middle section of the mold. This motion is what creates the downward design in the center of the “feather.” Once the Hanger Tool reaches the bottom of the mold, drag it along the bottom to one edge of the mold. Keep the Hanger Swirl Tool along the side of the mold while you pull it up and out. To get a better idea of what this motion looks like, watch this video of Handmade in Florida (the tool is inserted @2:20).

SIXTEEN: Pour a line of the turmeric powder soap down the center of the mold. Then, use a chopstick or dowel to create loop-de-loops down the length of the mold. Do not insert the chopstick or dowel all the way into the soap—only swirl the very top so you don’t disrupt the swirl inside.

SEVENTEEN: Wood molds insulate very well, causing the soap to become quite warm. Our soap went through gel phase, which makes the color more vibrant. If you live in a very hot area, you may want to keep an eye on the soap for the first hour or two to make sure the top does not crack. If a crack forms, place the soap in the fridge to prevent further cracks. If you don’t live in an extremely hot area, leave the soap at room temperature (do not insulate). Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days, remove, and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks before use. Enjoy!

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Turmeric Secret Feather Soap Tutorial

This Turmeric Feather Swirl Soap features a bright orange design and smells like freshly-grated ginger.

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
• Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool
• Hanger Swirl Tool
• 54 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
• 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye 2% superfat
• 17. 8 oz. Distilled Water
• 1.8 oz. Ginger Essential Oil
• Turmeric Powder
• Sweet Almond Oil for infusing turmeric
• Large Sealable Tea Bag

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.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate container, measure out 5 tablespoons of the turmeric-infused oil. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1.8 ounces of the ginger essential oil into a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

TOOL PREP: Bend your Hanger Tool so it fits the mold perfectly by length. Insert the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool into the mold to create three sections. 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 the entire bag of Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until 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 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 3 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Once you have reached a very thin trace, pour off 16 ounces of batter into a separate container. To aid in pouring later on, a container with a pour spout is recommended, like the Easy Pour Mixing Measuring Container. To the large container of soap, add all the turmeric infused oil and stir with a whisk. The batter will turn a bright orange color.
• To the small container, add all the dispersed turmeric powder. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant. The batter will turn a darker orange than the large container.
• Add the ginger essential oil to each container proportionally—it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance oil.
• At this point, the batter should be a thin to thin-medium trace. The key to the Hidden Feather Swirl Technique is that the batter needs to be thin enough to swirl, but thick enough to layer. If the batter is still extremely thin, give each container of soap a few bursts with the stick blender to slightly thicken trace. Be careful to not over stick blend!
• Pour a small amount of the turmeric-infused soap (the large container) into all three sections of the mold evenly. This first layer should be small, but large enough to support the first layer in the “feather.”
• Very carefully, pour a thin layer of the turmeric-powder soap (the small container) into the middle section of the mold. You will be creating three layers of turmeric-powder soap in the center of the mold, and using some of this soap on top for the swirl. Keep this in mind when pouring each layer. Be careful to not break through the first layer of soap. Pouring very thin lines of soap until the first layer is covered is a good way to prevent breakthrough.
• Pour more of the turmeric-infused soap into the two outside sections of the mold. Then very carefully, pour a layer of the turmeric-infused soap into the middle section of the mold. Be careful to not break into the layers below.
• Carefully pour a second layer of the turmeric powder soap into the middle section. As the soap becomes thicker, layering the soap will get easier. But be careful to not break through to the layers below. Pour slowly and gently.
• Gently cover the turmeric-powder soap in the middle section of the mold with a layer of turmeric-infused soap. Pour more turmeric-infused soap into the outside sections to keep all the sections filled evenly.
• Cover the middle section with a third (and last) layer of turmeric powder soap. Keep in mind that you need a small amount of the turmeric-powder soap leftover to create the swirl on top at the very end. Fill the outside sections of the mold with turmeric-infused soap if necessary to keep the sections even. If the sections are filled unevenly, one section of soap may cover the other sections when the dividers are pulled out. Keep in mind you need more of the lighter, turmeric-infused soap to cover the top.Slowly and carefully, pull the two dividers straight out of the soap. Set them aside. Tap the mold gently on the counter to help settle the soap. This action is what creates the upward design on the outside of the “feather.” Remove the two pieces of the divider set on either end of the mold. You can also leave them in the mold if you’d like. You’ll just need to slice the divider pieces off when the soap is unmolded.
• Cover the top of the soap with the lighter, turmeric-infused soap. Use a small spoon to evenly distribute the top layer if necessary.
• Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into the center of the soap so that the tool goes through the layers in the middle section of the mold. This motion is what creates the downward design in the center of the “feather.” Once the Hanger Tool reaches the bottom of the mold, drag it along the bottom to one edge of the mold. Keep the Hanger Swirl Tool along the side of the mold while you pull it up and out. To get a better idea of what this motion looks like, watch this video of Handmade in Florida (the tool is inserted @2:20).
• Pour a line of the turmeric powder soap down the center of the mold. Then, use a chopstick or dowel to create loop-de-loops down the length of the mold. Do not insert the chopstick or dowel all the way into the soap—only swirl the very top so you don’t disrupt the swirl inside.
• Wood molds insulate very well, causing the soap to become quite warm. Our soap went through gel phase, which makes the color more vibrant. If you live in a very hot area, you may want to keep an eye on the soap for the first hour or two to make sure the top does not crack. If a crack forms, place the soap in the fridge to prevent further cracks. If you don’t live in an extremely hot area, leave the soap at room temperature (do not insulate). Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days, remove, and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks before use. Enjoy!

The post Turmeric Secret Swirl Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

There are so many fun tools and ingredients to create cold process soap. From the basics like stick blenders and molds, to fancier items like the Comb Swirl Tool, tools can really expand what a soaper can do. I have been making soap for over 20 years, and all the new soaping tools that have come out since then are pretty amazing! I have used just about all of them, and there are definitely some tools that I can’t do without.

I rounded up my very favorite tools (and one crucial ingredient!) in a few different categories below based on the convenience they provide, versatility and value. Of course everybody has a different idea of what is essential, a must-have, and what’s a luxury item. But, these are the tools I find myself always reaching for, and what makes soaping so much easier for me and my team! Is there a soaping tool you just can’t live without?

• Safety Gear (Safety Goggles, Gloves, etc.)
  While you can get away with a lot of fancy soaping tools, safety gear is a must. Cold process soaping requires working with sodium hydroxide lye which is a caustic chemical. Lye has the ability to cause skin and eye irritation if it comes in direct contact. But, just like driving a car, it’s perfectly safe when handled correctly. The easiest and most effective way to protect yourself when working with lye is to wear a long sleeved shirt, pants, closed-toed shoes, safety goggles and gloves. This greatly reduces any chance for serious injury. If working with lye makes you nervous (I understand!) this post may help calm your nerves. In addition, the Sodium Hydroxide Lye Safety Guide has everything you need to know about working with lye in soap.

• Sodium Hydroxide Lye
  Speaking of lye, you can’t make cold process soap without it. There is no ifs-ands-or-buts about it, cold process soap requires lye to become…well, soap! When oils and lye water are emulsified, the saponification process begins. This means the sodium hydroxide lye solution starts turning the oil into soap. If you’re a visual learner, this video may help you understand saponification a little better. I highly recommend purchasing lye that is intended for soap making. Lye from hardware stores can contain other ingredients that may cause unpredictable results.

• Stick Blender
  Before the days of stick blenders, soapers would stir together lye and oils together for hours to create soap. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend hours making one batch of soap. That’s where a reliable stick blender comes in! A stick blender emulsifies oil and lye together in seconds, rather than hours and hours. Some soapers still prefer to skip the stick blender and stir their oils and lye by hand…and more power to ’em! But personally, I can’t do without it.
  Note: Our stick blenders are out of stock because we’ve created our own “Best Ever Soaping Stick Blender”and the new ones are due in December 11, just in time for the holidays.

• Easy Pour Containers
  I use Easy Pour Containers for just about every batch of soap I make that involves multiple colors. The long pour spout is great for precise pouring, and really comes in handy for swirls. In particular, they make linear swirls a breeze. They are also easy to clean, which is always a bonus!

• Infrared Thermometer
  Temperature affects cold process soap in so many ways. For example, if your soap is too hot it can crack, volcano or develop “alien brain.” If it’s too cold it can develop soda ash. Read more about how temperature affects soap here. In order to have consistently successful batches of soap, a reliable thermometer is a must. A candy thermometer works as well, but I love using a infrared thermometer that I don’t need to clean. This is especially true when testing the temperature of lye!

• Silicone Tool Set & Whisks
  This seems really basic, but a sturdy set of silicone spatulas and whisks are so valuable for cold process soaping. From plopping soap into the mold with the Round Silicone Spoon to create a spoon plop, to using the Silicone Spatula to get every last bit of soap, I use these tools everyday. I love the silicone whisks for mixing in fragrance oils.The bright green color makes them easy to find and distinguish from your cooking utensils.

• Mini Mixer
  Oh little Mini Mixer, how I love you so. If my soap includes any colorants, I use this tool to disperse them in lightweight liquid oil. And because I love color, I use it in roughly 99.9% of my soap batches. =) Sometimes you can get away with using a spoon to disperse micas because they have such small particles. But for larger, heavier colorants like pigments and oxides, the mini mixer helps get rid of clumps. Learn how to disperse colorants for soap here. It has plenty of power for mixing colorants in lightweight oils, but I don’t recommend it for thicker mixtures like lotions or soap.

• Hanger Swirl Tool
  I love how many designs you can create with such a simple and inexpensive tool. From the basic Hanger Swirl, to modified versions like the Butterfly Swirl, the Hanger Swirl Tool creates some really beautiful designs. It can be bent to fit a wide variety of molds; in particular I use it in the 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold, Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold, and the 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom. While I don’t use it for every batch, it’s included in this section because it’s really worth the small investment!

• Multi-Bar Cutter
  Cutting even and straight bars can be tricky. The Multi-Bar Cutter gives you perfectly straight and even bars of soap every time. It really makes your bars look professional, and is a must for business owners who need an exact weight for each bar. It’s definitely a splurge, but I have yet to find a soaper who didn’t think it was worth it. This video shows you how to use the cutter, and replace a wire if it happens to break. To avoid wires from breaking, I like to cut my soap immediately after unmolding. That way, the soap is still slightly soft and the wires can cut the soap easily. Unfortunately, melt and pour soap is too firm for this tool.

• Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool & Multi-Pour Tool for 10″ Silicone Mold
  The Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool and Multi-Pour Tool for 10″ Silicone Mold can be placed into their corresponding molds to create 2-4 vertical sections of soap. The dividers are then carefully pulled up and out. Once you have sections, they can be swirled to create designs like the Circling Taiwan Swirl, or left alone to create stripes as shown in the Cindo de Mayo Cold Process Soap. It’s a bit of a luxury item because you can create dividers with cardboard (shown here), but that’s kind of a hassle. The Multi-Pour Sectioning Tools can also be used over and over again, which I think makes them worth the investment!

• Soap Shaver
  I use this tool all the time! Simply slide the soap across the blade to remove soda ash, knife marks, bubbles and more. You can use it for the top, bottom, sides and front of the bars. It can also be adjusted to remove larger slices, in order to remove deeper blemishes. I like to spritz the shaver with a little alcohol to give the bars a little more slip and glide when using this tool. Of course be very careful when you’re using it, the blade is extremely sharp! This shaver makes bars look clean and professional.
• Soap Beveller
  Speaking of making your bars look professional, the beveller deserves a shout out too! Slide the soap across the taut wire in the corner to smooth edges of the bars. Like the Soap Shaver, it has a bench hook to secure it on a table or countertop. I like to save the shavings to make confetti soap.

• Swirl Tool Kit
  If you love complex swirls like the Peacock Swirl and French Curl Swirl, the swirling tools are a must. Yes, it would be possible to create these swirls by hand…but these tools make it about 300% easier. Check out this video to learn how to use them, then see it in action in the Perfect Peacock Swirls video.

So there you have it! My top picks for soaping tools, including the essentials, must-haves and luxuries. As a soaper, is there a tool you can’t soap without? Or, what soaping splurge do you think is totally worth it?

The post Must-Have Cold Process Soap Tools (And Best Splurges!) appeared first on Soap Queen.

It’s crazy how many different types of swirls you can create with cold process soap. Crazy awesome that is! It’s impossible for me to choose a favorite, but if I had to choose my top five, the Circling Taiwan Swirl would probably be included. It’s a variation on the classic Taiwan Swirl that was named after the first YouTube video that showcased it. The main difference between the Taiwan Swirl and the Circling Taiwan Swirl is the Circling Taiwan features the extra step of swirling around the edge of the mold. This motion “pulls” the swirls, and gives them a curved appearance. It was created by Elaine Wright of Misty Springs Bath & Body, you can see her gorgeous soap here.

This technique requires first making long sections of color. To do so, I used the Multi-Pour Tool for 10″ Silicone Loaf. If you don’t have this tool on hand, you can construct dividers using cardboard (as shown in this tutorial) or other soap-safe material. But, this tool sure makes it easy. This technique requires a thin trace and a fragrance oil that gives you plenty of time to work. To make sure I had time to swirl, I used the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix that contains plenty of slow-moving oils, and the Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil which behaves well in cold process soap. To see this swirl in action, check out the video below!

What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Multi-Pour Tool for 10″ Silicone Loaf
33 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 oz. Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil
Zippy Blue Pigment
Nuclear Orange Pigment
Titanium Dioxide
Fizzy Lemonade Colorant

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

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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.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Electric Lemonade Cocktail into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

MOLD PREP: Place the two end pieces of the Multi-Pour Tool for 10″ Silicone Loaf into the mold. Then, insert the three long divider pieces into the end pieces. Tap them firmly on the bottom of the mold to secure.

Tip: If this is the first time using your multi-pour tool, you might need to prep it a little first. Slide the dividers through the end pieces a few times to make sure they slide out smoothly. The dividers may stick a bit during the first few passes, this is normal. 

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 separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, Zippy Blue Pigment and Nuclear Orange Pigment into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps.

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. For this recipe, I highly recommend using sodium lactate. Sodium lactate will hep you remove the soap from the mold much faster. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 teaspoons sodium lactate. Add the sodium lactate to the cooled lye water.

TWO: Fully melt the bag of Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure 33 ounces into your mixing bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have both cooled to about 120-130 degrees (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until you reach a very light trace. Be careful to not over stick blend this recipe, as you need plenty of time to swirl.

THREE: Split the soap into four equal containers. Add all of each dispersed colorants (Titanium Dioxide, Zippy Blue, Nuclear Orange and Fizzy Lemonade) into each separate container and use a whisk to mix in the colorants.

FOUR: Pour the Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil evenly into each container of soap. It’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in.

FIVE: Begin pouring each color into the four sections of the mold in the order of yellow, blue, white and orange. I like to pour a small amount of each color in equal amounts, to keep each section filled evenly. I have found that if one section is completely full and the others are empty, the soap is more likely to leak into the other sections.

SIX: Continue pouring each color until all the soap is in the mold, and the colors are filled equally. Work carefully but quickly.

SEVEN: Carefully, pull the three long divider pieces up and out of the mold. Try to do this as “cleanly” as possible. In the video, you can see some of my colors got into the other sections. This is fine, and once the colors are swirled together, you can hardly notice. But, the swirl look a little more crisp if there are no drips. Pull out the end divider pieces as well.

EIGHT: Insert a dowel or chopstick into the bottom of the mold, and swirl back and forth down the length of the mold.

NINE: Clean the chopstick/dowel and insert it into a corner of the soap all the way to the bottom of the mold. Begin swirling the chopstick or dowel around the outside of the mold in a circle. Continue this motion over and over again to “pull” the swirls in a circular motion.

TEN: Continue moving the chopstick around the mold until you’re happy with the effect. The more you swirl, the more curved the design will be. Eventually, there will come a point where the swirl isn’t moving anymore – this is a good place to stop.

ELEVEN: Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and cover the soap to insulate if you’d like to promote gel phase. Allow this soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Then cut! This design benefits from a horizontal cut; the bars shown here were cut horizontally. The Wire Soap Slicer makes this process incredibly easy! If you don’t have this tool, see the horizontal cut in action in the Infinity Swirl Soap Video (around the 11:05 mark). Once cut, allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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How to Create a Circling Taiwan Swirl in Soap

This soap features the beautiful Circling Taiwan Swirl technique, along with vibrant colors for an eye-catching bar!

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 ″ Silicone Loaf Mold
• Multi-Pour Tool for 10″ Silicone Loaf
• 33 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
• 10.9 oz. Distilled Water
• 4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 2 oz. Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil
• Zippy Blue Pigment
• Nuclear Orange Pigment
• Titanium Dioxide
• Fizzy Lemonade Colorant

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 2 ounces of Electric Lemonade Cocktail into a glass, fragrance 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 separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, Zippy Blue Pigment and Nuclear Orange Pigment into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of clumps.

MOLD PREP: Place the two end pieces of the Multi-Pour Tool for 10" Silicone Loaf into the mold. Then, insert the three long divider pieces into the end pieces. Tap them firmly on the bottom of the mold to secure.

• 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. For this recipe, I highly recommend using sodium lactate. Sodium lactate will hep you remove the soap from the mold much faster. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 teaspoons sodium lactate. Add the sodium lactate to the cooled lye water.
• Fully melt the bag of Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure 33 ounces into your mixing bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have both cooled to about 120-130 degrees (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until you reach a very light trace. Be careful to not over stick blend this recipe, as you need plenty of time to swirl.
• Split the soap into four equal containers. Add all of each dispersed colorants (titanium dioxide, Zippy Blue, Nuclear Orange and Fizzy Lemonade) into each container and use a whisk to mix in the colorants.
• Pour the Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil evenly into each container of soap. It’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully mix in.
• Begin pouring each color into the four sections of the mold in the order of yellow, blue, white and orange. I like to pour a small amount of each color in equal amounts, to keep each section filled evenly. I have found that if one section is completely full and the others are empty, the soap is more likely to leak into the other sections.
• Continue pouring each color until all the soap is in the mold, and the colors are filled equally. Work carefully, but quickly.
• Carefully, pull the three long divider pieces up and out of the mold. Try to do this as “cleanly” as possible. In the video, you can see some of my colors got into the other sections. This is fine, and once the colors are swirled together, you can hardly notice. But, the swirl look a little more crisp if there are no drips. Pull out the end divider pieces as well.
• Insert a dowel or chopstick into the bottom of the mold, and swirl back and forth down the length of the mold.
• Clean the chopstick/dowel and insert it into a corner of the soap, all the way to the bottom of the mold. Begin swirling the chopstick or dowel around the outside of the mold, in a circle. Continue this motion over and over again to “pull” the swirls in a circular motion.
• Continue moving the chopstick around the mold until you’re happy with the effect. The more you swirl, the more curved the design will be. Eventually, there will come a point where the swirl isn’t moving anymore – this is a good place to stop.
• Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and cover the soap to insulate if you’d like to promote gel phase. Allow this soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Then cut! This design benefits from a horizontal cut; the bars shown here were cut horizontally. The Wire Soap Slicer makes this process incredibly easy! If you don’t have this tool, see the horizontal cut in action in the Infinity Swirl Soap Video (around the 11:05 mark). Once cut, allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

The post How to Create a Circling Taiwan Swirl in Soap appeared first on Soap Queen.

Soap inspiration can come from many places, including historical events! This soap was inspired by the Mexican flag to commemorate Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over French Forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. This design could also work as an Italian flag soap, or even a Christmas soap. Last year I made an American flag inspired soap, and it was much (much!) more difficult. =)

I used the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool to create the white, red and green sections of soap. Then, I carefully swirled the very top to create more interest. This soap is scented with an amazing combination of Lime Fragrance Oil and Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil. The two fragrances blend together for a scent that’s bright and citrusy with sophisticated earthy notes. I’m always amazed at how well Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil blends with other fragrances! See more blend ideas here.

Recently, the Silicone Liner for the 5 lb Wood Mold was redesigned to be sturdier and easier to use. The redesign made it thicker. Because of this, the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool will not work with the new Silicone Liner for the 5 lb Wood Mold; it only fits with the older, thinner version. If you only have the new, thicker version you can still use the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool if you line your mold with freezer paper instead. See how to line the mold in this post.

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold (old version)
Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool
5.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
8.3 oz. Canola Oil (15%)
13.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
13.8 oz. Olive Oil (25%)
13.8 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
18.2 oz. Distilled Water 
Titanium Dioxide
Merlot Sparkle Mica
Electric Bubble Gum Colorant
Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
1.4 oz. Lime Fragrance Oil
1.6 oz. Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil

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 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 Merlot Sparkle Mica, Electric Bubble Gum Colorant and Green Chrome Oxide into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1.6 ounces of Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil and 1.4 ounces of the Lime Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container.

MOLD PREP: This project requires the old version of the Silicone Liner for the 5 lb Wood Mold. If you have the new, thicker version of the liner (created in March 2016), the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool will not fit in the mold. It only fits with the old, thinner version of the mold. If you have the new mold, good news! The Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool still fits great when this mold is lined with freezer paper. For tips on lining your mold, check out this blog post.

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, canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil, 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 a very 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 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

THREE: Once the batter has reached a thin trace, split the batch into three even containers.

FOUR: Add the dispersed colorants in the following amounts to each container. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the colorants.

• Container A (White): All the dispersed titanium dioxide.
• Container B (Red): 2 tsp. dispersed Merlot Sparkle Mica + 1 tsp. Electric Bubble Gum Colorant
• Container C (Green): 1 tsp. dispersed Green Chrome Oxide.

FIVE: Add the fragrance oil blend to each container equally, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix the fragrance.

SIX: If the soap is still very thin, give each container a few short bursts with the stick blender to thicken slightly. The mixture should be thin enough to pour and swirl, but having a little bit of thickness prevents the soap from seeping under the Multi Pour Sectioning Tool dividers. Begin pouring the various colors into the three sections. I like to pour a small amount of each color into each section, then move onto the next color to evenly fill up the sections. Be careful to not overfill any sections; you want each to have an equal amount of soap in each before you pull out the dividers to prevent on color from covering the color next to it.

SEVEN: Once each section is full and level, remove the center piece up and out. Then, slowly and carefully pull the long center dividers up and out. Set aside. Finally, pull the small end liners straight out and set aside.

EIGHT: Insert a dowel or chopstick into the very top of the soap between the red and white stripes. Use a small “S” shaped curve to swirl the colors together all the way down the length of the mold. Repeat this swirl between the white and green stripes of soap.

NINE: Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. To help the colors in this soap pop, I recommend promoting gel phase. Since my soaping area was on the cool side, I covered the soap with a lid and placed the mold on a heating pad set to medium for about 30 minutes. Then, I turned off the heating pad and let the soap sit covered overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 3-4 days. Remove from the mold, and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks to allow them to fully cure. Enjoy!

  If you make this soap now, it will be fully cured for Cinco de Mayo. Have you ever made a flag inspired soap? I made the American flag last year, and it was quite tricky!

Print

Cinco de Mayo Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This Cinco de Mayo Cold Process Soap was inspired by the Mexican flag. It's scented with a complex blend of Lime and Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil.

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 old version
• Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool
• 5.5 oz. Avocado Oil 10%
• 8.3 oz. Canola Oil 15%
• 13.8 oz. Coconut Oil 25%
• 13.8 oz. Olive Oil 25%
• 13.8 oz. Palm Oil 25%
• 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 18.2 oz. Distilled Water
• Titanium Dioxide
• Merlot Sparkle Mica
• Electric Bubble Gum Colorant
• Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
• 1.4 oz. Lime Fragrance Oil
• 1.6 oz. Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil

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 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 Merlot Sparkle Mica, Electric Bubble Gum Colorant and Green Chrome Oxide into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1.6 ounces of Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil and 1.4 ounces of the Lime Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container.

MOLD PREP: This project requires the old version of the Silicone Liner for the 5 lb Wood Mold. If you have the new, thicker version of the liner (created in March 2016), the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool will not fit in the mold. It only fits with the old, thinner version of the mold. If you have the new mold, good news! The Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool still fits great when this mold is lined with freezer paper. For tips on lining your mold, check out this blog post.

• 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, canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil, 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 a very 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 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Once the batter has reached a thin trace, split the batch into three even containers.
• Add the dispersed colorants in the following amounts to each container. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the colorants.

  Container A (White): All the dispersed titanium dioxide.

  Container B (Red): 2 tsp. dispersed Merlot Sparkle Mica + 1 tsp. Electric Bubble Gum Colorant

  Container C (Green): 1 tsp. dispersed Green Chrome Oxide.
• Add the fragrance oil blend to each container equally, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix the fragrance.
• f the soap is still very thin, give each container a few short bursts with the stick blender to thicken slightly. The mixture should be thin enough to pour and swirl, but having a little bit of thickness prevents the soap from seeping under the Multi Pour Sectioning Tool dividers. Begin pouring the various colors into the three sections. I like to pour a small amount of each color into each section, then move onto the next color to evenly fill up the sections. Be careful to not overfill any sections; you want each to have an equal amount of soap in each before you pull out the dividers to prevent on color from covering the color next to it.
• Once each section is full and level, remove the center piece up and out. Then, slowly and carefully pull the long center dividers up and out. Set aside. Finally, pull the small end liners straight out and set aside.
• Insert a dowel or chopstick into the very top of the soap between the red and white stripes. Use a small “S” shaped curve to swirl the colors together all the way down the length of the mold. Repeat this swirl between the white and green stripes of soap.
• Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. To help the colors in this soap pop, I recommend promoting gel phase. Since my soaping area was on the cool side, I covered the soap with a lid and placed the mold on a heating pad set to medium for about 30 minutes. Then, I turned off the heating pad and let the soap sit covered overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 3-4 days. Remove from the mold, and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks to allow them to fully cure. Enjoy!

The post Cinco de Mayo Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

The infinity swirl is a beautiful method for adding an interesting design to your soap. And it’s really easy to do! The Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool is a re-usable tool perfect for this technique, but you can make your own out of cardboard. Although I love the wispy look, if you want a bolder design just use a swirling tool with a wider diameter (like a spoon handle) to drag more of the colors together. Scented with a blend of Lime and Crisp Anjou Pear fragrance oils, this soap smells fresh, sweet and crisp. Find out how to create it via the Soap Queen TV video below!

To make this project you will need:

• • 16.5 oz Canola Oil
  • 11 oz  Coconut Oil
  • 11 oz Olive Oil
  • 8.2 oz Palm oil
  • 5.5 oz Sweet Almond Oil
  • 2.7 oz Chia Seed Oil
  • 7.6 oz Lye
  • 18.1 oz Distilled Water
  • 3 tsp Sodium Lactate
  • 2.2 oz Lime Fragrance
  • 1.3 oz Crisp Anjou Pear Fragrance
  • 1 tsp Titanium Dioxide
  • 1 tsp Ultramarine Blue
  • 1 tsp Ultramarine Violet
  • 1 tsp Black Oxide
  • 1 tsp Fired Up Fuchsia
  • 5 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
  • 5 lb loaf mold
  • Silicone Liner for 5lb Mold
  • Multi-Pour Sectioning Dividers (optional)

Get everything you need to make this project here.

Have you tried the infinity swirl technique yet? We love to see your projects on Facebook and Instagram!

The post Infinity Swirl Soap on Soap Queen TV appeared first on Soap Queen.

Created with a fresh combination of Pineapple Cilantro, Orange Peel Cybilla and Ocean Rain Fragrance Oils, this soap smells crisp and bright. Orange Peel is used to give both color and texture to the embeds, while titanium dioxide provides contrast. The dual blue tones are made using the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool, but cardboard can also be used as shown in the Mantra Swirl tutorial. Thanks for all the great name suggestions for this soap via Facebook, they were so much fun to read!

This technique is so exciting because of all the possibilities of shapes you can create. You aren’t limited by the embedding molds you own. Taking a walk through the hardware store opens up all kinds of new possibilities. Having more control over the design is another benefit. Six color rainbow faux-funnel pour coming up next!

What You’ll Need:

Base of the Soap:
15.3 oz. Coconut Oil
15.3 oz. Palm Oil
17.9 oz. Olive Oil
2.5 oz. Avocado Oil
7.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
16.8 oz. Distilled Water
2.5 oz Ocean Rain Fragrance Oil
1 oz. Pineapple Cilantro Fragrance Oil
Aqua Pearl Mica
Ultramarine Blue Pigment
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool
Circular Pipes (PVC Pipes)

Negative Embeds:
5.4 oz. Coconut Oil
6.3 oz. Olive Oil
5.4 oz. Palm Oil
.9 oz. Avocado Oil
2.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
5.9 oz. Distilled Water
Orange Peel, Powder
Yellow Oxide
Titanium Dioxide
1 oz. Orange Peel Cybilla Fragrance Oil

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 2 teaspoons of the Aqua Pearl Mica into 2 tablespoons of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 1 teaspoon Ultramarine Blue Oxide  into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE BLEND: In a glass container, combine 2.5 oz. of Ocean Rain Fragrance Oil and 1 oz. of Pineapple Cilantro 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.

TWO: Combine the coconut oil, olive oil, avocado 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 3 tsp. sodium lactate.

THREE: Once the batter has reached a light trace, split the batch in half. Each container will be about 4 cups.
FOUR: Add 2 tbs. of Aqua Pearl Mica into one container, and 1 tbs. of Ultramarine Blue into the other. Use a whisk to gently combine.
FIVE: Add half of the Ocean Rain and Pineapple Cilantro Fragrance Oil blend into each container. You can eyeball it! Use a whisk to mix in.
SIX: Gently pour both colors of soap into the two Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool. To help the soap batter evenly spread throughout the sections, you can alternate pouring from each end.
SEVEN: Once the sections are full, slowly remove the center divider straight up and out of the soap. Gently tap down the mold to disperse any bubbles.
EIGHT: Gently push the PVC pipes into the center of the soap. Make sure there is space between each pipe, and between the mold and the pipes on the ends.
NINE: Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Let soap in the mold for 3-4 days before attempting to remove the pipes. The pipes should be fairly easy to pull up and out of the soap. If not, give them more time. If after three to four days the pipes are still difficult to remove, place the soap into the freezer for 3-4 hours. Remove from the freezer, and attempt to remove the pipes again after a few hours. Patience is key.

The amount of soap needed to fill the negative space may be different from this tutorial, depending on how large your pipes are. To find the amount of total soap needed to fill the holes, place all the embeds on a scale. The weight of the embeds are approximately how much soap you need to make. You may want to create an additional couple ounces of soap to ensure you have enough.

For this soap, both an In-The-Pot-Swirl and an alternating drop swirl technique are shown. As you can see from the final photos, each swirl technique results in a very different bar of soap. You can decide to do both styles of swirl and alternate filling the holes, or you can choose one to use throughout the entire loaf.

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 teaspoons of the colorant into 1 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Yellow Oxide into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 2 teaspoons Orange Peel  into 2 tablespoons of light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE BLEND: In a small glass container, measure 1 oz. Orange Peel Cybilla Fragrance Oil and set aside.

ONE: Combine the coconut oil, olive oil, avocado 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 ° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

TWO: To one container, add 1/2 tsp. Yellow Oxide and 2 tbs. orange peel. The Orange Peel adds gentle exfoliation, and a texturized look. To the other container, add all of the Titanium Dioxide. Use a whisk to thoroughly incorporate pigments. 
THREE: Add one half of the Orange Peel Cybilla Fragrance Oil to each container. No need to measure, you can eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully incorporate. THREE: Time to choose what swirl technique to use! If you prefer the alternating drop swirl, move on to “step five.” If you prefer the In-The-Pot-Swirl, move on to the next step. 

FOUR: To create an In-The-Pot-Swirl, pour the white soap into the container containing the yellow soap at three different points: 12:00 o’clock, 4:00 o’clock and 8:00 o’clock. Pour the soap from a high point to ensure the soap penetrates through the entire container. Use a dowel to swirl the soap by running the dowel through all three pouring points. Only stir once! You want to swirl it, but not blend it completely. FIVE: Slowly pour the soap into the holes. Once full, spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Unmold after 3-4 days. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
SIX: For the drop swirl, alternate pouring the orange and yellow soap into the same hole using 3 second pours. Once full, spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Unmold after 3-4 days. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
When it’s time to cut, you can cut the loaf in the traditional way, but in order to achieve the results shown in the photos, the bars need to be cut  horizontally. If you’re not sure how to cut bars horizontally, there’s a video for that here.

 Have you tried the negative embed soaping technique yet? I’m excited to experiment with it more! In fact, a new negative embed soap was created yesterday =)

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If cold process is more your style, the Espresso Shot Cold Process Tutorial uses the new Espresso Fragrance Oil to create a bar of soap that’s perfect for any coffee-lover. The layers of color are easily created with the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool, and coffee grounds add gentle exfoliation. If you love the multi-colored sections, the Natural Colorant Taiwan Swirl Tutorial features four layers of color created with natural colorants.

Speaking of color, our Facebook Photo of the week created by Amy of The Suds Cafe,  is full of bright, summery hues! Scented with the Tropical Punch Fragrance Oil and swirled with Yellow Mica, Fired Up Fuschia Colorant, Tangerine Wow! Colorant, this soap conjures images of sandy beaches, fruity drinks and lots of sunshine.

With the piped soap on top and  a dusting of yellow mica, Amy’s creation is full of color and summer spirit! If you are curious about piping cold process soap, this Rose Garden Cold Process Tutorial will show you how. If you are looking for an easier way to create frosting, this Foaming Bath Whip Frosting Tutorial creates fluffy icing in a snap.

Shown above (from top, clockwise) is Amy’s Mother’s Day Strawberry Frappucino Soap, Peppermint Chocolate Frappucino Soap, Peppermint Chocolate Bar Soap, and the Cucumber Melon Smoothie Soap. If these chocolatey soaps have inspired your sweet tooth, the Chocolate Lip Balm Tutorial and Almond, Chocolate and Lavender Cold Process Tutorial are sure to satisfy.

Find The Suds Cafe:
On Etsy

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!

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