The origin of the word “psychedelic” can be traced to the Greek word “psyche.” It often refers to strong experiences of color, sound, smell taste or touch. During the 1960’s, the term psychedelic was used to describe music, clothing and art. This palm free Psychedelic Spin Swirl Soap features a bright color palette and complex fragrance blend that is well…quite groovy! =)
If you are unfamiliar with the spin swirl technique, it was recently made popular by Amy of Great Cakes Soapworks during a recent Soap Challenge Club. First, layers of thin trace soap are poured into a slab mold. Read more about thin trace here. Then, the mold is spun on the counter and stopped quickly with your hands. The stopping motion causes the soap to move back and forth, creating a beautiful swirl effect. To see it in action, check out this beautiful video from Sarah of Spicy Pinecone. I used a Lazy Susan to help my soap really spin! (PS – You probably saw all 3 trial versions of this if you follow me on Snapchat. I’m ‘Bramble-Berry’ there.)
It’s a tricky technique to master; this soap took me three tries in order to find a recipe and scent combination that allowed for the soap to “spin.” The key is to have a high amount of slow moving oils, such as olive oil or canola oil. You also need a fragrance oil that behaves perfectly in cold process soap, and does not accelerate at all. I used a combination of Kumquat and Patchouli Fragrance Oils to create a blend that not only behaves well, but is reminiscent of the groovy 60’s.
