When the temperature starts to drop, nothing beats a glass of eggnog. Well, nothing except a glass of eggnog with a little splash of rum. If you’re a fan of that combination, you’ll love our new Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil. It has notes of vanilla, nutmeg, caramel, and rum. 

Those warm and comforting notes inspired this Eggnog Cold Process Soap. The base is made with fresh eggs, which add a creamy feeling to the bars. Then, shredded soap is added for texture – you can use any leftover scraps you have on hand. Finally, the base is topped with fluffy white soap and cute embeds colored with cocoa powder. The final bars make perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones.

This project requires a good understanding of temperature. This soap is created at slightly lower temperatures (around 90 ° F) to prevent the egg yolks from “cooking” in the soap batter. To further prevent this, a portion of the soaping oils are slowly introduced to the egg yolks prior to adding them to the soap at trace. This helps slowly raise the temperature of the eggs. It’s a similar process to creating hollandaise sauce.

The cooler temperatures also prevent the soap frosting from losing its shape and prevents extreme glycerin rivers. We did experience some minimal glycerin rivers in the soap frosting due to the amount of titanium dioxide. Learn more about glycerin rivers here. If you live in a very hot climate, you may want to place this soap in the fridge or freezer once it’s in the mold for 5-24 hours.

Embeds:
2 Small 9 Ball Silicone Molds
1 oz. Cocoa Butter
2.5 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Olive Oil
2.5 oz. Palm Oil
1.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye (2% superfat so they harden more quickly)
3.3 oz. Distilled Water
1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

Base:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
4 Egg Yolks
5.4 oz. Cocoa Butter
13.5 oz. Coconut Oil
21.6 oz. Olive Oil
13.5 oz. Palm Oil
7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye (5% superfat)
17.8 oz. Distilled Water
3.5 oz. Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil
Disposable Frosting Bag
4B Frosting Bag

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

Make the Embeds

If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here. We highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

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.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add .5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

TWO: In a container large enough to fit all your ingredients, combine and melt the coconut oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Add the cocoa powder directly to the oils, and stir to get rid of chunks. 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. Because this recipe contains plenty of cocoa butter, this will take about 30-60 seconds of blending and stirring with the stick blender.

THREE: Once the oils and lye solution are completely mixed, carefully pour the soap batter into each cavity of both Small 9 Ball Silicone Molds. Once each cavity is full, pour the remainder into a separate mold. The exact shape of the mold is not extremely important because this soap will be shredded once it’s firm. We poured our leftover batter into the 12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold.

FOUR: Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 1-2 days. If you did not use sodium lactate, it may take an extra day to remove the soap. Remove the soap from each mold. Set the small spheres aside. Then, use a cheese grater to grate the soap poured into the “extra” mold. These shreds will be used in the base of the soap and the spheres will go on top. Set all the soap aside while you prep the ingredients for the base.

Create the Base

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 the colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 6 teaspoons of the titanium dioxide into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps. The color dispersion is a little more concentrated than usual to avoid adding too much extra oil. In a separate container, mix 1/2 teaspoon of Yellow Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

FROSTING BAG PREP: Cut off the tip of the disposable frosting bag and insert the frosting tip. Set aside.

EGG PREP: Separate four egg yolks from the whites. Place the egg yolks into a small container and whisk them together until smooth.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

TWO: Melt and combine the coconut oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning) into a large container. Allow the oils to cool to about 90 ° F. Then, add a small amount of the oils (about 1 ounce) to the egg yolks and quickly whisk. You want to slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolks. If the oil is added to the egg yolks while it’s too hot, you’ll have chunks of cooked eggs. Keep adding small amounts of oil and whisking until the egg yolks reach a temperature of about 80 ° F and have a smooth, liquid texture. Set the eggs aside.

THREE: Check the temperature of the lye solution. It should be fairly cool – about 90 ° F or below. Slowly pour the lye solution into the large container of oils and begin pulsing with the stick blender. Use the blender to stir the oils in addition to pulsing the blender. Continue blending for about 30-60 seconds, or until the mixture looks like thin pudding.

FOUR: Slowly begin pouring the egg mixture into the soap batter, while using your other hand to pulse the stick blender to quickly incorporate the eggs. Continue this process until all the egg yolks have been added.

FIVE: Once all the egg yolks have been added, pour about 800 mL of the batter into a separate container. Add 1 tablespoon of dispersed titanium dioxide into this container. Use a whisk to fully mix in the titanium dioxide and set the soap aside. This will be the frosting for the top.

SIX: Add the remaining dispersed titanium dioxide to the other large container of soap. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon of dispersed Yellow Oxide and mix in fully with a whisk.

SEVEN: Pour all the measured Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil into the large container of soap and mix in. Do not add any fragrance to the 800 mL of soap. The smaller container of soap will be the frosting and should be white. Adding fragrance oil to this soap will cause it to discolor.

If the large container of soap is still a very thin texture, pulse the soap with the stick blender a few times to thicken it.

EIGHT: Add all of the shredded brown soap to the large container, and use a whisk or spatula to fully mix in.

NINE: Pour all of the soap in the large container into the mold. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the soap evenly throughout the mold. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.

TEN: Check the texture of the white soap. This soap needs to be thick enough to hold shape but smooth enough to pipe. Test the consistency by adding a small amount of the soap to the prepped bag and piping a dollop into the mold. If it holds its shape, you’re ready to pipe. If the soap falls flat and loses the details of the frosting tip, allow the soap to sit in the container for a few more minutes.

Once the soap is thick enough to pipe, transfer a portion of the soap into the frosting bag.

ELEVEN: Begin by piping small dollops of soap down the middle of the mold. Then, pipe dollops on either side to create rows of three dollops.

TWELVE: Finally, pipe a larger dollop of soap on top of the center dollop to create height. There is no right or wrong way to pipe soap frosting – just have fun with it. If you need some piping inspiration, Katie of Royalty Soaps creates amazing frosting on her bars. Ours pale in comparison!

THIRTEEN: Once you’re done piping, place a soap sphere embed into the center of each dollop. Then, sprinkle the top with a light dusting of cinnamon powder. Save the leftover embeds for your next batch.
Note: Cinnamon can cause irritation, so if you have sensitive skin you can use a sprinkling of mica instead. Cappuccino Mica is a good option.

FOURTEEN: Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. This soap needs to be kept cool, so don’t insulate it. It can be left at room temperature of about 70 ° F or cooler. If you live in a hot climate you may want to place the soap in the fridge or freezer for 5-24 hours. Then, remove from the fridge or freezer and allow it to stay in the mold for about 2 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

Print

Eggnog Cold Process Soap DIY

This recipe is scented with new Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil, which has notes of vanilla, nutmeg, caramel, and rum.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 5 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Embeds

• 2 Small 9 Ball Silicone Molds
• 1 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 2.5 oz. Coconut Oil
• 4 oz. Olive Oil
• 2.5 oz. Palm Oil
• 1.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye 2% superfat so they harden more quickly
• 3.3 oz. Distilled Water
• 1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

Base

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 5.4 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 13.5 oz. Coconut Oil
• 21.6 oz. Olive Oil
• 13.5 oz. Palm Oil
• 7.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye 5% superfat
• 17.8 oz. Distilled Water
• 3.5 oz. Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil
• Disposable Frosting Bag
• 4 B Frosting Bag

Instructions

Make the Embeds

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.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add .5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• In a container large enough to fit all your ingredients, combine and melt the coconut oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Add the cocoa powder directly to the oils, and stir to get rid of chunks. 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. Because this recipe contains plenty of cocoa butter, this will take about 30-60 seconds of blending and stirring with the stick blender.
• Once the oils and lye solution are completely mixed, carefully pour the soap batter into each cavity of both Small 9 Ball Silicone Molds. Once each cavity is full, pour the remainder into a separate mold. The exact shape of the mold is not extremely important because this soap will be shredded once it’s firm. We poured our leftover batter into the 12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold.
• Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 1-2 days. If you did not use sodium lactate, it may take an extra day to remove the soap. Remove the soap from each mold. Set the small spheres aside. Then, use a cheese grater to grate the soap poured into the “extra” mold. These shreds will be used in the base of the soap and the spheres will go on top. Set all the soap aside while you prep the ingredients for the base.

Create the Base

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 the colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 6 teaspoons of the titanium dioxide into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps. The color dispersion is a little more concentrated than usual to avoid adding too much extra oil. In a separate container, mix 1/2 teaspoon of Yellow Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil into a small glass container and set aside.

FROSTING BAG PREP: Cut off the tip of the disposable frosting bag and insert the frosting tip. Set aside.

EGG PREP: Separate four egg yolks from the whites. Place the egg yolks into a small container and whisk them together until smooth.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Melt and combine the coconut oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning) into a large container. Allow the oils to cool to about 90 ° F. Then, add a small amount of the oils (about 1 ounce) to the egg yolks and quickly whisk. You want to slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolks. If the oil is added to the egg yolks while it’s too hot, you’ll have chunks of cooked eggs. Keep adding small amounts of oil and whisking until the egg yolks reach a temperature of about 80 ° F and have a smooth, liquid texture. Set the eggs aside.
• Check the temperature of the lye solution. It should be fairly cool – about 90 ° F or below. Slowly pour the lye solution into the large container of oils and begin pulsing with the stick blender. Use the blender to stir the oils in addition to pulsing the blender. Continue blending for about 30-60 seconds, or until the mixture looks like thin pudding.
• Slowly begin pouring the egg mixture into the soap batter, while using your other hand to pulse the stick blender to quickly incorporate the eggs. Continue this process until all the egg yolks have been added.
• Once all the egg yolks have been added, pour about 800 mL of the batter into a separate container. Add 1 tablespoon of dispersed titanium dioxide into this container. Use a whisk to fully mix in the titanium dioxide and set the soap aside. This will be the frosting for the top.
• Add the remaining dispersed titanium dioxide to the other large container of soap. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon of dispersed Yellow Oxide and mix in fully with a whisk.
• Pour all the measured Spiked Eggnog Fragrance Oil into the large container of soap and mix in. Do not add any fragrance to the 800 mL of soap. The smaller container of soap will be the frosting and should be white. Adding fragrance oil to this soap will cause it to discolor. If the large container of soap is still a very thin texture, pulse the soap with the stick blender a few times to thicken it.
• Add all of the shredded brown soap to the large container, and use a whisk or spatula to fully mix in.
• Pour all of the soap in the large container into the mold. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the soap evenly throughout the mold. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
• Check the texture of the white soap. This soap needs to be thick enough to hold shape but smooth enough to pipe. Test the consistency by adding a small amount of the soap to the prepped bag and piping a dollop into the mold. If it holds its shape, you’re ready to pipe. If the soap falls flat and loses the details of the frosting tip, allow the soap to sit in the container for a few more minutes. Once the soap is thick enough to pipe, transfer a portion of the soap into the frosting bag.
• Begin by piping small dollops of soap down the middle of the mold. Then, pipe dollops on either side to create rows of three dollops.
• Finally, pipe a larger dollop of soap on top of the center dollop to create height. There is no right or wrong way to pipe soap frosting – just have fun with it. If you need some piping inspiration, Katie of Royalty Soaps creates amazing frosting on her bars. Ours pale in comparison!
• Once you’re done piping, place a soap sphere embed into the center of each dollop. Then, sprinkle the top with a light dusting of cinnamon powder. Save the leftover embeds for your next batch. Note: Cinnamon can cause irritation, so if you have sensitive skin you can use a sprinkling of mica instead. Cappuccino Mica is a good option.
• Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. This soap needs to be kept cool, so don’t insulate it. It can be left at room temperature of about 70 ° F or cooler. If you live in a hot climate you may want to place the soap in the fridge or freezer for 5-24 hours. Then, remove from the fridge or freezer and allow it to stay in the mold for about 2 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Eggnog Cold Process Soap DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

How long have you been soaping for and how did you get started?
As a frantically busy, trying-to-do-it-all-single mom running a household, maintaining a career as a court reporter, and raising my son, my nightly routine would always consist of a hot bath with my own special blend of essential oils to help me unwind from the daily hustle and bustle of life. Money was tight, and I was running low on my essential oils. I was looking for a way to incorporate my essential oil blend into my own bath products, instead of purchasing expensive brands in scents I really didn’t care for.

I made my first batch of soap about five and a half years ago, and I was hooked. Truth be told, I may have been a bit obsessed. At first I used whatever oils I had on hand in the house and makeshift molds I found at thrift stores or yard sales. I was gifted several gallons of olive oil and several pounds of lye by someone I didn’t even know simply because I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was able to begin soaping without a lot of start up costs. I even soaped with rainwater, because we have lots of that during the rainy season here in Florida.

Can you believe this is all soap? Just look at the amazing detail! 

What sort of advice would you give to those soapers just starting their businesses?
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” It’s important to have a business plan, which can change over time. The best thing I did was take a micro enterprise class, which even landed me in a commercial for the program. I learned how to write a business plan, figure costs and expenses, price products, pinpoint my target market, etc. I listened to guest speakers talk about how important it is to have a professionally designed website, business cards, labels, proper packaging, and ideas on how to promote and market a business.

I am very lucky that my aunt is a graphic designer, and she was able to help me with designing my website, company logo, etc. When I first started soaping, I was using handmade tags which I printed off the computer. I didn’t realize how unimpressive they were until I had a shop owner ask me to change them. Needless to say, it was a lesson learned. My aunt is now in charge of all of my printing which she does through her company. Ideally, you want your packaging and print materials (business cards, labels, etc.) to stand out above the rest, as they may very well be that “first impression” you only get one chance at.

While everyone may not have access to professionals, there are free and low cost resources available through the Small Business Administration or similar agencies depending where you live. Volunteers are eager to help you succeed in your new business, so take advantage of the resources available. It’s important to take a few extra steps to ensure your business runs smoothly.

How did you come up with the name for your business?
If ever a “happy place” exists, mine would be an English garden filled with lots of aromatic flowers, fancy teas, and an endless amount of pastries! I picked the name in large part because in the beginning, I wasn’t exactly sure where my soapmaking would take me. I wanted a name which wouldn’t limit my creativity to strictly one product. I am taking baby steps when it comes to my business. There are so many things I want to do in the future, and I am looking forward to growing.

Wizard of Oz Cake Soap, complete with ruby slippers, rainbows and a dog embed. 

We just love your soapy cakes, could you tell us more about them?
When I was pregnant with my son (who just turned 17), I took a basic cake decorating class at the local craft store thinking it would be nice to make birthday cakes for my soon-to-be bundle of joy. But just like the nursery rhyme, what I thought was sure to be a girl made of sugar and spice and all that’s nice, turned out to be a wonderful little boy made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails. So my cakes ended up more more like Indiana Jones and dirt bikes than the Tinkerbell and butterflies I had originally envisioned.

Once I noticed the similarity between soap batter and frosting, the idea just came to me in passing. I really didn’t even know if it was possible to create a cake out of soap, let alone create some of the intricate designs which appeal to me. I was able to use a lot of my old cake decorating supplies which had been sitting around collecting dust. I used what I had on hand and I tested a lot of techniques and recipes until I came up with consistencies I was happy with. And although I make bar soaps and am drawn to the fancy swirls (which I have yet to completely master), I get the most satisfaction out of creating and designing a soap cake. I really try to push the envelope and am always excited to see the end result. Sometimes the finished product is very different than what I set out to design. It is very challenging to come up with packaging for my cakes. That is a work in progress right now.

Michelle’s Frog Cake Soap; the little frogs on their lily pads are so cute!

What inspires you to create?
There isn’t one particular thing which I draw inspiration from. I tend to lean toward the uniqueness and history of vintage items. It may be a pattern on a particular piece of vintage china, a beaded dress in the consignment shop, or simply something random. I love honey and use it for just about anything. I get mine from the beekeeper a gallon at a time! I really wanted to make a honey oatmeal soap, so I designed a cake entirely around honey bees and sunflowers for no other reason than I like honey. My flower pot soaps were designed around a painting I liked. Anything goes! And like most soapers, some of the best ideas come in the middle of the night.

What is your favorite Bramble Berry product?
When I originally started soaping, I intended on only using essential oils and natural colorants. I finally gave into the temptation of Bramble Berry, and I’m glad I did. I was like a kid in a candy store. I use a variety of Bramble Berry’s products, including colors, fragrances and even the silicone liners — I hate creating unnecessary waste by continuously lining molds with freezer paper. But I would have to say by far my favorite product is the Plumeria Fragrance Oil. I love plumerias, and have several trees in my yard. During rainy season, I pick all the flowers daily and arrange them around the house. Bramble Berry’s Plumeria Fragrance Oil smells just like the real thing!

What is your favorite type of product to make?
Because I live in Florida, I’ve always limited myself to simply making soap. I’m happy to say that this week was my first time making bath bombs, and I love them. I can see myself easily trying several different recipes and taking lots of baths.

Custom ylang ylang soap created with a handmade stamp.

Tell us something unusual or unique about yourself!
My exercise of choice is yoga, and I even have one of “those” yoga swings. I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there. Sometimes I hang it up outside and do some really deep stretches. I’m out there hanging upside down, so I’m pretty sure my neighbors think I am crazy.

What are some of your other hobbies and interests?
I really enjoyed making ornaments for the tree this past Christmas. I collected pine cones, but I was especially tickled to find Shrinky Dinks in the store. I got such a kick out of watching them melt in the oven. It reminded me of my childhood. I do have a goal to learn to crochet one day. I want to make the intricate doilies.

This gingerbread house is made completely out of soap! It’s sprinkled with glitter and jojoba beads. 

Have you ever experienced a horrible soapy fail? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
Sometimes I really want to make soap but get started too late when I’m tired. I did win the Design Mania contest, but also created a disaster in the process. I make a lot of hot process, and I make it in a pot in the oven. This particular recipe was a large one, and I couldn’t find the lid. I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal and was too lazy to look for the lid. Well, needless to say, most of my soap crawled out of the pot and continued crawling all over my oven. I learned it’s much easier to clean up the dried, cooled soap than it is trying to clean soap batter.

What is your number one soaping tip?
If you need to cool your lye water down in a hurry, keep the ice cream part of the ice cream maker in the freezer. Take it out when ready to use. Fill it with a small amount of water. Then put your lye water pitcher inside of the water bath. Your water temperatures will get cold very fast. It’s similar to an ice bath, but works at lowering temps much quicker.

Find Tea Time Creations
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The post Interview with Michelle of Tea Time Creations appeared first on Soap Queen.

I’m willing to bet that even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, there is one sweet you can’t resist. For me, it’s cupcakes (a close second is the Peppermint shortbread cookies my Grandma used to make me when I was a kid). But back to cupcakes, they look adorable, and I can’t resist frosting! If you have been a long-time reader, you may have caught onto my love of cupcakes from the many cupcake-inspired tutorials. But, I appreciate all sweets and love making products that are inspired by pie, candy and more. If you’d like to make your own dessert inspired project, I’ve got you covered.

Like I said, cupcakes are a favorite of mine. I’ve created different variations of cupcake inspired items with everything from cold process soap to bath bombs. The trickiest part of creating soap cupcakes is the frosting. There are a few different methods, including using cold oil and lye. In the Sparkling Champagne Soap Cupcakes video, I demonstrate how to use cold oils and lye to create a thick frosting. Check out the video below to see the process in action.

Want more tutorials using cold process frosting? In the Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcake Tutorial, a portion of the frosting is colored with Yellow Lip Safe Mica to create a multi-colored effect. For a slightly easier method, you can wait for the frosting to thicken to a pipeable texture. In my experience, this method works best for small amounts of frosting like “dollops” or more “messy” frosting techniques. Examples of soapy dollops are shown in the Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial and the Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap. I mean, what’s pie without a little dollop of whipped cream? =) In the Pumpkin Souffle Cold Process Soap, thick soap is manipulated with a spoon for a foamy, messy look.

Top left, clockwise: Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes, Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap, Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial, Pumpkin Souffle Cold Process Soap

You can also create frosting for melt and pour soap. In the classic Soap Queen TV video below (made 6 years ago!), the melt and pour frosting is created with a combination of melt and pour and Natural Castile Liquid Soap. When whipped together with a stand or hand mixer, they create a unique fluffy texture that looks great.

Making bath fizzies? Yup, you can make frosting for that too! In the Soap Queen TV video below, I shared my recipe for Bath Bomb Cupcakes. The base is made with the usual baking soda and citric acid combination. The frosting is created with various ingredients including jojoba oil, SLS and powdered sugar. If you’re looking for tips on frosting your cupcakes, check out this video with Jeanee of Dirty Laundry.

Another option for frosting is Foaming Bath Butter, as shown in the French Macaron Inspired Bath Bombs. The Foaming Bath Butter is mixed with melt and pour soap, which gives the  frosting a firmer texture. It’s placed in a frosting bag and piped between two thin layers of bath fizzies. Aren’t they cute?

The French Macaron Inspired Bath Bombs look just like the real thing!

Of course you don’t need frosting to make dessert inspired soap. In the Red Berry Melt & Pour Soap Tart Tutorial, layers of pink and red soap are topped with a melt and pour “cherry” embed. Layers of soap recreate classic mint candies in the Chocolate Mint Melt & Pour Squares, and give the illusion of crust in the Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour Soap. Melt and pour is drizzled on top of the Melt & Pour Soap Truffles for a finishing touch.

Top left, clockwise: Chocolate Mint Melt & Pour Squares, Melt & Pour Soap Truffles, Red Berry Melt & Pour Soap Tart Tutorial, Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour Soap

If you prefer candy, I’ve created several projects that look like peppermints, candy canes and more. The Peppermint Candy Bath Bombs look just like classic confection. They are created by painting a mixture of mica and alcohol on the bath bombs. Polysorbate 80 helps prevent the mica from sticking to tub. In the Candy Cane Soap Tutorial, glycerin is added to melt and pour to give it a flexible texture that can be twisted into a candy cane shape. When it comes to candy, licorice is one of my favorites (especially salted licorice from Europe; yum!). Layers of white, pink, blue and black soap create the look of licorice in the Licorice Candy Soap Tutorial. Aren’t they ridiculously cute?! =)

Far left, clockwise: Peppermint Candy Bath Bombs, Candy Cane Soap Tutorial, Licorice Candy Soap Tutorial

Have you made a dessert-inspired soap recently? We would love to see it on the Bramble Berry Facebook page! Or, post it on Instagram with the tags #SoapShare and #SoapnotFood =)

The post Dessert Inspired Bath DIY Projects appeared first on Soap Queen.

The pumpkin spice fad might be a little over-hyped…but I don’t mind. =) It’s such a comforting and delicious flavor. If you love pumpkin but are looking for something a little different, the Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil will be right up your alley. A classic pumpkin scent is paired with notes of baked goods, espresso and pecan to create a delicious-smelling blend.

I was inspired by the Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil and this Chai Latte Love Tutorial by Amanda of Lovin’ Soap to create little “souffle” soap cupcakes. To give them a tall, souffle-esque shape, I used disposable paper cups for the mold. The base of the cupcakes contain the fragrance oil, which turns it a rich, dark brown. The frosting is unscented and colored with titanium dioxide for a contrasting color. I sprinkled used coffee grounds on top for a finishing touch. Used coffee grounds prevent them from bleeding on the soap, as unused coffee grounds will. Over time, the discoloration from the base may bleed into the white a bit. =)

If you’re holiday tradition is baking, these Pumpkin Souffle Soaps would be a great way to start a new soaping holiday tradition! The lack of mold and minimal colors make it an affordable project. It’s also suitable for beginners, because it requires a medium to thick trace. If you have family members who have never soaped before, this is the project to get them hooked.

What You’ll Need:
8 Paper Disposable Cups (cut to hold 4 ounces)
 8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
9.6 oz. Palm Oil (30%)
8 oz. Olive Oil (25%)
6.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil (20%)
4.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.5 oz. Distilled Water
1.7 oz. Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Disposable Frosting Bag
Used Coffee Grounds

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

MOLD PREP: For these soaps, I used disposable, paper cups for the mold. It’s important that the cups are lined with a wax film. That will prevent the soap from sticking to the cup. My cups were 9 ounces and about 4 inches tall. I cut the top of the cups to be about 4 inches tall. Feel free to cut the cups to be a different size if you’d like. I weighed how much water the cup could hold to give me an idea of how much soap to make; the cups held 4 ounces of water. I cut 8 cups, which meant I needed about 32 ounces of soap to fill the cups.

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. Disperse 1 teaspoon of the colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have used coffee grounds nearby. If the coffee grounds are not used, they will bleed on the soap.

FRAGRANCE OIL PREP: In a glass, fragrance oil safe container, measure 1.7 ounces of Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil in a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

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

TWO: Fully melt and combine the coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, sweet almond oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.

THREE: Split off 12 ounces of soap batter into a separate container. To the remaining soap, add the Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to stir in, then pulse the stick blender several times to thicken the batter to a medium trace.

FIVE: Pour the soap into the disposable paper cups. Fill them all the way to the top. Tap them lightly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and even the top. They will be covered with soap frosting, so don’t worry too much about what the top looks like.

SIX: To the remaining soap, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use the stick blender to mix in the colorant and get rid of clumps, while thickening the soap to a medium trace.

SEVEN: Once the soap is thick enough to hold a shape but still fluid enough to pipe and manipulate, place it in a piping bag. Cut off a decent amount of the tip of the bag, in order to pipe thick layers of soap. 

EIGHT: Begin piping the soap frosting in a circular motion, creating a peak in the center.

NINE: Originally, I planned on keeping the soap frosting smooth from the piping. But, I thought my piping skills were a little lacking and decided to use a smooth to create more of a “messy” and “foamy” look. This is optional, go with whatever look of frosting you prefer. =)

TEN: Once you’re happy with the look of the frosting, sprinkle the used coffee grounds on top of the soaps, concentrating the grounds in the center of each. Spritz each soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. If you live in a hot climate, place the soap in the fridge to prevent the soap frosting from “melting” and losing its shape.

Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. I found that the soap constricts and pulls away from the cup as it hardens, which makes tearing the paper cup off the soap easier. But, be careful when removing the bottom of the cup. The top peels away easily, but I found the bottom of the cup tore the bottom of the soap slightly. If the bottom of the soap is giving any resistance, allow the soaps to stay in the mold for another couple days. After about a week, the bottom of the soap will discolor to a deep, rich brown. Allow the soaps to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

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Pumpkin Souffle Cold Process Tutorial

These Pumpkin Souffle Soaps look and smell like a delicious dessert.

Course Cold process soap

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 8 Paper Disposable Cups cut to hold 4 ounces
• 8 oz. Coconut Oil 25%
• 9.6 oz. Palm Oil 30%
• 8 oz. Olive Oil 25%
• 6.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil 20%
• 4.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 10.5 oz. Distilled Water
• 1.7 oz. Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Disposable Frosting Bag
• Used Coffee Grounds

Instructions

MOLD PREP: For these soaps, I used disposable, paper cups for the mold. It’s important that the cups are lined with a wax film. That will prevent the soap from sticking to the cup. My cups were 9 ounces and about 4 inches tall. I cut the top of the cups to be about 4 inches tall. Feel free to cut the cups to be a different size if you’d like. I weighed how much water the cup could hold to give me an idea of how much soap to make; the cups held 4 ounces of water. I cut 8 cups, which meant I needed about 32 ounces of soap to fill the cups.

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

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 1 teaspoon of the colorant into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have used coffee grounds nearby. If the coffee grounds are not used, they will bleed on the soap.

FRAGRANCE OIL PREP: In a glass, fragrance oil safe container, measure 1.7 ounces of Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil in a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Fully melt and combine the coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, sweet almond oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Split off 12 ounces of soap batter into a separate container. To the remaining soap, add the Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to stir in, then pulse the stick blender several times to thicken the batter to a medium trace.
• Pour the soap into the disposable paper cups. Fill them all the way to the top. Tap them lightly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and even the top. They will be covered with soap frosting, so don’t worry too much about what the top looks like.
• To the remaining soap, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use the stick blender to mix in the colorant and get rid of clumps, while thickening the soap to a medium trace.
• Once the soap is thick enough to hold a shape but still fluid enough to pipe and manipulate, place it in a piping bag. Cut off a decent amount of the tip of the bag, in order to pipe thick layers of soap.
• Begin piping the soap frosting in a circular motion, creating a peak in the center.
• Originally, I planned on keeping the soap frosting smooth from the piping. But, I thought my piping skills were a little lacking and decided to use a smooth to create more of a “messy” and “foamy” look. This is optional, go with whatever look of frosting you prefer. =)
• Once you’re happy with the look of the frosting, sprinkle the used coffee grounds on top of the soaps, concentrating the grounds in the center of each. Spritz each soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. If you live in a hot climate, place the soap in the fridge to prevent the soap frosting from “melting” and losing its shape.
• Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. I found that the soap constricts and pulls away from the cup as it hardens, which makes tearing the paper cup off the soap easier. But, be careful when removing the bottom of the cup. The top peels away easily, but I found the bottom of the cup tore the bottom of the soap slightly. If the bottom of the soap is giving any resistance, allow the soaps to stay in the mold for another couple days. After about a week, the bottom of the soap will discolor to a deep, rich brown. Allow the soaps to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Pumpkin Souffle Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Labor Day weekend is right around the corner, and once it’s over…fall is here! Okay, the official first day of fall is actually September 22nd, but Labor Day weekend feels like the last “hurrah” of summer, don’t you think? While summer still has a few weeks left, now is the time to create cold process soap for fall. Soap will be fully cured in 4-6 weeks, which puts us right around the beginning of October. That’s the perfect time for some pumpkin spice soap! If you’re feeling extra festive, you could actually make this soap while sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte, which hit Starbucks today.

This Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap was inspired by the classic fall dessert. The Cake Pan Silicone Mold creates a realistic pie shape once cut into slices. Walnut shells are added to the soap for the bottom crust layer, and is also piped on top for a crimped crust appearance. The majority of the soap is colored with Sunset Orange Mica and Yellow Oxide Pigment for an orange hue. I made the orange brighter to account for fragrance discoloration from the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil. The photos shown here are after several weeks of discoloration and the soap will not become darker. If you want a lighter color, you can add some dispersed titanium dioxide to help counter the discoloration. You can also use less fragrance oil, or a fragrance oil that does not discolor.

The “whipped cream” is piped on very last. By this time, the white soap will be quite firm and pipeable. Just be sure to not put the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil into the white soap! You will most likely have some white soap leftover. I recommend piping extra roses or “dollops” onto parchment or freezer paper to use on top of other projects.

What You’ll Need:
Cake Pan Silicone Mold
2 Disposable Frosting Bags
4B Frosting Tip
2 oz. Cocoa Butter
11.3 oz. Coconut Oil
10.3 oz. Palm Oil
1 oz. Pumpkin Seed Oil
12.3 oz. Rice Bran Oil
4.1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
13.5 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Sunset Orange Mica
Copper Sparkle Mica
Yellow Oxide Pigment
Walnut Shells

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

[sq_products]

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 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Copper Sparkle Mica and 1/2 teaspoon Yellow Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 1 teaspoon Sunset Orange Mica into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Have 3 tablespoons of walnut shells nearby.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

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

TWO: Melt and combine the cocoa butter, pumpkin seed oil, sweet almond oil, rice bran oil, coconut oil and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

THREE: Once the soap is at a thin trace, split off about 200-300 mL into a separate container. Add all the dispersed titanium dioxide and use the stick blender to mix in the colorant. Set aside. This will be the white topping, so don’t add any fragrance oil to this soap.

FOUR: Split off about 500 mL of soap into a separate container and add 3 tablespoons of walnut shells and 1/4 teaspoon dispersed Copper Sparkle Mica. Use a whisk to mix in the colorants. Add a small amount of the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil (it’s okay to eyeball it) and mix in with the whisk.

FIVE: Pour about half of the walnut shell soap evenly into the Cake Pan Silicone Mold. Tap it on the counter to help disperse it evenly throughout the bottom. Set the remaining soap aside, it will be used for the crust on top.

SIX: To the remaining soap, add all of dispersed Sunset Orange Mica and 1 teaspoon of the dispersed yellow mica. Add the remaining fragrance oil and use a whisk to fully stir in the colorants and fragrance oil.

SEVEN: Carefully spoon the orange soap on top of the “crust” layer of soap. Be careful to not allow the orange soap to break through the “crust” layer. Once the layer below has been covered, carefully pour the remaining soap into the mold and tap down firmly to help get rid of bubbles. Use a spoon or spatula to help smooth the top.

EIGHT: Place the remaining brown “crust” soap into a disposable piping bag. Cut the tip off the bag and begin piping the soap around the edges of the mold. Don’t worry about making it perfect at this point. =)

NINE: Once you have gone all along the edge of the mold with the brown soap, use a spoon to create a crust-like texture.

TEN: Cut the tip off the other disposable frosting bag and place the frosting tip inside. Fill the bag with the white soap, and pipe eight little dollops in the center of where each slice will be. You will have some extra soap, depending on how big the dollops are. I piped the extra soap onto wax paper to use as toppings for another project.

ELEVEN: Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 1-2 days. Carefully remove from the mold, and cut into slices. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

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Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This cold process soap looks just like classic pie, complete with whipped cream topping!

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Cake Pan Silicone Mold
• 2 Disposable Frosting Bags
• 4 B Frosting Tip
• 2 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 11.3 oz. Coconut Oil
• 10.3 oz. Palm Oil
• 1 oz. Pumpkin Seed Oil
• 12.3 oz. Rice Bran Oil
• 4.1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 13.5 oz. Distilled Water
• 2 oz. Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Sunset Orange Mica
• Copper Sparkle Mica
• Yellow Oxide Pigment
• Walnut Shells

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 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in separate cotnainers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Copper Sparkle Mica and 1/2 teaspoon Yellow Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 1 teaspoon Sunset Orange Mica into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Have 3 tablespoons of walnut shells nearby.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Melt and combine the cocoa butter, pumpkin seed oil, sweet almond oil, rice bran oil, coconut oil and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Once the soap is at a thin trace, split off about 200-300 mL into a separate container. Add all the dispersed titanium dioxide and use the stick blender to mix in the colorant. Set aside. This will be the white topping, so don't add any fragrance oil to this soap.
• Split off about 500 mL of soap into a separate container and add 3 tablespoons of walnut shells and 1/4 teaspoon dispersed Copper Sparkle Mica. Use a whisk to mix in the colorants. Add a small amount of the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil (it's okay to eyeball it) and mix in with the whisk.
• Pour about half of this soap evenly into the Cake Pan Silicone Mold. Tap it on the counter to help disperse it evenly throughout the bottom. Set the remaining soap aside, it will be used for the crust on top.
• To the remaining soap, add all of dispersed Sunset Orange Mica and 1 teaspoon of the dispersed yellow mica. Add the remaining fragrance oil, and use a whisk to fully stir in the colorants and fragrance oil.
• Carefully spoon the orange soap on top of the “crust” layer of soap. Be careful to not allow the orange soap to break through the “crust” layer. Once the layer below has been covered, carefully pour the remaining soap into the mold and tap down firmly to help get rid of bubbles. Use a spoon or spatula to help smooth the top.
• Place the remaining brown “crust” soap into a disposable piping bag. Cut the tip off the bag, and begin piping the soap around the edges of the mold. Don’t worry about making it perfect at this point!
• Cut the tip off the other disposable frosting bag, and place the frosting tip inside. Fill the bag with the white soap, and pipe eight little dollops in the center of where each slice will be. You will have some extra soap, depending on how big the dollops are. I piped the extra soap onto wax paper to use as toppings for another project.
• Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 1-2 days. Carefully remove from the mold, and cut into slices. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

It’s hard to believe that fall will be here in less than a month (September 22nd to be exact). If you’re still holding onto summer, now is the time to squeeze in last minute summer projects. This Berry & Rhubarb Crumble Soap was inspired by the delicious summer dessert. A mixture of Magenta Mica and Brick Red Oxide Pigment create a red berry base. The “crumble” is made by adding walnut shells and rolled oats to the soap batter and placing it on top. Dollops of white “whipped cream” soap give these bars the finishing touch.

These bars are scented with the new Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil. It’s a delicious blend of red currant, tart rhubarb and juicy berry notes. It will make your mouth water! If you’re looking for more dessert-inspired projects, check out the Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes Tutorial or the Sparkling Champagne Soap Cupcakes on Soap Queen TV. Both of those projects involve making separate batches of cold process soap frosting. The “whipped cream” on this soap is made from the same batch. The soap is allowed to thicken in the container until it reaches a thick, spoonable consistency. If you’re a little nervous to make soap frosting, this technique is a great alternative!

What You’ll Need:
Silicone Cake Pan Mold
16.4 oz. Olive Oil
12.2 oz. Distilled Water
10.3 oz. Coconut Oil
8.2 oz. Palm Oil
5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
4.1 oz. Apricot Kernel Oil
2.1 oz. Castor Oil
2.5 oz. Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil
2.5 oz. Rolled Oats
Magenta Mica
Brick Red Oxide Pigment
Titanium Dioxide Pigment
Walnut Shells

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

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Print

Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial

This Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap was inspired by the delicious summer dessert. Walnut shells and oatmeal give the crumble a realistic look!

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Silicone Cake Pan Mold
• 16.4 oz. Olive Oil
• 12.2 oz. Distilled Water
• 10.3 oz. Coconut Oil
• 8.2 oz. Palm Oil
• 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 4.1 oz. Apricot Kernel Oil
• 2.1 oz. Castor Oil
• 2.5 oz. Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil
• 2.5 oz. Rolled Oats
• Magenta Mica
• Brick Red Oxide Pigment
• Titanium Dioxide Pigment
• Walnut Shells

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 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Brick Red Oxide Pigment into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon Magenta Mica into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any chunks.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.5 ounces of Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Melt and combine the apricot kernel oil, castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until 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 reach a thin trace, add the Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil into the soap, and use the stick blender to pulse and stir the fragrance oil into the soap.
• FOUR: Split off two containers with about 400 mL of soap each. Set aside. To the remaining large batch of soap, add all the dispersed Magenta Mica and 1/4 teaspoon of dispersed Brick Red Oxide Pigment. Use the stick blender to fully mix in the colorants, and continue stick blending until you reach a medium trace.
• Pour the red soap into the Cake Pan Silicone Mold. Tap on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles. To one of the small containers of soap, add 2 tablespoons of walnut shells and 2.5 ounces of oatmeal. Use a spoon or whisk to fully mix in the walnut shells and oatmeal.
• Carefully spoon the oatmeal soap onto the red soap in the mold. Use a spoon to spread it evenly across the mold, and sprinkle a little extra oatmeal on top.
• To the final container of soap, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a spoon or whisk to fully mix in the colorant. If the soap is still thin, stick blend it to a thick trace. You want the soap to hold its shape when spooned onto the soap. If the soap is not becoming thick enough with stick blending, leave the soap in the container for about 5 minutes. As the soap sits in the container, it will begin to thicken.
• Once the white soap has become quite thick, place eight dollops along the outside of the mold. The dollops should be placed in the center of what will become slices once cut. Depending on how large you make the dollops of white soap, you may have some soap leftover. Transfer any leftover soap into a small, individual cavity mold.
• Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 2 days to harden. Remove from the mold, and cut into eight slices. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks, and enjoy!

The post Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Lemon-flavored desserts are always a favorite. Not only are they delicious, but the bright yellow color is hard to beat. While you can’t eat these Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes, they look just as yummy as the real thing! The design was a spin off the Luscious Lemon Cupcakes, which were made with melt and pour soap. Scented with Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil, these soaps smell fresh and tart.

This recipe does require a few steps, and is considered an advanced soaping project. If you’ve never made soap before, I recommend getting a few batches under your belt before trying this tutorial. In particular, creating soap frosting requires a good understanding of soaping temperatures and lye safety. To watch the process of making cold process soap frosting, check out the Soap Queen TV video below.

What You’ll Need:
Soap Cupcakes Base:
Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
2.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
4 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Olive Oil
4.8 oz. Palm Oil
.8 oz. Shea Butter
2.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
5.3 oz. Distilled Water
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
.2 oz. Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil

Soap Frosting:
3.8 oz. Cocoa Butter
7.6 oz. Coconut Oil
3.8 oz. Olive Oil
3.8 oz. Shea Butter
2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
6.3 oz. Distilled Water
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil
Disposable Frosting Bag
1M Frosting Tip

Soap Embeds:
Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
2 oz. LCP Clear MP Base
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

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

[sq_products]

Make the Lemon Embeds

ONE: Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1/2 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. Cut 2 oz. of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base in small chunks and melt in a heat-safe container on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Read more about burnt melt and pour here. Add all the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica colorant, and stir to combine.

TWO: Carefully pour the soap into the cavities, filling only until the citrus design is covered. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden. This will take about 1-2 hours. Once hardened, pop out each embed and set aside until later.

Make the Base

If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my 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: Disperse 1 teaspoon Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil.

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 sweet almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil and shea butter (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 you reach a light trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 1 tsp. sodium lactate.

THREE: Add 1 tbs. of the dispersed Yellow Mica and 0.2 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to stir both ingredients in thoroughly.

FOUR: If your soap is still extremely thin, pulse the mixture with the stick blender for several seconds to thicken slightly. Pour the batter into each cavity. Tap the mold on the counter to help even out the soap and get rid of any bubbles.

Make the Frosting

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.

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry. Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 2 tablespoons of light liquid oil.

ONE: Whip the oils into a soft consistency. Slowly pour a small amount of the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Continue to add a small amounts of the lye water to the oils, and slowly and carefully mix it in. Take your time with this process!

TWO: Once the lye has been incorporated into the oils (this can take a few minutes), turn the hand mixer or stand mixer on low. Whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for several minutes.

THREE: Once the lye and oils are completely combined, add 0.3 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Incorporate the fragrance oil with a spoon or spatula first until mixed, then turn on the mixer on low and whip the ingredients together until completely combined.

FOUR: Split the frosting in half, and add all of the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica. Use a spatula or whisk to fully mix in the colorant.

FIVE: Cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop two frosting colors into opposite sides of the bag until full. You will have some frosting left over, and will need to fill the bag again during the frosting process.

SIX: Squeeze out some of the frosting until both colors come out of the bag. Squeeze a dollop of frosting in the center of each cupcake.

SEVEN: Pipe the frosting up and around the center of each cupcake until you form a peak.

EIGHT: Place a lemon embed into the top of each cupcake. Immediately place the cupcakes into the fridge or freezer. This helps the frosting stay firm and prevents it from melting. Remove the cupcakes from the fridge or freezer after several hours or overnight. Allow the cupcakes to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Carefully remove each soap from the mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes DIY

Course Cold process soap

Servings 6 cupcakes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Soap Cupcakes Base:

• Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
• 2.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 4 oz. Coconut Oil
• 4 oz. Olive Oil
• 4.8 oz. Palm Oil
• .8 oz. Shea Butter
• 2.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 5.3 oz. Distilled Water
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• .2 oz. Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil

Soap Frosting:

• 3.8 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 7.6 oz. Coconut Oil
• 3.8 oz. Olive Oil
• 3.8 oz. Shea Butter
• 2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 6.3 oz. Distilled Water
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil
• Disposable Frosting Bag
• 1 M Frosting Tip

Soap Embeds:

• Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
• 2 oz. LCP Clear MP Base
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

Instructions

Make Embeds:

• Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1/2 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. Cut 2 oz. of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base in small chunks and melt in a heat-safe container on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Read more about burnt melt and pour here. Add all the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica colorant, and stir to combine.
• Carefully pour the soap into the cavities, filling only until the citrus design is covered. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden. This will take about 1-2 hours. Once hardened, pop out each embed and set aside until later.

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 Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 0.2 ounces of Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil in a glass, fragrance oil safe container.

• 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.
• Combine the sweet almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil and shea butter (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 you reach a light trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 1 tsp. sodium lactate.
• Add 1 tbs. of the dispersed Yellow Mica and 0.2 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to stir both ingredients in thoroughly.
• If your soap is still extremely thin, pulse the mixture with the stick blender for several seconds to thicken slightly. Pour the batter into each cavity. Tap the mold on the counter to help even out the soap and get rid of any bubbles.Set soap aside to make the frosting.

Make the Frosting

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.

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry. Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoon Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 2 tablespoons of light liquid oil.

• Whip the oils into a soft consistency. Slowly pour a small amount of the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Continue to add a small amounts of the lye water to the oils, and slowly and carefully mix it in. Take your time with this process!
• Once the lye has been incorporated into the oils (this can take a few minutes), turn the hand mixer or stand mixer on low. Whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for several minutes.
• Once the lye and oils are completely combined, add 0.3 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Incorporate the fragrance oil with a spoon or spatula first until mixed, then turn on the mixer on low and whip the ingredients together until completely combined.
• Split the frosting in half, and add all of the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica. Use a spatula or whisk to fully mix in the colorant.
• Cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop two frosting colors into opposite sides of the bag until full. You will have some frosting left over, and will need to fill the bag again during the frosting process.
• Squeeze out some of the frosting until both colors come out of the bag. Squeeze a dollop of frosting in the center of each cupcake.
• Pipe the frosting up and around the center of each cupcake until you form a peak.
• Place a lemon embed into the top of each cupcake. Immediately place the cupcakes into the fridge or freezer. This helps the frosting stay firm and prevents it from melting. Remove the cupcakes from the fridge or freezer after several hours or overnight. Allow the cupcakes to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Carefully remove each soap from the mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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The post Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

What could be better than a cupcake? A calorie-free, non-fat soap cupcake of course! =) These Sparkling Champagne Cold Process Soap Cupcakes feature a romantic blend of Champagne and White Rose Fragrance Oil. The frosting is covered in Snowflake Sparkle Mica and Fine Iridescent Glitter, and topped with a pink melt and pour embed. Soap cupcakes always bring the “wow” factor and make terrific gifts. Just make sure the recipients know these cupcakes are for washing and not eating! Can’t get enough soapy cupcakes? Check out the How to Make Bath Bomb Cupcakes video for more project ideas.

This recipe contains several advanced cold process techniques, including cold process soap frosting. If you have never made cold process soap before, please get a few cold process recipes under your belt and really understand the science and safety of soapmaking before attempting this project. If you have never made cold process soap before, check out the Basics of Cold Process Soapmaking video series on Soap Queen TV.  In particular, be sure to watch the video on lye safety.

What You’ll Need:
Soap Cupcakes Base:
Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
2.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
4 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Olive Oil
4.8 oz. Palm Oil
.8 oz. Shea Butter
2.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
5.3 oz. Distilled Water
1.5 oz. Champagne Fragrance Oil
1 oz. White Rose Fragrance Oil
Hydrated Chrome Green Oxide
Neon Blue Raspberry Colorant
Titanium Dioxide

Soap Frosting:
3.8 oz. Cocoa Butter
7.6 oz. Coconut Oil
3.8 oz Olive Oil
3.8 oz. Shea Butter
2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
6.3 oz. Distilled Water
Snowflake Sparkle Mica
Fine Iridescent Glitter
Disposable Frosting Bag
1M Frosting Tip

Soap Embeds:
Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold
2 oz. LCP Clear MP Base
Party Pink Mica
Snowflake Sparkle Mica
Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

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

Have you tried making soap cupcakes before? They are one of my all time favorite projects!

The post Sparkling Champagne Soap Cupcakes on Soap Queen TV appeared first on Soap Queen.

One of the sure signs of spring is honey bees floating from flower to flower. This Honey Bee Funnel Pour Cold Process Soap is inspired by the yellow and black stripes on a bee. The soap is then topped with fluffy cold process frosting, a Honey Melt and Pour Base bee embed and a golden melt and pour honey drizzle. It is scented with Pure Honey Fragrance Oil. The sweet and warm honey scent pairs perfectly with the bee-inspired colors.

This soap is made using the funnel pour technique. Yellow, white and black soap is poured through a funnel, creating the unique layers. Check out this Funnel Pour Soap video on Soap Queen TV to see how it’s done.

If you’ve never made cold process frosting before, check out the Whipped Cold Process Soap Frosting episode on Soap Queen TV. The key to soap frosting is to allow the lye water and oils to completely cool to around 60-70 °F.

This is an advanced recipe. If you’ve never made soap before, you may want to have a couple recipes under your belt before attempting this design. While the soap does have several steps, we think the beautiful result is totally worth it!

What You’ll Need:
Base Soap
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
16 oz. Funnel
3.4 oz. Avocado Oil
.7 oz. Castor Oil
1 oz. Cocoa Butter
6.8 oz. Coconut Oil
11.9 oz. Olive Oil
6.8 oz. Palm Oil
3.4 oz. Rice Bran Oil
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
11.2 oz. Distilled Water
2.5 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Activated Charcoal
Yellow Oxide
Fizzy Lemonade Colorant

Frosting
3 oz. Cocoa Butter
3 oz. Olive Oil
3 oz. Shea Butter
6 oz. Coconut Oil
2.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
4.9 oz. Distilled Water
Disposable Frosting Bag
1M Frosting Tip
Titanium Dioxide

Embeds and Honey Drizzle
Honey Bee Wax Tart Mold
6 oz. Honey Melt and Pour Base (3 oz. for the embeds and 3 oz. for the drizzle)
King’s Gold Mica
Copper Sparkle Mica

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

Make the Bee Embeds

ONE: Disperse 1 teaspoon of King’s Gold Mica into 1 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. Cut 3 oz. of Honey Melt and Pour Base in small chunks and melt in a heat safe container on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Read more about burnt melt and pour here. Add all of the dispersed King’s Gold Mica and stir to combine.

TWO: Carefully pour the melt and pour into the Honey Bee Wax Tart Mold cavities, filling each cavity about half way. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden. Remove from the mold. To really make the embeds pop, use a paintbrush to dust a thin coat of Copper Sparkle Mica on the bee image.

Make the Base

If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my 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 2 teaspoons of the Titanium Dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 1 teaspoon Activated Charcoal into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil. Then in separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon Yellow Oxide and 1 teaspoon Fizzy Lemonade Colorant into 1 tablespoon light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

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, olive oil, avocado oil, castor oil, rice bran oil, palm oil and cocoa butter (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 you reach a very light trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3 tsp. sodium lactate.

THREE: Once the batter has reached a very light trace, split the batch evenly into three separate containers. To each container, add the following dispersed colorants in the amounts below. Use a whisk to fully mix in each colorant.

• • Container A: 2 tsp. dispersed Activated Charcoal
  • Container B: 2 Tbs. dispersed Titanium Dioxide
  • Container C: 1 tsp. dispersed Yellow Oxide + 1 tsp. dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant

FOUR: Add the Pure Honey Fragrance Oil into each container evenly. It’s okay to eyeball it! Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance oil.

FIVE: Pour the black soap into the funnel. We like to count to 3 to ensure even pours. Check out the Funnel Pour Soap video on Soap Queen TV to see how to do the technique step by step.

SIX: Pour the white soap in the funnel, again counting to 3. Pour down the side of the funnel to help the color pour on top of the black soap, rather than mixing with it. 
SEVEN: Pour the yellow soap on the side of the funnel and count to 3. If you notice your soap getting grainy, whisk it until smooth.

EIGHT: Continue to pour the black, white and orange soap in that order, counting to 3 each time. If you notice the soap starting to pool in the middle, give the mold a shake to even the soap out.
NINE: Once all the soap has been poured in the mold, remove the funnel. Tap the soap on the counter to disperse any air bubbles. Time to make the frosting!

Make Soap Frosting

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry! Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

COLOR 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 the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

ONE: Slowly pour the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Turn the hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer on low, and continue to whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for another 3-7 minutes.

TWO: Once the oils have begun to harden, add all the Titanium Dioxide. Continue to whip until the mixture is thoroughly mixed.

THREE: Once a frosting texture has been achieved, cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop the frosting into the bag until full. You will have some frosting left over, and will need to fill the bag again during the frosting process.

FOUR: Starting at the end of the mold, begin piping dollops of frosting. We got about three dollops per row.

FIVE: Once the bottom layer of frosting is complete, add a row of two dollops in the center, on top of the bottom layer. Then, add one more row of dollops on top of the second layer in the center. That makes the frosting nice and tall.

SIX: Line the melt and pour pieces against the side of the mold so you can get an idea of where to place them. You’ll have 8 pieces, making about 8 bars of soap. When you have an idea of where to place the pieces, press them into the frosting. Make sure to press them in far enough so they stick in the cold process soap.

Make the Melt and Pour Honey Drizzle

ONE: Disperse 1 teaspoon of King’s Gold Mica into 1 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol and 1 teaspoon Copper Sparkle Mica into 1 tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. In a heat safe container, melt 3 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Read more about burnt melt and pour here.

TWO:  Add 2 teaspoons of dispersed King’s Gold Mica and 3/4 tsp. of dispersed Copper Sparkle Mica to the soap and mix well.

THREE: Using a dropper, drizzle the melt and pour on top of the soap until you get your desired honey drizzle effect. You can use as much honey drizzle as you like. There’s no wrong way to do it, so have fun!

FOUR: Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Allow it to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

Have you tried the funnel pour technique before? What did you think?

Print

Honey Bee Funnel Pour Cold Process Tutorial

With layers of black, white and yellow soap and fluffy frosting, this soap is inspired by the honey bee!

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Base Soap

• 10 inch Silicone Loaf Mold
• 16 oz. Funnel
• 3.4 oz. Avocado Oil
• .7 oz. Castor Oil
• 1 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 6.8 oz. Coconut Oil
• 11.9 oz. Olive Oil
• 6.8 oz. Palm Oil
• 3.4 oz. Rice Bran Oil
• 4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 11.2 oz. Distilled Water
• 2.5 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Activated Charcoal
• Yellow Oxide
• Fizzy Lemonade Colorant

Frosting

• 3 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 3 oz. Olive Oil
• 3 oz. Shea Butter
• 6 oz. Coconut Oil
• 2.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 4.9 oz. Distilled Water
• Disposable Frosting Bag
• 1 M Frosting Tip
• Titanium Dioxide

Embeds and Honey Drizzle

• Honey Bee Wax Tart Mold
• 6 oz. Honey Melt and Pour Base 3 oz. for the embeds and 3 oz. for the drizzle
• King’s Gold Mica
• Copper Sparkle Mica

Instructions

Make the Bee Embeds

• Disperse 1 teaspoon of King’s Gold Mica into 1 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. Cut 3 oz. of Honey Melt and Pour Base in small chunks and melt in a heat safe container on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Add all of the dispersed King’s Gold Mica and stir to combine.
• Carefully pour the melt and pour into the Honey Bee Wax Tart Mold cavities, filling each cavity about half way. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden. Remove from the mold. To really make the embeds pop, use a paintbrush to dust a thin coat of Copper Sparkle Mica on the bee image.

Make the Base

• If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my 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 2 teaspoons of the Titanium Dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Disperse 1 teaspoon Activated Charcoal into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil. Then in separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon Yellow Oxide and 1 teaspoon Fizzy Lemonade Colorant into 1 tablespoon light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.
• 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.
• Combine the coconut, olive oil, avocado oil, castor oil, rice bran oil, palm oil and cocoa butter (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 you reach a very light trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3 tsp. Sodium Lactate.
• Once the batter has reached a very light, split the batch evenly into three separate containers. To each container, add the following dispersed colorants in the amounts below. Use a whisk to fully mix in each colorant. Container A: 2 tsp. dispersed Activated Charcoal; Container B: 2 Tbs. dispersed Titanium Dioxide; Container C: 1 tsp. dispersed Yellow Oxide + 1 tsp. dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
• Add the Pure Honey Fragrance Oil into each container evenly. It’s okay to eyeball it! Use a whisk to fully mix in the fragrance oil.
• Pour the black soap into the funnel. We like to count to 3 to ensure even pours.
• Pour the white soap in the funnel, again counting to 3. Pour down the side of the funnel to help the color pour on top of the black soap, rather than mixing with it.
• Pour the yellow soap on the side of the funnel and count to 3. If you notice your soap getting grainy, whisk it until smooth.
• Continue to pour the black, white and orange soap in that order, counting to 3 each time. If you notice the soap starting to pool in the middle, give the mold a shake to even the soap out.
• Once all the soap has been poured in the mold, remove the funnel. Tap the soap on the counter to disperse any air bubbles.

Make Soap Frosting

• LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry! Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.
• COLOR 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 the clumps of color worked out smoothly.
• Slowly pour the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Turn the hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer on low, and continue to whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for another 3-7 minutes.
• Once the oils have begun to harden, add all the titanium dioxide. Continue to whip until the mixture is thoroughly mixed.
• Once a frosting texture has been achieved, cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop the frosting into the bag until full. You will have some frosting left over, and will need to fill the bag again during the frosting process.
• Beginning at the end of the mold, begin piping dollops of frosting. We got about three dollops per row.
• Once the bottom layer of frosting is complete, add a row of two dollops in the center, on top of the bottom layer. Then, add one more row of dollops on top of the second layer in the center. That makes the frosting nice and tall.
• Line the melt and pour pieces against the side of the mold so you can get an idea of where to place them. You’ll have 8 pieces, making about 8 bars of soap. When you have an idea of where to place the pieces, press them into the frosting. Make sure to press them in far enough so they stick in the cold process soap.

Make the Melt and Pour Honey Drizzle

• Disperse 1 teaspoon of King’s Gold Mica into 1 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol and 1 teaspoon Copper Sparkle Mica into 1 tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. In a heat safe container, melt 3 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn.
• Add 2 teaspoons of dispersed King’s Gold Mica and 3/4 tsp. of dispersed Copper Sparkle Mica to the soap and mix well.
• Using a dropper, drizzle the melt and pour on top of the soap until you get your desired honey drizzle effect. You can use as much honey drizzle as you like. There’s no wrong way to do it, so have fun!
• Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Allow it to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Honey Bee Funnel Pour Cold Process Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

The first signs of fall have begun. The morning air is crisper, the sun is setting earlier and leaves are changing color. This Pumpkin Spice Latte Soap celebrates the arrival of fall and the debut of a delicious fall beverage, the Pumpkin Spice Latte! Made with a delectable combination of Espresso and Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oils, this project is a great way to spend a fall afternoon.

This cold process recipe combines several soaping techniques, including melt and pour embeds and soap frosting. If you’ve never made soap frosting before, check out the new Soap Queen Tv Video, How to Make Soap Frosting, which covers the process. It’s easier than you think!

 What You’ll Need:
Cold Process Soap (the “base” of the multi-layered soap creation)
9 oz. Coconut Oil
1.5 oz. Coffee Butter
9 oz. Olive Oil
9 oz. Palm Oil
1.5 oz. Pumpkin Seed Oil
4.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
9.9 oz. Distilled Water
9 Bar Unfinished Birchwood Mold
Silicone Liner for 9 Bar Mold
Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
Titanium Dioxide
Copper Sparkle Mica
Racing Stripe Orange Mica
1 oz. Espresso Fragrance Oil
.4 oz. Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil

Melt and Pour Pumpkin Embeds
Pumpkin Wax Tart Mold
2.5 mL Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil
2.5 mL Vanilla Color Stabilizer
Perfect Orange Color Block
Chrome Green Color Block
1 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
2 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base Injector Tool

Cold Process Frosting
2.8 oz. Avocado Oil
5.6 Coconut Oil
5.6 oz. Palm Oil
2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
4.6 Distilled Water
Disposable Frosting Bag
1 M Frosting Tip
Copper Sparkle Mica (to dust on top)

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

Make Melt and Pour Pumpkin Embeds: *Note: The Pumpkin Wax Tart Mold makes eight pumpkins, while the 9 Bar Birchwood Mold creates nine bars of soap. If you’d like each bar to have a pumpkin embed, make one extra pumpkin embed. Be sure to make these first, at least 4 hours before you make your Cold Process Soap, to allow them time to harden.

ONE: Cut and melt 1 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base on 5 second bursts. Add shavings of the Perfect Orange Color Block and stir to combine. Using the Injector Tool, fill the pumpkin shape and spray with isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any bubbles. Allow to fully harden. Tip: Keep a glass of very super duper hot water too wash the injector tool out in between colors. Pushing out hardened soap is no fun. TWO: Cut and melt 2 oz. of White Melt and Pour, and add Chrome Green Color Block until desired color is achieved. Add Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil and Vanilla Color Stabilizer and stir to fully combine. THREE: Spray orange pumpkins with isopropyl alcohol and pour the greens soap into each cavity, filling only about halfway. Spray with isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully harden. TIP: Once you are ready to unmold the embeds, place them into the freezer for about 15-30 minutes. This makes them much easier to unmold!

Make the Cold Process Base:

If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my 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: 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 Titanium Dioxide into 1 tablespoons of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil (or any other liquid oil). Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of each colorant (including the Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder) into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

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

TWO: Fully melt and combine the coconut, olive oil, pumpkin seed, coffee butter and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. sodium lactate.

THREE: Once you have reached a light trace, split the batch in half into a separate container. Each container should contain about 3 cups. FOUR: To one container, add all of the Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. To the other, add 1 tsp. (dispersed) Sparkle Copper Mica, 2 tsp. (dispersed) Racing Stripe Orange Mica and 1 tbs. (dispersed) Titanium Dioxide. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the colorants.  FIVE: Add Espresso Fragrance Oil to the container with the Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. To the orange container, add the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the fragrance. SIX: Pour the brown container of soap into the mold. Tap the mold firmly on your counter to release any air bubbles. SEVEN: Drizzle the orange soap into the brown soap. No need to be exact with your pattern! Just make sure the orange soap is poured into all areas of the mold. Insert a dowel or chopstick all the way through the soap, and create small circles down the length of the mold. Once you’ve gone from one end of the soap to the other, make small loops back down the length of the mold. EIGHT: Insert the dividers into the mold and set aside. Time to make your soap frosting!

Make Soap Frosting:

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry! Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

ONE: With a hand mixer (or a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer), whip the oils for 1 – 2 minutes. Occasionally take a break to scrape the bowl and sides of the container to incorporate all the oils. You want the oils to be nice and fluffy before adding the lye.

TWO: Slowly pour the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Turn the hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer on low, and continue to whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for another 3 – 7 minutes.  THREE: Once a frosting texture has been achieved, cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop the frosting into the bag, and begin piping the frosting onto each bar. Optional Step: If you prefer a smoother, “foamier” looking top on your frosting, use a spoon to smooth the frosting and create peaks. FOUR: Once each bar has been piped with frosting, lightly dust Copper Sparkle Mica onto the top of the soap. Because mica is so fine, this part can get messy. Be sure to have paper towels and isopropyl alcohol on hand to clean up any mica that sticks to the mold or your work surface. Place the pumpkin embeds into the corner of each soap. Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Allow it to cure for 4 – 6 weeks and enjoy!

Are you ready for fall? What kind of fall projects are you looking forward to?

Print

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cold Process Soap

This soap was inspired by the popular fall beverages and includes melt and pour embeds and soap frosting!

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Cold Process Soap (the “base” of the multi-layered soap creation)

• 9 oz. Coconut Oil
• 1.5 oz. Coffee Butter
• 9 oz. Olive Oil
• 9 oz. Palm Oil
• 1.5 oz. Pumpkin Seed Oil
• 4.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
• 9.9 oz. Distilled Water
• 9 Bar Unfinished Birchwood Mold
• Silicone Liner for 9 Bar Mold
• Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
• Titanium Dioxide
• Copper Sparkle Mica
• Racing Stripe Orange Mica
• 1 oz. Espresso Fragrance Oil
• .4 oz. Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil

Melt and Pour Pumpkin Embeds

• Pumpkin Wax Tart Mold
• 2.5 mL Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil
• 2.5 mL Vanilla Color Stabilizer
• Perfect Orange Color Block
• Chrome Green Color Block
• 1 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
• 2 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base Injector Tool

Cold Process Frosting

• 2.8 oz. Avocado Oil
• 5.6 Coconut Oil
• 5.6 oz. Palm Oil
• 2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
• 4.6 Distilled Water
• Disposable Frosting Bag
• 1 M Frosting Tip
• Copper Sparkle Mica to dust on top

Instructions

Embeds

• Cut and melt 1 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base on 5 second bursts. Add shavings of the Perfect Orange Color Block and stir to combine. Using the Injector Tool, fill the pumpkin shape and spray with isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any bubbles. Allow to fully harden. Tip: Keep a glass of very super duper hot water too wash the injector tool out in between colors. Pushing out hardened soap is no fun.
• Cut and melt 2 oz. of White Melt and Pour, and add Chrome Green Color Block until desired color is achieved. Add Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil and Vanilla Color Stabilizer and stir to fully combine.
• Spray orange pumpkins with isopropyl alcohol and pour the greens soap into each cavity, filling only about halfway. Spray with isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully harden.

Cold Process Base

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

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 1 teaspoons of the Titanium Dioxide into 1 tablespoons of Sunflower or Sweet Almond Oil (or any other liquid oil). Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of each colorant (including the Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder) into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Fully melt and combine the coconut, olive oil, pumpkin seed, coffee butter and palm oils (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. sodium lactate.
• Once you have reached a light trace, split the batch in half into a separate container. Each container should contain about 3 cups.
• To one container, add all of the Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. To the other, add 1 tsp. (dispersed) Sparkle Copper Mica, 2 tsp. (dispersed) Racing Stripe Orange Mica and 1 tbs. (dispersed) Titanium Dioxide. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the colorants.
• Add Espresso Fragrance Oil to the container with the Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. To the orange container, add the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the fragrance.
• Pour the brown container of soap into the mold. Tap the mold firmly on your counter to release any air bubbles.
• Drizzle the orange soap into the brown soap. No need to be exact with your pattern! Just make sure the orange soap is poured into all areas of the mold. Insert a dowel or chopstick all the way through the soap, and create small circles down the length of the mold. Once you’ve gone from one end of the soap to the other, make small loops back down the length of the mold.
• Insert the dividers into the mold and set aside. Time to make your soap frosting!

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry! Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

• With a hand mixer (or a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer), whip the oils for 1 – 2 minutes. Occasionally take a break to scrape the bowl and sides of the container to incorporate all the oils. You want the oils to be nice and fluffy before adding the lye.
• Slowly pour the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Turn the hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer on low, and continue to whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for another 3 – 7 minutes.
• Once a frosting texture has been achieved, cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop the frosting into the bag, and begin piping the frosting onto each bar.
• Once each bar has been piped with frosting, lightly dust Copper Sparkle Mica onto the top of the soap. Because mica is so fine, this part can get messy. Be sure to have paper towels and isopropyl alcohol on hand to clean up any mica that sticks to the mold or your work surface. Place the pumpkin embeds into the corner of each soap.Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Allow it to cure for 4 – 6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Pumpkin Spice Latte Cold Process Soap appeared first on Soap Queen.