Lye Prep: With your safety gear on, weigh out 4.6 oz. of sodium hydroxide lye flakes in the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. In one of the Easy Pour Containers, weigh out 10.9 oz. of room temperature distilled water. Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir with the stainless steel spoon until the lye has fully dissolved. Never add the water to the lye or it may boil over. As you stir, the mixture will emit fumes; do not breathe them in. The lye mixture will heat to about 180-190 ° F. Label the container “DANGER: LYE” and place in a safe space to cool until about 120-130 ° F. This takes about an hour. Wash and dry the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup to weigh the fragrance and wash and dry the spoon to stir the soap.

Oil prep: While the lye solution cools, prep the oils. Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix in the microwave or in a double boiler. If melting the oils in a double boiler, do not let the bag touch the sides or bottom of the pot or it can melt. You’ll know the oils are melted when there are no chunks or cloudiness in the bag. Once the oils are completely melted, give the bag a good shake. Weigh 33 oz. into the 2 Quart Glass Bowl.

Fragrance prep: This kit includes 4 ounces of fragrance oil. If you like a medium to strong scent, measure out 2.4 oz. of fragrance into the 8 oz. Glass Measuring Cup. If you prefer a lighter scent, measure 1.3-2 oz. Undiluted fragrance oils can degrade plastic, so it’s important to use the glass container provided.

Color prep: Add 1/4 tsp. of the black colorant into one disposable cup and 1/2 tsp. of the blue colorant into another disposable cup. Then, take ½ Tbsp. of melted oil from the Swirl Quick Mix and put it into the black colorant. Add ½ Tbsp. of the base oil to the blue colorant. Blend the oil and colorants together with the Mini Mixer. Don’t prep the color too soon, otherwise the oils can thicken. You’ll want to prep and use the color within about 30 minutes.

Tool prep: Bend the Hanger Swirl Tool so it fits into the corners of the Tall 12” Silicone Loaf Mold.

Temperatures: Check the temperature of your lye solution and oils. You want the oils and lye to be 110-130° F. If you took off your safety goggles and gloves, place them back on. When your oils and lye are in the correct temperature range, carefully add 2 tsp. of sodium lactate to the lye solution and use the spoon to gently stir in. Wash off spoon immediately. Sodium lactate is a liquid salt that helps the soap harden and unmold faster.

Suit up for Safety! Once all your ingredients are prepped, it’s time to make soap! Before starting, put back on your safety goggles and gloves. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and close-toed shoes. It’s important to leave on your safety gear during the entire soaping process.

• Tap the stick blender on the bottom of the bowl to get rid of bubbles. Slowly and carefully add the lye solution to the oils. Set the Easy Pour Container to the side for future use. Don’t worry about cleaning it out. Pulse the stick blender on and off to begin blending the oils and lye together. Continue to pulse the stick blender for 15-20 seconds and use the stick blender to stir the mixture.
• Once you start blending, the mixture will begin to look creamy. After about 1 minute of blending and stirring, the oils and lye are combined and the soap will be the texture of thin pudding. Don’t stick blend past this stage or the soap may get too thick for the swirl design.
• Add the fragrance oil to the soap batter. Use your whisk to combine the fragrance with the soap batter.
• Pour about 470 mL of soap into the Easy Pour Container previously used for lye and about 470 mL into the second Easy Pour Container. Add all the dispersed black color to one container and all the dispersed blue color to the second container. Use whisk to mix in the color into the soap batter, going from the lightest to the darkest color.
• You now have a container of black soap, a container of blue soap and a container of uncolored soap.
• Pour about half of the uncolored soap into the mold down the center. Then, pour about half the black soap in down the center. Hold the container higher up so the black soap breaks through the uncolored soap. Then, pour about half of the blue soap in down the center.
• Pour the rest of the uncolored, black, and blue soap into the mold in the same order.
• Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into the mold on the side farthest from you. Begin creating random loops throughout the soap. Once you’ve created several random loops, pull the tool out of the side of the mold closest to you. Tap the mold on the counter to disperse any bubbles.
• Insert the chopstick or other pointed tool about ½ inch into the soap. You’re just swirling the top, not the entire loaf. Create a tight “S” curve horizontally down the mold. Then, repeat the tight “S” curve vertically down the mold.
• Cover the mold with cardboard or a cutting board and wrap it with a blanket or towel. Insulating the soap traps the heat and raises the soap temperature. When freshly made soap becomes hot, gel phase occurs. Gel phase results in brighter colors and a slightly shiny appearance. It also helps the soap harden faster.
• The soap needs to harden in the mold for 3-5 days. It can be hard to wait, but it’s worth it! If you unmold the soap too early, you can get dents or drag marks. After 3 days, pull the sides of the mold away from the soap. If it releases easily, pull the other 2 sides away from the soap and gently press from the bottom to release the airlock. Gently and carefully remove the soap and place on a cutting board. If the sides of the mold do not easily release, give the soap another day to harden in the mold.
• Using the non-serrated knife, cut the soap into bars. Once the bars are cut, they need to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!