walnut shells Archives

Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap Tutorial

September 1, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

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.
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Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial

August 23, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

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!

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Mechanic Cold Process Soap Tutorial

May 12, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

“Mechanic soap” usually refers to extra scrubby bars. The exfoliants help remove grease and oil from working hands. For these bars, I added 5 tablespoons of pumice and 8 tablespoons of walnut shells for plenty of exfoliation. Both pumice and walnut shells are effective yet fine grained, so they are not overly scratchy. These bars are be suitable for the body, but I wouldn’t recommend them for gentle facial skin. They are great for rough spots like elbows, knees and heels.

I kept these bars no-fuss with no colorants or fancy design. Sometimes, simple is best. The walnut shells give a natural warm hue. When the orange 10X essential oil is added, it turns the batter a rich orange, but I found it faded as the soap hardened. The pumice does not affect the color greatly, but it does cause the soap batter to accelerate. Prior to adding the pumice at trace, I recommend dispersing it in oil to help get rid of clumps.

I used my melted and mixed soaping oils to disperse the pumice, rather than adding extra oil to the recipe. This is a personal preference. Normally, I use extra lightweight oil to disperse my colorants and consider the dispersion oils a little extra superfat. For this recipe I did not want to add 5 whole tablespoons of extra oil because I wanted these bars to be nice and cleansing (and remember, any extra oils = weigh down lather and make rinse-off not as easy and fast). This recipe is already formulated with a 5% superfat, and contains a 12% water discount to help these bars cure faster. Read more about water discounting soap here.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub on Soap Queen TV

September 10, 2015 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Soaks & Scrubs

If you love everything pumpkin spice, we’ve got the scrub for you! This Pumpkin Spice Scrub was inspired by the popular fall beverage and features a delicious blend of coffee and pumpkin spice scents. The base is created using Foaming Bath Butter and coffee butter, which forms an ultra creamy texture. The Foaming Bath Butter lathers when introduced to water which leaves skin feeling clean and non-greasy. Coffee butter adds an amazing coffee scent and skin-loving properties. Ground walnut shells are added to gently exfoliate the skin.

This scrub is super easy to put together; simply add the ingredients together slowly and whip together! To use, apply directly to damp skin and scrub in a circular motion to lather and exfoliate. Because this scrub does not contain water, a preservative is not necessary. But if you plan on storing the scrub where it may come in contact with water (like the shower) we recommend adding a preservative like phenonip at .5% to be on the safe side.

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Walnut Facial Scrub for Men

May 14, 2015 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

Many men are no-fuss when it comes to bath and beauty products. While women can have a routine five steps long, many guys like simple and quick. This Walnut Facial Scrub is just that…truly simple! With only four ingredients including fragrance, this scrub offers plenty of exfoliation. The new Bramble Berry Made to Measure Type Fragrance Oil is a fantastic masculine scent, based on the popular cologne. The combination of walnut shells, baking soda and kaolin clay create a neutral appearance that’s not too fussy or feminine.

To use, apply the dry scrub directly to wet, clean skin. Or, place the scrub in your hands and add a few drops of water to make a paste. People with dry skin might prefer mixing the scrub with oil before each use. Avocado oil, argan oil or sweet almond oil would work well. Apply the scrub 2-3 times a week. If you’re a lady, you can still use the scrub! But, you may want to use a different fragrance or omit the fragrance oil altogether. Because this recipe does not contain water, you don’t need to add a preservative to this recipe. Read more about preservatives here. [Read more…]

Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub

September 4, 2014 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

The celebration of all things pumpkin spice continues with a creamy and luxurious Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub. Made with a combination of skin-loving coffee butter and Foaming Bath Whip, this scrub moisturizes skin without a greasy feeling. Finely ground walnut shells and sugar gently remove dead skin, and the combination of Pumpkin Spice and Turkish Mocha Fragrance Oil leaves a light, spicy scent.

If you are looking for more ways to use coffee butter, the Whipped Coffee Butter Tutorial creates a fluffy and intensely moisturizing body butter. If you prefer a lighter moisturizer, the Coffee Butter Foot Creme features a delicious blend of Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil.

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Rough Patches Wash Tutorial

December 3, 2013 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

When it comes to scrubby washes, there are hundreds of options. I’m picky about what goes on my body (working at a soap company will do that to you!), and I wanted a scrub that was gently exfoliating as well as leave my skin feeling smooth and soft. This Walnut Shell Wash was the result. It contains finely ground walnut shells for scrubiness as well as colloidal oatmeal to serve as a gentle, skin-soothing cleanser. It’s great for rough patches such as elbows and feet, and the combination of Spearmint and Hungarian Lavender Essential Oils give this wash a mild, fresh scent. Next time, skip store-bought scrub in favor of this easy scrub you quickly make yourself.

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