Getting Ready

It's time to get ready!

The Mid-Ohio Fiber Fair is a little more than a month away and it's time to get soaping!

As some of you may know, I've been trying my hand at cold process soap making. I've used the hot process method for years now and wanted to learn a new technique. You might find this post - Soapmaking 101 - interesting. I've made several practice batches and handed them out to friends for them to try and give me feedback. 

Tonight, I hope I've made the first batch that will go on the shelves for sale. 

I started with what I'm calling a "spa bar". The ingredients are so nourishing and soothing that your skin will feel like it had a spa treatment.

The ingredients include: whole cucumbers, plain Greek yogurt, cocoa butter, shea butter, cornstarch, coconut oil, palm and palm kernel oils, castor oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.  I used Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil and decorated the top of the soap with dried / ground cucumber peel.

I blended the cucumbers into a liquid and froze it. Isn't that the prettiest shade of green?! The liquid cucumber and yogurt replaced my water in my soap. As I added my lye to the cucumber liquid, it turned a khaki green but lightened somewhat when I added the lye water to my oils.

I added some green oxide for color to a small portion of the soap. I poured the base soap into the mold and then added the colored layer. Then, I topped it off with the base color. I used a bent coathanger and moved it up and down, back and forth to drag the green colored soap around in the mold. The design it made will be a surprise when I cut the bars.

Finally, I put the loaf in the oven set on 170 degrees for an hour. When the hour is up, I'll turn the oven off and let the soap cool overnight. 

Tomorrow, I'll unmold it. If it has hardened enough, I'll cut it into bars. I can hardly wait to see what the bars look like!!!

I'll be sure to post a picture.

* The Mid-Ohio Fiber Fair will be held August 18th and 19th in Newark, OH. I was a vendor last year and thoroughly enjoyed the venue. There is lots to do in the area so make plans to come to the show one day and tour around the next. *

Comments

[kelly]

hi robin!! i just wanted to let you know i love the soap you brought to danville. i think i will need to place an order! it even gives the bathroom a nice little fragrance.
thanks so much, kelly