# juice in soap?



## mychicknpi (Jun 21, 2010)

Can one use juice, or juice concentrate in soap?
My oldest child has recently moved away and he loves white grape juice that we can. Can I use this as the liquid in a soap for him? (I'd like to make him some comfort things to have with him, and that serve a purpose.)
If I can, what cautions do you have about it? It's got sugar in it.
I was thinking of an apple juice, oatmeal bar with applesauce added.....does that sound doable, or just crazy?
Thanks,
Anna


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## ilove2soap (Jun 21, 2010)

I make a lot of soap with apple juice as my liquid.  The sugar in the juice makes the soap nice and bubbly after cure.  It is best if the juice is VERY cold or even partially slushy before adding the lye because the lye will burn the sugar in the juice and turn it bright orange also giving it a burned smell.  Don't worry if you do get some bright orange and burned smell, because both go away as the soap cures.  I have never soaped with grape juice or added applesauce, but have used baby food carrots with good results.  Be sure to count the applesauce or baby food as part of the water/liquid in the recipe.  Hope that helps!  Good luck!


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## Best Natural Soap (Jun 22, 2010)

I've had really good luck with juices... especially carrot and dark purple grape... I use them at room temp, and oils at about 113. Haven't had any sugar burn issues (yet!).


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## BakingNana (Jun 22, 2010)

Great question, mychicknpi!  I've always wondered about that and never took the time to experiment.  BNS, is there any staining issue with the dark juices?  Any scent left from them?  (Don't mean to hijack here, but your coffee suggestion worked like a charm--thanks BNS!).


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## mychicknpi (Jun 22, 2010)

Thank you for the tips and encouragement. I was worried it would not work. I guess I will give the applesauce a try and see what it does, if pureed carrots work, maybe it will to. I have a vision in my head and a scent in my nose for how I want it to turn out.....I hope the reality and the imagination meld! 

Does the lye and heat eat all the natural scent from the juice? 
I was wondering if the sugar would get scorched with the heat from the lye.

Baking Nana, THAT is a great question, does the dark grape juice stain in soap...I am familiar with what it does to best Sunday dresses!   


Thanks again, so much!
Anna


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## ilove2soap (Jun 22, 2010)

The apple juice smell does not come through in the cured soap so I like to make apple juice soap and scent with WSP's "green apple"-yum.  The only thing that I know about adding food substances (ie applesauce, cucumber, carrots etc) to soap is that it needs to be very smooth and not too chunky otherwise it is more prone to mold.  That is why I use the baby food carrots and baby oatmeal cereals in soap, because I was afraid I could not get mine smooth enough in a food processor.  You will have to let us know how your applesauce soap turns out..I may have to start adding some to mine too!! I just love to experiment!


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## Galaviel (Jun 27, 2010)

I've used Carrot juice (no sugar added) instead of water for the lye solution... nice yellow colour to the soap, nothing else... :wink:


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## Best Natural Soap (Jul 11, 2010)

Haven't had a problem with natural ingredients staining skin or washcloths. I wonder if it has something to do with soap molecules bonding to the coloring compounds, allowing them to rinse away? Maybe something to do with the coloring agent becoming suspended in the soap? I had a charcoal soap that left black drips all over the shower curtain, and black smears on a washcloth, but they rinsed away easily with water. The same happens with the juices and oxides. 
Wish I could explain it. Any thoughts?


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## TheLabRat (Jul 11, 2010)

Ooh, I love the purple grape juice idea!  It'd make a beautiful bar if the color came through!  The applesauce idea sounds delicious too!  Let us know how they turn out if/when you try it!

I've never tried either, although I have a putrid looking and probably unusable beer and honey loaf curing on the rack right now.  I'm going to try a batch with green tea tomorrow.  I love recipes that don't use water as the liquid.


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## BakingNana (Jul 13, 2010)

I had FABULOUS luck with using green tea.  Lemon chamomile, too.  I remember the tea turned DARK when the lye hit it, so I didn't know what I'd end up with.  The dark disappeared in the first 24 hours.  It's my favorite soap, I think.  Pale translucent green with just a few drops of Apple Pop.


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