# using fresh avocado, cucumber and spinach



## normajean999 (Jan 17, 2015)

Happy Saturday all!  So I'm not having much luck searching for using fresh avocado.  Getting way too many hits on AO instead.  Anyways my assumption is you likely use half water to dissolve the lye and then weigh the avocado to replace the other 1/2.  So if that is true and I want to use pureed cucumber and avocado then can I use 1/2 water, 1/4 cucumber, and 1/4 avocado?  Adding the cucumber and avocado at trace I assume?  

And are there any other considerations for using these additives?  

I don't think I'll add any scent yet as I want this as a facial bar and my face is the most sensitive area.  I was however thinking of using some spinach juice as my water.  Mainly to give it a green color to go along with the theme of the soap but also because I have a bunch that needs used up.   Any thoughts on spinach?  

I was planning on probably going with 50% lard, 25% AVO, 25% OO.  Would any of these ingredients cause the soap to be hot?  So far I have not tried to gel.  I just put it outside (below freezing).  But I could try a gel I guess if it won't overheat.  

Oh and last question, I do have some grapeseed oil I got last month to make body butter.  I know I need to use it up quick so I am wondering what your thoughts are on that.  I read that some people don't use short shelf life oils because they think it causes DOS but other say they have samples with it for years and its still good.  Thoughts?  Thanks for reading!


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## seven (Jan 17, 2015)

i've used fresh avocado, but not cucumber and spinach. i just stick blended it with the oils before the lye to make sure all is dissolved. i did add a tiny bit of green oxide, coz i wasn't sure the green will stay green. the last thing i wanted was the **** thing to turn brown. a brown avocado soap ain't really appealing me thinks 

if you want to keep it as natural as possible, you could opt for oil infused parsley to maintain the green.


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## normajean999 (Jan 17, 2015)

seven said:


> a brown avocado soap ain't really appealing me thinks


 
LOL you crack me up!  I was thinking the spinach would give it a good boost of green.  Well I guess I'll give it a try and then we will know!  If it turns brown I'll try to love it just the same.  :razz:  Thanks for the info!


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## seven (Jan 17, 2015)

yer welcome 

the spinach got me interested so i did a bit of digging. i found 2 blog posts about natural colorants, there's spinach in there.

this one here used spinach powder
http://www.lovinsoap.com/2010/07/coloring-your-handcrafted-soap-a-cold-process-soapmaking-tutorial/

while this one mentioned fresh ground spinach
http://homemadebathproducts.blogspot.com/2009/02/infusing-herbs-for-natural-soap-color.html

no pics, but spinach is listed as a source to achieve green, so it could work me thinks. not really a big fan of natural colorants coz i simply don't have the patience  micas and oxides are much easier


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## normajean999 (Jan 17, 2015)

Awesome thanks!  I do agree it is more work.  I'm mainly doing this to use it up since I have it on hand and to get some experience with colors for free.  I have some carrots I want to use desperately too but after reading the horror stories of overheating and separation I think I should wait until later for that!  I do have some micas coming in the mail.  May even be here today!


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## seven (Jan 17, 2015)

this is my carrot and honey facial soap. the yellow part is carrot. i was using carrot baby food that comes in a jar. it's soft yellow in reality. sadly, i didn't remember how much i used.


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## normajean999 (Jan 17, 2015)

Those look great!  Yeah I just got spooked when I read the threads.  I'll give it a try some time.  

Man I totally forgot I wanted to add salt (25-50%), clay and maybe oatmeal for the facial bar too.  I ordered a mold of individual bars to make the salt soap as I read it sets up so fast.  It should be here today too.  Looks like I may have to make several batches as I am too impatient lol!  Do you think adding those three ingredients together would work?


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## cmzaha (Jan 18, 2015)

normajean999 said:


> Those look great! Yeah I just got spooked when I read the threads. I'll give it a try some time.
> 
> Man I totally forgot I wanted to add salt (25-50%), clay and maybe oatmeal for the facial bar too. I ordered a mold of individual bars to make the salt soap as I read it sets up so fast. It should be here today too. Looks like I may have to make several batches as I am too impatient lol! Do you think adding those three ingredients together would work?


You do not mention what your recipe is going to be for your salt bars but do the use the above recipe. You will be very disappointed. I know others use combinations of oils with avo and lard in salt bars, but after 5 yrs of experminenting with salt bars and different combinations I still find and go back to 90% coconut oil, 10% castor oil with 15% superfat. Makes a wonderful lathering salt bar


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## normajean999 (Jan 18, 2015)

cmzaha said:


> You will be very disappointed. I know others use combinations of oils with avo and lard in salt bars, but after 5 yrs of experminenting with salt bars and different combinations I still find and go back to 90% coconut oil, 10% castor oil with 15% superfat. Makes a wonderful lathering salt bar



Too late I added 25%.  But disappointed why?  You don't think in smaller amounts salt would help the face?  I wasn't going for an actual salt bar just thought the salt would be nice.  Maybe not.  I've never used a salt bar and figured I would do a 100% coconut salt bar with a higher salt content later.  

I ended up doing HP because I forgot to line my mold like a moron.  So I had to cook it while I lined the mold.  

And for the record the spinach juice, avocado, cucumber has stayed very green. LOL  And it also smells like sea weed.  Oh well can't win em all!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 18, 2015)

That'll be the salt!

At those amounts of salt, it might be enough to stop it lathering. Soap doesn't lather in salt water, which is why salt bars have such particular recipes


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## normajean999 (Jan 18, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> That'll be the salt!
> 
> At those amounts of salt, it might be enough to stop it lathering. Soap doesn't lather in salt water, which is why salt bars have such particular recipes



Lol. I see. Well that's not good.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 18, 2015)

Time will tell. There is a soleseife recipe with some salt dissolved in the lye water - but I think the amount is closer to half of your amount


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