Aleppo tribute soap...

[Ford]

Hi everybody.
0% super fat. Used ZNSC recipe to the letter. Hotter temperature than I use. But I do as I am told. (Most of the time). Only substitute was 20% Laurel Berry oil. Had a lot of fun with this.
Planning another batch in the future. In a normal bar format. Thanks again.

 

[TheGecko]

Not sure how long to cure these?? They are not 48 hours old. And rock hard. Cannot see these taking a year to cure.

The physical hardness of the soap has nothing to do with curing time as exemplified by salt soaps. Those puppies need to be cut within a couple of hours or you're going to need a band saw. While my understanding that Zany's Castile recipe cuts down on curing time (and slime), and you went to all the trouble of paying respect with your soap stamp, you should pay that same respect with your curing time. Maybe not a year, but a good six months aging at least.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Maybe not a year, but a good six months aging at least.

@TheGecko I'm surprised you haven't tried making this yet???

Speaking from experience, these bars are ready to ship in 2 weeks and probably take 4-6 weeks to "peak" with luxurious creamy lather that is maintained throughout the life of the bar. I give it 4-6 weeks depending on location due to my living in a dry climate, YMMV. It may take longer if you live in a hot/humid climate.

I start washing my face AM & PM with a bar from a new batch at 2 weeks. The bar keeps its shape until the very end and I can easily press it into a new bar so there is no waste or "slivers" that need to be used up some way.

I'm not braggin' just sayin', It's a good thing.

 

[TheGecko]

@TheGecko I'm surprised you haven't tried making this yet???

It’s on my ‘to do’ list along with Castile and some Red Palm Oil. And some other stuff I’ve picked up from various ‘destashes’.

Not that I’ve gotten settled in my soap making, I would like to try a few ‘specialty’ soaps and experiment with some techniques for fun.

 

[earlene]

@TheGecko I'm surprised you haven't tried making this yet???

It’s on my ‘to do’ list <snip> I would like to try a few ‘specialty’ soaps and experiment with some techniques for fun.

You're not the only one. I've never tried making Aleppo soap, either. I've never looked for or bought any Laurel Berry oil, either. As for other specialty soaps, I do have some Neem, but haven't got around to soaping with it yet (one of these days....) And techniques, well... so much to try, so little time, right?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I've never looked for or bought any Laurel Berry oil, either.

BeScemted has the best price on Laurel Berry oil.

Aleppo is one of my favorite soaps of all times. Well worth the effort to put at the top of your "TO DO" List. Before the Syrian War, when the city of Aleppo was one of the first casualties, there were 14 factories in Syria dedicated to making it. It was sold world wide. I first came across it in 2004 when my dermatologist recommended it for my skin issues. It's especially nice for sensitive skin.

I've made/sold a lot of it at 88% olive, 12% laurel because that was the best price point for selling wholesale. If making for myself, I'd go 80% / 20% (the recommended max.) Bring the olive oil to trace then add the warmed (100°F) laurel oil, stir for one full minute to get it thoroughly mixed in, then pour. It starts out green but cures to tan. It doesn't need fragrance but I have some laurel berry fruit essential oil on hand I'd like to try.

so much to try, so little time, right?

Right!

 

[TheGecko]

You're not the only one. I've never tried making Aleppo soap, either. I've never looked for or bought any Laurel Berry oil, either. As for other specialty soaps, I do have some Neem, but haven't got around to soaping with it yet (one of these days....) And techniques, well... so much to try, so little time, right?

Laurel Berry Oil (BeScented.com) isn't exactly cheap...neither is Red Palm Oil if you want one that is certified like regular Palm Oil.

So far I have done a plain soap, single color soap, two and three color ITP Swirls, two and three color Drop Swirls, Chopstick Swirl, two and three color Layers three color Divider Swirl with gear tie and a Mica Line. I bought a 6" Slab Mold to try a Taiwan Swirl. I do have larger slab molds and I do donate my soap, but prefer to 1) experiment small scale and 2) prefer not to donate butt-ugly soap. LOL

I have tried doing fancy texturing on top, but always go back to either a quick 'infinity' swirl or leaving it plain. I got a Wilton frosting kit two years ago, but haven't used it. I'm not into 'embeds' though I might try a Confetti soap one of these days; problem is, I don't save soap scraps so I'd have to deliberately make soap for it. I would like to try some of those scraper things for layered soap because they looked pretty cool and it's the only way I could add 'texture'. I have a bit of trypophobia which sometimes makes it rough to watch soaping videos so spoons are out.

I have tried Salt Soaps three times now, but have decided that salt and I don't get along at all. They ended up being so bad, that I tossed them. And yeah, I let them cure for a good six months.

I would like to expand beyond soap and soap accessories, but I need to be careful. Lotion Bars and Body Butters would okay, because I already have most of the ingredients, same with Lip Butters (except flavorings), but no to Bath Bombs because 1) huge mess and I don't want to clean it up, 2) tons of different ingredients. Same with Shampoo and Conditioner bars. I would be okay with bath salts and soaks, and salt and sugar scrubs...again, I already have a lot of the ingredients.

 

[earlene]

BeScemted has the best price on Laurel Berry oil.

Aleppo is one of my favorite soaps of all times. Well worth the effort to put at the top of your "TO DO" List. Before the Syrian War, when the city of Aleppo was one of the first casualties, there were 14 factories in Syria dedicated to making it. It was sold world wide. I first came across it in 2004 when my dermatologist recommended it for my skin issues. It's especially nice for sensitive skin.

I've made/sold a lot of it at 88% olive, 12% laurel because that was the best price point for selling wholesale. If making for myself, I'd go 80% / 20% (the recommended max.) Bring the olive oil to trace then add the warmed (100°F) laurel oil, stir for one full minute to get it thoroughly mixed in, then pour. It starts out green but cures to tan. It doesn't need fragrance but I have some laurel berry fruit essential oil on hand I'd like to try.

Right!

Okay, you convinced me. I will add it to my To Do List. (sigh)

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Laurel Berry Oil (BeScented.com) isn't exactly cheap...neither is Red Palm Oil if you want one that is certified like regular Palm Oil.

I rationalize the Laurel Oil as luxury oil used as a small 20% of the recipe.
I buy my red palm at an African market -- it's a bit of a drive, but the ladies that wait on me are a delight.

 

[violets2217]

What does Laurel Oil smell like? This is a soap that I might what to make... but just double checking it does not have a distinctive smell like NEEM oil!

@Ford beautiful soap by the way!!! Love the color!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

What does Laurel Oil smell like? This is a soap that I might what to make... but just double checking it does not have a distinctive smell like NEEM oil!

I haven't sniffed neem yet – but I can say for myself that I won't become friends with laurel oil any time soon (at least in form of Aleppo soap).
It is not difficult to go into a store (in my case an organic supermarket), go to the soap shelf, grab an Aleppo soap, and hold it under your nose. It is a strong and penetrating smell, with a distinct spicy, acrid, resinous character. It resembles bay leaf (to no surprise), but I'm having a hard time to come up with other associations. I dislike in particular that it sticks to the skin, and I can smell it on my hands for quite some time. Fair enough, many people do like it, but there are also many out there who love the smell of rose, lavender, or smoked ham, and I won't challenge this either.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

What does Laurel Oil smell like?

I dislike in particular that it sticks to the skin, and I can smell it on my hands for quite some time.

Traditional Aleppo Soap was cured in a cave for 9 months, hence the strong, dank, off odor like a musty basement. Made from scratch at home it has a quite pleasant & unique green, spicy, warm scent. If you have bay leaves on your spice shelf for cooking, take a sniff.
No worries. It's a good thing.

 

[Johnez]

I rationalize the Laurel Oil as luxury oil used as a small 20% of the recipe.
I buy my red palm at an African market -- it's a bit of a drive, but the ladies that wait on me are a delight.

I have an African Market nearby, there are literally shelves and shelves of various red palm oil. It was kind of a shocker and makes me rethink my position on palm really.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I have an African Market nearby, there are literally shelves and shelves of various red palm oil. It was kind of a shocker and makes me rethink my position on palm really.

Pro: The whole bigot orangutan rhetoric implodes, when you source from Ghana/Guinea/Nigeria.
Con: Your facial skin will be yellow-orange after the shave.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

The physical hardness of the soap has nothing to do with curing time as exemplified by salt soaps. Those puppies need to be cut within a couple of hours or you're going to need a band saw. While my understanding that Zany's Castile recipe cuts down on curing time (and slime), and you went to all the trouble of paying respect with your soap stamp, you should pay that same respect with your curing time. Maybe not a year, but a good six months aging at least.

I haven't sniffed neem yet – but I can say for myself that I won't become friends with laurel oil any time soon (at least in form of Aleppo soap).
It is not difficult to go into a store (in my case an organic supermarket), go to the soap shelf, grab an Aleppo soap, and hold it under your nose. It is a strong and penetrating smell, with a distinct spicy, acrid, resinous character. It resembles bay leaf (to no surprise), but I'm having a hard time to come up with other associations. I dislike in particular that it sticks to the skin, and I can smell it on my hands for quite some time. Fair enough, many people do like it, but there are also many out there who love the smell of rose, lavender, or smoked ham, and I won't challenge this either.

Real roses have a rich spectrum of fragrance notes. For example, the Edmunds catalog describes the Kordes Rose Beverly: “fragrance includes notes of citrus, peach, pear and plum with underlying notes of patchouli and myrtle.” Other fragrance descriptions in the catalog are here. The rose pics offer inspiration for soap color pallets.

To me, Rose fragrance oils usually have that “old lady” character note, so I understand @ResolvableOwl why you don’t like them. There is only one rose fragrance oil I ever found that I really liked, the closest to rose absolute. I bought it 20 years ago and could never replace it. I blend Rose FO with other FOs to get a tolerable Rose soap fragrance. I’ve got to go looking again to see if I can Identify the fragrance house that blended that good tea Rose FO I liked. It worked beautifully in gel candles. It would be heaven if it worked in soap.

 

[TheGecko]

Pro: The whole bigot orangutan rhetoric implodes, when you source from Ghana/Guinea/Nigeria.

It's not rhetoric and it doesn't implode because 86% of the world's Palm Oil STILL comes from Indonesia and Malaysia which means that the problem STILL exists. That's like saying that sweatshops don't exist because you don't buy from a sweatshops. Or that child abuse doesn't happen because you don't abuse your child.

Where any 'rhetoric' comes in is in NOT acknowledging that Palm Oil can be produced WITHOUT deforestation, WITHOUT destroying habitat.

Con: Your facial skin will be yellow-orange after the shave.

It probably would if you used a lot of it, but it's doesn't make it a 'con'.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

It's not rhetoric and it doesn't implode because 86% of the world's Palm Oil STILL comes from Indonesia and Malaysia which means that the problem STILL exists

Um, if it's not too much trouble, Source please? My understanding is even in those countries they now have plantations growing "sustainable" palm trees for palm oil production???

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@TheGecko
It is rhetoric to abuse the doubtlessly devastating and absolutely inexcusable consequences of careless consumerism: blow them up into a pompous, outright religious “You're the one who personally kills an orangutan per week by just thinking about buying palm oil, you're the incarnation of pure evil”. I referred to those people, imprisoned (by own choice) in a toxic relationship to what they (pretend to) fight. I'd love to see their faces and listen them improvise when they can't criticise me for eating up South East Asian rainforest, since my palm oil comes from old cultured land in West Africa. That's all I had wanted to express. These pitiable hobbyist agitators would have to admit that there is more to the global balance of goods than their overly simplistic palm hate.

We have the unique privilege to afford the choice between ignorance, dogmatism, and critical awareness. Unfortunately, it seems that not all in our society are willing to opt for the obvious, but refuse to stand by decisions in a self-reflected and grown-up way. We should better be ready to deal with them in a self-reflected and grown-up way, if we want to evade their fallacies, learn from their mistakes.


@ScentimentallyYours
I do absolutely love the smell, when hiking in late spring, at the edge of a forest, I hit a shrub of flowering wild roses! It's where this scent belongs to FWIW; rich yet harmonic in its natural composition & environment. Something that many of the overbred rose cultivars just can't offer, locked into a questionable human ideal of look and smell (and symbolic value).
We're sharing our planet with enough other fragrant things, that I have no bad consciousness for neglecting roses (and, as a matter of fact, laurel, as a solace for poor @Ford who can only watch another thread slip off-topic).