Bookworm soaps

[bookworm42]

My first attempt at ciaglia and a layered soap. I've decided I have a hard time doing only 1 new thing at a time.

Thought it was cool how different the outside and inside turned out

 

[Ekuzo]

May be your first time for both, but I think you nailed them

I'm curious to see more of that shy little bar lurking and sneaking on the left of the second picture, the one with the big spots

 

[bookworm42]

That's the rebatched soap I made a few weeks ago. It smells lovely but suffered the same problem as my plaid soap. Too many poppy seeds! Turns out 1% of oil weight is too much for my skin. Now I'm waiting to see if my ciaglia hits the sweet spot for poppy seed amount . If so then I guess I get to make a bunch of ciaglia soap Waste not!

Edit to add: a few super scrubby bars will be saved for spring as I think they will be great to use after yard work.

 

[Ekuzo]

Hope it's better now, not taking off skin along anymore, sure looks nice!

And the plaid is gorgeous!

 

[bookworm42]

My first try at beer soap. I planned on a 3 color ITP swirl, didn't plan on the soap seizing right after I divided it, and started mixing in my colors. Still managed something!
My DH thinks it looks cool so I guess it's not as bad as I think.
I used a lingering fall fragrance called Falling for Fall from NG. The orange was from tumeric infused sunflower oil (I was trying to get yellow), brown was from cocoa powder, and the cream/white was from TD.

Here is the top. Did what I could to texture it.

 

[AliOop]

Those would be amazing entries for a granite soap competition - that veining!

 

[Zing]

My first try at beer soap. I planned on a 3 color ITP swirl, didn't plan on the soap seizing right after I divided it, and started mixing in my colors. Still managed something!
My DH thinks it looks cool so I guess it's not as bad as I think.
I used a lingering fall fragrance called Falling for Fall from NG. The orange was from tumeric infused sunflower oil (I was trying to get yellow), brown was from cocoa powder, and the cream/white was from TD.
View attachment 79929

Here is the top. Did what I could to texture it.
View attachment 79930

View attachment 79931

Super cool -- love that texture! I like using turmeric and cocoa powder as colorants.

 

[bookworm42]

It was fun. I have some tumeric infused sunflower oil sitting my cupboard now. I'm having a hard time finding other things in my local stores. I really wanted chamomile and calendula but it's either Amazon or drive 45min-1hr away.

 

[bookworm42]

Made a soap for my DH. The scent was 2 parts bergamot EO, 2 parts sandalwood FO and 1 part cedarwood EO for a total of 3% fragrance. I mixed it in a slurry with bentonite clay per these directions.
DH requested a swirl but left everything else up to me. I decided on a drop swirl and since my slurry was green I picked brown to go with it. Imagine my surprise when I pulled it out and the green part was an off white!

I love trying new things like this and learning. Note for next time is that I can pour more on the bottom than I think .
I'm also learning that my basement is colder than I think thus not allowing my soaps to gel fully like before.

 

[ackosel]

I love the brown and cream! That soap turned out gorgeous!

 

[AliOop]

Those swirls I wouldn't change a thing, including having more swirls on top, and less on the bottom. Perfection!

 

[Shelley D]

My first try at beer soap. I planned on a 3 color ITP swirl, didn't plan on the soap seizing right after I divided it, and started mixing in my colors. Still managed something!
My DH thinks it looks cool so I guess it's not as bad as I think.
I used a lingering fall fragrance called Falling for Fall from NG. The orange was from tumeric infused sunflower oil (I was trying to get yellow), brown was from cocoa powder, and the cream/white was from TD.
View attachment 79929

Here is the top. Did what I could to texture it.
View attachment 79930

View attachment 79931

A+ for effort! You were definitely going for the gold medal on that one! I can relate to the "thickening" as I had one part out of 3 get too thick too fast and I ended up with chunks throughout my soap instead of swirls but it smells good!
Yours made cool patterns where it mushed together ~ the plops and veining in between are pretty cool

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Lot's of pretty colors and interesting designs happening above. I really love the soap you made for your husband. The drop swirls and color combo are perfect.

 

[bookworm42]

@Shelley D Thanks!
My recipe is normally super slow moving. Which is why I thought I could get away with it. When I do colors I do it at 33% lye concentration and when unscented I can SB for a few mins before hitting light/medium trace.
My second batch with the same beer but boiled was its usual slow self. Amazing to see the difference!

@Mobjack Bay it's been fun experimenting with colors. I'm excited for Christmas when I get my micas and can play with them. Fingers crossed I get a few more soaping supplies as well. (It might have been all I asked for for Christmas )

 

[Tammyfarms]

That's the rebatched soap I made a few weeks ago. It smells lovely but suffered the same problem as my plaid soap. Too many poppy seeds! Turns out 1% of oil weight is too much for my skin.

When I made a soap that was too scrubby I put it in an organza bag like this one. Dealglad 50Pcs White Organza Bags... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XPH23XH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I can’t say I recommend this specific one as they need to stay tied to keep the soap inside. The bag did keep the tea from scratching my skin though.

 

[bookworm42]

When I made a soap that was too scrubby I put it in an organza bag like this one. Dealglad 50Pcs White Organza Bags... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XPH23XH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I can’t say I recommend this specific one as they need to stay tied to keep the soap inside. The bag did keep the tea from scratching my skin though.

Thanks! I'll have to try that. I actually have a bunch of these that I use to put my soaps in to gift them to people.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I really wanted chamomile and calendula but it's either Amazon or drive 45min-1hr away.

Try Shay and Company for the chamomile and calendula. They have great products. https://shayandcompany.com/product/calendula-flowers-dried-wild/

Made a soap for my DH. The scent was 2 parts bergamot EO, 2 parts sandalwood FO and 1 part cedarwood EO for a total of 3% fragrance. I mixed it in a slurry with bentonite clay per these directions.

I'm also learning that my basement is colder than I think thus not allowing my soaps to gel fully like before.

Beautiful swirls! That EO combo sounds wonderful!
I use a box and a heating pad to gel my soaps. They are outside in my tack room which is pretty cool.

 

[bookworm42]

I use a box and a heating pad to gel my soaps. They are outside in my tack room which is pretty cool

I have the same set up and always had my soap gel but that was in summer. It's my first winter soaping and I'm thinking I need to keep my heating pad on for longer. Oh darn, I need to make more soap and experiment.
Guess everyone is getting soap for Christmas and Valentine's day.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I have the same set up and always had my soap gel but that was in summer. It's my first winter soaping and I'm thinking I need to keep my heating pad on for longer. Oh darn, I need to make more soap and experiment.
Guess everyone is getting soap for Christmas and Valentine's day.

My box set up is actually a shipping box that is lined with styrofoam. It helps keep the heat in.

 

[bookworm42]

My latest soap. Used some leftover salt bars and the ciaglia method. It doesn't smell how I would like. Somehow the smell morphed probably due to the scent in the salt bars. The consensus is that it doesn't smell bad, it just smells like a clean scent you find in commercial soap.

I was going for a more winter theme and a blizzardish look.

My new cutter worked fabulously but I didn't take into account the salt and the loaf was a little too hard. So after the first 2 slices I switched back to my cheap cheese cutter (since I didn't care if the wire broke on that). Guess I need to make a new non salty batch...