Christmas Mint Soap

[Terri E]

This is another bear tallow soap scented with peppermint EO and menthol crystals. It also contains kefir, jun, oat/rice milk and silk

 

[Saponomancer]

Pretty! Are the bars yellowed or is that the lighting?

 

[TeresaT]

That is beautiful soap. I don't know what "jun" is so I googled it. Somehow I don't think you made soap with North Korean money, so I'm guessing it's the fermented green tea and honey. Did you make that yourself? (https://www.google.com/search?q=jun&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)

 

[kisha]

This is beautiful! What percent did you use for the menthol crystals? I have a friend who wants peppermint soap with menthol, but she wants the menthol really strong. Like, REALLY strong.

 

[CaraBou]

Those are so pretty! They have a dance about them.

If I ever have a bear carcass I will render the fat. Hubby is a hunter though not yet for bear. He's toying with the idea though, since they are so abundant. We saw two on our our property this past year, just as an indication. We keep the garbage away to keep them out of trouble.

 

[newbie]

Nice swirl! Have you used bear tallow in the past? I'm wondering how it feels different than other types of tallow- different lather or hand feel?

 

[dcornett]

They look and sound wonderful!

 

[cherrycoke216]

This is beautiful! What percent did you use for the menthol crystals? I have a friend who wants peppermint soap with menthol, but she wants the menthol really strong. Like, REALLY strong.

Not terry e, but you can start with 3 or 5 %.
According to LBussy, "
I melt the crystals in the oils. 3% is a nice "tingle" and 5% is cooling. This is for a hot process soap where some may be driven off in the process, so as Craig says start low. "
And I tried 5%, but in COLD process (room temperature, & heat transfer method ) , as a "girl" I find it STRONG in neither regions. On other parts of body, leave it in 2-3 minutes, and it's a light cooling sensation. Your mileage might vary.


And to terry E, it's a elegant design. Pretty!!!

 

[Terri E]

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful compliments! To answer a few questions, Yes the soap has a slight yellow tint, I added a small amount of yellow mica. I do make the Jun ( fermented organic green tea with organic honey) myself. It add organic acids, vitamins, enzymes and minerals to the soap. I add it as emulsion so that some of these benefits will be preserved. I added about 1 tablespoon of menthol crystals to the peppermint EO. I used 4 ounces of EO for 96 ounces of oil. I have used bear tallow for several years now in my soap.The soap is soft and silky, lathers like crazy and is super creamy. Bear tallow makes wonderful soap )

 

[cherrycoke216]

I have used bear tallow for several years now in my soap.The soap is soft and silky, lathers like crazy and is super creamy. Bear tallow makes wonderful soap )

How does bear tallow compare to lard or beef tallow? Have you tried these before going bear tallow?
The soap is soft--> means hardness or makes skin soft?

By the way, how does bear taste like? Does it taste like chicken?haha joking! I guess it's more like steak, right? Curious mind wants to know.

Should have bought the bear meat canned food in Hokkaido,Japan. Just for the novelty. Don't know where else besides China, japan,America will have bear for hunting and foods. Here in Taiwan, black bear has a V shape white mark on chest, and is endangered, so won't be able to hunt it. Not that I can hunt, anyway.

 

[Terri E]

I meant to say that the lather is soft and silky on the skin, very moisturizing but the bar of soap actually has a very silky feel to it as well. I have used lard as well as beef tallow. Bear tallow is more like "bear oil" than tallow. It is an oil at room temp and only becomes soft-solid in the fridge. The reason I use bear tallow is that I have a large and continuous supply. There are many bear here in the mountains and they have become a problem for some residents. The hunters keep the population regulated so they don't endanger the residents. When they kill the bear, the hunters discard the fat. I have found a good way to utilize it in soap making. Bear meat tastes like roast beef. It is not bad and funny you should mention canned bear meat because I canned the last roast I was given

 

[Greenmeadow]

Beautifully done , love those swirls and the smell sounds very nice !