Cranberry soap recipe

[maggiemarieoc]

Hello, let me start off by saying I've never made cold process soap ever. I've delved into many other projects but cold process scares me to say the least and I don't have a whole lot of patience. But the time has come. My line of bath and body products is highlighting cranberries right now due to the demographic of my area and come summertime I'd really like to add a CP soap to the line. Does anyone have a CP recipe for a beginner using cranberries in as many ways as possible (without overloading it of course) I've got cranberry seed oil, cranberry seeds for exfoliants, fresh cranberries, etc as well as various soap making materials such as butters and oils etc. just not the lye. I have found many beauty products that highlight cranberries but not many soap recipes. Well if anyone has any tips or ideas- and remember beginner here, please don't include too many abbreviations that I will have to look up thanks so much.

 

[CaraBou]

My first advice is to get a few batches of "regular soap" under your belt before experimenting with cranberries. It can be a tricky craft. But assuming you do that, here's what I offer.

Soap Calc has non-zero values for cranberry seed oil, meaning it has saponifiable components and does make soap. But the iodine number is high like it is for oils that are notorious for going rancid easily and cause "dreaded orange spots." So I would suggest using it in a low percentage, like 5%.

The seeds are small and probably well suited for an exfoliant (though honestly I don't know that I've actually seen one!). But I'd still recommend going light handed until you know how much you can use without creating a scratchy soap.

I wouldn't be too keen on using cranberry juice, at least not in very high quantity, because I think it might be too acidic. It could lead to soft soap. When experimenting I would start no higher than 1% of your oils.

That's all off the top of my head with no actual experience using cranberry-anything in soap. I'm sure others will chime in too so hang tight!

 

[IrishLass]

Hi Maggie!

If you've never made lye-based soap before, I cannot recommend highly enough that you reconsider and wait until next January at the least before thinking about adding it to your line, because, unfortunately, as much as we'd all like it to be, CP is not for the impatient, nor is HP.

Now M&P on the other hand... I would look into doing M&P instead until you have spent a year getting your lye-based formulas perfected.

I know a year is a long time, but the thing with lye-based soap is that it is very persnickety. To say that it comes with a huge learning curve is an understatement. Each formula that you plan on adding to your line will need to be cured at least 4 to 6 weeks before use (sometimes longer, depending), and then it will need to be tested out and observed under different conditions over a period of a year (the accepted length of testing time for lye-based soap).

The reason why is because so many things can go wrong with lye-based soap over a period of weeks and/or months after unmolding........ things such as DOS/rancidity, scent morphing, color morphing, warping, etc.... You need to know how your formula with your additives will perform and stand up under different conditions over time......otherwise you'll have some very unhappy customers on your hands.

My advice is to stick with making M&P right now, while you spend the year testing and perfecting your lye-based formulas. Family and friends are the perfect guinea pigs to help test and give feedback.

IrishLass

 

[cmzaha]

I would also bet the cranberry juice will turn a funky color like most juices do

 

[maggiemarieoc]

I've been playing with melt and pour for awhile. I won't say I'm professional by any means but I've got the basics down. I think I may keep playing with it and start collecting the supplies I need for CP and start with a standard recipe and then start playing with ingredients. I was recently looking for a liquid Castille recipe and a nice lady said she had an easy one- and I'm sure it was easy but to me it sounded like Chinese. I'm still working on getting the cranberries into the melt and pour in ways that are useful.