Help needed with Gardener’s Soap additives

[Mobjack Bay]

I’m planning to make Gardener’s Soap for a sister’s birthday. The planning theme is orange/calendula. The orange ingredients will be orange wax, fine orange peel powder and orange 6x EO. The calendula components will be calendula-infused RBO and calendula/chamomile powder. I also plan to add finely ground walnut shells. I’ve seen wildly varying amounts of walnut shell used in soap and can’t find general guidance. How does 1 tsp ppo sound? I’ve also read here on SMF that some feel it gets soggy and that it is not very exfoliating. That’s okay because I’m not looking to make a super exfoliating soap and I want the warm brown speckles. I’m not expecting the orange peel or flower powders to be very exfoliating because I ground both of them fairly fine. I want to stay away from poppy seeds and coffee grounds for this one, but welcome suggestions for other things to add for color or texture, keeping the desire for gentle exfoliation in mind. Options I have on hand are: cornmeal, almond meal, ground flax, oats and probably other pantry staples I’m not remembering.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I’m planning to make Gardener’s Soap for a sister’s birthday. The planning theme is orange/calendula. The orange ingredients will be orange wax, fine orange peel powder and orange 6x EO. The calendula components will be calendula-infused RBO and calendula/chamomile powder. I also plan to add finely ground walnut shells. I’ve seen wildly varying amounts of walnut shell used in soap and can’t find general guidance. How does 1 tsp ppo sound? I’ve also read here on SMF that some feel it gets soggy and that it is not very exfoliating. That’s okay because I’m not looking to make a super exfoliating soap and I want the warm brown speckles. I’m not expecting the orange peel or flower powders to be very exfoliating because I ground both of them fairly fine. I want to stay away from poppy seeds and coffee grounds for this one, but welcome suggestions for other things to add for color or texture, keeping the desire for gentle exfoliation in mind. Options I have on hand are: cornmeal, almond meal, ground flax, oats and probably other pantry staples I’m not remembering.

Ive used ground orange peel that I ground in a coffee grinder and even when I think it’s super fine and even put it through a sieve just to be sure, I definitely find it to be exfoliating. I would call what I got moderately exfoliating. I recently purchased some ground walnut shell because people recommend them as being more mildly exfoliating but haven’t use them yet. When I bring oats I find they are quite exfoliating as well. I’m curious to see how you feel about the orange peels

 

[Misschief]

In my Gardener's Hand Soap, I use a combination of fine pumice, poppy seeds, finely ground orange peel, and cornmeal.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Ive used ground orange peel that I ground in a coffee grinder and even when I think it’s super fine and even put it through a sieve just to be sure, I definitely find it to be exfoliating. I would call what I got moderately exfoliating. I recently purchased some ground walnut shell because people recommend them as being more mildly exfoliating but haven’t use them yet. I’m curious to see how you feel about the orange peels

Thanks for the heads up on the orange peel powder. I just so happen to have some very fine nylon mesh lying around that I used to gauge the size the walnut shell and orange peel powders. The OPP (bottom, label cut off) is mostly very fine powder, but there’s a good percentage of pieces that are in the mm size range. Ouch! The WSP (top) is more uniform in size. Shown below in comparison to Morton fine sea salt.



@Misschief - how much cornmeal do you use? Do you adjust/think in terms of the total amount of exfoliants being added?

 

[Misschief]

@Misschief - how much cornmeal do you use? Do you adjust/think in terms of the total amount of exfoliants being added?

In a 900 gram batch, I use 15 grams of each of the ingredients I mentioned.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @Misschief

By weight I have about a 50/50 split of fine and coarse particles in the orange peel powder. Altogether the weight was 12 g before I got powder everywhere. I started with the dried peels of two oranges. I think I will try a mortar and pestle to get the size down in the coarser fraction.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Thanks for the heads up on the orange peel powder. I just so happen to have some very fine nylon mesh lying around that I used to gauge the size the walnut shell and orange peel powders. The OPP (bottom, label cut off) is mostly very fine powder, but there’s a good percentage of pieces that are in the mm size range. Ouch! The WSP (top) is more uniform in size. Shown below in comparison to Morton fine sea salt.
View attachment 56498


@Misschief - how much cornmeal do you use? Do you adjust/think in terms of the total amount of exfoliants being added?

Yes, that’s exactly what I get with the OPP. I haven’t had anyone complain and in fact I have a few customers who absolutely love a more aggressive exfoliant in the soap and request it but awhile ago I started to be more careful with the exfoliants in general. It does lend a really nice color though with pretty speckles.....which is nice

 

[KiwiMoose]

I use pumice powder, poppy seeds, ground orange peel and such like in my gardeners soaps. More recently I used pureed passionfruit (with seeds!).
In my oatmeal soap I use ground oatmeal and flaxseed - they seem to be more of what I would call a 'gentle' exfoliant.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Soap is done. I added ground walnut shell, orange peel in two sizes (powdery and tiny bits), finely chopped calendula petals, cornmeal and a tiny bit of paprika for some subtle red speckling. The soy wax base recipe was made with 2% orange wax and calendula-infused RBO. I left the lye concentration at 33% to compensate for not hydrating the powdery additions. My plan was to SB the extras into the oils, but then I didn’t, so they went into the bowl at emulsion. Despite the orange wax, which usually speeds up trace for me, and the late addition of the extras, the batter behaved amazingly well. I would never be able to keep this recipe from gelling, but look at that color in the one little soap that I poured into the individual mold.



I’m anxious to try it!

Pumice powder is on my list to try if I can only remember to order it. @KiwiMoose I think I once made a G[oat]milk soap with flax that was nicely scrubby. I almost put flax into this one, but chickened out due to the size of the pile of additives.

 

[MetalMausoleum]

How does 1 tsp ppo sound?

I'm thoroughly curious about how much pumice or grit of any kind to add to my soap too. I don't know where is a good place to start.

Also I see ppo everywhere I'm too slow to figure out what it means!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm thoroughly curious about how much pumice or grit of any kind to add to my soap too. I don't know where is a good place to start.

Also I see ppo everywhere I'm too slow to figure out what it means!

Last batch I made I added Ground Pumice ( about 1/3 cup), Poppy Seeds (about 1 tablespoon), Ground Orange Peel ( about a generous teaspoon), and activated charcoal (about a teaspoon. Fully loaded!

About 1/3 cup pumice seems to work well for a proper grit soap - that's for 1 ltr oils.

PPO = Per 500g oils. LOL - teasing because y'all don't use metric. Per Pound of Oils.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

About 1/3 cup pumice seems to work well for a proper grit soap - that's for 1 ltr oils.

I had to google the weight of a liter of oil , which is approx 920 g (approx 2 lbs) and google also gave me 16 American tsp in 1/3 cup.

I add most of my ingredients by weight and have found that most of the dry additives weigh 4-5 g per tsp, so the weight of pumice in KM’s recipe could be something like 32-40 grams (eta: per pound of oils, ppo). The soap I made has 45 g of additives for 1000 g of oil.

 

[MetalMausoleum]

Last batch I made I added Ground Pumice ( about 1/3 cup), Poppy Seeds (about 1 tablespoon), Ground Orange Peel ( about a generous teaspoon), and activated charcoal (about a teaspoon. Fully loaded!

About 1/3 cup pumice seems to work well for a proper grit soap - that's for 1 ltr oils.

PPO = Per 500g oils. LOL - teasing because y'all don't use metric. Per Pound of Oils.

Thanks a bunch, that'll help me find a place to start!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I had to google the weight of a liter of oil , which is approx 920 g (approx 2 lbs)

Welcome to my world - I'm constantly googling translations for your weird measurements

 

[maryloucb]

That looks beautiful! I use orange peel and grapefruit peel powder that I run through a strainer and there are definitely bits that are a little bigger and somewhat exfoliating.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Welcome to my world - I'm constantly googling translations for your weird measurements

Why angry @Zing? Waddi do?

 

[Zing]

Why angry @Zing? Waddi do?

I'm not angry at you, dear @KiwiMoose, I'm angry next to you!! I wish so much that the United States would just convert -- all at once -- to the metric system which makes total and logical sense!! All this converting grams to ounces to pounds back to grams is for the birds!! I don't wanna tell you how ancient I am, but for the life of me I can never remember how many ounces -- weight ounces that is, not fluid ounces which is a whole other thing -- in a pound. Several conversion sites are bookmarked in my browser.

 

[artemis]

Several conversion sites are bookmarked in my browser.

I just ask Google: 16 ounce in grams or whatever the conversion is.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I just ask Google: 16 ounce in grams or whatever the conversion is.

In sector zz9 Plural Z Alpha what measuring system do they use?

 

[Daisy]

I'm not angry at you, dear @KiwiMoose, I'm angry next to you!! I wish so much that the United States would just convert -- all at once -- to the metric system which makes total and logical sense!! All this converting grams to ounces to pounds back to grams is for the birds!! I don't wanna tell you how ancient I am, but for the life of me I can never remember how many ounces -- weight ounces that is, not fluid ounces which is a whole other thing -- in a pound. Several conversion sites are bookmarked in my browser.

"I wish so much that the United States would just convert -- all at once -- to the metric system which makes total and logical sense!! All this converting grams to ounces to pounds back to grams is for the birds!!"