Infused oils

[candicec003]

Hello soap makers!

I make a lavender soap, which includes a purple swirl using Alkanet root powder. Ive always just put the powder directly into my recipe but now i want to change that to just infusing an oil with the powder so i don't have the little flecks in the soap. Im wondering how to do that. So would i divide my recipe in half and infuse the root powder in a small amount of oil in one of the halfs? and hope it comes out the shade of purple i want?

 

[shunt2011]

That is going to take some testing on your part as to how much. If you make a lot of soap, I would just make a large batch of infused oil and play with how much you need to get the color you want. I don't use it so I'm no help. I'm sure someone else that does will pipe in though.

 

[Seawolfe]

I got the purple below by infusing alkanet in olive oil (I think it was 2 tbsp per 8 oz mason jar, warmed in slow cooker a few hours, then cooled and strained the next day). I failed making the pattern I wanted (trace was too thick), but the color turned out nice.

The batch required 11.6 oz olive oil, so I only added 3.6 oz of the required olive oil (uncolored) to the main batch, then split it (for the white and purple) and my notes say to add 4 oz regular OO to the plain and "up to 4 oz of the alkanet infused OO" to the purple. this way I could stop when I hit the color I wanted and add more plain OO if needed to reach 4 oz. I hope that makes sense

 

[Spice]

I got the purple below by infusing alkanet in olive oil (I think it was 2 tbsp per 8 oz mason jar, warmed in slow cooker a few hours, then cooled and strained the next day). I failed making the pattern I wanted (trace was too thick), but the color turned out nice.

The batch required 11.6 oz olive oil, so I only added 3.6 oz of the required olive oil (uncolored) to the main batch, then split it (for the white and purple) and my notes say to add 4 oz regular OO to the plain and "up to 4 oz of the alkanet infused OO" to the purple. this way I could stop when I hit the color I wanted and add more plain OO if needed to reach 4 oz. I hope that makes sense

what do you mean "split the batch"? How is the lye water done when oils are infused?

 

[earlene]

That's gorgeous, Seawolfe. I have yet to get that pretty purple from my alkanet root. I wonder if it's the fact that I didn't use heat when infusing the oil. But then again I also wonder if the oils in the recipe make a difference as well.

What oils are in your recipe besides OO?

 

[Seawolfe]

what do you mean "split the batch"? How is the lye water done when oils are infused?

You dont need to change the lye water.

Pretend your recipe required a total of 12 oz OO. Just make the soap batter as directed by the lye calculator, but keep 8 oz of olive oil out of it (only use 4 oz OO at first). Split the batter exactly in half. To the uncolored, add 4 oz plain OO, to the colored add up to 4 oz infused OO. If 2 oz of infused OO gets the color you want, then make up the rest with 2 oz plain OO.

That's gorgeous, Seawolfe. I have yet to get that pretty purple from my alkanet root. I wonder if it's the fact that I didn't use heat when infusing the oil. But then again I also wonder if the oils in the recipe make a difference as well.

What oils are in your recipe besides OO?

Thanks! Alkanet has been really friendly to me - my bugbear is indigo That one was 60% lard, 20% OO, 15% coconut, 5% castor and 5% SF - aka the usual

 

[penelopejane]

I got the purple below by infusing alkanet in olive oil (I think it was 2 tbsp per 8 oz mason jar, warmed in slow cooker a few hours, then cooled and strained the next day). I failed making the pattern I wanted (trace was too thick), but the color turned out nice.

The batch required 11.6 oz olive oil, so I only added 3.6 oz of the required olive oil (uncolored) to the main batch, then split it (for the white and purple) and my notes say to add 4 oz regular OO to the plain and "up to 4 oz of the alkanet infused OO" to the purple. this way I could stop when I hit the color I wanted and add more plain OO if needed to reach 4 oz. I hope that makes sense

They are beautiful Seawolfe. Does alkanet stick?

 

[Seawolfe]

They are beautiful Seawolfe. Does alkanet stick?

I don't notice any fading with Alkanet. And thanks I need to re-make that batch with better texture.

 

[penelopejane]

I don't notice any fading with Alkanet. And thanks I need to re-make that batch with better texture.

It maybe just in the cutting timing. Still looks beautiful

Your soap is way ahead of this company that is going great guns apparently despite their crappy looking soap:
http://www.theaustraliannaturalsoapcompany.com.au/soaps.html