Let's talk Coffee!!!

[lizflowers42]

I have a coffee and olive oil infusing in my basement (just grounds in oil in a jar-thats all) right now. It has been steeping for months and I still don't smell coffee..I plan on making lotion bars with it though soon, and I am sure the cocoa butter smell will take over any coffee scents that is left behind. I will need to do a test batch using refined mango seed butter!

 

[ca_soap]

Does coffee essential oil not work in soap? I was hoping to get some (though not from Essential Depot). I aim to stay away from fragrance oils but would like some smell.

This has been a really interesting thread, and I'm glad to know that I don't have to make coffee and freeze it anymore! That was so tedious. I love how all the different coffee soaps look!

I have a bottle of the coffee essential oil from Essential Depot, I will just say it doesn't smell like coffee. Skunk was the first thing that came to mind when I first smelled it and I have made just a test batch with only it, complete fail. I am pondering using it in a bar for my hunter friends as the finished product smells more like dirt than anything.

 

[Lin]

I have a coffee and olive oil infusing in my basement (just grounds in oil in a jar-thats all) right now. It has been steeping for months and I still don't smell coffee..I plan on making lotion bars with it though soon, and I am sure the cocoa butter smell will take over any coffee scents that is left behind. I will need to do a test batch using refined mango seed butter!

Thats strange, I started a new infusion just a few days ago and it smells heavenly already.

 

[Jencat]

We made the coffee soap from Soap Making Resource - http://www.soap-making-resource.com/coffee-soap-recipe.html - a couple of weeks ago and it smells great. We used instant coffee for the extra strength coffee and used fresh ground coffee for the pencil line and top. It isn't as pretty as the one they made, but looks pretty good considering it is only our second soap batch. Since we were giving some of it away for holiday presents, we tried a bit ourselves even though it hasn't cured yet. The coffee grounds add a nice bit of exfoliation and the soap itself is very nice. I'll have to try uploading a pic from my iPad.

 

[Jencat]

Giving the photo upload a try...

 

[boyago]

I tried to infuse a bottle of olive oil with ground coffee. I used a crock pot I just bought at a thrift store. Set it on low and watched some TV. Looked like it was doing pretty well so I went out for a little while. While I was out it switched itself to turbo. When I came back I could smell it before I opened the door. There where steady streams of bubbles coming up from the grounds as the oil was boiling. Total loss. Smelled like a chemical fire at the coffee and olive importers warehouse. Funny thing is when I bought the crock pot the lady said "be sure to keep the receipt, if it doesn't work". I didn't even know Goodwill took returns, of course I had already lost the receipt.

 

[Ancel]

That's too funny. Awful, obviously. But funny

 

[Ruthie]

I tried to infuse a bottle of olive oil with ground coffee. I used a crock pot I just bought at a thrift store. <<>> Smelled like a chemical fire at the coffee and olive importers warehouse. Funny thing is when I bought the crock pot the lady said "be sure to keep the receipt, if it doesn't work". I didn't even know Goodwill took returns, of course I had already lost the receipt.

Guess that's why someone gave it to Goodwill. They should have cut the cord off and thrown it in the trash!! :wtf:

My crock pot is an old one I re-purposed for soaping. It gets too hot on one side, and over-browns whatever is in it. Until I decide to get a new one, I have to turn the insert now and then so not just one spot gets the extra heat.

 

[lizflowers42]

Thats strange, I started a new infusion just a few days ago and it smells heavenly already.

Well, I am not heat processing it though. Just doing the cover and leave alone approach. I recently added more grounds though, so that might have been my problem. The original grounds were just regular Folgers, so it probably wasn't as fresh as the stuff I just added (fresh ground from whole bean)

 

[Ancel]

Finally got some new oils last night and was so excited to make up some coffee soap! I got Fresh Brewed Coffee from Peak, smelled fantastic soaping it, and I almost posted then. I don't use many fos, as I find them too strong, so only used .4 oz ppo, and this morning on cutting I smell nothing. Zip. So disappointed. Reviewers on Peak said it was strong and use only a little, but I think I blew it. It was pretty too. Might be able to rebatch and add more scent, but bang goes the cappuccino swirls.

 

[MzMolly65]

The pattern didn't turn out as "camo" as I'd like .. needs practice .. but I'm still really pleased with it. I love that it is very scratchy while a more tender skinned person might not enjoy that quality.

Fresh in the mold

Gel

Out of the mold

Bars

 

[lsg]

I like it!

 

[ca_soap]

Looks great to me! Maybe a bit darker green and a black to go with the tan may give you a better camo look, just thinking out loud here.

 

[MzMolly65]

Looks great to me! Maybe a bit darker green and a black to go with the tan may give you a better camo look, just thinking out loud here.

That is supposed to be a black LOL .. it's more of a dark grey and looks brown in the photo.

ETA: in real life the colours look great, it's the pattern that's lacking.

 

[Lin]

Well, I am not heat processing it though. Just doing the cover and leave alone approach. I recently added more grounds though, so that might have been my problem. The original grounds were just regular Folgers, so it probably wasn't as fresh as the stuff I just added (fresh ground from whole bean)

Ditto, I've never used heat. Mine is sitting in a tupperware container on the shelf.

I'm thinking about trying out the crock pot way though, especially to infuse the entire containers of oils for attempting a coffee soap. I don't want to wait too long, I can only soap when I'm staying with my bf and don't know how long I'll be here this time. But I don't have a crock pot, and I'm not sure how he'll like the idea of me using his since he doesn't like coffee or the smell... Maybe I can do it in jars. The stuff currently infusing is for coffee body products not soap.