Oatmeal and honey soap

[SmellyKat]

Anyone have a good recipe for oatmeal and honey soap? I can get fresh honey here. What is the process? I will be incorporating it in GM soap.

Thank you in advance~

Smellykat

 

[agriffin]

I add 1 tablespoon ppo of each at trace. I make a slurry with an ounce or two of hot water. I've also added them to my oils and used a stick blender to mix well. Both ways have come out good.

 

[SmellyKat]

I add 1 tablespoon ppo of each at trace. I make a slurry with an ounce or two of hot water. I've also added them to my oils and used a stick blender to mix well. Both ways have come out good.

Sounds good. Come on weekend!!

 

[anita]

I add my honey to the lye water when it cools down. i find this stops the honey coming through the finished soap in spots.

 

[Lindy]

I had mine straight in with my oils without a problem...

 

[IrishLass]

I add my honey to the lye water when it cools down. i find this stops the honey coming through the finished soap in spots.

This is what I do, too. It completely stopped the problem with honey spots that I had been experiencing.

IrishLass

 

[Woodi]

I add honey to the lye water when it is hot....this way it dissolves very well, but it does turn bright orange and smell funny. But in the end, the soap seems to have a nice golden color and smells like honey. I love my honey soaps. But you have to take care not to overheat the soap when it's 'cooking'. I don't cover my molds when they contain honey in the soap. Usually I wrap molds in several layers of newspapers, then several layers of towels.

 

[nattynoo]

I've been scared to add the honey anywhere before trace as I worried it would lose its smell.
So u say the smell will stay if I add before trace?
I'm getting those spots you're talking about & I add at light trace.

Also another quickie Q whilst were on honey.
My soap heats up majorly with the honey it...extremely hot. Would I be better putting it in the fridge? I've not ever done soap in the fridge.

 

[lily]

When I make a honey soap, I often add pollen. I dissolve it in a bit of my water. I pour the water/lye solution in the oils, then add the water/pollen solution and then blend the whole.
Pollen gives a wonderful colour and a real good smell to honey soap. Obviously, some pollens are clearer or darker than others, but still, they give your honey soap a very good smell and you don't necessarly have to scent your soap.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I add honey to the lye water as well.

 

[SmellyKat]

I add my honey to the lye water when it cools down. i find this stops the honey coming through the finished soap in spots.

This is what I do, too. It completely stopped the problem with honey spots that I had been experiencing.

IrishLass

When you say the lye has cooled down, what temp are we talking about?
Mine gets to about 140 degrees and I let it cool down to 100 degrees. Is that "cool" enough to add the honey?? And 1 T ppo of honey is a good measurement?

 

[IrishLass]

Mine gets to about 140 degrees and I let it cool down to 100 degrees. Is that "cool" enough to add the honey??

Since I masterbatch my lye solution in large quantities now and store it at room temp in a tightly closed containers, it's always as cool as the ambient temperature of my house. But you can add honey to the lye water at any time. You can even add it to your water before adding the lye, like Woodie does, but be prepared for any possible volcanic reaction if you do by making sure to mix your solution in an overly large container. I used to do it like Woodie until I started masterbatching my lye solution, and what would usually happen is that the solution would get very hot, hiss and bubble and volcano a little bit, and turn a burnt orange color. Because I would always mix my lye/honey water solution in a container twice as big as I needed to when doing it this way, all would always go well without any overspill or anything.

When I mix honey in my cooled materbatch lye solution, I get no hissing, bubbling, or volcanoing at all. The solution gets warm and turns reddish/orange, but that's all it does.

I use 1 tbsp. of honey ppo.

IrishLass

 

[SmellyKat]

I add honey to the lye water when it is hot....this way it dissolves very well, but it does turn bright orange and smell funny. But in the end, the soap seems to have a nice golden color and smells like honey. I love my honey soaps. But you have to take care not to overheat the soap when it's 'cooking'. I don't cover my molds when they contain honey in the soap. Usually I wrap molds in several layers of newspapers, then several layers of towels.

Woody, do you put the mold in the fridge overnight? Or just leave it uncovered and out for 24 hrs?

 

[SmellyKat]

Ok, got the GM oatmeal and honey soap in the fridge.
Trace got really thick and didn't pour as smooth as I would have liked.
I am sure in my new molds there will be layers or creases. But, not to worry, it is my first try.
It is a pretty honey/orange color.
Probably should have added the other half of the liquid (GM) and the honey and oatmeal a little earlier.
Any advice or comments???

 

[soapbuddy]

That orange color is most likely from the GM. It should cure out to beige.

 

[SmellyKat]

That orange color is most likely from the GM. It should cure out to beige.

It looks like it is turning a beige color this morning. The middle of the soap is a darker color. Does that mean it is still going thru its process??

The bars of soap are a brown color. This is because of the honey and oatmeal?? They popped out of the molds nicely. Smells pretty good.
I just thought I read somewhere that their honey soap was an orange color.

Any thoughts??

 

[SudsyKat]

SmellyKat,

I love your name, by the way. Mine's not NEARLY as cool, though I am a Kat as well!

Anyhow, you asked the question about your soap being darker in the middle and no one answered you. I would also be curious to find out the answer because I would like to make some oatmeal and honey soap this weekend. From my EXTREMELY limited experience, I would have guessed it was a partial gel, but I'd love to see what others think.

Thanks!

 

[soapbuddy]

If the middle stays the same as the soap cures, I would say you got a partial gel. Nothing wrong with that, it just happens.

 

[Jezzy]

I would say partial gel too. I have been getting that a lot lately

Post a pic for us to see.

I am planning a honey oat batch too. Do you guys scent yours or leave it as it is? just curious. If you scent it what do you use?

 

[IrishLass]

I vote for partial gel, too, but your soap is fine.

The bars of soap are a brown color. This is because of the honey and oatmeal?? They popped out of the molds nicely.

My GM/oatmeal/honey soaps are always a tan or medium brownish color, which I am sure is because I mix my lye and honey together. It turns my lye water a dark burnt orange color.

Do you guys scent yours or leave it as it is? just curious. If you scent it what do you use?

I scent mine with just a tiny, wee bit of Buttermilk & Honey FO from Daystar (about .2 oz ppo). It's just enough to enhance the natural fragrance from the honey and oats without going overboard.

IrishLass