SMF June 2022 Un-Challenge - Cocoa Powder

[dibbles]

Welcome to the SMF June 2022 Un-Challenge – Cocoa Powder

Welcome to the SMF June 2022 Un-Challenge. For this un-challenge you will create soaps using any technique, process or mold you choose but at least one element of your soap must include cocoa powder only. The cocoa powder may be used as a base color for your soap, a swirl or layer color, or as a pencil line for example. You may also use any other colorants (micas, oxides, natural colorants, clays, etc.) in other elements of your design.

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1. Any SMF member may participate in this Un-Challenge, regardless of length of membership or number of posts.
2.The soap must be made after the Un-Challenge announcement is posted (so do not post pictures of soaps that were made before 6/1/2022).
3. Make and post pictures of as many soaps as you would like. There will not be a separate entry thread and there will not be a vote, so post pictures of your creations in this thread at any time. Photos of failures are just as welcome as photos of successes.
4. If your design is inspired by another maker, please give them credit.
5. A sign up list will be posted, however, if you make a soap and want to share it but haven't officially signed up, please feel welcome to post a picture! Un-Challenges are meant to be relaxed and fun!
6. Experiments are always interesting. If you learned something, please share. Likewise, if you would share anything about your process/result (cocoa powder:soap ratio, if/how it was pre-dispersed in oil or water, etc.) we'd all be interested in seeing that.
7. As always, please keep comments kind and have fun!

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[dibbles]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1.

 

[peachymoon]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!

 

[glendam]

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!

 

[mx5inpenn]

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4.

 

[TheGecko]

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5.

 

[earlene]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)


Replying Tip just learned myself today: It's easier to copy & paste than to use the reply button to get this sign up list to work. (Reply no longer works the same as it used to in the forum, & it just gives me trouble, so I had to adapt.)

 

[Nanna]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)
6. Nanna - I can finally do a challenge and my next one was going to be with a cocoa line

 

[Kimimarie84]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)
6. Nanna - I can finally do a challenge and my next one was going to be with a cocoa line
7. Kimimarie84 - looking forward to this!

 

[Catscankim]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)
6. Nanna - I can finally do a challenge and my next one was going to be with a cocoa line
7. Kimimarie84 - looking forward to this!
8. Catscankim - ok, I'm in

 

[linne1gi]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)
6. Nanna - I can finally do a challenge and my next one was going to be with a cocoa line
7. Kimimarie84 - looking forward to this!
8. Catscankim - ok, I'm in

9. linne1gi - I will get my challenge in time this month, I promise.

 

[LisaBoBisa]

Sign up list:
(Please copy & paste the list into a new post, then add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)
6. Nanna - I can finally do a challenge and my next one was going to be with a cocoa line
7. Kimimarie84 - looking forward to this!
8. Catscankim - ok, I'm in
9. linne1gi - I will get my challenge in time this month, I promise.
10. LisaBoBisa - two ideas for this one already!
11.

 

[dibbles]

@linne1gi this month is an un-challenge. There won’t be an entry thread or vote. Feel free to post here at any time during June.

 

[LisaBoBisa]

If I include soap curls made out a slab that I poured before June 1, does this break the rules? (Worth asking, since those chocolate curls are where the cocoa powder is!)

Welcome to the SMF June 2022 Un-Challenge – Cocoa Powder

2.The soap must be made after the Un-Challenge announcement is posted (so do not post pictures of soaps that were made before 6/1/2022).

 

[dibbles]

If I include soap curls made out a slab that I poured before June 1, does this break the rules? (Worth asking, since those chocolate curls are where the cocoa powder is!)

That would be fine. As long as your soap was made after June 1 I am not going to pick nits. If it was a regular challenge the rules would be more defined.

 

[glendam]

It has been a while since I used cocoa powder to color soap, to get a chocolate brown, what is the advised usage rate?

 

[Dooleykins]

1. peachymoon - I've been wanting to work with cocoa!
2. glendam - chocolate soap is in my to-do list, this is perfect!
3. Mx6inpenn - I haven't used natural colorants since I first started.
4. TheGecko - I need to make another batch of my Chocolate Espresso (cocoa in the batter, cocoa line, cocoa dusting)
5. earlene - I can make soap again at last (sutures removed, incision healed & I can wear gloves again)
6. Nanna - I can finally do a challenge and my next one was going to be with a cocoa line
7. Kimimarie84 - looking forward to this!
8. Catscankim - ok, I'm in
9. linne1gi - I will get my challenge in time this month, I promise.
10. LisaBoBisa - two ideas for this one already!
11. Dooleykins - I need to make another batch of my Log Cabin soap, as well as experiment with a mocha soap. Great opportunity for it!
12.

 

[Kimimarie84]

I made a cocoa powder soap the other day, and inspired by May’s challenge, I chose to try my hand at an infinity swirl. It was my first-ever attempt at both cocoa and the infinity swirl. Next time I try this particular swirl, I will pour the soap when it reaches emulsion, or light trace at the latest. I waited a little too long since I was fussing with my cardboard inserts, so by the time I started to pour, the soap was a little thicker than I would have liked. Next time I would like to have better inserts and not the wonky ones I fashioned at the last minute, but they got the job done. If anyone has any tips/tricks for making the swirl more pronounced in the future, please share your knowledge!

This is my Triple Butter recipe soap that I created myself, and it’s my best seller. It has mango butter, kokum butter, and cocoa butter, as well as almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, and beeswax. I know that’s a lot of butters and oils, but it’s so luxurious and makes my skin so soft, I can’t stop making it. The liquids used were goat milk and just a little raw honey.

I changed the contrast on one of the photos in order to better show the design, and I think the final soap may darken somewhat and look more like that photo than what it currently looks like. But the lighter shaded cocoa is what the soap currently looks like. The cocoa looks so light because I lightened it with some titanium dioxide.

 

[glendam]

Here is my chocolate factory inspired soap, I used the cocoa powder for the color in the “waterfall”. Used chocolate FO from New direction aromatics

 

[earlene]

Wow, @glendam ! Gorgeously artistic as usual! I have not made mine yet, but it certainly won't come close to your masterpiece.