SMF June 2022 Un-Challenge - Cocoa Powder

[dibbles]

Wow, I am loving all these wood-grain soaps. Is that the theme of the Soap Challenge Club this month?

It is. I didn’t use cocoa powder in my wood grain.

 

[Zing]

I'll share my experience in case it's useful to others. I made a 2 color soap with a hanger swirl, one colorant was cocoa powder, the other orange with turmeric. I poured at thin trace and immediately was concerned that the colors would muddle together. I did gel.

When I unmolded, the colors were not the intensity I wanted and appeared more muddied/muddled than I wanted. The brown was a light brown and close in hue to the orange so not much of a contrast. The bars also had a thin dark rind around the edge. I was disappointed and did not take a photo.

What a difference 3 days later! The brown is dark and the colors are popping and contrasting! Whew! I'm kicking myself I did not take a photo on day 1 to compare and contrast.

 

[linne1gi]

I'll share my experience in case it's useful to others. I made a 2 color soap with a hanger swirl, one colorant was cocoa powder, the other orange with turmeric. I poured at thin trace and immediately was concerned that the colors would muddle together. I did gel.

When I unmolded, the colors were not the intensity I wanted and appeared more muddied/muddled than I wanted. The brown was a light brown and close in hue to the orange so not much of a contrast. The bars also had a thin dark rind around the edge. I was disappointed and did not take a photo.

What a difference 3 days later! The brown is dark and the colors are popping and contrasting! Whew! I'm kicking myself I did not take a photo on day 1 to compare and contrast.

Do you have a picture now?

 

[MellonFriend]

View attachment 67327

View attachment 67329

In an earlier life I was married to a musician who owned a lot of high-endish guitars. Actually, I think they were half mine, but I opted to keep my retirement fund in lieu of arguing about instrument values. So, along comes another friend asking me to make a special order batch. He also owns a lot of guitars. I’ve been late getting to it since I told him I could have it to him by the end of July. Wood grain, cocoa and the special order request to keep it dark, made me think of some of the beautiful woods I’ve seen in guitars. I hope he loves these soaps.

The first one combines two cocoa powders (Dutch process and Black from King Arthur Flour), along with red and yellow oxides and some AC. The second one is mostly colored with the two cocoa powders. I used hydrated chrome green oxide for the greenish layers and a bit of AC in one of the dark cocoa layers. The cocoa by itself seems to have a bit of a maroon/burgundy tint. I used beer as the split liquid for both batches. The first batch is a lard/tallow base and was poured as one layer in a slab mold. The second batch is palm-based and was poured in a divided mold as four sections and then swirled a bit in an attempt to create knots. I split it on the horizontal plane. The light bar is from the top where I ran our of darker batter. The soap overheated and needs planing, but it’s too early to do much cleanup of either of the batches.

ETA: I used a four spot ITP pour for the first soap, following the method of @WhittanyWho in her wood grain video on YT, here. I like the results and it’s easier than layering soap a pitcher.

I award you the inaugural MellonFriend Lifetime achievement award for coolest most realistic wood grain soap, Mellonfriend has ever seen. Well. Done.

 

[WhittanyWho]

I award you the inaugural MellonFriend Lifetime achievement award for coolest most realistic wood grain soap, Mellonfriend has ever seen. Well. Done.

I love that there is a MellonFriend achievement award, and I now have a new goal in life.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I award you the inaugural MellonFriend Lifetime achievement award for coolest most realistic wood grain soap, Mellonfriend has ever seen. Well. Done.

Oh gosh, thank you. You are very sweet.

 

[Picklekin]

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. Mobjack Bay - feeling inspired by the great cocoa soaps being posted.
13. Zing desperately trying to find this post and not look at any other photos along the way!
14. Picklekin - what's the worst that can happen?!
15.

 

[Zing]

Here's my entry photo. Colorants were cocoa powder and turmeric. Scented with orange 10x, litsea cubeba, and cedarwood essential oils. Hanger swirl. More rustic looking than I wanted but I'm happy because when I unmolded, the colors were so similar -- but after days of curing, the brown popped. Oh! And this time I didn't forget the colloidal oatmeal! Have fun, peeps!

 

[AliOop]

Those are some gorgeous swirls, Mr. @Zing - not what I would call "rustic" at all!

 

[TashaBird]

@Zing that’s super pretty and delicate swirl! It’s got a lace kind of feel.

 

[Picklekin]

Here is my attempt:

It's coloured with cocoa and I used coffee ice cubes too. Just TD in the white, flavoured with chocolate orange FO.

They are stumpy because I'm still very much learning and already have more soap than I know what to do with!

This was my first go using embeds, I'm not unhappy with the result, but felt my placement could have been better. I wanted the dots to look random but now realise that *looking random* does not equal *throw in randomly*..

 

[MellonFriend]

Here is my attempt:View attachment 67411
It's coloured with cocoa and I used coffee ice cubes too. Just TD in the white, flavoured with chocolate orange FO.

They are stumpy because I'm still very much learning and already have more soap than I know what to do with!

This was my first go using embeds, I'm not unhappy with the result, but felt my placement could have been better. I wanted the dots to look random but now realise that *looking random* does not equal *throw in randomly*..

I think they look random! I really love them!

 

[missbipbip]

Here is my attempt:View attachment 67411
It's coloured with cocoa and I used coffee ice cubes too. Just TD in the white, flavoured with chocolate orange FO.

They are stumpy because I'm still very much learning and already have more soap than I know what to do with!

This was my first go using embeds, I'm not unhappy with the result, but felt my placement could have been better. I wanted the dots to look random but now realise that *looking random* does not equal *throw in randomly*..

I love your random dots, and I think they look great!!! I have more soap than I know what to do with as well, so I know exactly what you mean! LOL

 

[earlene]

Everyone's soaps look lovely.

I wanted to make soap this month, but life (& death) happened, and I simply did not find the mood.

I really do need to make something in commemoration of my MIL, but this was not the time.

 

[Dooleykins]

These are lovely, I wish I knew his to make it. I'd love to known the process.

There are a few tutorials on YouTube for wood grain pour. I watched a few of them and then kind of winged it. Making sure you cut the bars correctly is the tricky part.

I really like how the finished bars look, even cut across, so I now use this technique for a few of my designs.

 

[dibbles]

It was fun to see what everyone made! Thanks for playing along. and now on to the July Challenge:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/july-2022-smf-challenge-kiss-pour-technique.88136/

 

[Raycreations33]

I used Dutch processed cocoa as one of the browns in my wood grain soap (Mahogany Shea). I dispersed in oil like I do with my micas, but definitely had to use more. It's the furthest right in the last pic.

Pretty happy with how it turned out. I figured with the multiple browns, it would still look ok even if the cocoa powder fades over time.

Those are some stunning bars! I love your wood grain effect.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@dibbles Thanks so much for running the June cocoa unchallenge . I’m on such a cocoa kick now that I ended up using it to make a kaleidoscope soap with my new set up. I had a really hard time seeing down the 10” mold, but I think the soap is cute. I thought I would post it here because the contrast between the two types of cocoa (Black and Dutch process from King Arthur Flour) shows up especially well in these soaps. I used brewed coffee for the water split. Soap inspired by Kapia Mera.

 

[dibbles]

@dibbles Thanks so much for running the June cocoa unchallenge . I’m on such a cocoa kick now that I ended up using it to make a kaleidoscope soap with my new set up. I had a really hard time seeing down the 10” mold, but I think the soap is cute. I thought I would post it here because the contrast between the two types of cocoa (Black and Dutch process from King Arthur Flour) shows up especially well in these soaps. I used brewed coffee for the water split. Soap inspired by Kapia Mera.

View attachment 67529

Wow they are so beautiful

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Wow they are so beautiful

Thank you!