What is the weirdest thing you've put in soap ?

[Vital_Acre]

I am boring as all get out because I haven't put anything 'weird' by even the tamest stretch of imagination. Putting pet and human hair in soap...that is just nasty. There are things that just shouldn't be done.

I've consider playing with adding pumpkin, carrot, avocado, cucumber, etc but when it came down to it...I just didn't think the label appeal was worth the effort.

I have put all of the above in my soap (not the hair), but almost all my soaps have a "garden theme" incorporating something that we've grown. It is a lot of work though, lol. I think the weirdest thing I've put in is okra water. I figured the mucilage would have a similar bubbling effect to aloe. I think it does. I still need to try corn silk and eggs!

 

[Shelley D]

I am boring as all get out because I haven't put anything 'weird' by even the tamest stretch of imagination. Putting pet and human hair in soap...that is just nasty. There are things that just shouldn't be done.

I've consider playing with adding pumpkin, carrot, avocado, cucumber, etc but when it came down to it...I just didn't think the label appeal was worth the effort.

I agree with the part about it not being worth the effort ~ not for lack of want to, just lack of energy. I have been thinking about avocado in soap ~ would fresh be any better than oil or butter? And would I have the energy to do the extra work? I do like using avocado oil I'm my oil blends, I don't recall if I've used any in any of my earlier recipes though but I've been out for a while ~ time to get some more!

 

[TheGecko]

I agree with the part about it not being worth the effort ~ not for lack of want to, just lack of energy. I have been thinking about avocado in soap ~ would fresh be any better than oil or butter? And would I have the energy to do the extra work? I do like using avocado oil I'm my oil blends, I don't recall if I've used any in any of my earlier recipes though but I've been out for a while ~ time to get some more!

Yeah...I'm not seeing how adding actual avocado is going to be more beneficial than just using Avocado Oil. And you don't have to through the extra steps to make sure that it is well pureed and incorporated because you don't want food spoiling your soap.

One of the soaps I made in the beginning had Walnut Shells in it. Even though I noted it in my Ingredients label in big, capital red letters...almost had a lady with a nut allergy buy the soap. And even though I would have prevailed in a law suit, that's still money and time out of my pocket.

I thought about pumpkin, but unless I'm making a huge batch of soap what am I going to do with the rest of the can? Seemed like a waste of pumpkin to me.

And then there is all the other stuff that I have heard people add and I wonder if it really adds anything to the soap given the small amounts used or is it strictly for label appeal?

 

[Shelley D]

Yeah...I'm not seeing how adding actual avocado is going to be more beneficial than just using Avocado Oil. And you don't have to through the extra steps to make sure that it is well pureed and incorporated because you don't want food spoiling your soap.

One of the soaps I made in the beginning had Walnut Shells in it. Even though I noted it in my Ingredients label in big, capital red letters...almost had a lady with a nut allergy buy the soap. And even though I would have prevailed in a law suit, that's still money and time out of my pocket.

I thought about pumpkin, but unless I'm making a huge batch of soap what am I going to do with the rest of the can? Seemed like a waste of pumpkin to me.

And then there is all the other stuff that I have heard people add and I wonder if it really adds anything to the soap given the small amounts used or is it strictly for label appeal?

And I don't sell so it all boils down to will it be worth it for my own personal use ~ that's where I usually draw the line and just buy an organic oil or butter, if one is available

 

[Zoo]

Steeping coffee grounds in oil isn't going to soften the coffee grounds

I agree. Simply steeping the grounds is insufficient to make the coffee soap I'm producing. However, I place the espresso ground coffee in a crock pot with the Olive Oil on medium (180 degree) heat for about 4 hours. The coffee is softened and the oil is infused with all the color, fragrance, and other constituents that would be greatly diminished if I used previously brewed coffee. My finished soap has a rich brown color and a medium-strong, somewhat earthing, fragrance. Most customers that try it, come back for more. Even more importantly, they buy more to give to friends and family. To me, that's the greatest sign of a successful process.

 

[Elise]

Algae collected from the ocean, ground up. Also used sea water from that day.View attachment 75642

I really like this idea. It could be kind of a little "souvenir" of a day at the beach. Would you mind sharing your process of drying, cleaning and incorporating the algae into the soap ? How much ppo ?

 

[Misschief]

I really like this idea. It could be kind of a little "souvenir" of a day at the beach. Would you mind sharing your process of drying, cleaning and incorporating the algae into the soap ? How much ppo ?

I did that... Not with alage but when we took my then 12 y.o. grandson to Long Beach (Vancouver Island), we brought back some beach sand and a gallon of ocean water (which I also use in a couple other soaps). I used it to make soap and coloured it with the colours in the t-shirt my grandson wore that day. I made sure he also got a couple of bars of that soap and called it Memories of Long Beach.

 

[Georgeandstella]

I really like this idea. It we could be kind of a little "souvenir" of a day at the beach. Would you mind sharing your process of drying, cleaning and incorporating the algae into the soap ? How much ppo ?

This is exactly what I did! We had a lovely weekend at the beach with friends, so I collected the wet seaweed and a separate container of seawater. I cleaned the seaweed in boiling water, then dried it in a colander outside. I continued to leave it to dry, then cut it into fine pieces. I used this in the “sand“ portion of my seascape soap (and seawater as the liquid)-you can see it in the bottom boat soap sand. I plan to use it more-same as green tea or other herbals.

 

[Elise]

This is exactly what I did! We had a lovely weekend at the beach with friends, so I collected the wet seaweed and a separate container of seawater. I cleaned the seaweed in boiling water, then dried it in a colander outside. I continued to leave it to dry, then cut it into fine pieces. I used this in the “sand“ portion of my seascape soap (and seawater as the liquid)-you can see it in the bottom boat soap sand. I plan to use it more-same as green tea or other herbals.View attachment 75667

Thank you ! Your soap is lovely. Now I have to remember to bring containers for potential seaweed and seawater next time I'll go to the beach. Which won't be for a while however

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

What does the egg shell do for your soap? Any issues with DOS due to the mineral content or any such problem? Usual cure time or?? Discoloration?



Uhhhh.... I know I keep telling people to push the envelope....but dear mother of all that is holy.... WHYYYY



Again... Please tell me she is NOT selling her baby abominations....

I've not had any issues with DOS and I've a bar of it that I first made with the whole egg 6 years ago and it's still fine. I don't know that the shell adds anything, it was more of just an experiment that I wanted to see if there was any issue with it. The cure time was normal, no discoloration, no unusual behavior at all. I can say that I love soaps made with egg. I've tried just egg whites and just egg yolks, I've tried duck egg and chicken eggs and guinea eggs. I like the whole eggs the best, the yolks tend to make the soap more yellowy, egg whites don't feel as rich to me in the lather. The whole egg soap has just a wonderful luxurious feel, a creamy lather, and a kind of silkiness to it. I'd add it to all of my soaps but there are people with egg allergies so I have to cure them separately from my regular soap and I don't have all that much space to store so I usually only add egg in a few batches a year.

Hi, is this for exfoliant? I’m drying and grinding eggshells, but not fine enough to not be exfoliating thank you

I put the whole egg in a blender and just blended it together with the oils. I didn't notice any exfoliating properties.

 

[Joy Wolff]

Neem leaf powder. It has a nice scent, and also is good for my daughter's acne.

 

[Georgeandstella]

Thank you ! Your soap is lovely. Now I have to remember to bring containers for potential seaweed and seawater next time I'll go to the beach. Which won't be for a while however

You can collect seawater in your water bottles or other beverage containers that you bring to the beach

 

[afwings]

I agree with the part about it not being worth the effort ~ not for lack of want to, just lack of energy. I have been thinking about avocado in soap ~ would fresh be any better than oil or butter? And would I have the energy to do the extra work? I do like using avocado oil I'm my oil blends, I don't recall if I've used any in any of my earlier recipes though but I've been out for a while ~ time to get some more!

I haven’t read everyone else’s responses yet, but when I add avocado to soap, I don’t use fresh. I get “Simply Avocado” at the grocery store, and use that. It’s only avocado, no add-ins. I add it to the oil by blending it in before adding the lye water. I use 2 oz PPO.

I didn't realize it would be different ~ I have wondered about a chocolate coffee combo just for fun

I have one of those — mocaccino.

Colors are a bit off in this photo. In the swirled part, it’s half white and half brown, colored with cocoa powder.

 

[Shelley D]

I haven’t read everyone else’s responses yet, but when I add avocado to soap, I don’t use fresh. I get “Simply Avocado” at the grocery store, and use that. It’s only avocado, no add-ins. I add it to the oil by blending it in before adding the lye water. I use 2 oz PPO.

Neat idea! I hadn't thought of that!

 

[Joy Wolff]

I haven’t read everyone else’s responses yet, but when I add avocado to soap, I don’t use fresh. I get “Simply Avocado” at the grocery store, and use that. It’s only avocado, no add-ins. I add it to the oil by blending it in before adding the lye water. I use 2 oz PPO.


I have one of those — mocaccino.View attachment 77362
Colors are a bit off in this photo. In the swirled part, it’s half white and half brown, colored with cocoa powder.

I love this alot! How did you achieve the swirl effect on only half of the bar?