Why Yes, I did do 4 CP Soaps my very first time... What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

[Juxtapose]

Not Perfect, But I love them! My first Batches of CP Soap

Let me start first by saying thank you so much to this community for being here.
Your advice, examples, stories, comments, wins, loses, etc... all of them help a beginning soapmaker like me so much.

The Deets:

I made 4 different batches on Monday morning.

Batch #1 - "Orange you Glad There was no Banana?"
- Coconut Oil & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with orange and citrus scents
- Olive oil was infused with orange rinds
(Still in the mold, poor thing needed more "rest".)

Batch #2 - "Coffee Powered"
- Canola, Coconut, & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with coconut and clove scents
- Olive oil was infused with dark roast coffee beans

Batch #3 - "A Wish for a Rose"
- Lard, Coconut & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with woody and floral scents
- Olive oil was infused with dried rose petals

Batch #4 - "Rainberry"
- Avocado Oil, Canola Oil, Castor Oil, Peanut Oil, Olive Oil, Lard & Coconut Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with fruity and floral scents
- Olive oil was infused with an assortment of dried spices


Just got done popping them from the mold and cutting, well all except #1.
Gave them a little whack with my logo stamp and tucked them away to cure.

Can't wait till I make more.
Practice makes perfect, right?

Whatcha think?

Best,

Shannon

 

[KiwiMoose]

Eh? Your first soap? Go straight to the top of the class!

 

[dmcgee5034]

Hi and lovely soaps

 

[MellonFriend]

Absolutely beautiful. You have some serious talent for this it seem. I shake my head in disbelief.

Thus ensues the wait for them to be cured, am I right?!

 

[dibbles]

Beautiful!

 

[Juxtapose]

Eh? Your first soap? Go straight to the top of the class!

Hehehe... you know, I was never a straight A student. So, thanks! LOL

Absolutely beautiful. You have some serious talent for this it seem. I shake my head in disbelief.

Thus ensues the wait for them to be cured, am I right?!

Thank you.

Oh my gosh, right? Waiting. You know, the older I get the easier it is to wait. But I can still peek every day. LOL

Beautiful!

Thank you!

Hi and lovely soaps

Thank you!
And I love your "life is too short" quote. Wise words indeed.

 

[Zing]

Hmm, "first time," gotcha, wink wink.
Just kidding.
Great job there and what an overachiever beginner we have here. Not only did you do four but you have multiple colors and scents and sugar and swirls and stamps -- and pretty tops to boot!
You're curing in the open, right? Just checking 'cuz you said "tucked away."

 

[Ephemerella]

Wow! Wow! Wow! I think I made 40 batches before mine were so consistent and lovely! WAY TO GO!

I just love how your wooden loaf molds are all shiny-new-like lookin' too! I remember when mine used to look like that

 

[Juxtapose]

Hmm, "first time," gotcha, wink wink.
Just kidding.
Great job there and what an overachiever beginner we have here. Not only did you do four but you have multiple colors and scents and sugar and swirls and stamps -- and pretty tops to boot!
You're curing in the open, right? Just checking 'cuz you said "tucked away."

Thanks!

Um, yeah. Right now I'm using a super duper custom curing cabinet in my living room. (see pic)
This weekend I have a super small temp controlled room that I will convert to a curing space for my soaps with a fan and vented shelves.

Wow! Wow! Wow! I think I made 40 batches before mine were so consistent and lovely! WAY TO GO!

I just love how your wooden loaf molds are all shiny-new-like lookin' too! I remember when mine used to look like that

Thank you. LOL

yeah, I've been debating if I want to clear coat the wood on the outside for easy clean up.
Or, if I care that much.

I foresee myself out growing these molds in the next few months. I may custom build my own at some point. Not sure yet.

 

[Ephemerella]

[rubbing her crystal ball and sporting a bedazzled head scarf] I foresee you growing out of that cabinet in the next few weeks

Seriously awesome first go. I.M.P.R.E.S.S.I.V.E.

 

[BWt]

Wowsa! Have been soaping one year and still couldn’t do 4 batches at once!
Your soaps are lovely. Recommend for a more heavily coffee scented soap try infusing your soap oils with espresso or other dark roasted coffee beans which have been finely ground. I let the infusion sit for a few weeks then pour out amount needed through small sized filter. Gives the soap more of a coffee boost. Infusions of dried then ground botanicals such as calendula or others also work well. In a pinch the infusions can be heated to speed things up.

 

[Juxtapose]

Wowsa! Have been soaping one year and still couldn’t do 4 batches at once!
Your soaps are lovely. Recommend for a more heavily coffee scented soap try infusing your soap oils with espresso or other dark roasted coffee beans which have been finely ground. I let the infusion sit for a few weeks then pour out amount needed through small sized filter. Gives the soap more of a coffee boost. Infusions of dried then ground botanicals such as calendula or others also work well. In a pinch the infusions can be heated to speed things up.

Aww, thanks.
& Thanks for the tip!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I foresee myself out growing these molds in the next few months.

Your future. Star Date: March 19, 2024

 

[melinda48]

Not Perfect, But I love them! My first Batches of CP Soap

Let me start first by saying thank you so much to this community for being here.
Your advice, examples, stories, comments, wins, loses, etc... all of them help a beginning soapmaker like me so much.

The Deets:

I made 4 different batches on Monday morning.

Batch #1 - "Orange you Glad There was no Banana?"
- Coconut Oil & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with orange and citrus scents
- Olive oil was infused with orange rinds
(Still in the mold, poor thing needed more "rest".)

Batch #2 - "Coffee Powered"
- Canola, Coconut, & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with coconut and clove scents
- Olive oil was infused with dark roast coffee beans

Batch #3 - "A Wish for a Rose"
- Lard, Coconut & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with woody and floral scents
- Olive oil was infused with dried rose petals

Batch #4 - "Rainberry"
- Avocado Oil, Canola Oil, Castor Oil, Peanut Oil, Olive Oil, Lard & Coconut Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with fruity and floral scents
- Olive oil was infused with an assortment of dried spices


Just got done popping them from the mold and cutting, well all except #1.
Gave them a little whack with my logo stamp and tucked them away to cure.

Can't wait till I make more.
Practice makes perfect, right?

Whatcha think?

Best,

Shannon

View attachment 71329

View attachment 71330

View attachment 71331

Jealousy is oozing out of every pore! Beautiful!!

 

[Georgeandstella]

Wowsa! Have been soaping one year and still couldn’t do 4 batches at once!
Your soaps are lovely. Recommend for a more heavily coffee scented soap try infusing your soap oils with espresso or other dark roasted coffee beans which have been finely ground. I let the infusion sit for a few weeks then pour out amount needed through small sized filter. Gives the soap more of a coffee boost. Infusions of dried then ground botanicals such as calendula or others also work well. In a pinch the infusions can be heated to speed things up.

Hi, does the coffee smell remain after saponification?

Not Perfect, But I love them! My first Batches of CP Soap

Let me start first by saying thank you so much to this community for being here.
Your advice, examples, stories, comments, wins, loses, etc... all of them help a beginning soapmaker like me so much.

The Deets:

I made 4 different batches on Monday morning.

Batch #1 - "Orange you Glad There was no Banana?"
- Coconut Oil & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with orange and citrus scents
- Olive oil was infused with orange rinds
(Still in the mold, poor thing needed more "rest".)

Batch #2 - "Coffee Powered"
- Canola, Coconut, & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with coconut and clove scents
- Olive oil was infused with dark roast coffee beans

Batch #3 - "A Wish for a Rose"
- Lard, Coconut & Olive Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with woody and floral scents
- Olive oil was infused with dried rose petals

Batch #4 - "Rainberry"
- Avocado Oil, Canola Oil, Castor Oil, Peanut Oil, Olive Oil, Lard & Coconut Oil
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Lye water
- 2 color mica blend
- Custom FO blend with fruity and floral scents
- Olive oil was infused with an assortment of dried spices


Just got done popping them from the mold and cutting, well all except #1.
Gave them a little whack with my logo stamp and tucked them away to cure.

Can't wait till I make more.
Practice makes perfect, right?

Whatcha think?

Best,

Shannon

View attachment 71329

View attachment 71330

View attachment 71331They are so pretty ! Can’t wait to see the cut picks of the other loaf.
Did you notice any difference in your trace speed with the different mixtures of oil? You didn’t note the %s of each but I’m assuming the hard oils (coconut and lard) to soft oils varied with each batch. Thanks for sharing!

 

[BWt]

Hi, does the coffee smell remain after saponification?

Coffee scent remains only slightly as lye tends to eat most of it. Using coffee EO helps but this EO is pricey.

Discovering lately that coffee fragrance oil is best way to coffee scent if wanting stronger coffee scent.

 

[Juxtapose]

@Georgeandstella I Agree with @bwtapestry
The coffee smell at this stage has been overtaken by more of a chocolate aroma in my particular bar.

I'm not certain I will make a coffee scented soap again, may leave that smell to candles.
YMMV

Cheers,
Jux

 

[Georgeandstella]

Coffee scent remains only slightly as lye tends to eat most of it. Using coffee EO helps but this EO is pricey.

Discovering lately that coffee fragrance oil is best way to coffee scent if wanting stronger coffee scent.

So what is the benefit of using coffee? Other than it sounds cool

 

[Zing]

So what is the benefit of using coffee? Other than it sounds cool

I use brewed coffee and coffee grounds all the time. One, it does sound cool! I like the color and exfoliants. There's some talk on the interwebs -- and if it's on the computer, you know it's true -- that it helps to de-odorize. I have not tested the deodorizing and don't make that claim anyway.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

So what is the benefit of using coffee? Other than it sounds cool

Coffee Kitchen Soap is a cook's best friend! It removes stinky odors like garlic, onion and fish from the hands. Yes, it really does do that. Back in the day, a favorite housewarming gift was made up of 3 soaps: Kitchen (Coffee), Gardener's (Herbal) & Mechanic's (Pumice).

Read reviews here.