Cherry Blossom soap

I'm so happy with how this soap turned out. I planned for pink drops (cherries) and green leaves on top. It's pretty close to how I imagined it should be. Now I wish I made a larger batch...

Oils: coconut, olive, wheat germ, castor, shea butter
Liquid: water
Additives: TD, pink clay, green clay, rhubarb root and alkanet infused olive oil (for the pink)
Scent: Japanese Cherry Blossom

 That brownish stuff on top is actually much lighter, it only shows up in the pictures. Does anybody know what that could be?

Going palm free - rosemary & yoghurt soap

The good thing about palm oil is that it's cheap, it makes a nice hard bar and palmpit oil makes great lather. The bad thing about palm oil is that the expansion of palm plantations into high conservation value forests is recognized as a leading thread to critically endangered species including orangutans, elephants and tigers.

That's why I decided to stop using palm oil from now on. Of course there is sustainable palm oil available but it's so expensive I'd rather skip it altogether. Right now I am in a transition fase because I have some palm kernel oil left I need to finish first.

I made these rosemary & yoghurt bars on Friday. To compensate the lack of palm oil and hardness, I used 40% coconut oil and yoghurt. I know a lot of soapmakers say you shouldn't  use more than 30% coconut oil because it's drying to the skin. But I love my 100% coconut oil bars so how bad could a percentage of 40-50 be? I might just use a slightly higher superfatting percentage next time.

Oils: coconut, olive (rosemary infused), sunflower, castor, wheat germ, palm pit
Liquid: yoghurt and water 50/50
Additives: 3/4 green alg powder, 1/4 ghassoul clay, a splash of yoghurt mixed with the oils, 1/2 ts honey
Scent: EO rosemary, anis and juniper

The hanger swirl failed, it's still just 2 layers.

Coconutmilk & shea butter soap

Oils: olive, coconut, sunflower, sesame, castor, palmpit, shea butter

Liquid: water/coconutmilk 50/50
Additives: rhassul clay powder
Scent: FO coconut & shea (round soaps) EO eucalyptus (squares)


A while ago I made soap with coconut milk in it not knowing it would make such a lovely bar. I didn't expect much from it. But it turned out coconut milk is a great soap ingredient. The soap felt lotionlike and very smooth and creamy. So I made another batch. The two square ones are for my personal use. They are scented with eucalyptus EO, a smell I love. The others are for presents and maybe I'll try and sell some too.

New mold

My dad rocks! He made me a perspex mold for 25 pieces of 5x5 cm soap. I made four to test it, worked just fine. The deviders are a bit wobbly though, they aren't exactely squares.

Oils: olive (St. Johnsworth infused), coconut, palm, palm kernel, sunflower, sesame, castor, wheat germ
Liquid: water
Additives: green clay, spirulina, silk, zinc oxide
Scent: EO fir and juniper

100% olive oil soap

Oil: extra vierge olive oil
Liquid: water
Additives: green, red and white clay
Scent: lavender essential oil
Method: CPOP, after pouring the soap into the mold I put it in the oven for 5 hours at 75 C.

Green clay soap

Oils: olive, coconut, palm, castor, shea butter, wheat germ
Liquid: water
Additives: green clay powder
Scent: FO childrens room (violets & peonie)

And the ever expanding bowl of mini soaps:

Three herbs soap

Oils: olive (plantane, nettle and field horsetail infused), coconut, palm, castor, sesame
Liquid: strongly brewed plantane-, nettle- & field horsetail tea
Additives: Heilerde (German healing clay)
Essential oils: eucalyptus and camphor

Tomato soap

Oils: olive (calendula macarat), coconut, palm, sesame, castor, wheat germ
Liquid: water
Additives: tomato puree, red clay powder, thyme leaves
Scent: tomato leaf fragrance oil

Tomatoes contain lycopene which is known to be an antioxidant. It is said to reduce large pores and acne and clear up dull skin. I don't know if it works like that in soap but the color sure is nice!

Dog shampoo bars

Oils: olive 40%, coconut 35%, castor 15%, shea butter 5%, hemp 5%
Liquid: sea salt dissolved in water
Additives: Dead Sea mud, sea salt
Perfume: rosemary, tea tree, lavender, ceder essential oil

Castille soap

I made these the CP method and put them for about 24 hours in the oven (70 degrees Celcius) two days later. It cerntainly speeded up the curing! Some tiny bubbles formed though but they don't really bother me that much.

Ghassoul clay soap

Currently curing.

Oils: olive, coconut, palm, castor and shea butter
Additives: ghassoul clay powder, thyme leaves
Perfume: essential oils juniper and a hint of eucalyptus

Anise soap with Heilaarde

Ingredients
olive oil
coconut oil
palm oil
hemp oil
green tea
NaOH
Luvos heilaarde
activated charcoal powder
sesame seeds
essential oils anise, ginger and juniper 3:2:1

A bit too soon with the soap stamp:

Twelve hours after pouring:

seasalt soap

Ingredients
coconut oil
sea salt
Dead Sea mud
eucalyptus essential oil

Right after pouring:

green and red clay

Ingredients
olive oil
coconut oil
hemp oil
water
NaOH
green clay powder
red clay powder
pine tree essential oil

Right after pouring: 

3 days after pouring: 

green clay & green tea

Date made: 27-12-2012

Ingredients
olive oil
coconut oil
hemp oil
green tea powder extract
green clay powder
red clay powder
juniper essential oil

coconut oil with Dead Sea mud

Date: 25-12-2012

Ingredients
90% coconut oil
10% avocado oil
Dead Sea mud
cranberry powder
rosemary essential oil

coconut oil soap

Date: 16-12-2012

Ingredients

100% coconut oil

water

NaOH

activated charcoal

red clay powder

lavender essential oil

rosemary & green clay

Date: 13-12-2012

Ingredients
olive oil infused with Plantago major
coconut oil
shea butter
water
NaOH
green clay powder
rosemary essentail oil