It’s amazing what a little mica can do. It adds a beautiful iridescence to handmade bath and beauty products. This Moonstone Cold Process Soap has a layered design, but what makes it special is the glimmer on top.

The recipe is topped with Snowflake Sparkle, Aqua Pearl, Party Pink, and Lavender Micas. You can place the colors on top of the soap easily using the new Powder Sprayer, which is part of our gemstone collection. All you have to do is press the top of the sprayer and the mica is dusted onto your soap. It’s an easy way to work with powders, and also happens to be pretty fun to use.

This recipe is scented with new Moonstone Fragrance Oil, which is a combination of soft floral, light powder, and sweet fruit. It has notes of lavender, bergamot, jasmine, violet, sandalwood, and vanilla. You can sample Moonstone and three other new scents in the Gemstone Fragrance Oil Collection. It includes 2 ounces of each fragrance for just $16.95, and is available until Sept. 3rd. 

The Moonstone Fragrance Oil discolors to a soft brown. To combat the discoloration, this recipe includes plenty of titanium dioxide. An abundance of titanium dioxide can lead to glycerin rivers – learn more about glycerin rivers here. To prevent glycerin rivers this recipe has a 15% water discount, so be ready to move quickly.

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
54 oz. Basic Quick Mix
7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
15.1 oz. Distilled Water (15% water discount)
3.5 oz. Moonstone Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Snowflake Sparkle Mica
Aqua Pearl Mica
Magenta Mica
Lavender Mica
Party Pink Mica
Four Powder Sprayers

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. Or if you’d prefer to read, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip, but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.

Next, disperse 4 teaspoons of the colorant into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica, Lavender Mica, and Magenta Mica into 1/2 tablespoon of liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps. Fill the four powder sprayers separately with Snowflake Sparkle Mica, Lavender Mica, Party Pink Mica, and Aqua Pearl Mica. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Moonstone Fragrance Oil into a glass container that is safe for use with fragrance oil. Set aside.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you prefer a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 tsp. of sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 54 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.

THREE: Add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and Moonstone Fragrance Oil to the soap. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in. If the mixture is still very thin, quickly pulse it with the stick blender to thicken the soap to a light medium trace.

FOUR: Pour 17 ounces of soap into each of three separate containers. Add the following dispersed colorants into each container, and use a whisk to fully mix them in.

• Container A (pink): 1 1/4 tsp. dispersed Magenta Mica
• Container B (purple): All dispersed Lavender Mica
• Container C (blue): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica

FIVE: Pour 1/3 of the white soap into the mold (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Don’t worry about the layer being straight. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.

SIX: Pour half of the blue soap onto the white. Use a spoon to spread the blue soap throughout the mold. Again, don’t worry about the layer being straight.

SEVEN: Use the powder sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the blue layer of soap with mica.
NOTE: We sprayed Snowflake Sparkle Mica in between the layers of this soap. The final effect is not quite as noticeable as we thought it would be. You can skip these steps if you’d like, or follow the instructions as written if you like as much sparkle as possible.

EIGHT: Pour half of the pink soap onto the blue layer. Use a spoon to spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the powder sprayer with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the pink layer.

NINE: Cover the pink layer with half of the purple soap. Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap. Use the Powder Sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the purple layer. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.

TEN: Repeat this layering process with another 1/3 of the white soap and the remaining blue, pink, and purple soaps. Between the blue, pink, and purple layers, use the powder sprayer again to completely cover the soap with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.

ELEVEN: Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Cover the purple layer with the remaining white soap and use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the spoon to create texture on the top. There is no right or wrong way to create texture, so have fun with it!

TWELVE: Once you’re happy with the top, use the powder sprayer to completely cover the top with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.

THIRTEEN: Use the powder sprayers filled with Lavender Mica, Aqua Pearl Mica, and Party Pink Mica to spray the colors on the top of the soap in different areas. There is no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it! But remember – you can always add more color, so start slow. Adding too much color will take away the soft “pearly” look. Less is more in this case!

FOURTEEN: Once you’re happy with the top, allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Because it has a water discount, you may be able to unmold it faster than a normal recipe. Once it’s ready, unmold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Because it has a water discount, it will cure slightly faster than a normal recipe. Enjoy!
NOTE: We did not spray the top of the soap with alcohol because it may disrupt the mica dusting. We didn’t notice any soda ash. If you’d like, you can spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just make sure the spray is extremely fine, and test a small area first to make sure it doesn’t cause the mica dust to drip.

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Moonstone Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This Moonstone Cold Process Soap has a layered design, but what makes it special is the glimmer on top.

Course Cold process

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
• 54 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 15.1 oz. Distilled Water 15% water discount
• 3.5 oz. Moonstone Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Snowflake Sparkle Mica
• Aqua Pearl Mica
• Magenta Mica
• Lavender Mica
• Party Pink Mica
• Four Powder Sprayers

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip, but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Next, disperse 4 teaspoons of the colorant into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica, Lavender Mica, and Magenta Mica into 1/2 tablespoon of liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps. Fill the four powder sprayers separately with Snowflake Sparkle Mica, Lavender Mica, Party Pink Mica, and Aqua Pearl Mica. Set aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Moonstone Fragrance Oil into a glass container that is safe for use with fragrance oil. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you prefer a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 3.5 tsp. of sodium lactate.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 54 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
• Add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and Moonstone Fragrance Oil to the soap. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in. If the mixture is still very thin, quickly pulse it with the stick blender to thicken the soap to a light medium trace.
• Pour 17 ounces of soap into each of three separate containers. Add the following dispersed colorants into each container, and use a whisk to fully mix them in.

  Container A (pink): 1 1/4 tsp. dispersed Magenta Mica

  Container B (purple): All dispersed Lavender Mica

  Container C (blue): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica
• Pour 1/3 of the white soap into the mold (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Don’t worry about the layer being straight. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
• Pour half of the blue soap onto the white. Use a spoon to spread the blue soap throughout the mold. Again, don’t worry about the layer being straight.
• Use the powder sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the blue layer of soap with mica. NOTE: We sprayed Snowflake Sparkle Mica in between the layers of this soap. The final effect is note quite as noticeable as we thought it would be. You can skip these steps if you’d like, or follow the instructions as written if you like as much sparkle as possible.
• Pour half of the pink soap onto the blue layer. Use a spoon to spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the powder sprayer with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the pink layer.
• Cover the pink layer with half of the purple soap. Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap. Use the Powder Sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the purple layer. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
• Repeat this layering process with another 1/3 of the white soap and the remaining blue, pink, and purple soaps. Between the blue, pink, and purple layers, use the powder sprayer again to completely cover the soap with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
• Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Cover the purple layer with the remaining white soap and use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the spoon to create texture on the top. There is no right or wrong way to create texture, so have fun with it!
• Once you’re happy with the top, use the powder sprayer to completely cover the top with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
• Use the powder sprayers filled with Lavender Mica, Aqua Pearl Mica, and Party Pink Mica to spray the colors on the top of the soap in different areas. There is no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it! But remember – you can always add more color, so start slow. Adding too much color will take away the soft “pearly” look. Less is more in this case!
• Once you’re happy with the top, allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Because it has a water discount, you may be able to unmold it faster than a normal recipe. Once it’s ready, unmold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Because it has a water discount, it will cure slightly faster than a normal recipe. Enjoy! NOTE: We did not spray the top of the soap with alcohol because it may disrupt the mica dusting. We didn’t notice any soda ash. If you’d like, you can spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just make sure the spray is extremely fine, and test a small area first to make sure it doesn’t cause the mica dust to drip.

The post Moonstone Cold Process Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

I’m constantly blown away by the talent and innovation in the soapmaking community. There are so many amazing ways to manipulate soap to create various effects. One of the most impressive techniques that I’ve seen in the past few years is the Sculpted Layers technique made popular by Claudia Carpenter of Om Nom Soap. When I first stumbled on Claudia’s Winter Wonderland Soap made with this technique, my first reaction was “HOW!?” I had never seen any soap quite like it before.

Claudia graciously shared her technique, which involves creating sturdy shapes that slide across the length of the mold to “sculpt” firm soap, leaving behind various shapes. The next layer is then poured on top, allowed to harden, and sculpted with the accompanying piece. Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks hosted a Sculpted Layers challenge in June. The entries were amazing. It’s a bit of a tricky technique to describe, so I recommend watching this video by Love Is Sweet Shop, this video by Kapia Mera Soap Co, or this video by Earth’s Raw Beauty to see it in action.

If you watched the videos above, you already know this technique is quite advanced. Between making the sculpting pieces, prepping the ingredients, and waiting the correct amount of time to sculpt each layer, it’s a long process. My team and I (thanks Caitlin!) came up with a fairly simple horse design which only required two sculpting pieces and three layers. The horse head template is already sized to fit inside the Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold; just download and print! To help the horse silhouette really pop, I chose a deep black color against swirls of white, pink, blue and yellow soap. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil gives the bars a sweet scent, and works great for this project because it gives you plenty of time to swirl.

The only downside to this technique (in my opinion) is it does result in a lot of “extra” soap. The technique requires you to scrape away soap to leave behind a shape. This requires you to make a lot of soap that you ultimately remove from the mold. If you want to save the soap that is scraped away, I recommend having an extra mold nearby to plop the soap into. My bars made with the leftover soap weren’t the prettiest (rainbow swirls and black soap mushed together is an interesting look) but they were still wonderful bars of soap!

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold
Horse Silhouette Template 

First Layer:
40 oz. Basic Quick Mix
5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
13.2 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Buttercup Mica
Magenta Mica
Blue Slushy Mica

Second Layer:
40 oz.  Basic Quick Mix
5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
13.2 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
Black Oxide

Third Layer:
20 oz. Basic Quick Mix
2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
 6.6 oz. Distilled Water
1 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Buttercup Mica
Magenta Mica
Blue Slushy Mica


Click here (or the button above) to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

SCULPTING “TOOL” PREP: First, you need to prep the tools to “sculpt” the soap. Arguably, this might be the trickiest part of the whole process. Some designs require multiple sculpting pieces that are incredibly intricate and complicated; check out all the pieces Claudia made for her soap! So awesome. I tried to keep mine rather simple and created three pieces. To make the pieces you need cardboard, clear plastic packing tape and three printed horse images.

The first piece I made was the entire horse image, which was placed on one end of the mold. I used this as a guide for pouring the soap into the mold to the appropriate heights (shown below). To make this piece, I cut the horse image and taped it to cardboard. Then, I cut the cardboard to include a lip on top to keep it in place.

The other two pieces were made in a similar way. Print the horse image on a piece of paper, cut the cardboard to fit inside the width of the inside of the mold, and cut. Then, wrap the whole thing in clear plastic tape. This prevents it from becoming soggy when it comes in contact with the soap batter. On the top lip, I included a small piece that hangs over the side of the mold (shown on the right in the image below). The way, when you slide the piece down the length of the mold, it will stay in the same place with each pass. This is an important part of this technique; each pass needs to go in the exact same place, or it will muddle the shape.

For the first piece, cut around the top of the horse head, ending where the nose begins to curve. This will be used to create the first layer.

The second piece needs to “complete” the first. Cut out the entire horse head, including the nose, leaving behind the spot under the nose. You can see what the two pieces should look like below. Set your pieces aside to prep the remaining ingredients.

If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

*NOTE: This recipe involves three different batches of soap. You can either prep all three batches at the same time, or one after the other after making the step before. Personally, I recommend prepping all three steps at the same time. This means prepping three bowls of oil and three containers of lye. All the colorants can be prepped before, and the fragrance oil can be weighed in the same glass container before pouring to save on dishes. Prepping everything at once ensures you don’t let the layer of soap below set too long and become too thick, which makes it impossible to smoothly drag your shape through the mold. This means the lye for the second and third layer will be on the cooler side, but I found that to work fine. If you prefer prepping your ingredients in a different order, feel free.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 2 teaspoon of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon Buttercup Mica, 1 teaspoon Magenta Mica and 1 teaspoon Slushy Blue Mica into 1 tablespoon of oil. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Black Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE OIL PREP: In a glass, fragrance oil safe container, measure 2 ounces of Apple Sage Fragrance Oil. Set aside. This is the fragrance for the first layer. Once you pour the fragrance into the soap, keep the cup around to measure the fragrance oil for the following batches.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water for all three batches, and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. You will have three containers of lye, with the amounts below. Once cooled, add sodium lactate to the lye water for a bar of soap that releases faster from the mold.

• Batch One Lye Solution: 13.2 oz. Distilled Water + 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye + 2.5 tsp. Sodium Lactate (optional)
• Batch Two Lye Solution: 13.2 oz. Distilled Water + 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye +  2.5 tsp. Sodium Lactate (optional)
• Batch Three Lye Solution: 6.6 oz. Distilled Water + 2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye + 1 tsp. Sodium Lactate (optional)

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Give it a good shake to mix all the oils, and measure out 40 ounces into one soaping bowl, 40 ounces into a second and 20 ounces into a third. Set aside the bowls of oil for batch two and three. Once the lye water and the oils for batch one have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the batch one lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Once you have a thin trace, add 1 Tbs. dispersed titanium dioxide into the entire batch. Split off three containers of 200 mL. Add the dispersed colorants in the following amounts below, and use a whisk to fully incorporate the colorants.

• Container A (200 mL): 1 tsp. dispersed Buttercup Mica
• Container B (200 mL): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Slushy Blue Mica
• Container C (200 mL): 1/2 tsp. Magenta Mica

FOUR: Add the measured Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into each container proportionally, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to mix in the fragrance oil. If the batter is still extremely thin, give the white soap a short burst or two with the stick blender to thicken slightly. The soap should be a thin-medium trace.

FIVE: Create an In-The-Pot Swirl by pouring the pink, yellow and blue soap into various areas of the white bowl of soap. Pour from various heights above the mold. This helps the colors break through the white, and reach the bottom of the bowl as well as the top. Once the colors have all been poured, use a chopstick or dowel to swirl the soap in a circular motion three to four times.

SIX: Pour the soap into the mold. The soap will not fill up the mold all the way; fill up to the middle-ish of the horse nose. Give the mold a tap on the counter to help release air bubbles.

SEVEN: Now, it’s time to wait for the soap to firm and harden. The soap should be firm enough to hold its shape, but thin enough for the soap to be scraped out smoothly. It’s a little hard to know when that “perfect” texture has been achieved. I tested every 3-5 minutes or so by scraping a small amount of the very top of the soap with a spoon. It is better to start scraping out the extra soap sooner rather than later. If the soap is not thick enough to hold any shape, let it harden for a few more minutes. But, if the soap is too thick, there is no going back. For this recipe, I found waiting about 8 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the first layer. Your soap may require more or less time, so keep an eye on it.

Once the soap is an appropriate texture, insert the cardboard shape with the horse nose into one edge of the soap, and begin pulling it through the mold. Place the extra soap into a separate mold if you’d like to save it. The first few passes with the cardboard shaper will be a little awkward and messy, but that’s okay! This process will begin to form the top of the horse’s outline including the mane, ears, and top of the nose.

Continue sliding the shaper through the mold. I recommend sliding it in both directions; it will help pull away every little bit of soap for the cleanest image. As you can see below, the shape of the horse is starting to come together! Once you pull the scraper away and it’s no longer pulling soap out, you know it’s done. Allow this layer to sit and harden for 10-15 minutes. The bottom layer should be firm enough to support a thin layer of soap on top without it squishing the small details of the mane, and general shape of the nose.

BATCH #2

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of the Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container, set aside.

EIGHT: Once the first layer is firm, it’s time to make the second layer. Heat up the bowl of oils for batch two if necessary to 120-130 ° F. Most likely, the lye water will be a little on the cool side, but that’s okay. Add the batch two lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

NINE: Add 1 teaspoon dispersed Black Oxide, and the measured Apple Sage Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant and fragrance oil.

TEN: While the soap is still thin, very gently and carefully pour the soap into the mold. Don’t pour from too high above the mold, or this can cause the soap to “crush” the bottom layer which could ruin the shape. Continue to pour the soap into the mold until completely full. Pour any extra soap into a separate container.

ELEVEN: Allow the black layer of soap to sit and harden for about 7-10 minutes. The exact time of your batch might vary, as the temperature of your soap will most likely be different, causing it to set up at a slightly different rate. Once the soap is firm enough to hold a shape, insert the small cardboard shape at one end, and slide it down the length of the mold. Place the “extra” soap into a separate mold. I had about 16 ounces of “discard” soap. Be careful to not let the cardboard shape “wiggle” too much as you drag it across, which will affect the shape of the horse image. Once all the “extra” black soap has been removed and the shape is nice and clean, it’s time for the third and final layer!

NOTE: As you can see below, I waited a teensy-tiny bit too long to pull the shaper through the mold. You can see how the top corner of the black soap didn’t pull away smoothly, but instead “tore” a bit. I used a spoon to smooth this out, and it ended up being okay. But this is actually what you want to avoid. 

BATCH #3

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1 ounce of the Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container, set aside.

TWELVE: Heat up the bowl of oils for batch three if necessary, to about 130 ° F. Most likely, the lye water will be a little on the cool side, but that’s okay. Add the batch three lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THIRTEEN: Once the soap is at a thin trace, add 1/2 Tbs. dispersed titanium dioxide into the entire batch. Split off three containers of soap at 100 mL each and add the following dispersed colorants below. Use a whisk to blend them in completely. Then, add the measured Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into the containers of soap proportionally, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to mix in.

• Container A (100 mL): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Buttercup Mica
• Container B (100 mL): 1/4 tsp. dispersed Slushy Blue Mica
• Container C (100 mL): 1/4 tsp. Magenta Mica

FOURTEEN: Just like the first batch, pour the pink, blue, and yellow (it will look orange!) soap into the bowl of white soap. Pour from varying heights to allow the soap to break into various spots of the bowl. Once all the colors have been poured, use the dowel or chopstick to fully swirl the soap in a circular motion several times.

FIFTEEN: Carefully pour the soap into the mold, starting by filling “empty” area of the mold where the black soap was scraped out. Continue to fill the mold completely, covering the top of the black soap. Use the back of a small spoon to even out the top of the soap if necessary. Spritz the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and allow to sit in the mold for about 2-3 days. I did not cover the soap, as it would have disrupted the top. If your soaping area is very cold, create a “cardboard tent” over the top to help insulate the soap for 24 hours.

After about 2-3 days, carefully remove from the mold, and cut into bars. I found that some bars turned out a little bit better than others, and you can very faintly see the difference between the first multi-colored layer, and the last because the swirl is slightly different.

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Horse Sculpted Layers Cold Process Soap

This soap uses the Sculpted Layers technique made popular by Claudia of Om Nom Soap to create a horse silhouette in the center of the bar.

Course Cold process

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 9 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold
• Horse Silhouette Template

First Layer:

• 40 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 13.2 oz. Distilled Water
• 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 2 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Buttercup Mica
• Magenta Mica
• Blue Slushy Mica

Second Layer:

• 40 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 13.2 oz. Distilled Water
• 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 2 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
• Black Oxide

Third Layer:

• 20 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 6.6 oz. Distilled Water
• 2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 1 oz. Apple Sage Fragrance Oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Buttercup Mica
• Magenta Mica
• Blue Slushy Mica

Instructions

SCULPTING “TOOL” PREP: First, you need to prep the tools to “sculpt” the soap. Arguably, this might be the trickiest part of the whole process. Some designs require multiple sculpting pieces that are incredibly intricate and complicated; check out all the pieces Claudia made for her soap! So awesome. I tried to keep mine rather simple and created three pieces. To make the pieces you need cardboard, clear plastic packing tape and three printed horse images.<br>The first piece I made was the entire horse image, which was placed on one end of the mold. I used this as a guide for pouring the soap into the mold to the appropriate heights (shown below). To make this piece, I cut the horse image and taped it to cardboard. Then, I cut the cardboard to include a lip on top to keep it in place.<br>The other two pieces were made in a similar way. Print the horse image on a piece of paper, cut the cardboard to fit inside the width of the inside of the mold, and cut. Then, wrap the whole thing in clear plastic tape. This prevents it from becoming soggy when it comes in contact with the soap batter. On the top lip, I included a small piece that hangs over the side of the mold (shown on the right in the image below). The way, when you slide the piece down the length of the mold, it will stay in the same place with each pass. This is an important part of this technique; each pass needs to go in the exact same place, or it will muddle the shape. For the first piece, cut around the top of the horse head, ending where the nose begins to curve. This will be used to create the first layer. The second piece needs to “complete” the first. Cut out the entire horse head, including the nose, leaving behind the spot under the nose. You can see what the two pieces should look like below. Set your pieces aside to prep the remaining ingredients.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

*NOTE: This recipe involves three different batches of soap. You can either prep all three batches at the same time, or one after the other after making the step before. Personally, I recommend prepping all three steps at the same time. This means prepping three bowls of oil and three containers of lye. All the colorants can be prepped before, and the fragrance oil can be weighed in the same glass container before pouring to save on dishes. Prepping everything at once ensures you don’t let the layer of soap below set too long and become too thick, which makes it impossible to smoothly drag your shape through the mold. This means the lye for the second and third layer will be on the cooler side, but I found that to work fine. If you prefer prepping your ingredients in a different order, feel free.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 2 teaspoon of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in a separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon Buttercup Mica, 1 teaspoon Magenta Mica and 1 teaspoon Slushy Blue Mica into 1 tablespoon of oil. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Black Oxide into 1/2 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE OIL PREP: In a glass, fragrance oil safe container, measure 2 ounces of Apple Sage Fragrance Oil. Set aside. This is the fragrance for the first layer. Once you pour the fragrance into the soap, keep the cup around to measure the fragrance oil for the following batches.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water for all three batches, and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. You will have three containers of lye, with the amounts below. Once cooled, add sodium lactate to the lye water for a bar of soap that releases faster from the mold.
  -Batch One Lye Solution: 13.2 oz. Distilled Water + 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye + 2.5 tsp. Sodium Lactate (optional)
  -Batch Two Lye Solution: 13.2 oz. Distilled Water + 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye + 2.5 tsp. Sodium Lactate (optional)
  -Batch Three Lye Solution: 6.6 oz. Distilled Water + 2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye + 1 tsp. Sodium Lactate (optional)
• Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Give it a good shake to mix all the oils, and measure out 40 ounces into one soaping bowl, 40 ounces into a second and 20 ounces into a third. Set aside the bowls of oil for batch two and three. Once the lye water and the oils for batch one have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the batch one lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
• Once you have a thin trace, add 1 Tbs. dispersed titanium dioxide into the entire batch. Split off three containers of 200 mL. Add the dispersed colorants in the following amounts below, and use a whisk to fully incorporate the colorants.
  -Container A (200 mL): 1 tsp. dispersed Buttercup Mica
  -Container B (200 mL): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Slushy Blue Mica
  -Container C (200 mL): 1/2 tsp. Magenta Mica
• Add the measured Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into each container proportionally, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to mix in the fragrance oil. If the batter is still extremely thin, give the white soap a short burst or two with the stick blender to thicken slightly. The soap should be a thin-medium trace.
• Create an In-The-Pot Swirl by pouring the pink, yellow and blue soap into various areas of the white bowl of soap. Pour from various heights above the mold. This helps the colors break through the white, and reach the bottom of the bowl as well as the top. Once the colors have all been poured, use a chopstick or dowel to swirl the soap in a circular motion three to four times.
• Pour the soap into the mold. The soap will not fill up the mold all the way; fill up to the middle-ish of the horse nose. Give the mold a tap on the counter to help release air bubbles.
• Now, it’s time to wait for the soap to firm and harden. The soap should be firm enough to hold its shape, but thin enough for the soap to be scraped out smoothly. It’s a little hard to know when that “perfect” texture has been achieved. I tested every 3-5 minutes or so by scraping a small amount of the very top of the soap with a spoon. It is better to start scraping out the extra soap sooner rather than later. If the soap is not thick enough to hold any shape, let it harden for a few more minutes. But, if the soap is too thick, there is no going back. For this recipe, I found waiting about 8 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the first layer. Your soap may require more or less time, so keep an eye on it.
  Once the soap is an appropriate texture, insert the cardboard shape with the horse nose into one edge of the soap, and begin pulling it through the mold. Place the extra soap into a separate mold if you’d like to save it. The first few passes with the cardboard shaper will be a little awkward and messy, but that’s okay! This process will begin to form the top of the horse’s outline including the mane, ears, and top of the nose.
  Continue sliding the shaper through the mold. I recommend sliding it in both directions; it will help pull away every little bit of soap for the cleanest image. As you can see below, the shape of the horse is starting to come together! Once you pull the scraper away and it’s no longer pulling soap out, you know it’s done. Allow this layer to sit and harden for 10-15 minutes. The bottom layer should be firm enough to support a thin layer of soap on top without it squishing the small details of the mane, and general shape of the nose.

BATCH #2

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of the Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container, set aside.

• Once the first layer is firm, it’s time to make the second layer. Heat up the bowl of oils for batch two if necessary to 120-130 ° F. Most likely, the lye water will be a little on the cool side, but that’s okay. Add the batch two lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
• Add 1 teaspoon dispersed Black Oxide, and the measured Apple Sage Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant and fragrance oil.
• While the soap is still thin, very gently and carefully pour the soap into the mold. Don’t pour from too high above the mold, or this can cause the soap to “crush” the bottom layer which could ruin the shape. Continue to pour the soap into the mold until completely full. Pour any extra soap into a separate container.
• Allow the black layer of soap to sit and harden for about 7-10 minutes. The exact time of your batch might vary, as the temperature of your soap will most likely be different, causing it to set up at a slightly different rate. Once the soap is firm enough to hold a shape, insert the small cardboard shape at one end, and slide it down the length of the mold. Place the “extra” soap into a separate mold. I had about 16 ounces of “discard” soap. Be careful to not let the cardboard shape “wiggle” too much as you drag it across, which will affect the shape of the horse image. Once all the “extra” black soap has been removed and the shape is nice and clean, it’s time for the third and final layer!

BATCH #3

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1 ounce of the Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container, set aside.

• Heat up the bowl of oils for batch three if necessary, to about 130 ° F. Most likely, the lye water will be a little on the cool side, but that’s okay. Add the batch three lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
• Once the soap is at a thin trace, add 1/2 Tbs. dispersed titanium dioxide into the entire batch. Split off three containers of soap at 100 mL each and add the following dispersed colorants below. Use a whisk to blend them in completely. Then, add the measured Apple Sage Fragrance Oil into the containers of soap proportionally, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to mix in.
  -Container A (100 mL): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Buttercup Mica
  -Container B (100 mL): 1/4 tsp. dispersed Slushy Blue Mica
  -Container C (100 mL): 1/4 tsp. Magenta Mica
• Just like the first batch, pour the pink, blue, and yellow (it will look orange!) soap into the bowl of white soap. Pour from varying heights to allow the soap to break into various spots of the bowl. Once all the colors have been poured, use the dowel or chopstick to fully swirl the soap in a circular motion several times.
• Carefully pour the soap into the mold, starting by filling “empty” area of the mold where the black soap was scraped out. Continue to fill the mold completely, covering the top of the black soap. Use the back of a small spoon to even out the top of the soap if necessary. Spritz the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and allow to sit in the mold for about 2-3 days. I did not cover the soap, as it would have disrupted the top. If your soaping area is very cold, create a “cardboard tent” over the top to help insulate the soap for 24 hours.
• After about 2-3 days, carefully remove from the mold, and cut into bars. I found that some bars turned out a little bit better than others, and you can very faintly see the difference between the first multi-colored layer, and the last because the swirl is slightly different.

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The post Horse Sculpted Layers Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

It’s hard to believe that fall will be here in less than a month (September 22nd to be exact). If you’re still holding onto summer, now is the time to squeeze in last minute summer projects. This Berry & Rhubarb Crumble Soap was inspired by the delicious summer dessert. A mixture of Magenta Mica and Brick Red Oxide Pigment create a red berry base. The “crumble” is made by adding walnut shells and rolled oats to the soap batter and placing it on top. Dollops of white “whipped cream” soap give these bars the finishing touch.

These bars are scented with the new Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil. It’s a delicious blend of red currant, tart rhubarb and juicy berry notes. It will make your mouth water! If you’re looking for more dessert-inspired projects, check out the Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes Tutorial or the Sparkling Champagne Soap Cupcakes on Soap Queen TV. Both of those projects involve making separate batches of cold process soap frosting. The “whipped cream” on this soap is made from the same batch. The soap is allowed to thicken in the container until it reaches a thick, spoonable consistency. If you’re a little nervous to make soap frosting, this technique is a great alternative!

What You’ll Need:
Silicone Cake Pan Mold
16.4 oz. Olive Oil
12.2 oz. Distilled Water
10.3 oz. Coconut Oil
8.2 oz. Palm Oil
5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
4.1 oz. Apricot Kernel Oil
2.1 oz. Castor Oil
2.5 oz. Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil
2.5 oz. Rolled Oats
Magenta Mica
Brick Red Oxide Pigment
Titanium Dioxide Pigment
Walnut Shells

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

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Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial

This Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap was inspired by the delicious summer dessert. Walnut shells and oatmeal give the crumble a realistic look!

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Silicone Cake Pan Mold
• 16.4 oz. Olive Oil
• 12.2 oz. Distilled Water
• 10.3 oz. Coconut Oil
• 8.2 oz. Palm Oil
• 5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 4.1 oz. Apricot Kernel Oil
• 2.1 oz. Castor Oil
• 2.5 oz. Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil
• 2.5 oz. Rolled Oats
• Magenta Mica
• Brick Red Oxide Pigment
• Titanium Dioxide Pigment
• Walnut Shells

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then, disperse 1/2 teaspoon Brick Red Oxide Pigment into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon Magenta Mica into 1 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any chunks.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.5 ounces of Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil into a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Melt and combine the apricot kernel oil, castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil and palm oil (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Once you reach a thin trace, add the Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil into the soap, and use the stick blender to pulse and stir the fragrance oil into the soap.
• FOUR: Split off two containers with about 400 mL of soap each. Set aside. To the remaining large batch of soap, add all the dispersed Magenta Mica and 1/4 teaspoon of dispersed Brick Red Oxide Pigment. Use the stick blender to fully mix in the colorants, and continue stick blending until you reach a medium trace.
• Pour the red soap into the Cake Pan Silicone Mold. Tap on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles. To one of the small containers of soap, add 2 tablespoons of walnut shells and 2.5 ounces of oatmeal. Use a spoon or whisk to fully mix in the walnut shells and oatmeal.
• Carefully spoon the oatmeal soap onto the red soap in the mold. Use a spoon to spread it evenly across the mold, and sprinkle a little extra oatmeal on top.
• To the final container of soap, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a spoon or whisk to fully mix in the colorant. If the soap is still thin, stick blend it to a thick trace. You want the soap to hold its shape when spooned onto the soap. If the soap is not becoming thick enough with stick blending, leave the soap in the container for about 5 minutes. As the soap sits in the container, it will begin to thicken.
• Once the white soap has become quite thick, place eight dollops along the outside of the mold. The dollops should be placed in the center of what will become slices once cut. Depending on how large you make the dollops of white soap, you may have some soap leftover. Transfer any leftover soap into a small, individual cavity mold.
• Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 2 days to harden. Remove from the mold, and cut into eight slices. Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks, and enjoy!

The post Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

I scented these bath bombs with a combination of Flower Child Fragrance Oil and Grapefruit Bellini Fragrance Oil. Flower Child is a unique and sophisticated floral scent with notes of bergamot, amber and jasmine. To lighten it up a bit for summer, I paired it with the bubbly and citrusy Grapefruit Bellini Fragrance Oil. It smells amazing!

When you use micas to color your bath fizzies, they may leave some color on the tub. This will depend on how big your tub is, and can vary depending on the color. For example, if you use Luster Black Mica, you may notice more color on the tub than with a lighter color. I recommend giving your bath a light wipe down before taking a bath so the oil around the tub won’t attract color. This always helps avoid a ring around the tub later on. Also, I like to have a wet rag to wipe off any color right off the tub. It comes off easily that way but don’t use a white wash rag for this. =) You can see how these fizzies looked in a veryyyyyy teeeeeeeeennnnnsy bit water in the video below!

A video posted by Anne-Marie (@brambleberry) on Jun 2, 2016 at 10:57am PDT

What You’ll Need:
5-6 Bath Bomb Mold & Packages
1 1/2 cups Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
3/4 cups Citric Acid
4 mL Flower Child Fragrance Oil
1 mL Grapefruit Bellini Fragrance Oil
9 mL Avocado Oil
Buttercup Mica
Magenta Mica
Cellini Blue Mica
99% Isopropyl Alcohol 
Witch Hazel in 8 oz. Spray Bottle
Droppers

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ONE: In a bowl, measure out 1 1/2 cups of sodium bicarbonate and 3/4 cup of citric acid. If there are any clumps in the mixture, you can push the powder through a sifter or break up the clumps with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. =)

TWO: Add the Grapefruit Bellini and Flower Child Fragrance Oils. Add the avocado oil and use your hands to mix the oils into the powder.

THREE: Once the oils and dry ingredients are fully incorporated, check the moisture of your fizzies. When squeezed with your hand, the mixture should hold its shape. Add spritzes of witch hazel into each container, mixing between every couple sprays, until each container has a texture similar to wet sand.

FOUR: Fill two halves of the bath bomb molds, gently pressing the mixture in each to make sure they hold their shape. Mound a little extra powder in the center of one half of the mold. Match the eyelets of each side up, and press together. To avoid any imperfections on your bath bomb, make sure to direct pressure to the edges of the mold rather than the center. Continue until all the mixture is used up. Allow the fizzies to stay in the mold to dry and harden overnight.

FIVE: Once the fizzies have hardened, remove the top half of the mold. In small separate containers, mix 1 tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol with 1 teaspoon of Cellini Blue Mica, Buttercup Mica and Magenta Mica to create a “mica paint” of the three colors. Using a fine-pointed paint brush, draw a small circle with the yellow paint directly in the center. Then paint large stripes of the yellow, blue and red down the sides of the bath bomb.

I chose to only paint one half of the bath bomb to make them easier to handle. But if you’d like, you could certainly paint the whole thing! Just keep in mind that doing so also adds more mica to the tub, so you may want to test one to make sure it doesn’t color your water too much. =)

SIX: Once you’re done painting, allow the bath bombs to dry with the top half of the mold off for about 15-20 minutes. Then place the mold and package back on bath fizzies until you’re ready to use. Because these bath bombs contain some oil, they may make your bath tub a little slippery, so be careful when exiting the tub. Enjoy!

What kind of summer projects are you making?

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Beach Ball Bath Bomb DIY

These bath bombs are painted to look just like bath bombs!

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 5 -6 Bath Bombs

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5-6 Bath Bomb Mold & Packages
• 1 1/2 cups Sodium Bicarbonate Baking Soda
• 3/4 cups Citric Acid
• 4 mL Flower Child Fragrance Oil
• 1 mL Grapefruit Bellini Fragrance Oil
• 9 mL Avocado Oil
• Buttercup Mica
• Magenta Mica
• Cellini Blue Mica
• 99 % Isopropyl Alcohol
• Witch Hazel in 8 oz. Spray Bottle
• Droppers

Instructions

• In a bowl, measure out 1 1/2 cups of sodium bicarbonate and 3/4 cup of citric acid. If there are any clumps in the mixture, you can push the powder through a sifter or break up the clumps with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. =)
• Add the Grapefruit Bellini and Flower Child Fragrance Oils. Add the avocado oil and use your hands to mix the oils into the powder.
• Once the oils and dry ingredients are fully incorporated, check the moisture of your fizzies. When squeezed with your hand, the mixture should hold its shape. Add spritzes of witch hazel into each container, mixing between every couple sprays, until each container has a texture similar to wet sand.
• Fill two halves of the bath bomb molds, gently pressing the mixture in each to make sure they hold their shape. Mound a little extra powder in the center of one half of the mold. Match the eyelets of each side up, and press together. To avoid any imperfections on your bath bomb, make sure to direct pressure to the edges of the mold rather than the center. Continue until all the mixture is used up. Allow the fizzies to stay in the mold to dry and harden overnight.
• Once the fizzies have hardened, remove the top half of the mold. In small separate containers, mix 1 tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol with 1 teaspoon of Cellini Blue Mica, Buttercup Mica and Magenta Mica to create a “mica paint” of the three colors. Using a fine pointed paint brush, draw a small circle with the yellow paint directly in the center. Then paint large stripes of the yellow, blue and red down the sides of the bath bomb.
• I chose to only paint one half of the bath bomb to make them easier to handle. But if you’d like, you could certainly paint the whole thing! Just keep in mind that doing so also adds more mica to the tub, so you may want to test one to make sure it doesn’t color your water too much. =)
• Once you’re done painting, allow the bath bombs to dry with the top half of the mold off for about 15-20 minutes. Then place the mold and package back on bath fizzies until you’re ready to use. Because these bath bombs contain some oil, they may make your bath tub a little slippery, so be careful when exiting the tub. Enjoy!

The post Beach Ball Bath Bomb DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

Watermelon is one of my favorite summer fruits. It’s refreshing, light and delicious! With watermelon coming into season, I was inspired to create this fruity soap (of course!). The natural green, white and pink layers of watermelon are surprisingly simple to recreate with thick soap batter. This recipe is formulated with mango butter, coconut oil and olive oil pomace to help create a thick trace that’s easy to layer. The recipe also contains a 12% water discount to prevent glycerin rivers.

To create the perfect watermelon rind, I used a combination of Kermit Green Mica and Green Chrome Oxide Pigment. The two green shades are poured into the mold in strips, which create a realistic look once cut. The new Magenta Mica is the perfect pinkish-red watermelon color, and poppy seeds look like tiny watermelon seeds. They also add a nice amount of exfoliation to the bars.

For this project, I used both Summer Melon Spritzer Fragrance Oil and Watermelon Fragrance Oil. The Summer Melon Spritzer has notes of watermelon which really come through in the soap. The Watermelon Fragrance Oil tends to fade in cold process soap, but the Summer Melon Spritzer Fragrance Oil helps give it a boost. It smells so juicy and fruity; I have a bar on my desk and can’t stop smelling it!

What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
5.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
1.7 oz. Castor Oil (3%)
13.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
3.9 oz. Mango Butter (7%)
16.5 oz. Olive Oil Pomace (30%)
13.8 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
16 oz. Distilled Water (12% Water Discount)
7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 oz. Summer Melon Spritzer Fragrance Oil
1 oz. Watermelon Fragrance Oil
Magenta Mica
Titanium Dioxide
Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
Kermit Green Mica
Poppy Seeds

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

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If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 2 teaspoons Magenta Mica into 2 tablespoons of oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide Pigment  and Kermit Green Mica each into a 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

FRAGRANCE OIL PREP: Measure 2 ounces of the Summer Melon Spritzer Fragrance Oil and 1 ounce of the Watermelon Fragrance Oil in a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Melt and combine the avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil, mango butter, olive oil pomace and palm oil (don’t forget to melt the entire container of palm until completely clear). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 110-120 F degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

THREE: Once the soap has reached a thin trace, split off three containers with 350 mL each.

FOUR: To one of the small containers, add 2 teaspoons of dispersed Kermit Green Mica. To one of the other small containers, add 1 teaspoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to mix in both colorants completely.

FIVE: Add a small amount of the fragrance oil blend into both green containers, and use a whisk to completely mix in. Give the large soap container a whisk to help keep it fluid.

SIX: If your green soap batter is still quite thin, stick blend each container until it’s a medium to thick trace. Pour about 1/3 of green soap down the length of the mold. Then pour about 1/3 of the light green soap down the length of the mold, next to the dark green. Continue pouring strips of each color down the length of the mold. Don’t worry about making them perfectly straight or even.

SEVEN: Once both colors have been poured into the mold, use a spoon to smooth out soap. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.

EIGHT: To the last small container, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk or spoon to thoroughly mix in. Pour all of the white soap into the mold, and use a spoon to spread it evenly. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.

NINE: To the large container of soap, add all of the dispersed Magenta Mica and use a whisk to stir in. Then, add the remaining fragrance oil blend and use a whisk to completely mix in.

TEN: Add 1 heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds into the soap, and mix in. If you prefer more poppy seeds, feel free to add more.

ELEVEN: Place the pink soap on top of the white evenly throughout the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and disperse the batter.

TWELVE: Use a spoon to create peaks and texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just keep manipulating the soap until you’re happy with the look. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top, concentrating them towards the center. Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Cover the soap to insulate and help promote gel phase. Allow it to insulate overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 3-5 days. Unmold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

Are you already making summer inspired projects? It feels early…but summer will be here in no time!

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Watermelon Cold Process Soap Tutorial

This Juicy Watermelon Soap is made with layers of thick soap batter, along with poppy seeds and a melon fragrance blend.

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 5 pounds of soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 5 Pound Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom
• Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
• 5.5 oz. Avocado Oil
• 1.7 oz. Castor Oil
• 13.8 oz. Coconut Oil
• 3.9 oz. Mango Butter
• 16.5 oz. Olive Oil Pomace
• 13.8 oz. Palm Oil
• 16 oz. Distilled Water
• 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 2 oz. Summer Melon Spritzer Fragrance Oil
• 1 oz. Watermelon Fragrance Oil
• Magenta Mica
• Titanium Dioxide
• Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
• Kermit Green Mica
• Poppy Seeds

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: To ensure that the Titanium Dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of the colorant into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 2 teaspoons Magenta Mica into 2 tablespoons of oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide Pigment and Kermit Green Mica each into a 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.

Measure 2 ounces of the Summer Melon Spritzer Fragrance Oil and 1 ounce of the Watermelon Fragrance Oil in a glass, fragrance oil safe container. Set aside.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Melt and combine the avocado oil, castor oil, coconut oil, mango butter, olive oil pomace and palm oil (don't forget to completely melt the entire container of palm oil until completely clear). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 110-120 F degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 3.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Once the soap has reached a thin trace, split off three containers with 350 mL each.
• To one of the small containers, add 2 teaspoons of dispersed Kermit Green Mica. To one of the other small containers, add 1 teaspoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to mix in both colorants completely.
• Add a small amount of the fragrance oil blend into both green containers, and use a whisk to completely mix in. Give the large soap container a whisk to help keep it fluid.
• If your green soap batter is still quite thin, stick blend each container until its a medium to thick trace. Pour about 1/3 of green soap down the length of the mold. Then pour about 1/3 of the light green soap down the length of the mold, next to the dark green. Continue pouring strips of each color down the length of the mold. Don’t worry about making them perfectly straight or even.
• Once both colors have been poured into the mold, use a spoon to smooth out soap. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.
• To the last small container, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk or spoon to thoroughly mix in. Pour all of the white soap into the mold, and use a spoon to spread it evenly. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.
• To the large container of soap, add all of the dispersed Magenta Mica and use a whisk to stir in. Then, add the remaining fragrance oil blend and use a whisk to completely mix in.
• Add one heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds into the soap, and mix in. If you prefer more poppy seeds, feel free to add more.
• Place the pink soap on top of the white evenly throughout the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and disperse the batter.
• Use a spoon to create peaks and texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just keep manipulating the soap until you’re happy with the look. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top, concentrating them towards the center. Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help avoid soda ash. Cover the soap to insulate and help promote gel phase. Allow it to insulate overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 3-5 days. Unmold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

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