Fall Harvest Soap

Fall Harvest

I made this soap earlier this week.  The fragrance I used is called pumpkin souffle.  It actually smells more like the fragrance burnt sugar. This fragrance turns the soap a darker color.  I used a brown mica soap mixture, plain soap batter, and a white soap mixture with titanium dioxide to make the swirls.  I love how every bar is totally different.

What have you made lately?

I hope you have a great weekend!!!  Dawnie 

Please view my web store at:

http://www.custercottage.com

And visit my Etsy shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CusterCottage

A SOAP WITH NO NAME

I made a new soap this weekend.  I have enjoyed the teal green color lately, so I had to add 2 of those colors and some soap shred which is blue-green in color.  On the top I added a little oatmeal for decoration.

I also added a secret ingredient.  Can you name it?  Here is the hint:

The fragrance will probably make the soap a little darker after it cures.

The soap lightened after it was cut.  The one on the right was cut first.

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FOX NEWS FEATURE ABOUT SOAP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stf8QC4cE6c&feature=youtu.be


Do you give up yet???  Well here it is:

I have been making soap since the 1980's.  I haven't used colloidal oatmeal until now?  I hope it is a great addition to my soap.  I also used tallow, raw cow milk, coconut oil, sodium hydroxide, sunflower oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, glycerin, fragrance, soap shreds, titanium dioxide, coloring, and oatmeal.

So far, the soap has no name, but it has great texture!

The fragrance I used was oatmeal, milk, and honey.  The soap shreds contained another fragrance and the fragrances blended a little.  It still has a great smell.  

Please view my web store at:

http://www.custercottage.com

And visit my Etsy shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CusterCottage

 

I hope you had a good weekend!  Thank you for reading my blog!  Dawnie

Lavender Soap with Citrus

I have some left over bits and pieces of citrus soap from trimming the bars of soap up and making them more presentable.  Those bits and pieces can be melted down and used to rebatch soap.  I prefer using bits and pieces in new soap batter.  It adds color and interest, and it is not ugly, like some rebatch soap can be.  Sometimes when I rebatch soap, it turns brownish. (all of the various colors mixed together make a brown color)  Even though I leave a few un-melted lumps of soap in the melted soap batter, it is still not as attractive as using the bits and pieces this in fresh soap batter.

I love the smell of lavender.  It gives me a romantic, clean feeling....................  Our grandmothers were known to use floral fragrances.  Lilac, rose, lily, lily of the valley, lavender, etc.  Well, I am a grandmother and I also love floral fragrance too.  Not only does lavender smell good, it is is said to help deter fleas.  This summer was a difficult summer for our dogs.  They had to be treated twice for fleas.  We even tried putting salt and diatomaceous earth all over the floors and the furniture.  It didn't seem to work and lavender soap would be a lot easier to deal with and it would smell good too---if it works.  When the dogs bring in fleas, I get bit.  The lavender soap is mostly for me. 

Back to the subject of the preferential fragrances of our grandmothers.  They didn't have the choices of fragrances we have today.  However, I don't understand why we want to make soap smell like leather, grass, dirt, tomatoes, lettuce, campfire, etc.  It may make for an interesting soap, but I don't want to smell like dirt.  I try to remove the dirt smell!  LOL  I know, these fragrances appeal to kids more than old women. 

I made a batch of lavender soap, with bits and pieces of citrus soap, and lavender buds.  I swirled some lavender color in the batter.  The background is a tad bit of lavender color, but it will probably change as soon as it cures.  I expect the color to go to an antique looking lavender.( a little pink and gray in the lavender color)   I used lavender essential oil, some lavender mica, and some lavender buds in the soap. I also used some ROE (Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract) which makes the white batter a little brownish, even-though I use a very small amount.  ROE helps keep the soap fat from going rancid.  I have seldom seen this in my soaps, but I have smelled the old fashioned lye soap in the hardware store and it smells like it was made with stale oil.  12.5 percent of the oils is organic unrefined shea butter which is a light golden brown in color.  Instead of water, I used raw cow milk from an Amish dairy for all of the liquid.

I think most people prefer lighter colored soaps.  Some soaps turn brown due to the fragrance oils (vanilla scents) and due to what additives are placed in the soaps; such as honey, or herbs.  I use a little titanium dioxide in my soap to help offset the brown colors.  What color(s) of soap do you prefer?

With this inside view you can see the lavender buds and the tiny specks of citrus soap. 

 

Thank you for viewing.  I hope you had a great week!  Dawnie

Please view my web store at:

http://www.custercottage.com

And visit my Etsy shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CusterCottage