So I figured I would try and catalogue my soap making journey. I figure I'll use this space to keep track of the watercolour paintings I am trying to keep focused on creating also.
I had an idea that maybe soap and art aren't too bad of a combination. Imagine if there was actually a storefront that sold both. Lovely smelly handmade soaps on the shelves and artwork on the walls. Sounds heavenly to me.
But let's just start small and stay positive :)
I am a creative person, but I'm all over the place. Insatiable. Constantly trying to learn new things, but never able to commit to any one of them.
I have completed a degree in fine art, but have not done anything with it. Nothing at all. I am currently trying to push watercolour, as its convenient, and you really don't need a lot to do it. I have a young child so I really need something that I can do on and off.
So: before I get all over the place, (like I always am) I will make a note of the little soap making I have recently undertaken.
I started with a very basic lavender soap. It lathered very well, and has so far stayed quiet hard. But I think it was pretty minimal in and special qualities.
Basic Lavender soap:
500g tallow
250g coconut oil (copha)
100g sesame oil
500g olive pomace oil
13ml lavender essential oil
2 tbs of crushed lavender buds, semi dry
(run it through a lye calc to get your own lye/water numbers if trying this)
For the Essential oil I should have used the recommended 2% which worked out to about 32g if I remember correctly. But I bought it from a health store and 13ml was $15 :( so I was a bit tight about it.
I used about a 5% superfat ratio which worked out
well for a later re-batch where I added a further 2% macadamia oil (so 7% superfatting) and more lavender buds. I took that opportunity to add a little more lav EO, and included eucalyptus this time also, which is strangely enticing actually.
I did the re batch because of the lack of scent in this batch. And the large percentage of tallow gave it a particular scent that I was wanting to try and mask a bit more. I re batched in the microwave using a method I found online. Basically you use very little added water and add in your extra additives when it has melted after several blasts and stirs.
It came out looking very rustic, sort of what I imagine hot-process soaps would look like.
I had organised a soap swap over on Aussies living Simply, so I batched up the two different versions I have done, roughly coming the the weight of one good sized bar. I figured this would be good value so show a couple of method and a way to try and improve on what I had started with.
I do really enjoy the extra exfoliation of the extra lavender buds in the re-batch. And it does seem to feel fresher. I imagine that would be due to the eucalyptus.
But generally for a beginner I can't complain :)
After getting my delivery of Fragrant Oils and thermometers I had a fun night of making a new soap. The best part was that I bullied hubby into doing all the hard work.
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