DIY Cold Process Swirl Soap Tutorial

Spoon swirling is a very simple technique with a big impact. In this tutorial, I will show you exactly how easy it is to create this soap using spoon and two colors.

Ingridients:
Olive Oil ~ 7.9 oz (225 g)
Coconut Oil ~ 4.4 oz (125 g)
Avocado Oil ~ 1.8 oz (50 g)
Cocoa Butter ~ 1.8 oz (50 g)
Shea Butter ~ 1.8 oz (50 g)
Alkanet root powder 1 ¼ tbs
Lye (3% superfatted) ~ 2.51 oz (71.4 g)
Water ~ 5.3 oz (150 ml)

Additives:
Jojoba Oil ~ 0.53 oz (15 g)
Lavender and Orange essential oils ~ 0.4 oz (12 g)

Colour preparations: Infuse the oil of your choice (I use Olive oil) with Alkanet root powder.

To create this soap you will need to follow my basic cold process soapmaking tutorial. Melt your oils, add the lye and stick blend it like you would with any basic batch of soap. At the end of your trace, add extra oils (superfat your soap) and essential oils of your choice. You want a strong trace so that the soap is close to a pudding consistency. It should be thick, but still slide off the spoon easily.

Directions:
1. Pour a small amount of the soap into the separate container and mix it with your infused (colored) oil.

2. Pour one layer of your base (uncoloured) soap into the bottom of a mold.

3. Here's where your artistry comes in. Use the spoon to scoop out the purple colored soap and holding the spoon close to the yellow layer, allow the soap to gently slide off the spoon onto the first layer. The soap should not completely cover the previous layer.

4. Distribute the remains of your base soap as a third and final layer.

5. I dotted the surface with colored soap and then dragged a toothpick through the dots to make swirly designs.

 

 

6. Pop out after 3 to 5 days, cut it in bars and allow to sit for a full 4 to 6 weeks to cure and finish the saponification process. Recipe yields approximately 4 bars of soap, 4.5 oz (~ 125 g) each.

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Tutorial - How to Make Homemade Cold Process Lavender Soap with Shea Butter

I’ve been promising to post a recipe of homemade soap, so here is my own recipe of handmade cold process soap scented with Lavender and Patchouli 100% essential oils, which is especially good for dry skin.

Equipment:· 2 mixing bowls, preferably stainless steel or tempered glass
· A cake mixer or a blender.
· A thermometer, scale and a rubber spatula
· Several measuring cups and spoons
· A microwave or a stove top (clean is good, sterile not necessary)
· Container/mold with cover
· Lots of paper towels
· Rubber gloves and safety glasses

Ingridients:
Olive Oil ~ 7.9 oz (225 g)
Coconut Oil ~ 4.4 oz (125 g)
Rice Bran Oil ~ 1.8 oz (50 g)
Cocoa Butter ~ 1.8 oz (50 g)
Shea Butter ~ 1.8 oz (50 g)
Alkanet root powder 1 ¼ tbs

Lye (3% superfatted) ~ 2.51 oz (71.2 g)
Water ~ 5.3 oz (150 g)

Additives:
Jojoba Oil ~ 0.53 oz (15 g)
Lavender and Patchouli essential oils ~ 0.4 oz (12 g)

Directions:
1. Suit up in safety goggles, gloves and long sleeves.

2. Add the lye to the water. Stir well taking precautions to not breathe in the fumes. Set the mixture to the side and allow it to cool to approximately 110F (~45°C ). You can put the lye water mixture outside if you are not in a well ventilated area.

3. Add all your fats and oils together and melt. Allow them to cool to approximately 110F, or within 5 degrees of the lye water.

 

Since I only use natural colorants, I had to prepare my Olive oil with Alkanet root powder in advance, hence the deep purple color of my oil mix.

4. Add the lye water mixture to the melted oils, carefully. Stir vigorously until trace occurs. Trace looks like a thin pudding. A stick blender will help speed trace along.

 

5. At the end of your trace, add extra oils (superfat your soap) and essential oils of your choice.

 

6. Pour your traced soap mixture into your molds.

 

7. Pop out after 3 to 5 days, cut it in bars and allow to sit for a full 4 to 6 weeks to cure and finish the saponification process. Recipe yields approximately 4 bars of soap, 4.5 oz (~ 125 g) each.

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