Last time I updated I had a more successful cold process soap in the Lab, but today I'm so excited about where I'm at.
A wonderful friend of mine and fellow soap enthusiast, Arna, is on a cold process learning journey too. Her path is a bit different to mine (and she's further along in CP making than I am) so we have been comparing notes a lot. She had thickening issues as well... until! You can refrigerate your lye. This might seem obvious, but so many soap makers say your lye and oils have to be almost the same temperature when you combine them (and because some oils are solid at room temp, you can't keep them chilled), but no! And cold lye means it takes longer to trace (thicken). Arna, you're a GENIUS!
So, with cold lye, I made a soap with two colours. The technique is called a drop swirl, and you need to soap to stay pretty fluid so you can separate the mixture, colour each part, and take turns pouring each colour. It worked beautifully, so in a few months look out for Winter Swirl Soap (or something similar if I change the name by then). Before the end of the week I will be making another, maybe overambitious but oh well, soap that involves layering and an in-the-pot swirl... Wish me luck.
Along with new pattern techniques, the slower trace means I can start changing up my oil recipe. Maybe some more coconut oil for a firmer bar? Maybe some shea butter so the lather is smooth and creamy?
Are there any particular oils or butters you like in your body products I should consider? Leave a comment and let me know.
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