Pear Pumpkin Soap

Harvest Moon Pumpkin Pear Soap

Phase 1 Recipe:

6.0 oz. Palm Oil

20.0 oz. Pure Olive Oil

8.0 oz. Coconut Oil

1.2 oz. Castor Oil

4.8 oz. Rice Bran Oil

5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide (lye)

13.2 oz. Distilled Water

3 teaspoons Titanium Dioxide

3 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil (or another liquid oil)

3 tablespoons Paprika

2.7 oz. Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil

Heavy Duty Column Mold

COLOR PREP: Using a mini-mixer, disperse the 3 teaspoons of Titanium Dioxide in 3 tablespoons of Sweet Almond Oil. Push the powdered colorant into the oil to saturate it a bit before turning on the mini-mixer, or you’ll get a messy cloud of powder color!

MOLD PREP: Attach the end cap of the Heavy Duty Column mold to the main body of the mold. Gently bend the mold liner into a round shape and insert into the main part of the mold until it reaches the end cap. Run your finger over the seam to snap into place.

SAFETY PREP: Suit up for safe handling practices! Goggles, gloves, and long sleeves are your soap making uniform. Be sure that kids and pets are out of the house or unable to access your soaping space, and always soap in a well-ventilated area.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and stir until clear, taking care to avoid breathing any fumes. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Melt and combine Palm and Coconut Oil. Add Olive Oil, Castor Oil and Rice Bran Oil.

THREE: When the lye water has cooled to 130 degrees or below (and is within 10 degrees of the oils), add the lye water to the oils and mix with a stick blender until a light trace is achieved.

FOUR: Pour 1 1/2 cups of the soap batter into a separate container, and 1/2 cup of the soap batter into a third container. To the 1 1/2 cup sized portion, add 2 tablespoons of Paprika. To the 1/2 cup sized portion, add 1 tablespoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide. To the remaining soap, add 1 tablespoon of dispersed Titanium Dioxide and 2 tablespoons of Paprika. Mix all of the colorants in well.

TIP: Mixing the colors from lightest to darkest allows you to use the same tools throughout and leaves you with less dishes to clean in the end!

Adding Color

FIVE: Add 2.7 ounces of Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil to the largest of the portions of soap.

Adding Fragrance Oil

SIX: To create an in the pot swirl, start with the smaller, darker orange colored soap and from a high vantage point, pour into the larger, lighter orange colored soap at several entry points. Repeat with the white colored soap. Using a spatula, spoon or chopstick, gently stir the soap with 1 or 2 rotations around the bowl. Resist the temptation and don’t stir much more than that; we want to swirl, not mix!

Swirling Soap

Swirled Soap Close Up

SEVEN: Pour the soap into the Heavy Duty Column mold. Allow to sit for 1-2 days, unmold and proceed to Phase 2. Don’t cut the soap yet!

Phase 2 Recipe:

3.5 oz. Palm Oil

11.5 oz. Pure Olive Oil

4.6 oz. Coconut Oil

0.7 oz. Castor Oil

2.8 oz. Rice Bran Oil

3.1 oz. Sodium Hydroxide (lye)

7.6 oz. Distilled Water

1 1/2 teaspoons Activated Charcoal

Rest of the Dispersed Titanium Dioxide from Phase 1

1.8 oz. Crisp Pear Fragrance Oil

Silicone Loaf Mold

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and stir until clear, taking care to avoid breathing any fumes. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Melt and combine Palm and Coconut Oil. Add Olive Oil, Castor Oil and Rice Bran Oil.

THREE: When the lye water has cooled to 130 degrees or below (and is within 10 degrees of the oils), add the lye water to the oils and mix with a stick blender until a light trace is achieved.

Mixing Oils and Lye

FOUR: Split the soap into six equal batches. To three of the batches, add 1 teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide. To the other three batches, add 1/2 teaspoon Activated Charcoal. Using a whisk, mix the colorants well into each batch of soap.

Coloring Soap

FIVE: To one of the batches of white soap, add .3 ounces of Crisp Anjou Pear Fragrance Oil and mix with a stick blender until a thick trace is achieved. Pour soap into the mold and tamp the mold on the tabletop to ensure an even layer and get rid of any air bubbles. Next, add .3 ounces of Crisp Anjou Pear Fragrance oil to one of the batches of black colored soap and stick blend until a thick trace is achieved. Carefully pour the soap into the mold over a spatula to ensure that the black soap does not break through the white soap. Repeat, alternating color layers until all of the soap is poured. The key is to not stick blend the individual mini-batches until you’re ready to pour. They’ll sit and wait for you patiently if you’ve started a nice thin trace.

Thick Tracing Soap

Pouring Layers

SIX: Is your work area covered up? If not, stop and put some newspaper down or cardboard just in case the soap overflows. Grab your uncut Pumpkin Spice soap loaf and (carefully!) set on top of your black and white layered soap. You may have to trim a bit off of the end of the soap in order for it to fit. Gently press the round orange soap into the black and white layered soap until the black and white soap displaces to the top of the loaf mold.
Adding Embed to Layered Soap

SEVEN: Let the soap sit in the mold for 2-3 days. Unmold, cut and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!