What You’ll Need:
Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold
40 oz. Lots of Lather Quick Mix
5.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
13.2 oz. Distilled Water
Copper Sparkle Mica
2.5 oz. Spiced Amber Ale Fragrance Oil
Optional: Powder Duster
If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
COLOR PREP: Have the Copper Sparkle Mica nearby. There is no need to disperse it with any oil, you will add the colorant to the soap dry. To help evenly sprinkle the mica onto the soap, a powder duster comes in handy!
MOLD & TOOL PREP: Line the Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold with freezer paper with the shiny side up. For tips on how to line the mold, click here.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 40 oz. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 sodium lactate.
THREE: Once you have reached a thin trace, add the all of the Spiced Amber Ale Fragrance Oil and use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the fragrance.
FOUR: Portion off the batter into five even containers.
FIVE: Stick blend one of the containers until you reach a medium to thick trace. This will be the very bottom layer, so having a thick base will help support all the layers on top.
SIX: Pour the thick soap into the mold, and firmly tap the mold onto the counter to help release any bubbles and disperse the soap throughout the mold. Use a spoon to spread the mixture, and create soft waves.
SEVEN: Add a small amount of the Copper Sparkle Mica to the powder duster, and lightly cover the soap with a layer of Copper Sparkle Mica. Close your eyes and blow gently on the color to help disperse it evenly on top of the layer. Watch out, this part can get a bit messy!
EIGHT: Use a spoon to add another container of soap on top of the first layer. If it’s extremely thin, stick blend for several seconds until it reaches a medium trace. Using a spoon helps gently add the soap; if you were to pour, it may break through the mica layer and into the layer below. Once all the soap has been added, use the spoon to gently smooth the soap and create soft texture.
NINE: Add another layer of Copper Sparkle Mica and blow gently. The entire layer of soap should be covered, but be careful not to add too much! Excess mica can cause the soap layers to separate once cut.
TEN: Spoon another container of soap onto the layer below. Use the spoon to spread out the soap, creating an even layer. Use the spoon to create soft waves.
ELEVEN: Cover this layer of soap with a thin and even layer of Copper Sparkle Mica and blow gently. Tap the mold on the counter to help eliminate air bubbles.
TWELVE: Spoon another container of soap into the mold, on top of the Copper Sparkle Mica layer. Spread out the soap evenly throughout the mold, and create soft texture with the spoon.
THIRTEEN: You guessed it…cover with more Copper Sparkle Mica and blow gently!
FOURTEEN: Add the last of the soap on top of the Copper Sparkle Mica line. Use a spoon to create a textured top. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just have fun with it! Once you’re happy with the top, cover the top with plenty of Copper Sparkle Mica. Then, close your eyes and gently blow off the excess powder.
Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 3-4 days. Remove from the mold, and peel away freezer paper. To cut, lay the soap on its side and cut in the direction of the mica lines. This helps prevent dragging the mica down the bar and into the cream layers. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks, enjoy!
