Teach Soap

I've prepared an alkanet infusion using OO that I'd like to make some soap with. I bought the alkanet powder from BB and followed the tutorial I found (SoapQueen). That tutorial advised a usage rate in the soap of approx 15% ppo. (Though she used a wee bit more in her actual recipe I noticed.). Anyway, easy enough. But I've got questions still...

1) Some soapers recommend using TD to help offset the greying down of the color that often happens with alkanet. Thoughts? Usage rates? (I've got the BB TD which is both oil and water soluble so assuming I'd add it to my lye sol'n or the melted/warmed oils?).

2) Obviously if I replicate the recipe on the tutorial to the letter that will increase my chances of replicating her results But if I use a different recipe (I'm really wanting to do a bastile type for this with lavender EO), that will alter the PH and in turn probably the color. Is there any way to guestimate soap recipe PH levels? The recipe I'm thinking of trying would look something like 80% OO/10% castor/10% CO. My understanding is that getting close to a PH of 7 is helpful in achieving a true purple color.

3) Even though I strained my infusion, it's definitely got "powder" in it still. Will that be very scratchy? The particulate is very small (no chunks or anything) but wanted to check on this. I might just do a swirl into some white soap if it's too scratchy for a whole bar.

Thanks!
Karri

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I soap therefore I am.

I've used alkanet and strained it through a fine paper filter. You can also put your infusion into a bottle and let the sediment settle to the bottom. I didn't use TD as I've heard that it would turn the color to gray. I used 14 gms. of powder to 8 ozs. of FCO. This infusion was added at 14% to my soap base. The color is like a dark purple eggplant, so unless your oils are yellow, you could use less.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Wow! That's a gorgeous shade of purple. Even though it's dark it doesn't look muddy or gray at all. Nice!!

That concentration might actually look quite stunning as a swirl on white. I keep thinking that the recipe on the SQ blog must have had TD in it because that bar sure looks white in the photo despite the relatively high % of palm oil

Do you think a recipe with too much PO in it might actually create a greyed down purple then?

I'd love to do either all purple with just a small white swirl near the top or reverse it and do an all white bar with a delicate purple swirl ... decisions decisions!

Karri

_________________
I soap therefore I am.

The lighter your oils and butter the better the result. I bet either way should work.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Decisions, shmisions! Try both swirls Karri
I use a coffee filter to strain my infusions, except olive leaf, cause I like the look

Irena, most beautiful soaps, I've never gotten a purple anywhere near that rich with alkent, I'll have to give it a shot.

Thanks FarmScapeGoods. And I agree. Try it both ways Karri and see which one you like better.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

_________________
I soap therefore I am.

And we'll need to see pics!

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

The worst thing is when you want to take a pic in the middle of soaping and you find out your phone/camera is not charged/outta batteries.

I just use my phone to take pics and then email them to myself. I'm too lazy to use a camera. Ha!
Karri

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I soap therefore I am.