Teach Soap

I was trying to do a gradient yellow lemonade soap like the one Amy from Great Cake Soapworks made. I used a yellow Mica I had and lemon EO mixed with a little Litsea and some cinnamon. It soaped really well. Ii mixed the mica in some of the oils I was using to make the soap. It seemed to mix in allright. When I cut them though it looks like it has somewhat of a texture to it and like it wasn/\'t all mixed. I did the part where I poured off 2 cups of batter colored it then poured off cups at a time layering as I went. There is a small gradient (if you look close enough ). It does smell good though. The EO does smell like pledge though.
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I'm lucky my girls liked the smell so they want to use it. So I have my built in testers right at home.


I did add some glitter to the top since it was a test batch. It was my first time. I liked the effect. Did a sculpted top too. First time for everything.

Any thoughts why it might look like this??

Rhonda

Looks good to me! Mybe you needed more mixing? Did you reach thick trace? I would have mixed the mica in some glycerin.

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

It's pretty, I love the tops! If you have a little bit of yuzu f.o. and peppermint e.o. that you can mix with the lemon and litsea, it makes a nice, sweet lemony fragrance...no pledge!

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Soap Blog:

Ohh the pictures grew! Thanks!! Those look really pretty! I don't think I give the yellows enough attention! You soap reminds me of my Mom's lemon bread at Christmas time, the bottom gets more of the lemon simple syrup so it is darker. Now I want lemon bread! LOL

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Rhonda your soap looks really nice. Grats!

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

Hey Rhonda!
Though it doesn't look like gradient to me it is still beautiful! Like little swirls all over! I like it!
And I am sure it smells delicious! I love lemonish

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I am Lora

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

Irena - It was a medium trace. I didn't want it too thick because I built a mold that was 2 1/2" wide x 3 1/2" tall to try. So I wanted to be able to pour since I didn't have much wiggle room to work. Should it be thicker to do the gradient??

Soapcakes- thanks for the suggestions for the FO. I can't wait to try it.

Heather- It's funny how soap can remind us of food and the comfortable times of our lives. Guess it follows with the enjoyment we get from making it.

Thanks all
Rhonda

Looks like it got too hot I think.

I am trying really hard to like lemon scents too, Rhonda, and I'm not quite there yet haha.

The only gradient I tried (and it was a complete fail, so don't take advice from me haha), I used orange, and I think it just wasn't a bold enough color to give good layer contrast. Prob the same is true of yellow.

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Laura<3

I have 2 observations for lemon FOs/EOs: 1) they LOVE to overheat and end up with a grainy looking texture. 2) a good number of them smell like cleaner. I've had 2 that I love. A lemon drop candy scent from Canwax in Canada, smells just like fresh lemonade! And BBs sweet meyer lemon, which just smells lemony and delicious! Neither of those overheated for me either.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Heather, thanks for the info on Meyers lemon. That one is sitting in my stash of FO to work with. Lemon is one of my favorite dessert flavors so I figured I would love it in soap as well.

Rhonda, it may not have come out as you expected but I like it. Reminds me of a cross between a spoon swirl and an ITP swirl!

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

My nose is definitely weird as I thought that sweet meyer lemon got a tobacco note in it when soaped. Really didn't like that and it was still there after 6 week cure. Now that it's a few months old, it does smell better though.

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

I'd be happy to share! This makes a small amount, but you can adjust it accordingly:

15 g Yuzu f.o.
4 g litsea e.o.
11 g lemon e.o.
8 drops peppermint e.o.

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Soap Blog:

Thanks, that wounds wonderful.

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!