Teach Soap

I have this idea in my head but not sure if it will work. Maybe some of you that make fancy soaps can help. I'm whipping up a batch of cocoa coffee soap and I have some extra chocolate soap that I made a couple months ago (from the last batch of swirled cocoa coffee). I want to shred it like little chocolate shavings and put it on top. Will it melt? Should I stick it in the freezer to process?

That leads me to my next question, how do people add those pretty toppings to soaps without them getting ugly? At least I'm assuming the lye would discolor plant materials. Are they melt and pour? Like these...



Also, if you make a pretty topping after it's reaching thick trace, how do you finish it so it doesn't get soda ash all over it? Like this...

Thanks! I've got the process down, now I'm working on technique:-)

I am no expert but I put a lot of chunks on the top of my soap then CPOP and they come out just fine. Nothing melted at all. They are pretty big chunks though (like 1/8 inch across). Once I pour, I put the chunks on and gently press a big with wax paper to make sure they are adhered to bottom. But when I do this, I don't do as much swirly stuff on top.

If your soap shreds are thin and your gel is hot, yes, they might lose shape. If I were doing that, i'd probably pour at med-thin trace, sprinkle the shreds on, and not let it gel. Thinner trace means that the shreds would sink in a bit so they adhere - if you use thicker trace, you might have to push the shreds into the surface a bit. You need good contact for the shreds to stick.

In the pictures you have posted, the first one with botanical toppings is using calendula petals. They get used a lot because they're one of the few botanicals that retains the original color in soap. Yes, some botanicals will turn brown.

As far as the no ash - there are a few things that influence it. I get less ash if I use the CPOP method. I get less ask if I use a lid on the mold. There are some fragrances that tend to ash more than others. Some people have success with using a bit of beeswax in their recipes - that tends to cut down ash as well. Some people spritz the top of their CP with alcohol after pouring and texturing. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.

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If you don't gel, the shreds on top will stay as is. I don't put any herbals on top as they can go down the drain and clog it up. Calendula is the only one that will stay yellow. Pretty much anything else will oxidize over time and turn brown.

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justkate, are you talking about the texture on top of the bar? you can texture the top of your soap log with a knife or other tool after pouring, and once the soap has reached a medium trace. try different tools - a round straw gives a different look than a flat spatula, etc.

I don't know who the soaper is for the top bar with the botanicals, but the second one looks like Haunt's work to me - it would be polite to add a note to the opening post, crediting the soaper for the work and the photo.

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Sorry, I just googled handmade soap images, trying to find the looks I was after. Sorry I didn't add credit. I didn't think it mattered since I wasn't saying that I made them, just that I liked the way they looked:)

The first was from an etsy shop gloilocksandbody
The second from www.indiepublic/profile/soapstore
and the last is from Haunt's soap at www.magicalomaha.com

Huh, for some reason I didn't see the second picture the first time through - but I would have recognized her soap, too. I wasn't trying to bust you about giving credit, but some people are sensitive about it - so better safe than sorry.

Anyway, yes, you can do that with CP. If your gel gets really hot, it will flatten out a bit, so it's a tricky balance. Here's a link to a soap I did using a salad fork, just to show what I meant by using different tools.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?li ... d=28562648

And the first pic in this listing is Champagne soap - it was done with a butter knife.

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.ph ... d=17710755

So try playing with different things. Just make sure they're made from a soap-safe material, and go crazy!

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Oooh, those are beautiful. What did you use for the sparkles? I went ahead and threw caution to the wind and made the batch I envisioned. Here's how it turned out! I had to keep telling myself not to eat the soap shavings:-)

Magic. I love the green tea soap & the soaps are out of this world! Beautiful. Reanne, your soap looks fantastic. Did I miss where you mentioned the fragrance?

I have experimented with sculpting the top recently and had one turn out really nice using the back of the spatula, sort of like making peaks of frosting on a cake. I will have to post a picture later from home - at the day job right now

I want to know about the swirl you did, what was the techinique? Is that an in the pot swirl, Funnel????

I love the way it sort of stacks up the color layers.

Thanks!
Pamper Pantry

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I forgot, they are scented with chocolate and oatmeal cinnamon sugar. They smell delicious! The dark color is cocoa powder and the light color is just au naturel coffee soap.

It's my 2nd attempt at Funnel swirl. I like it much better than my first attempt.