Teach Soap

Sorry if this has been asked before:

If I used a dried fruit powder in a melt and pour soap, such as pumpkin, banana, mango, or strawberry, would I then need some kind of preservative? And what would the recommended upper limit be to adding to a pound?

I would love to add these with scents to correspond. Just want to make sure I don't do anything wrong.

Yes, you would need a preservative. Be aware that these powders would oxidize over time, making your MP soap brown. I wouldn't do it.

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

sigh, oh well, i liked the idea

I have used a little orange peel powder in one or two with no adverse effects. Was aiming for a bit of scrubbiness. Might work better if you are planning to make an orange soap, as then any oxidisation might notice less!

I have used actual fruit in some soaps, without it looking icky. Looks kinda like green nougat (the soap was coloured green, will try and post a pic sometime)! Smells great, and my cousin loves the bar I sent her for Christmas!

I used kiwi fruit, which I chopped up small, mushed up and let cook down for a few mins in my double boiler before adding the other soap ingredients. I also added lime juice and lime zest. There were a few essential oils for their theraputic benefits, plus lime and kiwi fragrance oil. (I used preservative of course!) It's NICE soap!

I know LUSH often use fresh fruit in their products. I have heard of them using kiwi, strawberry, bananas, fresh fruit juice and other things in lotions and soaps. Of course one of my favourite of their facemasks is crammed full of blueberries too!

If you want to do things with fruit, perhaps see what LUSH have managed to make work, and then that might help you take your ideas in the right direction. For example, they don't do a lime and kiwi soap, but I spotted a fragrance oil I liked the sound of, and am sure I have seen them use kiwi in things. If they can make it work...

I have yet to try banana... but since recently making a gorgeous strawberry scented soap (without real strawberries in), am contemplating trying a strawberry lotion sometime. LUSH have definately done massage bars with strawberry in...!

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"The question is: does it work on stage? If it works on stage, does it fit the theory? If it works on stage, but doesn't fit the theory; throw out the theory." Bertolt Brecht

L*sh stuff that I got grew moldy pretty quickly. I will never buy from them again. It's a waste of money.

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

I have succesfully used cinnimon,nutmeg,ginger,coffee, orange peel,oatmeal, with excellent results,I for one love the natural look of these additives in soap and I don't think it takes away from thier appearance,to each his own. As far as a preservative being needed ,there are different opinions on that, I have many recipies from soapmaking books that call for different spices to be added to a base and none of them require a preservative. I would look into this more if I were you,why waste an chance to create something you may really like! Bramble Momma is the person to go to on this for an expert opinion.

I have not had a problem, so far, with adding dried fuit to my MP soaps. Never tried fresh fruit.

You can always experiment and see, take notes. See how long they last. Use an expiry date???

If you want to see what fresh fruit will do, leave some cut up on the counter for a couple of weeks. I can pretty much guarantee that it won't look pretty and won't be edible. Now I realize that our soaps are not edible, but if a fresh piece of fruit is embedded in some MP and someone washes their face with it, you could end up with a big lawsuit on your hands. Not all germs, bacteria or mold are visible to the naked eye. If I did something like that (which I wouldn't), and ended up getting sued, my insurance company would drop me like a hot potato.

Just because it's the "in" thing to do right now, doesn't make it safe.

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

Well, the soap I made with kiwi and fresh lime juice isn't mouldy yet, though it's only been about a month. I'll let you know if I try any more fruity soaps, or if they do go mouldy!

I might add though, that while the kiwi was fresh when I put it in, it was cooked down a bit, in the aim of getting the juices out, and almost "souping" it a little, before adding the M&P, so this might have helped matters, and also meant that it is more dispersed throughout the soap, rather than in big chunks. Certainly when I've had things from Lush with fruit in, with the exception of berries in the fresh face masks, I've never seen really big chunks of anything (maybe occassionally decorations of dried fruit or spices on top), usually it is all blended in. I would expect this might mean that you don't get bits which can't be penetrated by the preservatives and antioxidants in the product, and that the lower concentration of fruit to bar would help it stay fresh. Also, I have happened to have chosen a fruit which is naturally really high in antioxidants, which would probably make a big difference!

I've been buying from Lush for years, actually, that was my inspiration for getting into all of this. The only things of theirs I have known to go mouldy are the fresh face masks- when I have left them out, rather than refrigerating as per the instructions! I have had big chunks of their Jungle solid conditioner, which has loads of fresh fruit in, in the bathroom for months (ie at least 4 months, maybe more), without it ever spoiling. Perhaps they're not as good on the other side of the Atlantic as they are here in the UK! The founders even just got an OBE from the Queen in the New Year's Honours over here. I'm a bit of a fan as you can probably tell, but sorry you had a bad experience!

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"The question is: does it work on stage? If it works on stage, does it fit the theory? If it works on stage, but doesn't fit the theory; throw out the theory." Bertolt Brecht