Apple Sage 2nd Gen

Yesterday, a Saturday, while she and her dad visited relatives gathered at the Coast, I made another batch of hot-process swirl soap. This was my third batch and it turned out perfectly. Meaning. I carefully thought out and planned each step of the process and carried it out, asking for divine help before proceeding.

I used Apple-Sage fragrance oil and a similar color pattern, only Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment instead of Chrome Green Oxide, which made more of a turquoise color instead of mossy green. I also lightened up on the Tangerine Wow to make more of a pastel coral color instead of orange. Lastly, I halved the Titanium Dioxide from the previous recipe because it caused an immediate thickening before.

Apple Sage

This time, I mixed the TD last of the three colors, but it behaved just like they did, no thickening.

I did a hanger swirl, then used a chopstick and put the mold in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours. I cut a slice last night after she got home, but it was still a bit soft so waited to cut the rest of it until this morning. Got 13 very nice bars out of the 10-inch silicone mold. Love that mold! No more paper liners!

There are still a few, although not many, little voids scattered here and there despite the fact I banged the mold on the counter several times throughout the process. Not sure how to combat that.

Poppyseed Plum

On a different note, I decided to call the “no-name soap” “Poppyseed Plum” because we couldn’t come up with anything else. It’s the one with plum-colored bottom and white top with poppyseed.

We were watching a soap maker on You Tube making hot-process soap and she mentioned using tapioca starch in all her soaps. I forget the verb she used to describe how she believes it acts, but I think she said it “binds” with the fragrance, making the latter last longer. We’ll have to try that.

I see that tapioca starch/flour (same thing) is used extensively in makeup, such as creams, lotions and shampoos. It’s said to make the product thicker and more slippery. One person said it made their bath bombs more powdery.