Best Soap Recipe - Soap Making Tips

Ginger Cinammon-Salt Body Scrub 

This body scrub has the fresh, invigorating scents of both ginger and cinnamon!

• 1 cup sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup almond oil or olive oil

Mix all ingredients together, then gently rub over your damp skin (except your face) to slough off dry skin. Rinse with warm water.

Chocolate Covered Oreo® Cookies

OK, so it's not a soap recipe - but these are so good and so cute and so simple to make - we just had to include the recipe. Take a look at these simple step by step instructions.

Breakfast for your Skin - (Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Scrub)

Exfoliates and is very moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy feeling. Before you turn off your shower scoop a small handful of scrub into your hand. Rub gently onto your skin. Rinse.

• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup ground oatmeal (not instant)
• 1/4 cup pure honey
• 3/4 to 1 cup (or to total saturation) Oil of choice - I use Jojoba, Grapeseed or Sweet Almond
• 1/4 tsp Essential or Fragrance oil of choice (optional) Vanilla works nicely. Though this smells great on it's own.

Mix the brown sugar & oatmeal together in a large bowl. Now add the honey. Drizzle the oil over the mix. Mix well. When all your mix is saturated and sinks to the bottom of the bowl and you have oil on top you're done. Add your essential oil or fragrance oil. A six or eight ounce wide-mouthed jar works nicely. Spoon mixture in.

Brown Sugar and Lemon Scrub

A touch of lemon makes this scrub so refreshing! - Recipe submitted by Josephine Santos.

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon of kalamansi or lemon
• 1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil(vco)
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Mix brown sugar and salt, then add kalamansi or lemon juice, virgin coconut oil and honey, mix well.

Aunt Katie's Body Scrub

• Honey 3/4 cup
• Caster sugar 1 cup
• Sea salt 1 cup
• Jojoba oil 3ml
• Fragrance oil 3ml (orange & ylang ylang are beautiful combined with the honey)

Pour honey into medium sized bowl, then add sugar and stir to combine. Add the salt in increments, to adjust the consistency to your liking. (I prefer a consistency not unlike crytallized honey). When all ingredients combine, add oils and stir well. This recipe is particularly long keeping as the lack of water discourages bacteria.

Honey Bee CP Soap

• Olive Oil 32 oz.
• Palm Oil 16 oz.
• Tallow 24 oz.
• Totals 72 oz.
• 5% Superfatted Lye Amount 9.477 oz.
• Ounces of water recommended 23.760 oz.

At trace, add fragrance and 1 Tablespoon of Honey. Do not insulate your soap as the Honey may cause your soap to superheat.

Easy Shea Butter CP Soap

• Coconut Oil 16 oz.
• Olive Oil 18 oz.
• Palm Oil 16 oz.
• Shea Butter 4 oz.
• Tallow 16 oz.
• Totals 70 oz.
• 5% Superfatted Lye Amount 9.815 oz.
• Ounces of water recommended 23.100 oz.

Easy Lip Balm Recipe - using Lanolin

• 1oz. Olive Oil
• .3oz of Lanolin
• .4oz of Shea Butter
• .4oz of Beeswax

Flavor oil and Stevia for taste.

Melt beeswax gently over a double boiler (or in the microwave if no double boiler is available). In a separate container, heat the Lanolin oil and Shea Butter up until it is fully liquid. Add the olive oil to the melted Lanolin oil and Shea Butter. Combine the beeswax and all the oil, stir well. Add flavoring (if desired) and pour into containers.

Skin Firming Gel - using CroThix

CroThix has a secondary use as a skin firming agent. (Its primary use is as a thickening agent in liquid soaps, and shampoos.) Here is an easy gel that you can make that is good for all skin types, using jojoba makes a non-comedogenic cream that won't clog your pores. (CroThix may be purchased at Bramble Berry Soap Making Supplies)

This makes (4) four ounce containers of gel-crème.

• Water 13 oz.
• Glycerin .5 oz.
• Emulsifying Wax or Ceteryl Alcohol 1 oz.
• CroThix .7 oz.
• Jojoba Oil .6 oz.
• Germaben II or Phenonip .16 oz.
• Fragrance or Essential Oil .16 - .50 oz.

Heat the Water and Glycerin to 170 degrees and set aside. Heat the Emulsifying Wax until melted and add to the CroThix and Jojoba. Stir. Add the water and glycerin to the Emulsifying Wax, CroThix and Jojoba. Mix until the creme is 105 degrees (or less). Add your fragrance and preservative and package in jars or an easily squeezable package. Apply under make up for a more smooth application or as a night creme.

View Anne-Marie's Victorian Hearts soap recipes as featured in Crafts Magazine.

Easy Lotion Bars

• 4 ounces mango or shea butter
• 4 ounces beesweax, yellow or white
• 5 ounces liquid oil (jojoba or grapeseed are both excellent)
• 2 teaspoons of essential oil or fragrance oil

This lotion bar does not use cocoa butter so you can use any fragrance or essential oil that your heart desires and not have a chocolate over-smell.

Melt the beeswax in a separate container and the butter/oil in another container. Add together, mix well, stir in FO/EO and pour into containers. Mixture will harden in approximately 1-2 hours. The cooler the mixture is upon pouring it, the less 'divets' you'll get in the bar (that sunken spot at the top of the bar).

Easy Clay Mask - made with Rhassoul & Bentonite Clays

• 1 part bentonite clay
• 1 part rhassoul clay

optional: skin loving essential oil, such as Lavender, Lemongrass or German Chamomile

Mix with water until the mask has a consistency that you like. Apply to body or face and wait for clay to dry fully. Take off with a warm water washcloth. If all over body, jump in the shower to get off more quickly than a washcloth.

Butterfly Soaps 

Materials:

• One bar glycerin or lye-based soap (bar#1)
• A second bar or scrap of glycerin or lye-based soap in a different color than bar#1 - big enough to use a cookie cutter with. Depth should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch.
• 3 - 4 drops clear glycerin melt and pour soap
• Small, metal butterfly cookie cutter
• Soap paint

1.Decide which bar is to be the main bar (bar #1) and which is to be used to cut out the butterfly.

2. Cut out a small soap butterfly using a metal cookie cutter.

3. Melt a small amount of clear glycerin melt-and-pour soap. Using a plastic dropper, drop 3-4 drops of glycerin onto bar#1 and carefully press the butterfly against the melted glycerin. Wait approx. 10 minutes for it to cool.

4. Take out your soap paints and start playing. You can paint a sun, little antennae on the butterfly, spots, grass - anything you desire. In addition, you don't have to limit yourself to just butterflies! Cut out stars, moons, flowers, etc. using the same procedure outlined in steps 2 and 3 and then paint to your heart's content.

5. Let paint dry for 24 hours before wrapping.

Cookie Cutter Soaps 

Materials:

• scraps or bars of soap
• small metal cookie cutters
• small see-thru bags, netting, or tulle for wrapping

1. Slice a bar of soap into thin (1/8 to 1/4 inch) layers.

2. Position small metal cookie cutters and punch out designs.

3. Carefully push soap out and arrange on a pretty dish in the bathroom. You can take different colored soaps and make a pretty bag of them tied with a ribbon on top.

(Note: May want to wear kitchen gloves while punching out soaps - the metal cookie cutters are sharp.)

Chocolate Lipgloss Recipe by Rachel and Jennifer

• 2 tsp. Petroleum Jelly
• 1/8 tsp. Honey
• 10 mini Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips (any brand will do though)
• 1/8 tsp. Shortening (Crisco)

Carefully Mix all ingredients into a microwave safe container. Make sure they are all clumped together. (Do not put lid on) Heat at high power for 20 seconds, stir, then repeat until fully melted. Then pour into a small bottle, and freeze for 15 min, or until solid. Then you can apply it on your lips!

Sheer Lipstick Recipe 

• 2 oz. beeswax
• 2 oz. jojoba oil
• 0.2 oz. aloe butter
• 2 tsp. zinc oxide
• 2 tiny scoopers of lip-safe mica.
• lip balm flavoring

Hint: This is a very waxy recipe and might do better in a tube than the pots as shown.

Sheer Lipstick Recipe by Anne-Marie Faiola

• 2 oz. beeswax
• 2 oz. Grapeseed Oil
• 1/4 oz. Wheatgerm Oil
• 2 tsp. Zinc Oxide (by volume - optional - may substitute titanium dioxide)
• 4 tsp. lip safe mica (by volume)

The zinc Oxide will provide a opaque, matte effect to your lipstick. If you use just mica, you will have a more sheer lip balm.

Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. Once fully melted, add the Grapeseed and Wheatgerm oil. Pour your colorant into the double boiler and stir well. Let this mixture sit until mixture begins to thicken slightly (thus suspending the colorant better) and pour into jars or tubes

Colored Lipstick Recipe by Anne-Marie Faiola

This lipstick is a more waxy lipstick than the Sheer lipstick.

Phase 1

• 4 oz. Castor Oil
• 4 oz. Jojoba oil
• .5 oz. Beeswax
• 1 oz. Candelilla wax
• 1/4 oz. wheatgerm oil

Colorant phase

• 8 full teaspoons of lip safe mica
• 1 oz. Castor, Olive or Wheatgerm oil Hint: Castor provides more shine than Olive or Wheatgerm
• Melt the waxes in a double boiler. Once they are fully melted, add the Castor Oil and Jojoba oil. In a separate bowl, add your mica to the liquid oil of your choice. Mix in well and make sure there are no clumps. Add the colorant mixture into your double boiler and mix well. Remove this mixture from the double boiler and let sit until mixture begins to cool and thicken (thus suspending the colorant through out the lipstick). Once cooled to an appropriate thickness, pour into jars or tubes.

Floating Bath Soak by Camille Pratt

• 3 oz cocoa butter
• 1 tbsp creamed coconut
• 1 tsp almond oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp powdered oatmeal
• 2 drops tangerine EO

Melt cocoa butter in double boiler, remove from heat. Mix creamed coconut, almond oil, honey and oatmeal, blend well. Add mixture to melted cocoa butter, blend well. Add tangerine EO (or your favorite EO!), blend in. Pour mixture into ice cube trays, chill until firm. Toss one into tub of running water and enjoy! Note: Use caution upon exiting tub, it may be a bit slippery. But, oh, what a soak!

Luscious Lip Luster

• 4.4 oz. Calendula-infused olive oil
• 1.7 oz. Shea butter
• 4.9 oz. Emu oil
• 1.3 oz. Beeswax

Melt beeswax gently over a double boiler (or in the microwave if no double boiler is available). In a separate container, heat the emu oil up until it is fully liquid. Combine the wax and all the oil, stir well. Add flavoring (if desired) and pour into containers.

Bath Jelly Recipe - by Amy Vollmer

• 1/2 cup melted transparent Melt & Pour base
• 2 cups water
• 1 envelope Knox unflavored Gelatin
• 1/2 oz Germaben II
• Fragrance oil
• 3 or 4 colorants
• 3 or 4 small containers

Pour envelope of Gelatin into a bowl and set aside. Microwave 2 cups of water until boiling. Gently pour into the bowl of gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. In the meantime melt the M&P in the microwave. Add fragrance oil to the melted M&P. Slowly pour the soap into the Gelatin and stir gently. When mixed thoroughly, pour into individual containers and color. Place uncovered containers in the refrigerator until firm.

Empty Playdoh containers work perfectly and Bath Jelly can be colored to match the lids! Kids have a blast with this jelly. They can scoop it out and toss into running water, paint the tub and themselves, glob onto a scrunchie or washcloth and even bathe with it! The possibilities are endless!

Gardener's Recipe

• 8 oz. Melt & Pour base
• 2 T. white cornmeal
• 1-1/2 T. fine pumice
• 1 T. bentonite clay
• 2 tsp. of a citrus essential oil (orange, lemon, etc.) or fragrance

Melt base and scent. Stir in cornmeal, pumice and clay continually until it gets to a point where it will stay suspended in the soap. By this time, the soap will be quite thick and cool. Pour into molds.

Fragrance Stones

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 tsp. cornstarch
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 tbls. fragrance oil

Colorant of your choice

Mix all dry ingredients. Heat water in a Pyrex cup in the microwave or on the stove. Add the f/o and the color to the water. Stir water mixture into flour mixture. Mix as best you can and then knead the dough with your hands. At this point you just want it to look like pie or cookie dough. Roll it out about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut into shapes or use cookie cutters. Another option is to stamp the flat shapes. Let the dough stones dry. They get hard as rocks and will last for months.

Honey Dust

• 1 cup arrowroot powder (sometimes called "flour")
• 3 tablespoons honey powder

Mix well together and store in an airtight container. This mixture will get hard if moisture is allowed to get to it. I also package a small feather duster for this. You may substitute up to 2 tablespoons of the honey with any flavored powder you have access to. I like to use either vanilla or mango.

Crushed grape seeds and almond oil combine to form a soothing, refreshing facial scrub.

• 2/3 cup crushed grape seeds, packed
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup Almond Oil
• 1/2 tsp. vitamin E
• 45-60 drops of fragrance oil

Mix almond oil, Vitamin E and fragrance together in a glass bowl. Add the crushed grape seeds and mix well. Divvy up into jars. The crushed grape seeds will sink to the bottom - this is normal for scrubs of this type.

This scented body powder pampers the skin. Its rice-and-chamomile base is reputed for softening and soothing chapped or sunburned skin.

• 2 oz. rice flour (or cornstarch)
• 1 oz. finely powdered white orrisroot (or arrowroot powder)
• 1 oz. finely powdered dried chamomile flowers
• 1 drop lavender essential oil or fragrance oil
• 2 drops orange fragrance or essential oil
• 3 drops violet fragrance oil

Combine the above ingredients, mix in the fragrance very well by pressing any lumps down with your fingers. Sift thoroughly and put into containers.

• Sugar, Salt and Nut Scrub
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup ground oatmeal
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup almond oil
• 45-60 drops fragrance or essential oil

Variation: Add 2 tablespoons of honey for an extra-moisturizing scrub.

Mix almond oil and fragrance or essential oil together in a glass bowl. Add the sugar, finely ground almonds and salt together in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly together. Add this mixture to the almond oil. Mix well with your hands to incorporate and you're done!

Solid Brown Sugar Scrub

• 4 oz. melted melt and pour soap
• 8 oz. grapeseed oil or Avocado Oil
• 3-4 oz. brown sugar
• 1/2 oz. honey
• Fragrance oils or essential oils (20 drops)

Mix your grapeseed oil, honey and melted melt and pour soap together. Add the brown sugar and mix together with hands. You can add your fragrance or essential oils at any point during the mixing process. Divvy up into wide-mouthed jars. Wait 24 to 48 hours for the mixture to harden into a semi-solid mixture.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup almond oil
• 1/2 tsp of vitamin E
• 45-60 drops of fragrance or essential oil

Mix almond oil, vitamin E and fragrance or essential oil together in a glass bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix in well. Divvy up into jars and have a great time using it!

Solid perfume is fun and easy to make and is a wonderful idea for a personal, hand-crafted gift! You'll want some stylish little butter pots to hold your creations and Bramble Berry, Inc. has a terrific selection. To make your solid perfume, follow these directions:

For a 9 oz. batch (which will fill about 36 pots), you would use, by weight:

• 2 oz. Beeswax
• 3 oz. Shea Butter
• 4 oz. Olive Oil
• .5 to 1 oz Fragrance Oil of choice

Melt all fixed oils together, and add fragrance oil to melted oils. Pour mixture into small jars or twist-up tubes and sell as a solid perfume!

Chunk Soaps are beautiful to behold and lots of fun to make. This chunk soap recipe and photo are by Fabienne Nichols.

First, use freshly made chunks, or ones that have been stored in an airtight baggie- if they're too dry, this'll cause non-sticking.

My overpour soap is --don't know the exact temp-- just "below" steaming. Opaque chunks (w/ titanium dioxide) will tend to melt "worse", so be careful, and overpour onto these at a bit lower temp. I do mostly "random" chunks, so don't worry about placement, but...

Do NOT freeze chunks. This'll get ya moisture, and, as someone points out, changes the soap somehow. If you're freezing soap to get out of the mold for bars, don't freeze all the way, just enough to do outside. Best thing is to be patient and let soap harden and shrink a bit. I'm a bit forgetful, and have left soap in overnight, yuck! So I almost never freeze.

Pour a bit of overpour in the mold (to prevent holes and bubbles on the top), grab a handful of chunks, spritz w/ rubbing alcohol, and "dump" 'em in. You'll want to spritz RIGHT before you place the chunks in, or alc will evaporate. A good spray, too, so that it looks wet all over, but don't soak. A FINE mister helps. Pour in more overpour, grab, spray, dump. Spritz what you've poured in if alcohol has evaporated when you overpour more. Pour, grab, spray, dump. Repeat. For the 32 oz delta mold, which I generally use for loaves, I pour a bit about 1/8 full, dump (after spritzing), then fill about 1/2 full, spritz, dump, spritz, dump, etc till full of chunks. This'll let you look at "design", and strategically place some if you're doing different colors, or stir them up a bit to get the look you want. Then do one more filling pour and dump. If you want the chunks all the way through, have some stick out of the "top" and trim later.

The alcohol PREVENTS the "bubble" look. It will help the overpour adhere. If you're getting any other effect from the alcohol, there's another factor involved. It's a pretty automatic, and fast thing after you do a bunch. If you start to get a skin on the overpour, spritz. If you get a skin on the over pour in the pouring pot, spritz. I do this with chunks in one hand, alcohol spritzer in the other. Sorta plan the "design" before you go. I do a lot with marbled chunks, so don't have to worry about one color vs the other, but if I'm doing a couple different colored chunks, you may want to have one pile of "mixed" ones, but have them separate also, to fill in when the random grab doesn't appear random. You may grab a handful of mixed, but end up with most of one color...

Remember that a LOT of mp "artistry" is in color. I do opaque chunks with clear overpour, and transparent colored chunks with white overpour. Sometimes a loaf will not look "right", even though it was done correctly, it's probably in the colors, contrast, or lack thereof.

It's REALLY not as complicated as I've made it sound. Personally, though, I'd start with chunks in a smaller bar until you get the technique. That way you won't "waste" 2 lbs. You want the success with a smaller amount before going to a large loaf.

And don't throw out the "wasted messed up" loaf! Cut it up, and use some of those chunks, maybe smaller chunks, in a single bar, to get the spritzing and pouring down. Save some for shredding, and putting shreds in a loaf or bar. (ahh, THAT'S when I do freeze!, but that's another story)

Shaving Soap

Package this in a wide mouth jar and sell with a shaving brush!

• 2 pounds Bramble Berry Goats Milk liquid soap base
• 2 tbs. Calendula, ground
• 8 oz. melt and pour base
• 1 oz. of your favorite fragrance

Add melted melt and pour to the goatsmilk base; stir in fragrance oil and ground calendula. Pour into wide mouth jars; wait 24 hours to harden. Soap will get slightly hard but not hard enough to pour into individual molds.

Scented Stones

Great as room fresheners! You will need:

• One ceramic or glass bowl,
• 1/2 cup flour (do not use self-rising flour)
• 1/4 cup salt,
• 1/2 tablespoon alum (available in drug stores),
• 1 tablespoon essential or fragrance oil,
• 2/3 cup boiling water and
• food coloring (optional).

In ceramic or glass bowl, thoroughly mix dry ingredients.

Add essential oil and boiling water.

NOTE: scent will be strong, but will fade slightly when pastilles dry.

For colored dough, blend in food coloring one drop at a time until desired shade is achieved.

Blend ingredients to form a ball.

Working with a small amount at a time, roll dough between palms of hands to form small balls.

Note: cover unused dough to keep it from drying out.

Allow pastilles to dry.

Secret Garden Bath Teas

Makes one tea bag.

• 1 tsp lavender flowers (dried)
• 1 tsp rose petals (dried)
• 1/2 tsp lemon balm (dried)
• 1/4 tsp rosemary (dried)
• 1/8 tsp spearmint (dried) (just to give it a bit of a snap)
• 4 drops lavender EO
• 2 drops rose EO
• 1 drop patchouli (spelling?) EO

Mix well, put into heat sealable teabag.

Makes an invigorating bath!

• One pound barley
• One pound bran
• One pound oatmeal
• One pound brown rice
• One-half pound bay leaves
• One-half pound dried lavender flowers

Boil all of these ingredients in four quarts of rainwater for sixty minutes, then strain the mixture. Use 2 quarts of the liquid for each tub of bathwater. An extra rinse after this herbal bath is unnecessary and would deprive you of some of its benefits. Follow it with a vigorous towel drying.

Cleopatra's Milk Bath

Pamper yourself with this luxurious bath!

• 2 cups powdered milk (dry)
• 1 Tbsp. dried orange peel
• 2 tsp. dried lavender flowers
• 2 tsp. dried rosemary

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a clear glass bottle. Use 1/2 cup of the mixture per bath - soak for 20 minutes. Tie a ribbon and a sprig of dried flowers to the jar for a ready gift!

Oatmeal Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

(1) Melt 8 oz. of white/opaque base

(2) Melt 8 oz. of clear base

(3) Optional: Grind up 1/2 oz. of Oatmeal in coffee grinder for a smoother, llighter exfoliation. Also, the smaller the particle, the easier to suspend in the soap.

(4) Combine the two bases

(5) Add your fragrance oil - approximately 1/2 oz. (Oatmeal, Milk and Honey is a good one!) and stir in well

(6) Optional: Add colorant

(7) Add the oatmeal and stir. Wait 20 or 30 seconds - is the oatmeal sinking to the bottom of your bowl/Pyrex or is it staying suspended. If it is staying suspended, skip to step 8

(8) If the oatmeal is sinking, this simply means that your base is not thick enough to support the oatmeal. Either cover the bowl/Pyrex with saran wrap and wait for the base to cool, or stir the melted base until it is becomes thick enough to suspend the oatmeal.

(9) Pour your oatmeal soap into molds

(10) Spritz with alcohol to finish the soap and break up any bubbles on the top of the soap

(11) Wait 2 to 3 hours (or even better, overnight!) to pop

The Essentials of Soap Coloring Choices: Oxides, Micas, Ultramarines

Soap Coloring Choices: Oxides, Micas, Ultramarines - What's the Difference?

by Anne-Marie Faiola

Soap Coloring Choices

You're right, there are plenty associated with soap coloring options out there. I'll go over the most typical and the pros and cons:

(1) Soap Colors -- oxides and ultramarines fall into this particular category. Pigments, like the majority of colorants out there, don't fall under the natural category. They're manufactured in labs and also have already been because the 70s. Apparently, colors (oxides as well as ultramarines) used to be mined but the Food and drug administration stepped within as well as demanded some wholesomeness therefore since then, those colorants have been manufactured in the lab -- exact same molecular structure just a different way of processing. A few Iron Oxides are still extracted naturally; however, Metal oxides in nature (grime) in many cases are stuck with poisonous alloys such as lead, arsenic, mercury, antimony and selenium (when they're in nature). This is why the Food and drug administration stepped directly into regulate aesthetic colorants therefore the degree of poisonous metal existing are present in such low concentrations that they're considered "safe." In fact, only synthetically prepared iron oxides tend to be approved to be used in cosmetics in this nation. (Manley, Utes.T. & Wordell, D.T. "Homeopathic as well as herbal medicine: Considerations for formulary assessment," Formulary, 32, 1167, November. The late nineties. )

The great reasons for using pigments in soap is they tend to be steady. Generally, they're not going to change or change colours in Cold Process or even Melt and Put soap. They are also cost effective; at $3-$6 for each ounce, you're looking at a very cheap, for each pound cost, for colour. The actual downside of utilizing colors is they often heap and they also require additional Tender loving care to get all of them not really heap. Suggestion: Use a latte frother to help pre-mix your own colors in a bit of fluid essential oil before adding to your own soap. This helps disperse as well as break up any kind of sections.

(2) FD&C Colorants -- There are lots of types of FD&C colorants however essentially, they are manufactured in a laboratory, are not natural but they are usually incredibly easy to use and provide a large (whatever you imagine) selection of colour. There is endemic distrust, as well as fear, about FD&C colorants. This really is probably because the Food and drug administration has recalled colours in the past because of security issues. Probably the most well-known instance is probably Red-colored Absolutely no. 2, banned within 1976 more than possible hyperlinks in order to most cancers. In reality, FD&C colorants have been in most, if not all, junk foods we eat (from parmesan cheese in order to french fries in order to chocolate) as well as worries about the utilization of these colorants within soap, while nicely which means, are probably unfounded. Additionally, the tiny amount of this kind of colorant within soap (which doesn't remain on your skin), may be the minimum of concerns compared to the rampant quantity of FD&C colorant in food (as well as vitamins and so on...)

The nice a part of utilizing FD&C colorants is they are, on the per use basis, pretty affordable to make use of. They are extremely focused. They also add smoothly. They normally stay clear in Mega pixel. The actual bummer part is they aren't steady, whatsoever, within alkaline conditions (also known as - cold process soap). It's the rare FD&C that really stays stable. They usually avoid in MP. Nevertheless, they will hemorrhage. To learn more, click here to see regarding blood loss colorants at the Soap Full Blog.

(3) Micas -- These should fall under the FD&C colorants category simply because mica is a natural item, that's mined but then, the individual mica (which looks like the platelet) is actually covered with FD&C colorants, or colors, or perhaps a mixture of both to achieve the colorant. The twin on the sides colour is exactly what leads to the actual shimmer and sheen of micas. Mica is the same stuff you observe in your lipstick, attention darkness as well as blush. Micas work best in obvious items, such as clear melt as well as put, because the shine requirements gentle to be able to mirror as well as refract nicely.

The truly amazing component regarding using micas in CP is they don't heap at all. The colours are extremely smooth as well as wonderful to work with. The bummer component about using micas within Clubpenguin is they possess a higher usage price compared to both colors and directly FD&C colorants. Additionally they perform provide just a dash associated with sheen within Clubpenguin, which looks sophisticated. Another bad thing about micas within CP, is the fact that, since they are coated in FD&C, some of them are not steady within CP soap as well as do require testing.

(4) Natural soap colorants -- There is no legal definition for a natural colour. FDA groups colorants because individuals requiring certification and people not really requiring accreditation. "Exempt colorants tend to be inherently neither more nor less safe compared to certified colorants," proves articles within the Encyclopedia of Chemical Technologies. We might consider them because less hazardous because we see them because "natural.Inch But "like all color chemicals, they are created products." In the past, insects were ground-up with regard to colorant. Today, potential customers obtain squeamish about that so we skip which. Cochineal (the thighs of the a few insect, basically keep in mind properly) would be a favorite for any good red color. Some well-liked types to use are:

Yellow -- Annatto, saffron, Turmeric extract, CarthaminEco-friendly -- chlorophyllDark brown -- the cocoa coffee bean (coffee pods, shells, stems), cacao powder, fermented tea

Red -- Paprika (may be annoying)Purple -- Alkanet Root (with regard to CP)

The list goes on of course.

The excellent part regarding using organic colorants may be the marketing position; the general public thinks which organic is much better so you can market this nicely. However, it is not easy to offer the colour you want, using organic colorants, and often, you can't obtain a sleek colour (with respect to the herb used). Another problem is the fact that a few of the colorants are costly to make use of.

Fabrication of Cutting Machine - Simple Idea of Making Soap

With regards to cutting soap into bars, most small-scale soapmakers are faced with 2 options: laborious hand-carving or the acquisition of expensive pre-fabbed cutters. However in short amount of time, you may create your personal customized soap cutter for $50 or less. This simple but effective cutter can slice up to 1,000 perfectly square and uniform bars each hour!

Soap Cutting Machine

Materials needed for Cutting of Soap into Bars:

• 4ft x 4ft. sheet of plywood, at least 5/8" thick

• 4ft x 4ft. sheet of formica

• 24 ft. of 2x2 in. fir

• 8ft. of 2x4in. fir

• 3-4 dozen wood or drywall screws, 1-1/2" length

• 4-5 dozen wood or drywall screws, 2-1/2" length

• 2 dozen small metal washers, 3/8"

• hex-head carriage bolts (quantity of bolts is determined by number of cutting wires - read below to determine your particular needs)

• medium gauge guitar wire or 20 - 22 gauge music wire

• 1 pint contact cement

Cuts as much as 1000 bars per hour

Preliminary Considerations

Consider the finished cutter in the photo above. Basically, your soap cutter will resemble the main city letter L. The soap slab is first pushed down one length of the L where wires dissect the soap lengthwise. The slab is then fed in to the other leg from the L, where the bars are cut to their finished widths. How big this L depends entirely upon how big your soap slab. For instance, if you pour your soap right into a tray 12" wide by 18" long, the long leg of the L will be 18 x 2 =36 inches (to accomodate the lengths from the pre-cut and post-cut slab of soap). Add another 8 inches to that 36 inches to accomodate the 2 x 2 fir "rim" from the cutter as well as give extra maneuvering room for your slab. So for an 18" long slab of soap, one leg from the L must be about 44 inches long. For the width of the first L leg, add 12" (the width from the slab) plus 3 inches (the width of these two 2x2's on the borders), then add an extra inch for "slack." That's 16 inches wide. The length and width of the second leg of the L is going to be 18 inches wide (length of soap slab) plus 3 inches( two 2x2's along rim of cutter); add an extra inch for slack. The finished width will be 22 inches. The length of this L-segment is a maximum of 14-15 inches- this is the width of the slab along with a couple extra inches slack.

New! Read more information on determining cutter size by Michael McAuley

Procedure

1. After using the above factors into account then tailoring them to your own specific soap slab, measure and cut your plywood into the appropriate size. (Fig. 1)

2. Using those same dimensions, cut the formica into an L. You do not need special tools for scoring formica; a software application knife is going to do. Hold a ruler or T-square on the line you would like cut and gently but firmly score it several times with the knife. It'll snap along this line with light pressure.

3. Following instructions given on the contact cement container, spread cement within the surfaces of the formica and plywood, let dry until tacky, then press together. Make certain all warps are smoothed out. If any formica spends time at over the fringe of the plywood, saw or file off. (Fig. 2)

4. Now cut the 2 x 2's that will form the "rim" of the cutter. You will need pairs of four different lengths (4 lengths for the top of the cutter, 4 identical lengths for underneath). These 2x2's will be fastened along the sides from the L, but both ends of the L will be left open so that the soap feeds in one end then exits out the other.

5. Beginning with the formica-covered top side, sink 1 1/2 inch screws and fasten the 2x2's towards the bottom of the plywood. To prevent cracking the formica, pre-drill small holes before sinking the screws. (Fig. 3)

6. Using 2 1/2 inch screws, attach another set of four 2x2's to the top from the cutter. (Fig. 4)

7. Now cut four blocks, 2"x 4"x 8". These will form the "sidebars" which will be connected to the sides from the cutter. The 2 crossbars will ultimately be screwed onto these sidebars.

8. Next, cut two crossbars, using 2x4" lumber. The length of these will depend upon the size of your soapcutter. Referring to the example given under Preliminary Considerations, the width of 1 L leg was 16 inches, and the width from the other was 22 inches. Add 3 inches to each of these measurements to be able to obtain period of both crossbars. Your twocrossbars will consequently measure 19 inches and 25 inches.

9. With a straight-edged ruler or T-square, draw a line lengthwise downthe middle of both crossbars. The guide holes for the wire is going to be drilled along this line. The spacing for the wire holes will be based entirely upon the dimensions you cutyour bars. For that hypothetical soap slab measuring 12x18 inches, let'ssay the slab is cut into 2x3 inch bars. So as the soap slab is pushed down the long, narrow neck from the L-shaped cutter, five wires will cut the slab into six 2-inch wide strips. These strips will be pushed through five wires on the other leg of the L which divide the strips into six 3-inch long bars. The 12x18 inch slab therefore yields 36 bars.

Now to the crossbars. 

The line drawn on the 19-inch crossbar will be scored with pencil by 50 percent inch intervals. However mark an "X" at one end; this will be the end that rests within the outside edge of the cutter (the advantage your soap slab always follows). For the to begin 5 wire holes, measure in five inches from the "X"-ed end of the wood and mark that spot on the line.(The very first 3 of these 5 inches considers the 1 1/2 widths of the sidebar and rim.) Now pencil 4 more spots along the line, each spaced 2 " apart. With a small drill bit, use these guidemarks to bore five holes with the 2x4 crossbar.

The 25-inch crossbar will likewise require to be marked and drilled. Mark one end with an X and measure in 6 inches from that end for your first mark (again, the first 3 of these 6 inches is a result of the widths from the sidebar and rim). This crossbar holds 5 wires which cut the bars into 3 inch widths, therefore the marks will consequently need to be made in 3 inch intervals. Then drill each hole completely with the 2x4.

10. Corresponding holes for both crossbars will have to be drilled on the surface of the soap cutter itself.

About the narrow, long leg from the L a straight line (perpendicular towards the sides) needs to be ruled across the surface of the cutter. For the hypothetical 12"x18" slab, this line is going to be drawn at least 18 inches in the end from the cutter so the entire slab of soap rests squarely about the cutter's surface before being fed with the first group of wires. Otherwise, area of the slab will hang over the cutter's edge, resulting in less control over the movement from the slab with the wires. To have an 18 inch long slab, considering drawing the line 19 inches in the end, with an extra inch added as "slack."

Beginning with the inside edge of the outer 2x2" rim, pencil in five marks spaced at 2-inch intervals along the drawn line. Drill 5 holes with the plywood. 

For that wider leg of the L-shaped cutter, another line will need to be ruled. The place of the line is going to be determined by the 12-inch width from the hypothetical soap slab, so allow 12 inches between your line and also the end of the soap cutter.

After determining where you can locate this line, mark the first hole 3 inches in from the inner edge of the 2x2" rim. Mark 5 holes, 3 inches apart, then drill.

11. Before screwing the sidebars and crossbars towards the cutter, you might like to make sure the holes about the crossbar line up with the holes on the cutter surface. If the holes don't match at 90 degree angles, the wires will be askew, marring the finished shape of your soap bars.

As a result, set the bottom blocks in place(don't attach) then lay the crossbars on top; flip the crossbars on their sides so that the drill holesare because. Rest one edge of a small L-square about the cutter surface and appearance matching top and bottom holes for alignment. Re-drill any holes if required. 

12. Now attach the four 6-inch sidebars towards the sides of the cutter using 2-1/2" screws. To insure even alignment of the sidebars with the wire holes drilled about the cutter surface, draw a line lengthwise with the middle of every 6-inch block. When screwing the blocks onto the cutter sides, make sure the lines with the middle of the blocks are relatively even with the line of holes on the cutter surface.

13. Attach the 2 crossbars to the sidebars with 2 1/2 inch screws. 

14. You're ready to begin wiring the cutter.

The wires for the soap cutter will be mounted on 3/8" hex-head carriage bolts, which function in exactly the same way a tuning key on a guitar or piano does. The wire is tightened by turning the bolts sunk in to the crossbars.

The amount of bolts you will need is determined by how many bars your soap slab is cut into. If we again refer to the 12x18 inch soap slab (cut 6 bars wide by 6 bars long), 5 vertically-strung wires is going to be required for each leg of the L-shaped cutter. Two wires will share one carriage bolt; both crossbars will therefore require 3 bolts apiece, for any total of 6 carriage bolts.

An opening must be drilled through the upper shaft of every bolt. This can be done yourself by clamping the bolt in a vise and drilling; each bolt will take a few minutes of drilling time. Or else you can have a machine shop do it for you personally. 

Holes for that carriage bolts now have to be drilled into the top of each crossbar. Since two vertical wires share one bolt, drill the carriage bolt holes somewhere between the wire holes. Make use of a 5/16" drill bit for the 3/8" bolts. A rather undersized hole is important, otherwise the tension within the tightened wire loosens the bolt in its channel, leading to slack wire. Drill completely through the 2x4 inch crossbar and sink the bolt 1/4" to 1/2" into the wood.

15. To wire your cutter, thread a length of wire (approximately 1 1/2 to two feet long) through the hole in the bolt, loop the wire once round the bolt then tie the wire in a single knot. You'll probably need pliers to do this. Stop any excess wire.

16. Now tighten the wires by turning the carriage bolts clockwise. Before the wires are completely tight, flip the cutter over and adjust the washers. Each hole should have a washer resting squarely underneath it; this keeps the wire from cutting in to the soft plywood once the wires are further tightened. Give your wires your final tightening.

Your cutter is complete! 

Tips on making use of your soap cutter:

1. When pushing your soap through the cutter, push inside a diagonal direction: in to the outside rim of the cutter as well as forward through the wires. Should you only push forward, the soap can wobble, resulting in wavy" soap bars.

2. Use a small block or board to push the soap. Celebrate for additional even, consistent pressure on the slab.

3. Following the soap continues to be pushed through the first set of wires, you might like to flip all the strips up onto their sides for the next go through. If there is any wobbling in this cut, it does not show on barswhich are standing on their ends. Bars which lie flat through the second pass can have any and all inconsistencies.

4. For easy pushing, lightly mist the formica surface using a spray bottle filled with water. This easesthe friction between soap and cutter surface.

5. In case your 2x2 inch rims on the outside of the cutter are somewhat rough, you might want to sand them smooth and/or shellac them. This helps the soap pass more easily and cleanly with the cutter.

6. If your raw soap slab arrives of their mold with imperfect sides (because of wrinkle marks from the plastic liner, for example) which need "cleaning" before being cut into bars, you might want to think about a slightly different wire configuration than the one given above. Instead of setting your first wire a bar's width from inner fringe of the cutter's rim, set this wire only eighth inch out of the rim. As the rough soap slab operates through, a eighth-inch thin sliver of soap will be shaved in the rough edge. Likewise, set the outermost wire an eighth of an inch closer in, to ensure that a corresponding sliver is going to be shaved in the other part of the block. If you align both sets of wires within this fashion, all sides of the slab will be cleanly and evenly cut. A little extra scrap is generated this way, but time and effort is saved which may well be spent on cosmetic makeovers for your soap.

7. Should you pour your soap slab 2 bars thick, you can divide the block horizontally by sinking a carriage bolt into a sidebar and weaving a horizontal wire through the first group of vertical wires. Two holes will have to be drilled with the sidebars and rims from the cutter, so it's best to plan ahead and do that drilling before screwing these pieces towards the cutter surface. If your soap is one inch thick, the two holes must be drilled through the rims (and sidebars) one inch above the surface of the cutter. The wire can be screwed right down to sleep issues of the cutter in the same fashion that any "odd-numbered" wire is screwed to the underside of the cutter in Step 15 above. In case your soap slab is 3 bars high, you may have trouble pushing the soap through, since that much wire will offer lots of resistance.