Wood Grain Soap Technique
October 2016 Great Cakes Soap Challenge Entry
The goal of this months soap challenge was to get our soap to look like a natural wood grain pattern.
We could chose to enter into the All Natural or the Synthetic category.
I always make all natural soaps so I decided to do a soap for the Synthetic category so I could play with some new colorants.
I always make all natural soaps so I decided to do a soap for the Synthetic category so I could play with some new colorants.
I used 36 oz. of oils Superfat at 6%
The method I chose to create the wood grain effect was achieved by putting different colors of soap batter in squeeze bottles and then I put a line of soap batter down and then I went over that line with the next color, and then the next color and continued until all of my soap batter was gone.
The oils I used are: Tallow 33%, Olive oil 33%, Coconut oil 30%, and
Castor oil 4%.
I melted my oils and stick blended my soap batter to an emulsion. I added a bit of Kaolin Clay, pulsed a bit with my stick blender just to incorporate the clay. Next, I divided the soap evenly into separate containers and mixed in the color/colors. I then mixed in the Fragrance blend and then poured it into 5 different squeeze bottles and then I started designing my soap in my 9 bar Birch wood mold.
Before I got a quarter of the way done, my soap batter really thickened up on me (I am thinking due to the Rosewood/Vanilla F.O.???) I was able to work right through it though, the layers just wasn't able to spread out very well on their own. I gave the mold some shakes and jiggles a little here and there. Ok, maybe a lot! :) When I was done, I gave it some good taps so hopefully I wouldn't have any air bubbles.
I then thought it may pop a little if I CPOP, so I put it in the pre-heated 170 degree F oven for about 1 hour.
The next day I had some really nice hard soap, with an Awesome scent!
I was worried that I may get some soda ash on top but luckily I did not!
The colors that I used:
Color #1- Soap batter with no color (Added: .5 oz. Rosewood/Vanilla F.O. from Bramble Berry)
Color #2- Soap batter with Regular Cocoa Powder
Color #3- Soap batter with Special Dark Cocoa Powder
Color #4- Soap batter with Regular Cocoa Powder + Orange color (created by mixing some Electric Bubble Gum with Fizzy Lemonade and just a touch of Blue Ultramarine) Electric Bubble Gum, Fizzy Lemonade and the
Blue Ultramarine is from Bramble Berry.
Color #5- Soap batter with Regular Cocoa Powder with just a touch of
Electric Bubble Gum and Fizzy Lemonade.
Scent: I used .05 oz Patchouli, .3 Sweet Orange, .35 oz. Lavender Essential oil with .7 Rosewood/Vanilla Fragrance oil. Smells amazing, such a wonderful blend, I will be using it again for sure.
I loved working with the Bramble Berry colors they are so amazing and I was able to create many different colors with them.
I really enjoyed this challenge it was really fun, Thanks again Amy for a great challenge!!!
