This morning I made another batch of hot processed soap. This was the first time that I've used a recipe that wasn't a goat's milk soap using this method. When heated on the stove, the goat's milk soaps turn a caramel color. They are really pretty and natural looking. My dad always requests this variety. "Send me some of the brown ones," he'll say.
Hot processed soap has a special quality. Many people describe it as rustic. I like the mildness of it. I find that it also has a distinctive lather. I love using it on my face. My sense is that the fragrances smell slightly sweeter when using this technique, too.
This morning the soap I made contained: olive oil, coconut oil, lye, and distilled water. It took about an hour to go through the stages that you need to see. I added some coconut milk, which gave it a nice creamy quality.
After observing it shift into applesauce stage, and then gel, I added yogurt, a small amount of sugar water, sea salt, and fragrance oil. These ingredients made the batter more elastic. It was easier to transfer into the loaf pan, thanks to the additives.. I learned this technique on line from Valerie Mosher. She makes soap in Nova Scotia. She is a wonderful teacher, and has numerous Youtube videos.
I colored a cup of the mixture with some Brazilian rose clay. I plopped it into three different places, and did some swirling. I used a piece of tie wire that I had in my toolbox. With the end of a wooden spoon, I outlined some small figure eights and circles along the top of the loaf.
Once the loaf had come to room temperature, I carefully placed the silicone mold in the freezer. When I got home from running my errands, the colors looked paler, which I really like. They have a milky, flexible quality, which is really pretty. I made these less than twelve hours ago, and just cut them. It's exciting to see how the colors turned out in the swirls. These will be ready to ship in a couple of weeks. A four week cure will make them nice and hard. I love this method. Thank you Valerie.
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