Now curing...

Here it is, folks. My first semi-successful attempt at cold process swirling. I made this batch of intoxicating spearmint-rosemary essential oil soap using Mission Peak's Mold and SoapQuick (pre-mixed oil blend) so I wouldn't have to worry too much about measuring and mixing the ingredients while I focused on getting the timing and the trace just right for swirling. I've still got lots of practicing to do, but I think this first batch came out pretty well! Plus, my new apartment has been smelling GREAT because of this baby.


After about 2 days, I unmolded and cut the big loaf (above) into bars. These guys need to cure for about 6 weeks and they'll be ready to use/sample/sell on August 1st.


Also curing: my less successful attempt at swirling in a Citrus Mint (fragrance oil) scent. It came out looking layered because I missed the proper trace window and it was too thick to produce a real swirl. These guys are almost ready and I polished them up and hand bevelled them last week. Look out for them to hit my Etsy shop on July 15th!

Soap Boot Camp at the Nova Studio

A few weeks ago, I attended the 2-day Intensive Soap Making Boot Camp at The Nova Studio in Point Richmond. The boot camp includes 4 classes in two very full and incredibly inspirational days. The first day, our full class of 15 soapmakers-in-training, learned about cold process soap making, from measuring ingredients and mixing lye to fragrancing, coloring and molding the soap. These pictures (courtesy of Quiet Violet) show (above) the fabulous Lori Nova pouring "Barney Purple" raw soap into a mold and (below) the finished product, masterfully swirled with "Incredible Hulk Green". I went home after the first day feeling exhilarated and eager for more!

On Day 2, we moved on to hot process soap making with Lori in the morning. The most basic difference between cold process and hot process soap making is, obviously, the heat involved. The heat speeds up the saponification process (the reaction between the lye and fatty acids that results in soap), so that the soap is ready to use after only a couple weeks, as opposed to around 6 weeks for cold process. Lori demonstrated the hot process method using a crock pot.

The above photos (taken from my iPhone) show three different stages of the saponification process. The first picture shows Lori mixing the lye solution with the oils to achieve trace. The middle photo is mid-cook; you can see the saponified soap forming a thicker crust on top while the raw (unsaponified) soap is still liquid on the bottom. The third photo shows the finished soap - it's the consistency of mashed potatoes and ready to be colored, fragranced and molded.

In the afternoon, we learned about big batch soap making (for when the time comes...) from David Critchfield of Mission Peak Soap. David showed us a decidedly more laid-back approach to soap making (note the lack of gloves and goggles in the photos below). He also showed us some easy and inexpensive ways to make "big batches" (100+ bars) using materials you can easily find at the local hardware store. The pictures below show David's big batch method, his styrofoam mold and his wood/piano string soap cutter.













For now, I'm just making small batches (~4 pounds at a time) and I was eager for a more professional look, so I decided to invest in Mission Peak's wood soap mold and cutter, which I was able to pick up at the boot camp to save on shipping costs.

By the end of the weekend, I was loaded with handouts, soap samples and a stack of supplies, including my mold/cutting system and some SoapQuick I'd also ordered from Mission Peak for my first efforts at swirling. I also purchased a number of "trial-sized" additives from the Studio on Sunday. I was dreaming, thinking, breathing soap.

The only thing stopping me from retreating into my lair and making batch after batch of soap now was... MOVING. :(

For another description of the boot camp (with much better photos!), check out The Nova Studio Blog.