It turns out my first batch after getting my soap room back isn't another HP after all.
A very good friend of mine has asked me to make her some soaps scented with lavender essential oil. Lavender is her favorite and she'd love to give them out as Christmas gifts.
Anchoring natural scents has been every soap maker's ongoing quest. Some talk about adding the eo before mixing in the lye ("wrapping eo with regular oil to protect it from lye"), some insist that adding the eo after trace helps ("good trace = less lye"). I've tried so many different things but most of the time I can't really tell whether they help or not, but I do find that a well-balanced blend and keeping the soap at a low temperature help retaining the scent.
I love the blue color this time! It wasn't meant to be blue, was aiming for purple. I added some alkanet-infused oil, but then decided to sprinkle in some indigo powder "just in case alkanet doesn't produce enough purple". I ended up having this beautiful, elegant dark blue, what a lovely surprise! Doesn't it just add a little bit of mediterranean touch to the soap?
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Love the milky white! Love love love the original blue you got! Is it a milk soap? How did you get it so white? Thanks for sharing the tip on mixing alkanet and indigo! Can you reveal where you get your indigo? This soap looks absolutely beautiful. I struggle with anchoring Lavender as well.... constantly experimenting. My best so far was with a touch of patchouli and a touch of ho wood I think? Soaped at low temps.... xo Jen
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, How did your craft affair go?
ReplyDeleteI got my indigo from a local herb store, a little goes a long way!
I mixed my lavender with rosemary and rosewood. So far it smells really good!
Vielen Dank!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jan! I'm thinking maybe next time I'll have more of those dots so I can see more of them. Now they look like they're too shy to come out. ;)
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