Soap making has been a(nother) hobby of mine for a few years.  Nothing serious, just some fun and yummy smelling cleaning bars in my shower (because, seriously?  I have enough space-taking-money-hogging-hobbies – amiright?), buuuuuuuuuut these challenges! So much fun and ohmygosh the mica colors you can use for these soaps!  #allthehearteyes

This is my entry for the “Fluid Acrylic Pour with a Straw” challenge. I used a recipe similar to the one Amy recommended, substituting Lard for the tallow:

33% Lard
33% Olive Oil
30% Coconut Oil
4% Castor Oil

I made my lye solution with ice water in an attempt to soap (FASTER!!!) at a cooler temp. I couldn’t find my laser thermometer, so I’m not sure exactly what temp everything was at, but the soap stayed fluid until the bitter end, so #winning!

I used Peppermint Essential Oil (2nd distillation) from Brambleberry for scent, added at light trace. I split the soap into 5 containers and created my colors; white (titanium dioxide), black (activated charcoal), neon green (radioactive), neon purple (grape ape) #allthehearteyes and teal (Tahitian teal mica). I got the micas from http://www.madmicas.com.  Check out their neon colors kit – I may or may not have that in my cart …. see previous money hogging statement.

I tried to pour the colors keeping the green and teal separated by the other colors because I thought they were too close in shade and I didn’t want them lost in each other. I was wrong.  They were fine.

I poured each color into a handsome puddle before blowing (using a single, wide mouth straw). I was really pleased with the method, it was quite a lot of fun. I didn’t have the same issues with the straw that others seemed to have (no lye chapstick for me!) – I’m attributing that to the fact that I am ambidextrous and was able to keep the straw in my left hand while pouring liquid hot magma, er, soap with my right.

I must admit I made a huge mess on my countertop, blowing soap here and there, this way and that

All in all, I loved how this soap turned out. The colors stayed true and crisp and are amazing, IMHO and resulted in the name “The Joker”.  The soap. Not me.

 

 

#iloveneon #soapchallengeclub #diysoap #coldprocesssoap #fluidacrylicpour #livehandmade #handmadesoap