Infusion: How

In soap making, there are 2 kinds of infusion.

First: Water infusion.
The water infusion is for the lye-water solution.
Second: Oil infusion.
The oil infusion can be used for the base oils or as an additive.

There are 2 ways to make an ifusion:

1. Heat Infusion
This is the process of boiling the herbs or seeds that are to be infused in the oils or water. You manipulate the heat so that the qualities of the herbs and seeds are extacted.

2. Overtime Infusion
This process requires a length of time. You may not boil your herbs or seeds on the water or oil. In this process, you just let the herbs and seeds extract on its time. Usually around a week.

In my opinion, the best type of infusion jis the overtime infusion, which brings out great results.

In the picture, I am going to infuse tarragon leaves in the oil for my cleansing soap recipe. I am going to infuse through heat because I need the soap asap. :)

Soap making

There's nothing greater than waking up in the morning and looking forward to a batch that is ready to be cut.

Here's a post to all the soapmakers as enthusiastic out there! :)

-Millie

Morrocan Soap

Lye solution: Buffalo's Milk and Lye

Infused oils with Coriander seeds and Lemon tree leaves.

Essential oils used: Eucalyptus, Clove, Cedarwood.

Fragrance: Bvulgari Fragrance oil.

Black base: Glycerin Soap (Melt and Pour) colored with Black soap colorant and Coriander seeds for exfoliation. Unscented.

Finished soap. :)

The base of the soap is melt and pour glycerin soap. You can mix CP with MP. Don't limit your imagination.

Seaweed Soap

2oz. lye
5oz. distilled water
Oils:
6oz. Palm
3oz. Coconut
2oz. Castor

additives:
1/4 cup Real dried seaweeds
1tsp. Avocado oil
2oz. Cocoa Butter
1tsp. Seaweed Extract

Add the Real seaweeds at trace this is to distribute the seaweeds evenly.

This soap is perfect for dry skin and rashes. The seaweeds are very mild exfoliants for the skin. The cocoa butter and avocado oil are for moisture.

Unmolding & Curing

I believe that Curing and Unmolding are the most important parts of the soap making process. These are the times where you'll know if your soap is a YAY or NAY. Soapmakers (the beginners, most oftenly) always look beyond these parts.

What's the difference?
Unmolding is the first 24 hours of removing the soap from the mold.

Curing js when you "cure" your soap after unmolding. Usually take 2-4 weeks.

Unmolding:
Beginners will usually want to remove the soap from the mold upon the first touch of the finger feels that the batter is "hard enough". I tell you from experience, DO NOT. Always be patient and let that soap harden and cure. Let it sit overnight and viola, remove it from the mold but don't use it yet. LET IT CURE. You'll see what you might've expected or not from this point in aesthetic issues.

The problem with removing the soap from the mold in less than 24 hours is that you might get the shape you would not have wanted. It might be opposite the shape of the mold.

Here's an example of what I meant when I said that always let the soap harden for 24 hours. I removed the soap from the mold after 2 hours when I thought it was hard enough to be out of the mold. When i came back to my workplace, the soap was flat rather than barred in the rectangular shape. Lesson learnt: BE PATIENT.

Curing:
After you have unmolded, this is the part when you let caustic parts of the soap settle. You wouldn't want to be using a soap that is caustic! That would irritate your skin. So, curing is vital to the usage of your soap.

Always remember that only cold process soaps require curing. Hot process soaps only require a small span of time for "drying" because the saponification of HP has already been completed unlike CP.

Replacements for Distilled water

Don't you ever feel like its too plain to just use distilled water for your lye-solution? There are other more alternatives for distilled water!

1.) Milks

You can use Cow's Milk, Goat's Milk and even Breast Milk. Milk soaps are creamy for the skin and really moisturizing. The problem with using Milk is that it tends to make the soap crumbly and it creates discoloration over time. Not only does it damage aesthetic qualities of the soaps, it also creates an odor that mixes with your fragrance oils then turning the soap into spoiled milk ala (your fragrance oil here). This is the problem: Milk is comprised of proteins that are actually unsaponifiable. Therefore, there are proteins and fibers from the milk that don't turn into soap and in turn, go rotten inside your soap. You would not want that!

In order to prevent the aesthetic and aromatic features and rancidity of your milk soap, here are tips:
1. try mixing the milk with a little distilled water. This way, you do not fully make a solution made from 100% milk but you still get its qualities. Try 40% Milk and 60% Water.

2. Try using POWDERED MILKS. This way, there are not too much true of the fibers. Always remember to fully dissolve the powder. Always.

3. Add sodium benzoate to your lye-milk solution.

4. ALWAYS freeze the milk before adding the lye. In this way, the milk doesn't get burnt and it wont create that unpleasant odor.


Best Milk solutions:
Coconut Milk-Lye Solution: Creates a moisturizing bar and has a creamy lather.
Goat's Milk-Lye Solution: Creates an extra moisturizing bar.
(this is because, the goat's milk has an almost identical ph level to human skin)

2.) Tea

Tea is known to be very cleansing and has anti-acne agents. The problem with tea is that your soap batter will most likely have a light brown discoloration.

How to use:
1.) Make tea solution then add lye.
Ta-dahh. Thats it, actually.

Always make sure that no leaves get left behind the actual tea.

3.) Fresh Juices

Examples are Apple Juice, Carrot Juice, Orange Juice, you name it. But always make sure that no pulps, fibers and meat are left behind the juice. This is in order to have a smooth soap. Unless you want exfoliation through the fruits.  

Chemical of the day: EDTA in soapmaking

One of the problems soapmakers face is the bound-to-happen dreaded orange spots (DOS) that appear on the soaps usually 2-4 days after molding. These spots are caused by one of the following:

a.) Too much superfatting

b.) Rancid Oil used
c.) Short shelf life of oil
d.) "Soft" oils (olive, canola, sunflower, e.g.)
e.) High temperature curing

Another problem soapmakers face is the production of soap scum which unpleasantly creates mess in the bathroom and even in the soapmaker's workplace. 

Soap scum and DOS can be prevented by using EDTA.
EDTA is white and is in powder form. 

How to use:
OPTION A:
1. Dissolve EDTA in distilled water with Sodium Chloride (Salt).
2. Add during light trace.

OPTION B:
(AFTER LYE SOLUTION)
1. Dissolve EDTA in lye water.

OPTION C:
(BEFORE LYE SOLUTION)
1. Dissolve EDTA in Distilled water before adding lye.

Always remember that you can't state your soap as "Organic" once this chemical is placed. In order to avoid using EDTA, always check your measurements and check the shelf life of your oils. To prevent soap scum without using this chemical, you can use hardening agents that are natural like Sodium Chloride (Salt) or Cera Alba (Beeswax). These natural ingredients can hold the bar together stronger and it can help reduce soap scum.