Soaps with Milk

Long absence everyone!  I have spent the past month enjoying time with family and friends, some down time for myself, and a little bit of time sick in bed with the flu that's going around and other various winter diseases.

But now, it's back to the blog (and hopefully soaping!) Last fall, I experimented with some milks in my soaps.  I had heard all about how lovely and creamy they made the lather, and I wanted to check it out for myself.  The first soap I made with cream (about 90% of the liquids) was this Pumpkin Spice soap, also using pumpkin puree and BB's Pumpkin Spice FO.  

It was awesome (and still is).  I loved the smell, it lathered beautifully, and it smelled delightfully pumpkin-y and also spicy for the fall.  This turned out so well, that I next tried this Gingersnap soap with coconut milk - 100% of the liquids for the lye. 

The colors turned out more gray than brown, even though the swirl was nice, and these bars in my slab mold were HUGE!  They averaged around 7oz when cut...  But when I was mixing the lye with the coconut milk, it started to turn a little orange.  That's okay, I told myself, because I'd read about it happening on various forums, blogs and soapmaking books.  I probably just was adding lye too fast to the milk.  However, when I got the solution mixed in and started to mix the soap batter, YUCK - what is that awful smell!  That coconut milk smells burnt and horrible!!

I told myself it would probably go away over time, and it is a favorite of many friends and family.  After curing for about 4-5 weeks, I no longer noticed the smell of the burnt milk, and my nose was not offended by this soap any more.  Great!

Next, I tried cream again (the heavy whipping cream from the grocery store) to make a peppermint soap.

I was sure I had the hang of soaping with milks now, so I was even faster about adding lye to the soap and used 100% cream for the liquid in the lye mixture.  I added the lye to cold cream (not frozen), and before long, it turned a brilliant orange.  I was not worried, because it had turned out well in the past, and I was sure this time would be no different.  As I was soaping, I tried not to notice the horrid smell of sour, burnt milk.  It was terrible.  I scented with peppermint EO to cover up the milk smell, and let it cure.

The scent did fade over time, I noticed.  But last week when I went to get my hubby a soap for his shower, I picked up a tester I had made from this batch. (I made a second batch also with less milk, which smells much more pleasant)  Holy Hannah, did that smell sour!  I made my hubby smell, and he promptly threw the bar in the garbage.

I am worried about using milks in my soaps after this horrible experience, not knowing whether I am just very sensitive to milk now since I haven't been eating dairy lately, or if it was something I messed up.  I did a little research, asked some questions on the Teach Soap Forum, and got some answers.  

It seems that I probably used too much milk in the recipe, and I am likely sensitive to the milky smell.  I will wait for awhile before I'm tempted to try milks in my soaps again.

On a more positive note, though, I did find a fantastic winter recipe I have been using for the horribly dry and bitterly cold winters we have up here in Minnesnowta, and I will get pics and a blog about that shortly!

Hope you all are staying warm!

October Projects

I have more soap downstairs than I know what to do with right now.  Good thing in just 3 short weeks, I'll be getting married on the beach and I can get rid of at least 40 of these bars :)  And by "get rid of", of course I mean, "send these bars to fantastic homes"!

I have been playing around with a couple different projects - take a look at what I've done so far!

 This was an experiment with pumpkin puree and cream and BB's Pumpkin Spice FO.  I knew it'd discolor, so I only added the fragrance to half the soap (the side that turned brown).  I really like how this one smells, and I love how the swirls turned out!

 

Here is a Gingersnap soap I tried with coconut milk.  It took a good 3 weeks before I could tolerate the smell, though - I think the coconut milk smell is too much for me.  I had also hoped it would turn more brown like the Pumpkin one above, but no such luck.  And unfortunately, I used a slab mold, and these were the biggest bars I've made, and the ones I like the least...  I think after another 3 weeks, I'll love them.

 

Here's an invigorating soap I made for my guests - it's a blend of anise and peppermint EO.  Will really get you going in the morning!

 I love this one the best.  I am trying out a luxe formula, and this one is made with all kinds of goodies - shea butter and avocado oil, and is scented with NG's Christmas Pine FO - smells really "fir-y" and I love it! 

The pattern turned out so great!  I started out with a funnel pour, but the soap started to thicken too much for the funnel, so I finished with a faux funnel pour.  Love how these colors look and the soap feels great!

 I made some peppermint EO soaps with cream for a friend who loves mint-y soaps.  The top one kind of looks like the soap's wearing a bikini :)

This one is for a friend who cannot tolerate scents or colorants.  She just wanted a relatively plain bar of soap in a fun mold.  I made for her a soap with honey, beeswax, and oatmeal.  It smells great, and I love how it feels.  The mold was only around $6 from BB, which was a bonus!

~Chrissy