Orange Lemongrass exfoliating soap

Getting the ingredients ready...

So, after trying my very first batch of soap, I decided I wanted to try a different recipe so when they are ready I can see the different properties of using different oils and different lye concentration, etc. Since my first batch was made with honey, also the gelling process was going to be different which meant I wanted to try something more standard. I also wanted to play with the trace in order to understand better how to use it to create designs.

So... this time I change the basic oils for the recipe. Using the calculator I tried to design a combination that would give me a creamier soap that would make more bubbles. Since half of these soaps are exfoliating and half moisturizing, I imagined them really soapy. We will see... But in the meanwhile I will show you what I did.

Recipe

Total oils: 500 gr

• Olive oil 75% = 325gr

• Coconut oil 25% = 125gr

• Sweet Almond oil 10% = 50gr

Lye concentratio 40%

Superfat 5%

Lye: 70gr

Water (distilled): 105gr

First I prepared the oils (I really should have started with the lye solution, since it takes a while to cool down and be at the same temperature as the oil, this is not really a problem, but I get bored waiting for it to be ready!). I basically had to melt the coconut oil. Since spring hasn't decided to come yet, the coconut oil, that in the South of Italy usually will have a liquidish texture, it's pretty much solid. I used a whisk to mix them together.

When the oils and the lye solution were at the same temperature I poured the latest into the oils and mixed buy hand a bit before starting using the stick blender. I wouldn;t recommend just to blend without stoping. I prefer to give it some touches and see where the trace is. I am still experimenting and I don't feel very confident when it comes to recongize trace.

Once I had what I considered to be a light trace I separated the mix in two equal parts and got ready to work with one of them while leaving the other on the side for later. So, First I wanted to prepare the orange part, for this I added 2 pills of turmeric (like half a tea spoon) and the essence of orange (I had a 10ml pot that wasn't full, again, this is something I need to work on since either my essential oils are not very strong or I don't seem to be able to calculate how much I need!). I used the stick blender to mix it all together and get a medium trace. Then, I poured it into the molds filling only 50% of the total. I left it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Filled 50% of the molds with the orange mix

After waiting a bit and stiring regularly the second part of the mix, I added a tea spoon of neetle leaves powder, around 8ml of lemongrass essential oil and a few grams of poppy seeds (which will work as a natural exfoliant).

Working the green mix into a medium trace

I worked the mix until a medium trace and I added it to the mold filling them. Doing this could be tricky since the forze of the liquid falling into the mold can make it dip into the orange that is not sof t but not very hard either. I used a spatula to reduce this effect and for what I can see so far the lines are quite neat, except in one of the individual molds. I quite like the division between these colors and how the soap turned out.

The next step, once the soap is all in the molds is to let it sit somewhere at room temperature for 24 hours, ideally covered with a towel or a blanket.

After 24h the soap can be unmolded and let it sit for 4 weeks minimun to cure. This process would be better done in a place outside not in direct sunlight but airy and not humid. Of course that is not my case, so I found a place out of the way on top of a shelf and covered it losely with an oven paper sheet to avoid dust falling into it.