Shampoo Bars

Here’s the soap I had in the ice cream carton.  It turned out okay.  The sides of the carton released pretty easily, but the bottom stuck really bad, so if I’m going to use something like that again, I’ll have to line the bottom at least with freezer paper.  I let them set for a day and a half, then put it in the freezer for about 30 min to help it release better.

These will be shampoo bars – I really want to start doing that instead of buying the bottled stuff.  I don’t need them to be pretty or anything in this test batch so I wasn’t concerned with aesthetics.  I picked oils especially good for hair – like walnut and avocado, with lavender essential oil for fragrance.  When these bars are done curing in about a month, I’ll use the recipe I found on Mommypotamous to detox my hair first, as we live in a really hard water area.  I’ll keep you posted on how it all turns out. 

Filed under: Shampoo Tagged: Shampoo Bars, Soap

Epic CPOP Fail

I am almost too embarrassed to post these pictures. I was trying out that CP/OP method I’ve read so much about, and that a soaping friend of mine swears by. I’m not really sure what happened. I am pretty sure I’ll never be trying this again! Ugh! I don’t know if any of my soap is even salvageable, but I suppose I’ll try, after a couple weeks of curing, to see if it can still be used at all. Chalk this one up to ugly lesson learned.

This is a batch of shampoo bars.  I was experimenting with using an ice cream container as a mold.  I figured, it’s basically already lined in freezer paper, for the most part.  I’ll post pics when I unmold it. 

Filed under: Soap Tagged: Cold Process, CP.OP, Fail, Oven Process, Soap

Whipped Tallow Balm

I’ve been making tallow balm for a while now, and loving how it heals and softens my skin.  I formulated a blend that included some coconut oil and a few other things.  Once it cooled, it hardened to a fairly solid consistency.  Normally, I just sort of scoop it out with the back of my thumb nail.  One person loved it, said it felt like paste and stuck to her skin.  She had very dry skin and wanted something that felt like it was really going to sink in. 

Lately though, I’ve gotten into experimenting with whipping my oils once they’re cooled, and I had the bright idea to try whipping my tallow blend.  I re-heated it and melted it down again and let it harden in the refrigerator.  After it was done chilling, I whipped it and added some more essential oils to boost the fragrance a little more. 

It turned out so light and creamy!  Like a soft butter.  It absorbed in really fast and my skin where I used it is super soft.  I think this process is a keeper, especially for the tallow blend. 

Before whipping

After whipping

Filed under: Body Balm Tagged: Body Balm, Tallow Balm