Here are two more new soaps, and they are both, well, brown. But I like them :)
This soap doesn't have a name yet. It's a super scrubby bar with poppyseeds, walnut shell powder and vanilla bean powder, plus a an essential oil combination of lavender, cedarwood & lime. This one will be perfect for hard-working hands or feet, or to use as an exfoliant on the body to help slough off dead skin cells. Will be available in early March.
Cocoa & Shea Soap. This little soap is enriched with cocoa butter, shea butter, and organic cocoa powder. No fragrance or colour has been added, so this will be perfect for sensitive skin. I love the creamy brown colour, it reminds me of chocolate! Available in early March.Well it seems the soap fairies are out in force at the moment, and as a result I'm discontinuing my Goat's Milk soap (the Cocoa & Shea, above, will be its replacement). Why? The last three batches I've made, I've had to throw away. There's no apparent reason, and I'm using the same recipe I've always used. The first batch was too dry and crumbly. The second had undissolved lye crystals through it - I kid you not!! And the last batch was too oily, still seeping fluid even after a few days on the curing rack. The only change I made was to use an organic & unpasteurised goatsmilk, whereas in the past I've just bought it from the supermarket. But I still can't fathom how it could have upset THREE batches of soap.
It might not be gone forever ... I'm thinking in winter I'll try another batch. But in the meantime, you can enjoy the (vegan) alternative of Cocoa & Shea!
I can't call them fairies if they're ruining batches. Fairies are good. I call them soap goblins! They have been at my house a # of times. What's with that!?
ReplyDeleteThey are both lovely - even if they are brown! :) I can't believe you've had such problems with the goat's milk soaps! How frustrating! Are you freezing the milk, then adding lye to it or adding the milk at trace?
ReplyDeleteOh,I'm so sorry you've been having trouble -it's just heart breaking to have things not come out right. :))(although to know that someone who makes soaps as beautiful as you do has an off day too - makes me feel a bit better :>)
ReplyDeleteThe two new ones are just beautiful. Love the Cocoa and Shea.
@ Amy - I freeze half my goatsmilk and put it into the liquid part, so when I add the lye it doesn't overheat.
ReplyDeleteThey still sound good to me!
ReplyDeleteI meant - the disasters do not sound good - but I love the new ones!! The cocoa and shea = delish!
ReplyDeleteDarned Soap Goblins!
I have a thing for brown soaps at the moment. I love them! Matt keeps moaning about it and keeps sneaking different ones into the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteThese look right up my street Erin.
Fab
x
I should never be allowed near my computer keyboard until I have consumed massive amounts of caffeine! x
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your brown yet-to-be-named soap, I really like how they turned out and you're right, it sounds like a great soap for scrubbing feet! I like the sounds of your EO blend too, it's intriguing!
ReplyDelete@ Teresa - lol! I know what you meant ;)
ReplyDelete@ Tierra - we soapmakers are always learning aren't we?
I've got Casey Makela's book 'Milk Based Soaps' and in the section on preparing milk for soap making she says two processes are required - pasteurisation and freezing. Pasteuristisation is only required if you're using raw milk but she claims that 'all milks must be frozen and thawed before use. Freezing increases its stability and makes it less vulnerable to the ravages of lye'. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention about your Goats Milk soap being crumbly, etc
ReplyDeleteI made a GM castile a few months ago, believing that I'd be creating a simply, kind, mild soap that the vast majority of people could use.
WRONG....it was horrible. Crumbly, drying, leaving that awful cruddy feeling on your hands(haven't, and won,t be, using it anywhere else!). I checked my recipe several times to make sure I hadn't calculated the lye incorrectly, but apparently the soap fairies had simply been having fun at my expense, and the soap is unuseable.
Have since made a gorgeous coconut cream castile, and it's beautiful.