Winter Soap Bundle - Now Available Online

Our winter soap bundle is now available! Find it on our website here.

Winter Soap Bundle - Available 8th August

Our winter soap bundle will be online and available for purchase from Saturday 8th August. We will send out an email reminder closer to the date so if you'd like to be notified please make sure you're on our mailing list! You can sign up using the "subscribe" button on the right.

Oh Honey

Fresh rose petals, honey and almond

Birthday Cake

Vanilla cake, buttercream icing and candied violets

Jon Snow

Smooth cognac, pipe tobacco, bittersweet chocolate and a whisp of chimney smoke

American Pie

Tart black cherries and almond pastry, dusted with icing sugar

Twilight Carnival

Hot buttered popcorn, caramel and smoked chocolate

Winter Soaping

I'll be offering another soap bundle around mid-August. I've had a few scent ideas in mind for a while and it has been wonderful to get them out and get creative! Here are the first three.

Oh Honey: sweet and floral with notes of honey, rose & almond.

Birthday Cake: vanilla cake, thick buttercream icing & candied violets.

Jon Snow: I don't know exactly how Jon Snow smells, but a girl can dream can't she? A blend of aromatic cognac, tobacco leaves, bittersweet chocolate and a whisp of chimney smoke.

Three down, three more to go. Stay tuned! x

P.S. We are now on Instagram, find us at @innerearthsoaps.

Christmas Soaps

Some of you may have seen on my Facebook page that I've been making soaps lately. I've had quite a few emails and messages asking whether I'm back in business so I thought I would clarify things here.

I'll be offering six Christmas soaps this year, in very limited quantities. The scents will be announced in the next couple of weeks, along with the date and time that they'll go on sale. They will be available to buy as a set of six, with a limit of one set per customer, and it will be first in, best dressed. If you'd like to be notified when they will be available you can add your email to the mailing list.

In the meantime … take a sneak peek at what I've made so far.

Candy Cane: peppermint & vanilla candy

Let Them Eat Cake: rich vanilla cake & a sticky orange glaze

Beautiful soap designs from my soap students!

I wanted to share with you some of the amazing designs coming through from my soap students of Soapmaking Made Easy. So proud. These are from people who have never made soap before, so amazing!!

Faye and Nicole - these were achieved on their third batch of soap.  

Beautiful pink and purple swirls by Alysia.

Messy layers by Kim, loving the colour combination.

Also by Kim, messy layers in stunning earthy hues.

If you'd like me to help you make gorgeous soaps like these, you can check out my e-book here. 

My Favourite Scents in Soap: Part 2, Fragrance Oils

Fragrance oils are different from essential oils when it comes to cold process soap, and they can be alot more problematic! FOs are more likely to discolour the soap or accelerate trace, plus the scent can often fade or morph into something different. So when I come across an FO I love the smell of, it behaves well in soap, and sticks, and my customers love the smell of it too … that’s an FO I will continue to buy again and again. Below are some of my favourite FOs.

Brambleberry

Almond Biscotti - A very strong almond fragrance with a hint of sugar & pastry in the background. If you love almond scents, this is for you! Does D slightly due to the vanilla content.

Champagne - A lovely "fizzy" scent that is fantastic either on its own or blended. Behaves well, no A or D, sticks well, and it's a great scent for the festive season! 

Love Spell - A dupe of the Victoria's Secret perfume, many FO suppliers make a version but this is my personal favourite. Smells great, no A or D, and the scent sticks really well too.

Mayan Gold - A strong, exotic scent with notes of chocolate and patchouli. Customers love this one! The scent stays amazingly strong in soap, and although it does A and D slightly, it's worth the trouble.

Sensuous Sandalwood - A dead-on dupe for sandalwood essential oil, at a fraction of the cost. Beautiful on its own, also amazing blended with other single-note FOs (vanilla or orange are my favourites!). Slight A and D but again, worth it.

Buy in the US: www.brambleberry.com

Buy in Australia: www.aussiesoapsupplies.com.au

Daystar Supplies

Blackberry Jam Butter Cookies - A truly unique fragrance, you can really smell the buttery shortbread and the jam! No A, does D heavily to a dark brown but the scent is worth it.

Buttermilk & Honey - A sweet, milky comforting scent, I love this one. Great for milk soaps or baby soaps. It does D slightly to a tan colour, and has a tendency to overheat in the mould so keep soap temps cool and only minimal insulation.

Rose Jelly - A dupe of Lush's Rose Jam, this one smells like a turkish delight! I love it. 

Buy in the US: www.daystarsupplies.com

Buy in Australia: www.bigtreesupplies.com.au

Nature's Garden

Froot Loops - I'm actually not a fan of the cereal but I LOVE this scent. Fruity and sugary and delicious. No A or D, behaves perfectly and sticks well.

Lick Me All Over - An amazing and unique blend of melons, citrus and flowers that smells like you just stepped off the boat onto a tropical island. No A or D, and sticks very well.

Nectarine & Honey - The perfect combination of tart nectarines and sweet honey. Refreshing and great for summer. No D however it does A quite dramatically so be prepared with cooler soap temps and no water discount. Scent sticks really well and is worth the trouble!

Buy in the US: www.naturesgardencandles.com

Buy in Australia: www.bigtreesupplies.com.au 

Do you have a favourite FO you'd like to share? Leave a comment in the section below!

For more information on how to make soap, check out my eBook Soapmaking Made Easy.

My Favourite Scents in Soap: Part 1, Essential Oils

All essential oils are amazing, however when it comes to cold process soap, some perform better than others. My criteria for EOs in soap is that they hold their scent well, don't accelerate trace, and are reasonably inexpensive to buy. These are my "must have" essential oils for a soapmaker's arsenal!

Cedarwood 

Eucalyptus  

Frankincense

Lavender

Lemongrass

Lime

Mandarin

Orange 10fold

Patchouli

Peppermint

Petitgrain

Rose Geranium

Rosemary

Tea Tree

Ylang Ylang

These are some of my favourite blends:

Hippie Blend

2 parts patchouli

1 part lemongrass

1 part orange 10fold

Ocean Blend

2 parts lavender

2 parts rosemary

1 part lemongrass

1 part peppermint

Forest Blend

2 parts lavender

1 part cedar wood

1 part lime

1 part rosemary

Minty Blend 1

1 part peppermint

1 part eucalyptus

Minty Blend 2

2 parts lavender

1 part peppermint

1 part spearmint

Spiritual Blend

3 parts frankincense

3 parts mandarin

1 part lemongrass

1 part patchouli

1 part orange 10fold

Bliss Blend

3 parts rose geranium

3 parts cedarwood

2 parts patchouli

2 parts mandarin

1 part ylang ylang

Eau De Cologne Blend

2 parts petitgrain

2 parts lavender

1 part orange 10fold

Clear Complexion Blend

1 part lavender

1 part tea tree

Do you have a favourite essential oil or blend in soap? Pop it in the comments below!