Soapmistress
09-23-2007, 11:33 AM
Good Morning Gentlemen,
I am more than halfway thru my working vacation…. WoW !…..where is the time going? Perusing the shaving forums and always talking about the delights of shaving soaps and shaving creams, it occurred to me that one thing some of you may not know about me, is that first and foremost I’m a cold process soap maker. I make Bath Soap.
There are different methods of making soap on a small scale, and in the beginning I tried the standard “melt and pour”, then hand milling and then moved right along to “cold process”. Cold process as the name is implies…..uses little to no heat, only enough to melt the oils, fats or butters. The sodium hydroxide (lye and distilled water) is cooled and the two are mixed together at low temperatures without any external heat. Thus you have the name “cold process”.
As the Soapmaker, I am able to choose the oils, fats or butters that have the proper ratio of cleansing properties and skin care. Controlling the quantity of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) used in relation to the oils, also gives me the ability to create a soap that has left over or unsaponifed oils…….known as “superfat” although these days I like to think of it more as “extra cream”. This is “Key” …..in creating a bath soap with a generous lather, that cleans gently….yet is mild; with additional oils to moisturize and soothe the skin.
Of course…this is just the base of the soap. As the soapmaker, I also get to decide what else goes into the batch. Another thing that a few of you may not know about me is that I have a rather large herb garden that I started over 15 years ago. The herbs are grown organically, and are used both in my soaps and in my kitchen. Nothing quite like fresh basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme when cooking, and I love fresh mint, and lemon balm in sweet tea!! What a delight on a hot summer day.
I also harvest different plants from the wild; what some call “wild crafting” or “ wild harvest” with wonderful names like jewelweed, self-heal, nettles , and evening primrose. Gathering herbs from the garden and native plants from the surrounding area, allows me to make different infusions steeped in flowers, herbs and plants. Each is known to impart certain skin care qualities, and I use the infusions in place of water in making the bath soap. And for what we don’t grow here in the garden, we use fine organic food grade teas (always fun to have a cup of tea at the same time) like chamomile and jasmine. Blue poppy seeds are nice to add for exfoliation, and I only use food grade spice to add hints and tones of natural muted colors.
The one draw back to cold process is that it has a cure time. Different soapmakers will give different times, and it’s true that sometimes it will depend on the type of soap being made….the ratio of milk, shea butter or additional oils can increase cure times. But on average 3 to 4 weeks is good. Over the next two weeks we will be making several batches of soap ( around 250 pounds) to get ready for the opening of our website and the upcoming Holiday season that is fast approaching.
Most soaps are available in the scents that you are already familiar with in the same line as the shaving soaps and shaving creams. I will also be introducing a few specialty soaps, or working soaps would be a fine name. A good hand soap for the working man…..something that will clean your hands, but not dry them out. The soap will be scented with a custom blend of citrus essential oils to aide in cutting grease and dirt, and enough added oils to soothe chapped, dry skin. I’ll also be adding an extra creamy “Butter Bar”, for dry skin…..and I’ll be introducing a new product line for women, beginning with soap, and adding sugar scrub, lotions, and massage oils.
And Gentlemen, please….. if there are any soaps ...."specialty types" or other, that you'd like to see made or have ideas about....I'm always interested in learning what you'd like to see in your choice of skin care products, so that we may better serve your needs.
XXWarm Regards, Colleen
I am more than halfway thru my working vacation…. WoW !…..where is the time going? Perusing the shaving forums and always talking about the delights of shaving soaps and shaving creams, it occurred to me that one thing some of you may not know about me, is that first and foremost I’m a cold process soap maker. I make Bath Soap.
There are different methods of making soap on a small scale, and in the beginning I tried the standard “melt and pour”, then hand milling and then moved right along to “cold process”. Cold process as the name is implies…..uses little to no heat, only enough to melt the oils, fats or butters. The sodium hydroxide (lye and distilled water) is cooled and the two are mixed together at low temperatures without any external heat. Thus you have the name “cold process”.
As the Soapmaker, I am able to choose the oils, fats or butters that have the proper ratio of cleansing properties and skin care. Controlling the quantity of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) used in relation to the oils, also gives me the ability to create a soap that has left over or unsaponifed oils…….known as “superfat” although these days I like to think of it more as “extra cream”. This is “Key” …..in creating a bath soap with a generous lather, that cleans gently….yet is mild; with additional oils to moisturize and soothe the skin.
Of course…this is just the base of the soap. As the soapmaker, I also get to decide what else goes into the batch. Another thing that a few of you may not know about me is that I have a rather large herb garden that I started over 15 years ago. The herbs are grown organically, and are used both in my soaps and in my kitchen. Nothing quite like fresh basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme when cooking, and I love fresh mint, and lemon balm in sweet tea!! What a delight on a hot summer day.
I also harvest different plants from the wild; what some call “wild crafting” or “ wild harvest” with wonderful names like jewelweed, self-heal, nettles , and evening primrose. Gathering herbs from the garden and native plants from the surrounding area, allows me to make different infusions steeped in flowers, herbs and plants. Each is known to impart certain skin care qualities, and I use the infusions in place of water in making the bath soap. And for what we don’t grow here in the garden, we use fine organic food grade teas (always fun to have a cup of tea at the same time) like chamomile and jasmine. Blue poppy seeds are nice to add for exfoliation, and I only use food grade spice to add hints and tones of natural muted colors.
The one draw back to cold process is that it has a cure time. Different soapmakers will give different times, and it’s true that sometimes it will depend on the type of soap being made….the ratio of milk, shea butter or additional oils can increase cure times. But on average 3 to 4 weeks is good. Over the next two weeks we will be making several batches of soap ( around 250 pounds) to get ready for the opening of our website and the upcoming Holiday season that is fast approaching.
Most soaps are available in the scents that you are already familiar with in the same line as the shaving soaps and shaving creams. I will also be introducing a few specialty soaps, or working soaps would be a fine name. A good hand soap for the working man…..something that will clean your hands, but not dry them out. The soap will be scented with a custom blend of citrus essential oils to aide in cutting grease and dirt, and enough added oils to soothe chapped, dry skin. I’ll also be adding an extra creamy “Butter Bar”, for dry skin…..and I’ll be introducing a new product line for women, beginning with soap, and adding sugar scrub, lotions, and massage oils.
And Gentlemen, please….. if there are any soaps ...."specialty types" or other, that you'd like to see made or have ideas about....I'm always interested in learning what you'd like to see in your choice of skin care products, so that we may better serve your needs.
XXWarm Regards, Colleen