Tuesday 6 July 2010

Alkanet Experiment 5

DIFFERENCE: I added a teaspoon of seasalt at trace, using the recipe from Alkanet Experiment 4 (with Almond Oil).


I really like this blue! I couldn’t capture it exactly on camera, but we are definitely moving away from purply grey. This is blue blue. I actually removed about 15 percent of the water from the recipe, added a teaspoon of chunky seasalt and let it sit overnight. I expected the sea salt to dissolve, I even tried heating the mixture a bit, but it did not dissolve. Then I added the water-seasalt mixture at trace. I think that is what the speckles in the soap are... I am LOVING it. Also, strangely there is a texture to this soap that is so wonderfully smooth... I just can’t stop touching it! I will have to further experiment with salt quantities and maybe adding to the lye mixture? The strangest thing is that my full-on Sea Salt bar is purple purple... so I was expecting the teaspoon of Sea Salt in this soap to turn it purple and it went the opposite way! Alkanet is laughing at me again...

CONCLUSION – Seasalt DEFINIETLY affects Alkanet colour in soaps.

TEASER... Next experiment will be with Lemon Juice...

Future Ideas for Experimenting
- from http://pureandnaturalaromabeauty.blogspot.com/, increase amount of Alkanet
- from http://thesoapsister.blogspot.com/, try testing the PH

Keep the ideas coming!

Xo Jen

5 comments:

Natural Aroma Handmade Soaps said...

Wow! love that colour Jen, amazing the difference a bit of sea salt adds.

Ambra said...

Oooo, nice!
About the PH, the more acid the soap = more pink colour. Alkaline = blue. So the trick is to get it somewhere in the middle to be lavender. If you use too much Alkanet it can go very dark. I read somewhere that someone used 1-2 tbs. infused oil per pound (500 g) and got nice results.

The Soap Sister said...

What a beautiful blue! I'm dreaming of a "Mediterranean Sun & Sea" soap from Jenora Soaps... with your new blue and that great color you got from the carrot tissue oil...

Very anxiously awaiting the lemon juice results!
You really are a great "mad scientist!" ; ) ~Becky

Millie D said...

Wow! This is really so interesting. I am just a beginner soap maker,its so fascinating to read about these experiments.
Millie

Jennifer Young said...

Thanks for your comments & suggestions! Becky... loving the sea/sun soap idea... you are creative!! xo Jen