Finally, an Orange soap I am in love with all around...
And a beautiful natural purple for my Wild Lavender soap! I got this purple with Ratanjot, and using only clear oils for the liquid oils. I removed Olive Oil altogether.
As you know if you have been following, I have been experimenting and experimenting, trying to get that perfect bar, the recipe that doesn’t need any tweaking, that I love just as it is... Sometimes I feel like all I do is experiment with new soaps instead of perfect recipes. Although I must admit that I LOVE experimenting. I feel like a mad scientist sometimes...
So many factors to consider:
Purpose, Feel, the actual recipe - How it leaves my skin feeling is the most important factor for me and I really love the recipes I have now for my palm-free soaps.
Scent – I am still playing with staying power for the Essential Oils but getting some great lasting scents.
Size – I have decreased the width of my soaps a few months ago & increased the thickness and really like the size.
Packaging & branding – Still experimenting...
Colour - I feel colour is the final touch. I am really getting some great natural colours lately.
Ideally, I am looking for about 5 to 10 bars that are just awesome without any more tweaking that I can sell and produce again and again... then, of course, keep experimenting for new bars.
I now add this perfected Mediterranean Orange soap (with the addition of 10-fold Orange Essential Oil... the scent is divine!!) to my repertoire and have a little more tweaking with the Lavender scent but will soon be adding a Wild Lavender bar to my perfected soaps as well!! Oh yes, I have an great Coffee Soap but never could get a good natural scent that went with coffee and today (what a day!) I just received my order from Fresholi with Coffee CO2 extract!
The aroma when I open the bottle is the same as when I open a fresh package of coffee grounds... Amazing. I would also like to just thank Helen from Fresholi http://www.fresholi.co.uk/ for her fabulous, sweet, pro-active, positive and delightful customer service. I admire and learn from her as she is clearly someone who is following her passion!
On a personal note, it hasn’t been an easy few months... I have done a lot of work towards a positive mentality. As my mum puts so perfectly: “Keep your mind on what you want and off what you don’t want.” Wonderful changes happening at the moment. It all just seems to be coming together.
Sending positive vibes out to everyone today.
Happy happy soaping!!
Xo
Jen
NICE! Really nice. Congrats! Those look fabulous. I'm really happy for you, it's always so nice to achieve results. Your plan sounds good to me. I'll use that as a checklist for myself :)
ReplyDeleteLovely colours Jen!
ReplyDeleteI like thicker soap bars too, somehow they create a warmer, more friendly presentation.
So far the packaging you've shared here all look very lovely, can't wait to see what kind of packaging experiments you'll have in the future! -Maggie
I loove the color!! This blog just makes me want to start soaping and get it together!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed so much the green soap series!!
I looove the colours!! Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteYAY! You finally got your purple :) Both look lovely, Jen
ReplyDeleteWooHoo! Congratulations they both look great, especially the Lavender, I love purple!
ReplyDeleteJen: YOU DID IT!! I'm so excited for you -these are some fantastic colors...plus they're ALL NATURAL!! Incredible. SOAP ON, GIRL! :D
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, your blog is great! Your journey sounds so like mine, even the mad scientist comment! I often feel like that.. but it's great cos it's my favourite part of the whole experience! I love the new soaps too, they're so lovely. I have to agree with your comments about Helen, she's brilliant - have you joined the forum on her site? I'm on there quite a lot (far too much!).. See you there maybe?! BTW I've put your blog on my blog's blogroll too.
ReplyDeleteOh those two soaps are just gorgeous looking. I too came to the conclusion that omitting olive oil really helps with the end result of colour. I use about 20% now but I use Palm oil as well. I too have been experimenting with not using olive oil at all in my recipes.
ReplyDeleteHow much Rattanjot did you use for your soap? Did you put the powder in oil and steep it for a few weeks? My last batch of Rattanjot I used 1 TBSP of powder directly into the liquid oils and didn't bother steeping it ahead of time. My batch of oils was about 2.5 pounds and the end result was a grey purple.
Congratultions on your success and I'm sure you feel so proud of yourself.
The colors turned out great! What liquid oil are you using instead of olive?
ReplyDeleteMichelle in NV
Oh I love playing mad scientist too! It makes me feel like a kid again!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the purple and gold colors- for the University of Washington, of course =)
Whoa! Those are nice!! I especially like the purple. Love me some purple!
ReplyDelete~Deb
What a breakthrough, Jen!! Yes, the color of your olive oil most definitely affects the outcome of the soap. I leave it out when I make my Peppermint soap (and add just a bit of TD) to make the base super white. Great job!!
ReplyDeleteJen, these soaps are beautiful! The purple colour is amazing, but the orange is too. You sound like you are in a very good place, soap wise and personal life wise - that's lovely to hear and long may that continue xxx
ReplyDelete(And isn't Helen just such a lovely person, and her customer service is the best I've ever had. I'm on her forum too far too often - it wold be lovely to see you there xx)
Wow - all of your super supportive and positive comments really gave me a boost! In answer to questions -
ReplyDeleteFresholi Foum - I haven't joined the Fresholi forum yet... I am slightly worried about another excuse to spend more time on the computer... but I still may join...
Ratanjot quanties and methods - I steeped the Ratanjot in Castor Oil for about 24 hours. Then I add it at trace. For 220gram of oils (that is my small experimental batch size), I used 4gram of the steeped oils. Just a little goes a LONG way.
Oil substitute for Olive - in this soap I used avocado oil instead of olive oil. Usually I only use avocado oil in very small quantities but this one has a beautiful texture. I may try with Sweet Almond Oil as well.
Thanks again all for sending so much positivity my way!! xo Jen
They are sooooo beautiful Jen, congratulations and well done! they are fantasic colours. Yep, I'd love to know about the Rattanjot quantities and what oils you used too and if it's not pushing it, I'd really like to know how you go with the cofee extract when you get to use it:) sounds and looks like everything is going your way, way to go.
ReplyDeleteWow! This purple is very beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI've tried a few jears ago to color my soap with Ratanjot. It went to a very dark muddy grey with just a very light touch purple (maybe only in figment of imagination :-)). I guess the reason for this awful color was the high content of green avocado oil...
I have read that you do not like to use titanoxide...? What about kaolin (bolus alba, white clay)?
Lovely soaps, the colours are wonderful! I can't wait to see what you do with the coffee extract.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about time spent online, I could make twice as much soap if I just stopped reading about it :) But the Fresholi forum is brilliant, it really is.
Look forward to seeing you there..... ;)
Thanks again for even more comments! In response to some of your questions - let me clarify, the oil I used instead of Olive Oil was refined Avocado Oil (clear).
ReplyDeleteSummerbabe - Yes white clay could be great instead of Titanium dioxide! Thanks for the suggestion.
As for the coffee CO2 extract - a hint - I have used it and you better go buy some from Helen at Fresholi or she won't have any left soon. I will DEFINITELY be buying more. Will most likely post about it my latest coffee soap. xo Jen
Well done Jen. The soaps look beautiful and the colours really are lovely. Hey...so glad you found the coffee at Fresholi. I'd no idea Helen stocked it...must buy! I agree with you, her customer service is the absolute best, she's a diamond find.
ReplyDeleteI'm chucking a big high 5 your way. Such a positive post (not that yours are ever anything but!) best, tiggy x
Jen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback. I usually use a combination of olive and rice bran oil and have used sweet almond in place of olive oil and it works beautifully. Again I haven't tried this without palm but plan to very soon.
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI really like the Wild Lavender soap with that shade of purple. Great hue to that soap and lavender is such a popular scent. The clear oils you used seemed to have really given your lavender soap a great sheen. What made you decide to stop using Olive Oil?
By the way, I agree with you in that how the soap leaves your skin feeling--especially the lack of residue that you normally experience from store bought soap, is the number one factor when making handcrafted soap.
Good for you in experimenting that way, decreasing the width and increasing the thickness of your soaps:)
Hello Michael, Thanks for your comment. Glad you like the purple. I am really enjoying working with Ratanjot. I only removed Olive Oil from this soap as I realized it was affecting the colour... most of my other soaps are loaded with it. xo Jen
ReplyDeletewow, lovely purple.. did you use castor oil too any alternative olive oil? what other oils can be used for such a nice purple color apart from coconut, shea and cocoa butter
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