Tuesday 20 March 2012

Lemony Lemon Follow Up

Amidst the hustle and bustle, I continue to find time to experiment… which I adore. In follow up to my whole lemon experiment, here are some photos.


This soap contains the entire lemon - juice, pulp, peel and all, blended up into the liquid portion. It looks unique and smells very citrusy… as I have finally achieved a nice lemony EO blend that sticks nicely in CP soap. The pH may be slightly lower than some of my other soaps – however, I don’t love it.


It’s a nice soap, don't get me wrong, but not fabulous. I can’t always explain why. Some soaps I fall in love with as soon as I try them and I keep going back to wash my hands over and over and over… then I take them to the shower and spend longer in the shower than I should, reveling in the rich lather… I keep touching my skin afterward, amazed at the feeling. Those are the soaps I repeat… but this one didn’t even make it to the shower.


Maybe it’s the texture, maybe it took longer than I like to get the suds off… I am just not sure. I do like the soap, I just didn’t fall in love with it. Well, now I know. 

Happy Soaping!!

Xo Jen 

14 comments:

Tara said...

That's too bad, Jen because it is such a beautiful soap.

Nitya said...

Oh no. I thought it would make a great soap, looks terrific though. Is it milder than the other soaps, considering the lower pH?

Jennifer Young said...

Tara, I know... but I am not that disappointed as they are all experiments... and they can't all work out or I would have too many different types! Just narrowing it down... Thanks for your comment! xo Jen

Nitya, Thank for your comment and question! The pH is only slightly different and no, I didn't notice that it was any milder. Left my skin quite soft, but I much prefer goat milk or even water. Happy Soaping! xoxo Jen

Julia said...

A todos no ocurre, hay jabones que nos gustan más que otros. Pero me parece un buen experimento. Sin duda el ácido cítrico actúa en la saponificación de las grasas y de alguna forma altera el resultado final.
Yo también sigo buscando un jabón de cítricos que me convenza. Por cierto, el tuyo tiene un aspecto que me gusta muchísimo.
Un abrazo.

Two Blooms Design Studio said...

I hate when a soap doesn't turn out the way I thought it would. The colour on this one is nice and the scent sounds amazing.

Michelle

Soapchick said...

Hiya Jen, isnt the experimenting great? it's what makes our job so wonderful. I love the idea of the soap, I have used juice and pulp but never the whole fruits, very brave. Do you think it will have a shelf life? Im always a bit worried that it might go off a bit? It looks lovely though.

Polly McNamara said...

the joys of experimenting!! I have soaps that I have hated but which other people love, but I once the batch has sold, I make no more. I feel that i can only sell soap that I am truely happy with. As nice as your soap is, if you're not happy with it, you're not happy with it. Simples.
(though that is such a lovely lemon colour though)
Polly

Jennifer Young said...

Julia, Muchas gracias por tu comentario. Me alegro que te guste el aspecto... a mi también... muy rustico... No todos resultan perfectos, y aprendemos con cada experimento, no? xo Jen

Michelle, Thank you. I like the colour as well... but unfortunately more than the soap itself! xoxo Jen

Soapchick, Yes I am addicted to experimenting... and you raise an intersting question... I had always wondered about spoilage in a cucumber or a banana soap but hadn't thought about it in this lemon experiment? I will keep a bar around for a while and see what happens. The only time I have had an issue with spoilage was in a very high superfatted soap with mostly almond and avocado oil. I am currently trying to adapt that one. xoxo Jen

Polly, Yes this was the yellow I was telling you about - carrot tissue oil. It holds pretty well. You may be right though, as opionions are so different, there may be someone who loves this soap!! I guess I'd better package it up for selling. xo Jen

Emma said...

Didn't come out like you maybe wanted it to? Yeah, I know how you feel. BUT, Miss Polly is absolutely right...if you love it, you'll sell it and make lots more. If you don't like it...it's simple, sell it and move forward onto your next big experiment batch!!!

Another positive aspect, I think seasonal soaps attract people. One month it's here, the next month, it's gone and replaced with a brand new kind. People like to try out different things, and it will keep them lingering...asking for the newest bar!

As a soapmaker, I find myself always saying, "There's no such thing as a failed batch, only an alternate end product." Don't worry, Jen...someone somewhere is going to love it!

Happy Experimenting everyone!
Good luck!
Emma

Jennifer Young said...

Emma, you are so sweet. Thanks for your comments. You may be right about seasonal soap... my regulars do often ask - Have you got anything new? So, this could be a "limited edition"... xoxo Jen

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Jen, the fact that your soaps don't always look the same is what keeps me coming back, your creativity is refreshing and so motivating. Did the lemon skin leave the soap abrasive at all? Matbe would make a great foot soap ? A few months I made a beautiful soap that smelled HORRIFIC. Turns out its a great bug repellent!

Jennifer Young said...

Hi Donna, Thank you for your comment!! No the lemon skin is not abrasive... not exfoliating... it is soft. If you were able to sell horrific-smelling soap, you must be an AWESOME sales person!!! xo jen

Amy Warden said...

Thank you for the update on this soap!! I've been wondering how it turned out! Sorry it wasn't one to fall in love with, but we don't know until we try, right?

Jennifer Young said...

Amy, Thank you for your comment!! Exactly... we don't know until we try! And they can't all turn out perfectly or we'd have WAY too many varieties of soap to sell!!! xoxo Jen