Alkanet Experiment 11

DIFFERENCE: This recipe has a teaspoon of Baking Soda, using Alkanet Experiment 9.


PROCESS: I added 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda to the lye mixture. I thought it would dissolve but it didn’t.

RESULTS: The photo actually shows this soap a little darker and bluer than it really is. In reality it is a speckled bluish grey, with a mauve tinge. The speckles obviously come from the baking soda which never dissolved. I kind of like the speckles! The last three experiments, I have not opened the mould to swirl, nor have I peeked at all, so I think Amy was right in that the white stuff on top (soda ash?) can be caused by exposure to air.

CONCLUSION: Baking Soda affects alkanet colour in soap and adds white speckles.

CONFESSION: This will be my last experiment with Alkanet colour for a while for my Lavender soap. I may start again when it turns colder here. I may post pictures in a month or two to see how the colour was affected over time.

TEASER... I will be using some Alkanet in my Sea Salt bar shortly. That bar tends to turn just the purple I would like in a Lavender bar. It will be interesting to see if the weather affects that soap as well!! Also, maybe in the end I combine them both and instead of having a Mediterranean Sea Salt Bar and a Mediterranean Lavender Bar, maybe I should have a Mediterranean Sea Salt Lavender Bar!!

INVITATION... I want to keep this blog about soap. I also wanted to share some photos and other personal stuff so I started another blog. I invite you to come check it out at: http://enjoyingtheroute.blogspot.com/

Alkanet Experiment 10

DIFFERENCE: This recipe has 5% less Shea Butter and Castor 5% more Castor oil than Alkanet Experiment 9. Alkanet Experiments 1 – 8 had 15% shea. This one has 5% Shea.


PROCESS: I decreased the Shea Butter by 5% and added Castor Oil not only at trace but also in the main liquid oils.

RESULTS: I am sooooo disappointed and actually fed up. Once again, I got that ugly soupy grey. But the reason I am so fed up this time is because I decided to use the EXACT recipe that I used last time I got a nice purple from Alkanet (made in early March). I felt confident that I would get a nice purple this time.


If I am using the EXACT same recipe, why shouldn’t it turn a beautiful purple???? The answer is I don’t know. The only changes in the recipe between this ugly soupy grey soap and this lovely demonstration of a Alkanet purple... is that 1) I lowered the quantities very slightly to fit the experimental mould... but all proportionally and correctly, 2) in the March recipe, used Alkanet coloured oil in half the mixture, then I used the funnel technique 3) The Essential Oil blend was slightly different but not much and 4) The atmosphere, temperatures I am working in now in mid-summer southern Spain - HOT and humid and February was cold and not-so-humid. I used the same oils. I mixed the lye and oils at the same temperature (37º). I am absolutely baffled and discouraged. Could the atmosphere and weather conditions be affecting Alkanet? Could the amount of time it takes me to pour (as with the funnel technique it all takes a while) affect the Alkanet? I cannot think of any other reasons why these two soaps are so different except that maybe I forgot to write something down in my notes on the funnel purple soap...? I DON'T KNOW! I do have enough Lavender oil for 1 more experiment. But, then I will wait until the colder weather is back and MAYBE try again.

CONCLUSION – Increasing castor oil and lowering shea butter quantities affects Alkanet colour in soaps but possibly not in a good way. Also, it is possible that atmosphere and weather conditions affect Alkanet colour in soaps.

CONFESSION: My patience is almost up... I would LOOOOVE someone else to continue where I have left off. Anyone interested?

TEASER... Next experiment will be adding baking soda and maybe in the pot swirling...

Alkanet Experiment 8

DIFFERENCE: About 30% of the liquid is Coconut Milk, the rest distilled water as per usual, using Alkanet Experiment 1 as the base recipe.

PROCESS: I removed about 30% of the water and substituted it for Coconut Milk which I added, warmed at trace.

RESULTS: The colour is definitely leaning away from blue. I would describe it as a Purplish Gray. For some reason, this soap traced quicker, and almost seized on me. I think I had not heated the coconut milk sufficiently. So I scooped instead of poured into the mould. Then I did my messy swirls on top straight away, topped and incubated. This way it was not exposed long to air. As an interesting side-line in my Alkanet experimenting, I have been wondering why the white stuff (soda ash?) has been forming on some of the soap and on others no...? Amy at http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/ has pointed out that it may be due to air getting at the top? So this time, I topped right away, and didn’t open the mould for 24 hours... not even to peek... You see, I have a confession... sometimes I have gotten so excited and curious that I have actually peeked and opened the mould even a few times during the experimenting. That may have been causing the white stuff?? Also, can you see specs in the soap? I am not that keen on them and am never quite sure why they form.

CONCLUSION – Coconut Milk DEFINITELY affects Alkanet colour in soaps. It would be interesting to try 100% coconut milk.

TEASER... Next experiment will be lowering the Shea Butter and changing the recipe slightly, adding the Castor Oil and Alkanet at trace...

Alkanet Experiment 7

DIFFERENCE: About 15% of the liquid is Apple Cider Vinegar, the rest distilled water as per usual, using Alkanet Experiment 4 as the base recipe, the one with Almond oil.


I substituted about 15% of the water content with Vinegar and mixed with the lye. It stunk!

These last three soaps have come out very different shades... this one is rather non-descript... Purply Blue Gray? I loved the blue best in Alkanet Experiment 5! But could this colour here... in the vinegar soap... actually be leaning toward Lavender????? Of course I would prefer PURPLE... a nice Lavender Mauve.. but there is something about this soap that does say Lavender to me... What do you think? I have not achieved exactly what I wanted yet, but I have an interesting start. However – who wants soap with Vinegar in it??? How will the Vinegar affect the finished bar? We will have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to find out! Also, if you look closely, that white stuff is creeping in again. I was beginning to think it was the Almond Oil, but then I got Alkanet Experiment 6, without hardly any! So, mysteries continue all around...

CONCLUSION – Vinegar DEFINITELY affects Alkanet colour in soaps.

OTHER IDEAS for experimenting:
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Coconut milk
- Avocado Oil
- Cocoa Butter

TEASER... Next experiment will be with either Coconut Milk or Baking Soda, haven’t decided yet... However, we are going away for the weekend so it will be a few days before my next experiment.

Happy soaping in the meantime & have a great weekend!

Xo Jen

Alkanet Experiment 6

DIFFERENCE: Half of the liquid in this soap is lemon juice, the other half is distilled water as per usual. I am using Alkanet Experiment 4 as the base recipe, the one with Almond oil.


I can’t really tell the colour of this because it came out too dark, too much Alkanet this time. It is definitely blue... but with a purple tinge? Since I am working with such small quantities, even just a small movement of my hand and a little more coloured oil can drop into the mixture... I may try lemon juice again with less Alkanet to see what shade of blue it goes.

CONCLUSION – Lemon Juice DEFINIETLY affects Alkanet colour in soaps.

OTHER CONCLUSIONS
- I am beginning to feel that it is the liquid in the soaps that affects Alkanet colour more than the oils?
- The Benzoin I used made my soap trace too quickly and go chunky. Not sure if it is Benzoin in general or the brand I have. Most likely will not be using again.

TEASER... Next experiment will be with Vinegar...

Xo Jen

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

Alkanet Experiment 4

DIFFERENCE: I substituted some of the Olive Oil for Sweet Almond Oil. (If Alkanet Recipe 1 had 50% Olive Oil, Alkanet Experiment 4 has 35% Olive Oil & 15% Almond Oil)


CONCLUSION - Alkanet colouring in soap IS affected by using different oils, but I am not sure how. The base colour looks much the same but whitish streaks have appeared throughout. Could this really be from the Almond Oil? This has never happened to me in any soap before.

I could get sidetracked to other experiments here such as... Why the White Stuff on the top? I have hardly ever had it before but if you notice that from experiment to experiment, it really varies!! I will continue to focus on my objective - Master Alkanet colouring in soaps in pursuit of the perfect Mediterranean Lavender colour...

TEASER... Alkanet Experiment 5 will be adding a pinch of salt...

Alkanet Experiment 1

After all my attempts, I have still not mastered Alkanet soap colouring... but in my quest for the perfect Mediterranean Lavender soap I will not give up!

My past experiments have been rather haphazard, randomly trying anything. I have now decided to experiment with 1 recipe, just altering 1 simple thing each time, and will post pictures of my experiences.

Reading up on the Internet, I have found various tips (even conflicting!) but nothing concrete. Apparently, it is the alkaline value of the soap that makes it either purple or blue (some say you can even get red from Alkanet?!?) and if I understand correctly, the more alkaline the more purple, the more acidy the more blue.

So, how do we make soap more alkaline? Tips welcome!!!

Some of the advice I have found on line is that you can alter the Alkanet colour result in a soap by:
- Superfatting the soap more
- Changing water quantities in the soap
- Using different oils

I am prepared to experiment with these tips and post my results.

This first soap is a no-palm recipe with lots of Shea butter, superfatted at 8%.

The colour result is odd. At first I thought it was blue, then I thought it was gray, then I thought it looked purply... Maybe it’s a gray-blue purple? Or a blue-purple gray? Rather non-descript and non-exciting. I do not look at it and think – Wow! I gotta try that soap!! I would say it is interesting looking but not enticing.

It has been difficult getting a decent picture since my daughter took the good camera to Canada with her for the summer and I am working with a digital point-and-shoot... after 40 or so blurred pictures this morning, I finally found the close up mode!

Hopefully tomorrow I can post pictures of the next experiment.

Happy Weekend & Happy Soaping!!
Xo
Jen

Batch 102

I like the way this one turned out... the smell is fresh, maybe a little too much lemongrass... as you can tell, I am on an Alkanet (natural blue & purple) kick...