The ever elusive COCONUT...

Where, oh where has my coconut scent gone

Where, oh where could it be???

 

My goodness, coconut has got to be the most difficult scents to achieve in cold process soap.  Notice, you don't see too many straight coconut scented soaps floating around the net.  For me, this has been an extreme source of frustration for years!  I've tried them form pretty much every major supplier and while I love my suppliers for their other amazing fragrance oils, I have yet to truly be happy with a coconut scent from any of them.

 

Every summer I get a request for a straight coconut soap and every year, I have to say that it's not possible.  Coconut fragrances just can't make it through the rigors of cold process soap.  This year however, I decided to try and tackle the ever elusive coconut.

 

 

To start, I made a 3.lb batch of coconut scented hot process soap.  I cut the oaf into bars and once they were firm enough, shredded them with a cheese shredder (sorry, no picture of that step).

 

Finally, I made a regular size batch of soap and added my coconut fragrance.  Mixed to a nice thick trace and added the shredded soap.  My thought here was that since hot process soap can retain the scent, adding the strongly scented hp coconut soap shreds to the main batch would allow the fragrance to carry through without interference from the cp method.

 

 

I added a bit of cocoa powder to the base to create the brown and TD to the top since I knew it was going to go beige on me.  So far (2 1/2 weeks into the cure)  the HP shreds still have their scent.  The rest...meh.  Hubby and I are both getting a mild chocolate scent but not much of anything else.  This was going to be called "coconut cream" but at this point the bars have more of a light toasty coconut type scent.  Most likely there will be a name change coming.

 

 

I'm not sure how I feel about this one guys.  I'll do an update later.  A few cp soaper reviews stated that this particular fragrance oil improves with cure and smells like coconut milk once you actually get the bar into the shower. I keep a chunk on my nightstand and sniff it constantly. The scent is definitely present it's just not screaming coconut to my nose. 

Customer feedback will determine whether I give this a go again or not.

Till next time ♥

 

UPDATE - almost 4 weeks into the cure, the scent has bounced back.  It's like a coconut milk scent.  I don't detect cocoa anymore and am very happy with the results!

FYI: soap-makers, this is Natures Garden Creamy Coconut but I'm sure the process will work with most other suppliers as well ;0)

 



Making "Purple Rain" Handmade Soap

I've said it before and I'll continue saying it: I L♥VE purple.  Like, really love it and will happily take advantage of any opportunity to use it in soap. 

 

 

PURPLE RAIN

A unique blend of Sweet Orange and Lemon with a fresh and calming heart of Lavender on a woodsy base with Orange Blossoms

 

It still amazing how far supplies for the Soapmaking community has come.  When I first started soaping, the use of stick blenders was still catching on!  Just over a year ago, I was posting about my struggles to achieve a true, strong, vibrant purple in cold process soap.

 

Here's my first attempt at this soap from 2013:

 

 

As you can see, my purple pigment morphed in to a pink. 

 

 

I'm so happy to have found such wonderful cold process stable micas.

 

Here's the making video :0)

 

 

"LOLA" Handmade Soap - ITP Swirl

Back in March ( I think)  Petals launched her Spring Release.  This was a very fun release to prepare for because I was working with several new fragrances.  I was extra fun, because my mom was here  in the states for a visit at the time and we sat together for hours planning designs and color schemes.  I love it when she visits...sigh.

 

LOLA

A sassy and flirty fruity blend of summer Berries, Orange Zest and Sparkling Pink Moscato 

 

To start, I went with a bubble gum pink base.  Then added a gold mica line.  For the center portion, I did an ITP (in-the-pot) Swirl.  I used a soft green base with more of the pink and a touch of yellow.

 

 

I do my ITP swirls in the opposite direction of most soap-makers.  A classmate asked me back in the 7th grade "Why do you always have to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing?"  I couldn't answer that question then and still can't answer it now, LOL! 

 

 

I've always sort of just done things my own way - it just happens to be opposite of everyone else, ha, ha.  No point in changing that now ;0)

In this case, I simply like the wave-like patterns created when the pour is horizontal better.

The top has the remaining pink batter, textured with some iridescent glitter.