Saturday, 12 July 2008

Citrus Soap

I think its time I gave up soaping. Nothing seems to be working right over the last few batches ....

Oh they turn out quite usable - just not what or how I envisaged they would when I planned them.

This morning's was a case in point.  I need to send out a batch for a "3 oil" swap I'm in.  The batch needs to be posted as soon as I'm home from Perth so I need to make it now so it can start to cure while I am away.

  I made a 1.5 size usual batch so I could have some for home/presents as well as for the swap.

Ingredients:
1/3 coconut oil
1/3 macadamia nut oil
1/3 rice bran oil.

212gm lye
260ml lemon juice

30ml petitgrain eo
10ml lime eo
10 orange eo
(and I cheated and added 5ml may chang eo to act as a fixative for the scent)

The whole thing seized instantly in the pot.  It turned from a thin pouring custard (optimal) to cold stiff plasticine consistency in about 2 or 3 seconds while I was stirring.

None of these oils or essential oils are known seizers.  Was the temperature not quite right? Too much temperature differential between the oils and the lye solution?  Don't know.

Wrapped plasticwrap around my hands and pushed/pummelled the solid blob into two different square moulds (so much for the fancy moulds I had out waiting for the thin custard to be poured into.

Wrapped them up and left them alone.  Will check tonight and if they have cooled I will unmould and cut into chunks.  Cross fingers that the seize didn't heat the batch up too much so that the scent flashed out.  Oh well here's hoping.



18 comments:

Melissa Hicks said...

Oh PS - assuming these turn out - anyone want a bar?

Claire EJ said...

Hell yeah....your soaps are always delish to use. They may not turn out quite as you envision them, but for the person using them, yum. They smell fab and have such a great texture too.

Melissa Hicks said...

Thanks babe - just got some bad news and could do with the ego boost right now .....

Sisu Lull said...

I'll glad use anything you want to get rid of.
Sorry your batch didn't turn out like you wanted.

Melissa Hicks said...

I'll take pics next week after its begun curing and will see how aesthetically unpleasing it turned out :) :)

Paula Hubert said...

I'll definitely take a bar of your soap! And I agree with Claire, even if they're not what you envisioned, they're always amazing to use.

Jodie Hill said...

I'm sorry it didn't turn out quite like it was supposed to - I know nothing about soaping so can't offer any words of wisdom as to what happened. I'd love a bar too!!

kay jones said...

Sorry they didn't turn out right but would love a bar. Who cares what it looks like its the smell thats always gorgeous

Melissa Hicks said...

Awwww - you guys !!!!

Thank you !!!!!

Karen R said...

Count me in, too - citrusy sounds wonderful!! I take it your sense of smell is returning a bit, since you started to eliminate more allergens out of your diet??

Melissa Hicks said...

Thanks Karen - yes once I eliminated peanuts from my diet my sense of smell is definitely improving .....

Lyne-Elizabeth Blodgett said...

Mel - I'd love to have some bars of your soap...any kind. I have a thing for nice smelly soap!

Laura Landis said...

Mel, how did it all turn out? I love your soaps!! One of these days I'm going to even try making them myself.

Melissa Hicks said...

Hi Laura, The soaps actually turned out quite well. The look really weird like used playdough - but they are actually lovely bars of soap to use. So gentle on the skin and produce a lovely small suds. I think, except for the funky look - it really is a nice little bar of soap - I'm definitely keeping this recipe and using it again .....

Lyne-Elizabeth Blodgett said...

Oh - glad to hear you didn't have to chuck it. I hate thowing things out :-)

Melissa Hicks said...

As long as it works as soap it will never get chucked out - no-one else may ever get to see it - but it will never get chucked out ....

Sisu Lull said...

I am glad it turned out!

Laura Landis said...

Glad your work wasn't wasted! Citrus sounds wonderful.

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