Storm in Africa: Macadamia soap

 

Identity

Saponified oils: Olive, coco, shea butter, castor oil

Superfats: Macadamia Oil (7%)

Lye: Orange blossom water + Sodium hydroxide
Essential oils:None

Colour: Cacao powder for the brown, Coriander powder for the green, Kaolin for the white

Results

Suspense, what are we going to have in this batch?

I really love this moment, when you gonna cut your batch into bar, it's a total surprise and it's so exciting!!!

That was my plan

That is the result, a lovely mess, hi hi.

I actually like the final result, it's not that I was expecting but I love the way it took, as a contemporary style for the artist side... Trying to stay optimist...

Anyway, this soap was a pleasure to make, a new challenge. But one thing is sure, I'm not ready for the inclusion in a soap, I need more practise as you can see. My method wasn't good at all. 

This batch has become hard so fast, after 1 weeks, it was hard as it should have been at the final cure (because of the 15% of shea butter). 

Unfortunately, the green colour made with coriander is fading, that's the vagary of nature and saponification, it's difficult to anticipate what's going to happen. Next step, trying to find a durable green vegetable dye, as macerate, powder, or something else. 

There is practically no scent in it, even with the orange blossom water. Definitely need to use essential oils for having a strong scent in a soap. This will be my next challenge, create an essential oils blend for a soap.

Top, middle and base note, hum hum... I have to find my way with this language but anyway, I am reading, learning and testing lots of combinations, will see what's going on for the next batch.

By the way, the lather is incredibly rich, creamy and soft, a real pleasure.