I'll Pour: Lavender Soap with Citrus

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Lavender Soap with Citrus

I have some left over bits and pieces of citrus soap from trimming the bars of soap up and making them more presentable. Those bits and pieces can be melted down and used to rebatch soap. I prefer using bits and pieces in new soap batter. It adds color and interest, and it is not ugly, like some rebatch soap can be. Sometimes when I rebatch soap, it turns brownish. (all of the various colors mixed together make a brown color) Even though I leave a few un-melted lumps of soap in the melted soap batter, it is still not as attractive as using the bits and pieces this in fresh soap batter.

I love the smell of lavender. It gives me a romantic, clean feeling.................... Our grandmothers were known to use floral fragrances. Lilac, rose, lily, lily of the valley, lavender, etc. Well, I am a grandmother and I also love floral fragrance too. Not only does lavender smell good, it is is said to help deter fleas. This summer was a difficult summer for our dogs. They had to be treated twice for fleas. We even tried putting salt and diatomaceous earth all over the floors and the furniture. It didn't seem to work and lavender soap would be a lot easier to deal with and it would smell good too---if it works. When the dogs bring in fleas, I get bit. The lavender soap is mostly for me.

Back to the subject of the preferential fragrances of our grandmothers. They didn't have the choices of fragrances we have today. However, I don't understand why we want to make soap smell like leather, grass, dirt, tomatoes, lettuce, campfire, etc. It may make for an interesting soap, but I don't want to smell like dirt. I try to remove the dirt smell! LOL I know, these fragrances appeal to kids more than old women.

I made a batch of lavender soap, with bits and pieces of citrus soap, and lavender buds. I swirled some lavender color in the batter. The background is a tad bit of lavender color, but it will probably change as soon as it cures. I expect the color to go to an antique looking lavender.( a little pink and gray in the lavender color) I used lavender essential oil, some lavender mica, and some lavender buds in the soap. I also used some ROE (Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract) which makes the white batter a little brownish, even-though I use a very small amount. ROE helps keep the soap fat from going rancid. I have seldom seen this in my soaps, but I have smelled the old fashioned lye soap in the hardware store and it smells like it was made with stale oil. 12.5 percent of the oils is organic unrefined shea butter which is a light golden brown in color. Instead of water, I used raw cow milk from an Amish dairy for all of the liquid.

I think most people prefer lighter colored soaps. Some soaps turn brown due to the fragrance oils (vanilla scents) and due to what additives are placed in the soaps; such as honey, or herbs. I use a little titanium dioxide in my soap to help offset the brown colors. What color(s) of soap do you prefer?