Toil and Trouble Soap Project
Orange, purple, green, and black - these colors scream Halloween! This Toil and Trouble Cold Process Soap uses all of them to create the perfect spooky-inspired project. It's scented with Night Violet Fragrance Oil, which has notes of violet, jasmine, and cashmere. It mildly accelerates, but still gives you plenty of time to swirl.
The design in this bar is called a drop swirl. It involves pouring colors into the mold from various heights. It's a great technique for beginners because no precise movements are necessary. It does require thin trace, so be careful to not over stick blend in the beginning.
What You Need:
5 lb Mold With Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold - 1 mold
Swirl Recipe Quick Mix - 54 oz
Sodium Hydroxide Lye
Sodium Lactate - 4 oz
Night Violet Fragrance Oil - 4 oz
Black Oxide Pigment - 1 oz
Titanium Dioxide Pigment - 1 oz
Orchid Mica - 1 oz
Tangerine Wow! Colorant - 1 oz
Kermit Green Mica - 1 oz
Fizzy Lemonade Colorant - 1 oz
Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
- Swirl Recipe Quick Mix - 54 oz
- Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- Sodium Lactate - 4 oz
- Night Violet Fragrance Oil - 4 oz
- Black Oxide Pigment - 1 oz
- Titanium Dioxide Pigment - 1 oz
- Orchid Mica - 1 oz
- Tangerine Wow! Colorant - 1 oz
- Kermit Green Mica - 1 oz
- Fizzy Lemonade Colorant - 1 oz
EQUIPMENT:
- 5 lb Mold With Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold - 1 mold
Instructions
You will need:
- 5 lb. Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
- 54 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
- 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 17.2 oz. Distilled Water
- 3.5 tsp. Sodium Lactate
- 3.2 oz. Night Violet Fragrance Oil
- Titanium Dioxide
- Black Oxide
- Orchid Mica
- Fizzy Lemonade
- Kermit Green Mica
- Tangerine Wow Colorant
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Tangerine Wow Colorant and Kermit Green Mica with 1/2 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil like sunflower or sweet almond. In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of black oxide, 1 teaspoon of Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 teaspoon of Orchid Mica with 1 teaspoon of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 2 teaspoons of titanium dioxide with 2 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out clumps. Set colorants aside. Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass container, measure 3.2 ounces of Night Violet Fragrance Oil. Set aside.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space. Always make soap in a well-ventilated area.
Follow these steps:
1
Slowly and carefully add 7.7 ounces of lye to 17.2 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. Optional: Add 3.5 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the bars harden more quickly.
2
Place the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix bag in the microwave and heat using 60 second bursts until all the oils melt and turn clear. Shake to thoroughly combine. Measure 54 ounces of into a large heat-safe bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 100-120° F (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
3
Split the batch into 5 containers with the following amounts, add the following dispersed colorants, and whisk:
- Container A (200 mL): 1/2 tsp. Tangerine Wow Colorant + 1 teaspoon titanium dioxide
- Container B (200 mL): 1 tsp. Kermit Green Mica + 2 tsp. Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
- Container C (300 mL): 1 Tbsp. titanium dioxide
- Container D (500 mL): 1 Tbsp. Orchid Mica
- Container E (remaining soap): 2 tsp. black oxide
4
Add the measured Night Violet Fragrance Oil proportionally to each container of soap - it's okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully incorporate.
5
If the soap is extremely thin, give each container a few quick bursts with the stick blender to slightly thicken (from lightest to darkest). The soap should be thin enough to pour, but thick enough that the colors don't completely blend together.
6
Begin by pouring all of the black soap into the mold. Then begin pouring the colors in different places of the mold and at different heights. Pouring a bit of white between each helps give the colors more definition. Keep in mind, you have slightly more purple, so those pours can be a little larger. Note: Our goal was to keep the colors in the top half of the mold. To do this, we poured the colors at a height that still broke through the black, but didn't go all the way to the bottom. This is a personal preference. If you want the colors to reach the bottom of the mold, pour higher.
7
Continue pouring the soap into the mold until the containers are 90% empty. The rest will be used for the top - pour stripes of each color down the length of the mold. Then, use a chopstick or dowel to swirl. We swirled down the length of the mold, then side to side using an S-curve pattern.
8
Once you're happy with the top, spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. To promote gel phase, place on a heating pad for 1-2 hours on medium/high heat. Note: Gel phase helps the colors in these bars pop. If you live in a very hot climate, a heating pad may not be necessary.
9
Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Remove from the silicone mold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman, Kelsey Bray
Toil and Trouble Soap Project
- LEVEL Intermediate
- TIME 2 hours
- YIELD About 5 pounds of soap
Project Description
Orange, purple, green, and black - these colors scream Halloween! This Toil and Trouble Cold Process Soap uses all of them to create the perfect spooky-inspired project. It's scented with Night Violet Fragrance Oil, which has notes of violet, jasmine, and cashmere. It mildly accelerates, but still gives you plenty of time to swirl.
The design in this bar is called a drop swirl. It involves pouring colors into the mold from various heights. It's a great technique for beginners because no precise movements are necessary. It does require thin trace, so be careful to not over stick blend in the beginning.
You will need:
- 5 lb. Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
- 54 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
- 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 17.2 oz. Distilled Water
- 3.5 tsp. Sodium Lactate
- 3.2 oz. Night Violet Fragrance Oil
- Titanium Dioxide
- Black Oxide
- Orchid Mica
- Fizzy Lemonade
- Kermit Green Mica
- Tangerine Wow Colorant
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Tangerine Wow Colorant and Kermit Green Mica with 1/2 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil like sunflower or sweet almond. In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of black oxide, 1 teaspoon of Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 teaspoon of Orchid Mica with 1 teaspoon of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 2 teaspoons of titanium dioxide with 2 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out clumps. Set colorants aside. Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass container, measure 3.2 ounces of Night Violet Fragrance Oil. Set aside.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space. Always make soap in a well-ventilated area.
Follow these steps:
1
Slowly and carefully add 7.7 ounces of lye to 17.2 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. Optional: Add 3.5 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the bars harden more quickly.
2
Place the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix bag in the microwave and heat using 60 second bursts until all the oils melt and turn clear. Shake to thoroughly combine. Measure 54 ounces of into a large heat-safe bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 100-120° F (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
3
Split the batch into 5 containers with the following amounts, add the following dispersed colorants, and whisk:
- Container A (200 mL): 1/2 tsp. Tangerine Wow Colorant + 1 teaspoon titanium dioxide
- Container B (200 mL): 1 tsp. Kermit Green Mica + 2 tsp. Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
- Container C (300 mL): 1 Tbsp. titanium dioxide
- Container D (500 mL): 1 Tbsp. Orchid Mica
- Container E (remaining soap): 2 tsp. black oxide
4
Add the measured Night Violet Fragrance Oil proportionally to each container of soap - it's okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to fully incorporate.
5
If the soap is extremely thin, give each container a few quick bursts with the stick blender to slightly thicken (from lightest to darkest). The soap should be thin enough to pour, but thick enough that the colors don't completely blend together.
6
Begin by pouring all of the black soap into the mold. Then begin pouring the colors in different places of the mold and at different heights. Pouring a bit of white between each helps give the colors more definition. Keep in mind, you have slightly more purple, so those pours can be a little larger. Note: Our goal was to keep the colors in the top half of the mold. To do this, we poured the colors at a height that still broke through the black, but didn't go all the way to the bottom. This is a personal preference. If you want the colors to reach the bottom of the mold, pour higher.
7
Continue pouring the soap into the mold until the containers are 90% empty. The rest will be used for the top - pour stripes of each color down the length of the mold. Then, use a chopstick or dowel to swirl. We swirled down the length of the mold, then side to side using an S-curve pattern.
8
Once you're happy with the top, spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. To promote gel phase, place on a heating pad for 1-2 hours on medium/high heat. Note: Gel phase helps the colors in these bars pop. If you live in a very hot climate, a heating pad may not be necessary.
9
Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Remove from the silicone mold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman, Kelsey Bray