Slowly and carefully add 3.2 ounces of lye to 7.3 ounces of distilled water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Add 0.7 ounces of sodium lactate and stir. It helps create smoother bars.

Fully melt the entire bag of Lots of Lather Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 22 oz. into your Crock-Pot and turn it on. NOTE: The heat setting you use may vary depending on your cooking vessel. We have cooked hot process soap on low and high heat with equally good results. For this recipe, we used the high heat setting for a faster cook time. If you’re making hot process soap in your cooking vessel for the first time, start with the low setting. Next time try the high setting and see which you prefer. 

Slowly add the lye water to the oils. Make sure the mixture does not fill up more than half of the pot. Tap the stick blender on the bottom of the pot to release air bubbles and begin to blend.

Stick blend until thick trace.

Put the lid on the Crock-Pot and allow the soap to start cooking. After about 10 minutes, check the soap. Starting from the outside, the texture and color of the soap will start to change into a glossy, slightly Vaseline-like texture (shown below). NOTE: Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume. Do not leave your soap unattended in the first 10 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, take it off heat and stir like crazy.

Stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Place the lid back on the pot and allow it to cook for about another 7-10 minutes.

The batch is ready when it’s the texture of glossy mashed potatoes. This may take up to three more 5-10 minute sessions. When you think it’s ready, use a pH strip to test the levels. Place a small amount of the soap into a cup of distilled water and stir. Dip the pH strip into the water – it should be below 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap, you don’t want it too dry for the next steps.

Add 1 tablespoon of orange peel powder directly to the soa and stir to get rid of any clumps.

Add the essential oil blend to the soap and gently stir until fully incorporated.

Working quickly, spoon the soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter firmly to help it settle. Use a spoon or gloved hands to smooth the top.

Insert dried orange slices into the top of the soap. Space them out according to how large you’d like the bar to be. We fit 5 into the loaf and spaced them to be cut behind the orange slices. Then, insert an anise star directly in front of the orange. 

Allow the soap to stay in the mold for at least 24 hours. Unmold and cut into bars. This soap is ready to use right away, but will last longer in the shower after at least a 2 week cure time.