Snowdrop Hot Process Soap Project
This soap was inspired by icy winters. It's made with Basic Quick Mix and scented with a blend of Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil and peppermint essential oil.
Hot process soap is cooked, which speeds up the saponification process. That means this Snowdrop Soap is ready to use right away, although we recommend a few weeks of curing to help the bars harden and last longer in the shower.
For this small recipe, we used a two-quart Crock-Pot. Make sure to use a container with plenty of space because hot process soap expands as it cooks.
This recipe took about 12-15 minutes total cook time. You'll know it's done when the soap has a thick, clear appearance and the pH is at 9-10. You can test it by placing a small amount in a cup with some distilled water, stirring, and dipping a pH strip in. If the pH is 11-14, cook the soap a few more minutes and check again.
Need more DIY hot process soap? Check out these hot process soap making supplies.
What You Need:
2 lb Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom - 1 Mold
Basic Quick Mix - 33 oz
Sodium Hydroxide Lye
Sodium Lactate - 4 oz
Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil - 1.75 oz
Peppermint Essential Oil - 2nd Distill - 1.75 oz
Caribbean Blue Mica - 1 oz
Snowflake UltraSparkle Mica - 1 oz
Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
- Basic Quick Mix - 33 oz
- Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- Sodium Lactate - 4 oz
- Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil - 1.75 oz
- Peppermint Essential Oil - 2nd Distill - 1.75 oz
- Caribbean Blue Mica - 1 oz
- Snowflake UltraSparkle Mica - 1 oz
EQUIPMENT:
- 2 lb Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom - 1 Mold
Instructions
You will need:
- 2 lb. Wood Loaf Mold
- 22 oz. Basic Quick Mix
- 3.1 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 7.3 oz. Distilled Water
- 0.7 oz. Sodium Lactate
- 1 oz. Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil
- 0.2 oz. Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distill
- Caribbean Blue Mica
- Snowflake Sparkle Mica
- Optional: Crinkle Cutter
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Caribbean Blue Mica in 1/2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Have the Snowflake Sparkle Mica close by.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1 ounce of Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil and 0.2 ounces of peppermint essential oil into a glass container. 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 3.1 ounces of lye to 7.3 ounces of 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 to create a smoother bar.
2
Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick mix until it's completely clear and there's no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 22 ounces into your Crock-Pot and turn it on low. Slowly add the lye water to the oils. Make sure the mixture does not fill up more than half of the pot. Burp the stick blender and begin to blend.
3
Mix with a stick blender until a thick trace is achieved.
4
Put the lid on the Crock-Pot. After about 10 minutes, check the soap. Starting from the outside, the texture and color will start to change into a glossy, slightly Vaseline-like texture. Stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume - do not leave it unattended in the first 30 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, take it off heat and stir like crazy.
5
The batch will be ready when it’s the texture of glossy, thin mashed potatoes. When you think it’s ready, place a small amount of the soap into a cup of distilled water and stir. Dip a pH strip into the water - it should be below 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap, you don’t want a dry texture for the next steps! Note: The amount of time the soap takes to cook depends on the size and shape of your Crock-Pot. The larger, flatter cooking vessels meant for roasts may go a bit quicker because the soap will be spread out thinner on the heated surface.
6
Add 1 teaspoon of dispersed Caribbean Blue Mica and 1/2 tablespoon of Snowflake Sparkle Mica. Mix thoroughly.
7
Slowly add the fragrance and essential oil mixture and stir.
8
Working quickly, spoon the soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter firmly to help it settle. Once all the soap is in the mold, use a spoon or gloved hands to smooth the top.
9
Sprinkle the top with Sparkle Snowflake Mica. Use gloved hands to gently press the mica in so it sticks better. Just be careful, the soap will be hot to the touch.
10
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman
Snowdrop Hot Process Soap Project
- LEVEL Intermediate
- TIME 1 hour
- YIELD About 2 pounds of soap
Project Description
Hot process soap is cooked, which speeds up the saponification process. That means this Snowdrop Soap is ready to use right away, although we recommend a few weeks of curing to help the bars harden and last longer in the shower.
For this small recipe, we used a two-quart Crock-Pot. Make sure to use a container with plenty of space because hot process soap expands as it cooks.
This recipe took about 12-15 minutes total cook time. You'll know it's done when the soap has a thick, clear appearance and the pH is at 9-10. You can test it by placing a small amount in a cup with some distilled water, stirring, and dipping a pH strip in. If the pH is 11-14, cook the soap a few more minutes and check again.
Need more DIY hot process soap? Check out these hot process soap making supplies.
You will need:
- 2 lb. Wood Loaf Mold
- 22 oz. Basic Quick Mix
- 3.1 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 7.3 oz. Distilled Water
- 0.7 oz. Sodium Lactate
- 1 oz. Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil
- 0.2 oz. Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distill
- Caribbean Blue Mica
- Snowflake Sparkle Mica
- Optional: Crinkle Cutter
COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Caribbean Blue Mica in 1/2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Have the Snowflake Sparkle Mica close by.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1 ounce of Fresh Snow Fragrance Oil and 0.2 ounces of peppermint essential oil into a glass container. 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 3.1 ounces of lye to 7.3 ounces of 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 to create a smoother bar.
2
Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick mix until it's completely clear and there's no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 22 ounces into your Crock-Pot and turn it on low. Slowly add the lye water to the oils. Make sure the mixture does not fill up more than half of the pot. Burp the stick blender and begin to blend.
3
Mix with a stick blender until a thick trace is achieved.
4
Put the lid on the Crock-Pot. After about 10 minutes, check the soap. Starting from the outside, the texture and color will start to change into a glossy, slightly Vaseline-like texture. Stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume - do not leave it unattended in the first 30 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, take it off heat and stir like crazy.
5
The batch will be ready when it’s the texture of glossy, thin mashed potatoes. When you think it’s ready, place a small amount of the soap into a cup of distilled water and stir. Dip a pH strip into the water - it should be below 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap, you don’t want a dry texture for the next steps! Note: The amount of time the soap takes to cook depends on the size and shape of your Crock-Pot. The larger, flatter cooking vessels meant for roasts may go a bit quicker because the soap will be spread out thinner on the heated surface.
6
Add 1 teaspoon of dispersed Caribbean Blue Mica and 1/2 tablespoon of Snowflake Sparkle Mica. Mix thoroughly.
7
Slowly add the fragrance and essential oil mixture and stir.
8
Working quickly, spoon the soap into the mold. Tap the mold on the counter firmly to help it settle. Once all the soap is in the mold, use a spoon or gloved hands to smooth the top.
9
Sprinkle the top with Sparkle Snowflake Mica. Use gloved hands to gently press the mica in so it sticks better. Just be careful, the soap will be hot to the touch.
10
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman