Watermelon Cold Process Soap Project
This fruity soap is perfect for summer! The green, white, and pink layers of watermelon are simple to recreate with thick soap.
This recipe is formulated with mango butter, coconut oil, and olive oil to help create a thick trace that’s easy to layer. The recipe also contains a 12% water discount to prevent glycerin rivers.
To create the perfect watermelon rind, we used a combination of Kermit Green Mica and Green Chrome Oxide. The two green shades are poured into the mold in strips, which create a realistic look once cut. Magenta Mica is the perfect pinkish-red color, and poppy seeds look like tiny watermelon seeds. They also add a nice amount of exfoliation to the bars.
For this project, we used Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil. It smells juicy and fruity - perfect for this soap! It does accelerate trace, so we recommend adding it to each container separately, right before pouring into the mold.
What You Need:
Watermelon Sugar Fragrance Oil - 3.5 oz
Magenta Mica - 1 oz
Kermit Green Mica - 1 oz
Poppy Seeds - 3 oz
Green Chrome Oxide Pigment - 1 oz
5 lb Mold With Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 lb Wood Mold - 1 mold
Avocado Oil - 1 lb
Castor Oil - 1 lb
Coconut Oil - 1 lb
Mango Butter - 1 lb
Olive Oil - Pomace - 1 lb
Sodium Hydroxide Lye
Titanium Dioxide Pigment - 1 oz
Palm Oil - 1 lb
Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
- Watermelon Sugar Fragrance Oil - 3.5 oz
- Magenta Mica - 1 oz
- Kermit Green Mica - 1 oz
- Poppy Seeds - 3 oz
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment - 1 oz
- Avocado Oil - 1 lb
- Castor Oil - 1 lb
- Coconut Oil - 1 lb
- Mango Butter - 1 lb
- Olive Oil - Pomace - 1 lb
- Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- Titanium Dioxide Pigment - 1 oz
- Palm Oil - 1 lb
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
- 5.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
- 1.7 oz. Castor Oil (3%)
- 13.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
- 3.9 oz. Mango Butter (7%)
- 16.5 oz. Olive Oil Pomace (30%)
- 13.8 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
- 16 oz. Distilled Water (12% Water Discount)
- 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 3 oz. Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil
- Magenta Mica
- Titanium Dioxide
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
- Kermit Green Mica
- Poppy Seeds
COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 2 teaspoons of Magenta Mica into 2 tablespoons of oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide Pigment and Kermit Green Mica each into 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps. 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 OIL PREP: Measure 3 ounces of the Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil in 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 7.7 ounces of lye to 16 ounces of distilled water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Optional: Stir 3.5 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the soap harden and unmold more quickly.
2
Melt and measure 5.5 ounces of avocado oil, 1.7 ounces of castor oil, 13.8 ounces of coconut oil, 3.9 ounces of mango butter, 16.5 ounces of olive oil pomace, and 13.8 ounces of palm oil in a large heat-safe container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 110-120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
3
Split the soap into 3 containers with 350 mL each.
4
To one of the small containers, add 2 teaspoons of dispersed Kermit Green Mica. To one of the other small containers, add 1 teaspoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to mix in both colorants completely.
5
Add a small amount of the fragrance oil into both green containers and use a whisk to completely mix in. Give the large soap container a whisk to help keep it fluid.
6
If your green soap is still thin, stick blend each container until it’s a medium to thick trace. Pour about 1/3 of green soap down the length of the mold. Then pour about 1/3 of the light green soap down the length of the mold, next to the dark green. Continue pouring strips of each color down the length of the mold. Don’t worry about making them perfectly straight or even.
7
Use a spoon to smooth out soap. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.
8
To the last small container, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk to thoroughly mix. Add some of the fragrance oil and stir in throughly. Pour all of the white soap into the mold and use a spoon to spread it evenly. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.
9
To the large container of soap, add all of the dispersed Magenta Mica and use a whisk to stir. Then, add the remaining fragrance oil and use a whisk to completely mix.
10
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds into the soap and mix.
11
Place the pink soap on top of the white evenly throughout the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and disperse the soap.
12
Use a spoon to create peaks and texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top, concentrating them toward the center. Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Cover the soap to insulate and help promote gel phase. Allow it to insulate overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 3-5 days. Unmold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman
Watermelon Cold Process Soap Project
- LEVEL Intermediate
- TIME 1 hour
- YIELD 5 Pounds of Soap
Project Description
This recipe is formulated with mango butter, coconut oil, and olive oil to help create a thick trace that’s easy to layer. The recipe also contains a 12% water discount to prevent glycerin rivers.
To create the perfect watermelon rind, we used a combination of Kermit Green Mica and Green Chrome Oxide. The two green shades are poured into the mold in strips, which create a realistic look once cut. Magenta Mica is the perfect pinkish-red color, and poppy seeds look like tiny watermelon seeds. They also add a nice amount of exfoliation to the bars.
For this project, we used Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil. It smells juicy and fruity - perfect for this soap! It does accelerate trace, so we recommend adding it to each container separately, right before pouring into the mold.
You will need:
- 5 lb. Wood Mold with Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner for 5 lb. Wood Mold
- 5.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
- 1.7 oz. Castor Oil (3%)
- 13.8 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
- 3.9 oz. Mango Butter (7%)
- 16.5 oz. Olive Oil Pomace (30%)
- 13.8 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
- 16 oz. Distilled Water (12% Water Discount)
- 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 3 oz. Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil
- Magenta Mica
- Titanium Dioxide
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
- Kermit Green Mica
- Poppy Seeds
COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 2 teaspoons of Magenta Mica into 2 tablespoons of oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide Pigment and Kermit Green Mica each into 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps. 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 OIL PREP: Measure 3 ounces of the Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil in 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 7.7 ounces of lye to 16 ounces of distilled water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Optional: Stir 3.5 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the soap harden and unmold more quickly.
2
Melt and measure 5.5 ounces of avocado oil, 1.7 ounces of castor oil, 13.8 ounces of coconut oil, 3.9 ounces of mango butter, 16.5 ounces of olive oil pomace, and 13.8 ounces of palm oil in a large heat-safe container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 110-120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
3
Split the soap into 3 containers with 350 mL each.
4
To one of the small containers, add 2 teaspoons of dispersed Kermit Green Mica. To one of the other small containers, add 1 teaspoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to mix in both colorants completely.
5
Add a small amount of the fragrance oil into both green containers and use a whisk to completely mix in. Give the large soap container a whisk to help keep it fluid.
6
If your green soap is still thin, stick blend each container until it’s a medium to thick trace. Pour about 1/3 of green soap down the length of the mold. Then pour about 1/3 of the light green soap down the length of the mold, next to the dark green. Continue pouring strips of each color down the length of the mold. Don’t worry about making them perfectly straight or even.
7
Use a spoon to smooth out soap. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.
8
To the last small container, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk to thoroughly mix. Add some of the fragrance oil and stir in throughly. Pour all of the white soap into the mold and use a spoon to spread it evenly. Tap firmly on the counter to help eliminate bubbles.
9
To the large container of soap, add all of the dispersed Magenta Mica and use a whisk to stir. Then, add the remaining fragrance oil and use a whisk to completely mix.
10
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds into the soap and mix.
11
Place the pink soap on top of the white evenly throughout the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles and disperse the soap.
12
Use a spoon to create peaks and texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top, concentrating them toward the center. Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Cover the soap to insulate and help promote gel phase. Allow it to insulate overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 3-5 days. Unmold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman