I’m happy to say that I did get to make my sample soaps today. Early last week, I purchased two new wooden soap molds with silicone liners, those molds were just enough for my soap batter. A little after 10: 30 am, I made the lye solution and allowed it to cool outside. Late this afternoon, I melted the oils and took those outside to cool. While the oils were outside cooling, I brought the lye solution inside and transferred the contents to two mason jars. A little over an hour later, I decided to combine the lye with the cooled oil. I will say that this recipe set up very quickly. Yikes! I’m not exaggerating when I say that the soap batter started to trace within seconds after I added the lye solution to my oils. By the time that I was pouring the batter, I had to use a spoon to plop it into the molds since it was too firm to pour. This is a first since I’ve always been able to pour the batter into the molds without any issues. Well… there’s a first time for everything, right? Because my soap batter set up so quickly, this meant I really didn’t have a chance to make the fancy designs that I wanted. Sighs… but I still tried.
I used a pastry bag (and an attachment tip) to create a simple design, but… I was only able to get a design on one soap mold, and the design wasn’t all that great since it wasn’t all that malleable.
By the time I was in the second mold, I used a spoon to add the ‘black frosting’ to the remaining soap mold. It’s not pretty, but I was able to get it complete. If it bothers me too much, I’ll simply rebatch the soap within the next few days. For those who don’t know, neem smells like garlic. After I’d placed the soap batter into the molds, I could faintly smell the garlic. I’m wondering if the smell will dissipate over time? We’ll see.
I have used neem oil in a variety of skin care products and also to make cold processed soap before, however, this is the first time that I used such a large amount in my soap. Neem oil is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, triglycerides, calcium and vitamin E. It’s also antifungal and is supposedly great to use for mature skin since it can help reduce the effect of aging, such as wrinkles. I’m curious to see how it works within a soap bar.
I do keep a soap journal and document my new soaps as well as amending old recipes. I’ll be sure to log the experiences with this new soap recipe that I’ve created.