Soap!
Like I mentioned in a one-line offhand comment at the end of my last entry, making soap always makes me feel a bit like an alchemist. I’m not making it from scratch–I have bricks of clear meltable all-natural glycerin soap–but still, it’s neat to be able to prepare all the little extra ingredients, mix it together, and then be able to pop it out of the mold a while later as a lovely little bar.
Today, I added olive oil to the base to make it super-moisturising, plus eucalyptus oil and crushed dried spearmint leaves for scent. I didn’t use any dyes or colourants.
Isn’t it cute? I used a couple of round molds with raised flowers on.
I’ve been reading up on using more “advanced” techniques for soap-making, and also how to do creams, lotions, and lip balms, and a lot of it uses the same techniques that I’ve been doing in labs at college, compounding medications. Because of this, the processes are easy to understand, and I’m already familiar with suspending agents and emulsifiers and the function of different ingredients. Fabulous.
Helen:
Your soap looks really cool. I’d like to give soap making a try, but it’d probably be like the candle making I wanted to do. I got all the bits needed and then have never got around to it. Ah well.
Did you eat all that Brownie in one go? *yum*
14 October 2007, 5:59 amMichelle:
I haven’t tried M & P but my daughter does it all the time. It looks like fun and very easy to work with. I know she enjoys all the fun things that can be done with it. Your soap turned out great!!
14 October 2007, 10:47 amLin:
I fancy the idea of soap making, and that brownie is huge! I would have eaten it all in one go!
14 October 2007, 4:40 pmyarnsnob:
that soap is beautiful, so unique, love the colour and good enough to eat too
15 October 2007, 2:38 pm