Pumpkin smell question

[WomanInTheWoods]

I want to make a pumpkin soap tonight, but I don't have any pumpkin pie fo. I am subbing pumpkin puree for some of the liquid and was thinking about spicing the pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and maybe some brown sugar from my kitchen spice rack before adding it in. Will the smell come through?

TIA!
Carol

 

[PrairieCraft]

The smell from the spice isn't likely to come through in a noticeable way. Sugar can cause overheating so be aware of that, keeping it at 1 tbl ppo, you should be fine. I would melt it into the water before adding the lye if I were you. It won't scent the soap either. Do you have any essential oils? If you do use spice EOs they tend to cause accelerated trace and the soap may even seize.

 

[Soapy Gurl]

Strong spices have come through in soap for me. Which was surprising. I used cinnamon to color a batch. So, okay, it was quite a bit of cinnamon! But the batch had a light cinnamon scent, kind of like a baking scent. it was really nice. I think you could get a light scent, just remember that spices will add exfoliating properties.

 

[judymoody]

I made a soap about a year ago that used ground cinnamon and folded orange EO. I found a leftover bar of it and would you believe that it still smelled really nice. The cinnamon is scratchy though.

I have yet to find a pumpkin FO that I liked and I've tried a bunch. Most end up smelling predominantly of cloves by the time cure is done. But maybe I'm overly picky.

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

Thanks all,

PrairieCraft, I will be sure to be cautious with the sugar and watch for overheating. I was trying to increase lather with the brown sugar. I do have EO's, just not any pumpkin pie spice smelling ones. lol I'll be better prepared next year... I do have a gingerbread fo~ do you think a dash of that might help?

I don't mind mild scents, my family and I like the subtle scents more than the in your face scents. I prefer using natural additives, but I'm not a stickler for it. I think I'll go ahead and try making this with the spices. I'm a bit concerned about the cinnamon being scratchy, but hey, we learn through experience, right?!

 

[Soapy Gurl]

I like exfoliating soaps and the cinnamon was nice for that. Not nearly as abrasive as an actual scrub, but nice and textured.

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

Thanks, good to know Soapy Gurl. I was afraid the cinnamon would be abrasive as in irritating to your skin. A little exfoliating is a good thing, though. We love my coffee soap with coffee grounds, the tea soaps with ground up tea in them, and I've got some pumice in the cabinet for future batches. We're a dirty, dirty bunch! LOL!

I will, however, keep this in mind for my grandfather. At 87 yrs old he probably won't appreciate the scrubbies as much as he use to. Not that he'd ever complain. As far as he's concerned everything I make is pure gold. He's awesome.