Buttermilk Soap - Pictures Added

[Lindy]

I decided that one of my projects this weekend would be a buttermilk soap. Well this was a really interesting experience!! I froze the Buttermilk to a real hard slush form then added my lye to it. The milk curdled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then I remembered that I wanted silk in it - so there's me - cutting little silk pieces in frantically.... In the meantime I have to weight out my oils and get them melting while running back to the sink going Oh S***! Got the oils about halfway melted and now it looks like the lye mixture wants to turn into soap all by itself - check the heat - it's 160 F - Oh S***! So I decided to combine them hot - well life starts to get calmer - SBing and then I remember that I wanted a chocolate swirl - Oh S***! So pull out the Cocoa put some soap into my plastic measuring cup and add some soap to theother cup that holds the gold mica.....I was going to be ever so smart and mix the gold first - Oh S***! I put it in the chocolate first - in the meantime the main batch is getting thicker by the second. Rinse off the SB get the Gold Mica mixed and hit the main pot one more time!!! Okay so now I'm going to swirl pour - start the chocolate - kinda thick - but I can work with this - now the buttermilk - we're going just about fine - now the gold mica - hmmm - little thick - more chocolate - Oh S***!!! it's globbing!!!! Okay work faster and try to be smarter - right control it with a spoon - well now all the layers are in the mold I stir it and right now it is wrapped up in blankets and I need a nap!!!

Lesson learned - when working with buttermilk be ready to move really, really fast!!!

I'm hoping this will turn into something good - but I really need a nap instead I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen.... 8)

 

[topcat]

Lindy I really want to see pics of this one!! :wink: - thanks for the giggle...

I use buttermilk in some of my soaps but I use the powdered kind, blended into some aloe juice and added at light trace. It hasn't accelerated trace for me so far. I am too scared to add milk products or sugar to lye....just a big chicken, that's me!

I applaud your creativity and if everything had gone to plan a perfect soap would definitely have resulted (i.e. one that matched what was in your 'mind's eye').....instead you have made another kind of perfect soap! Bet it turns out amazing and you couldn't repeat it if you tried :wink:

Now, enjoy your nap

Tanya

 

[Tabitha]

Sounds delish!

 

[LomondSoap]

Soap never ceases to surprise you does it?!
Me too, really want to see this one, I bet it turns out nice :wink:
I hate the smell of any milk when you mix it with lye, makes me want to hurl, good job it makes for a lovely soap really!

 

[Lindy]

Thanks everyone for you support....

Here are pictures of the Buttermilk Soap aka Cocoa a'Lait

Not totally ugly........ 8)

 

[georgiastray]

"not totally ugly"...?

I think they're awesome - I love them! Great job!

 

[Jo]

Wow Lindy...that looks good enough to eat!! Thanks for sharing your buttermilk day with us...I needed to hear it.

Instead of staying home and making my soap as planned, I decided to go shopping for some ideas. Met a lady who makes soap and candles. So excited "me", tells her I've made soap and put my lye in my liquid of distilled water and (frozen) goatmilk. She makes me feel allll wrong because I didn't wait until trace to add the milk. she looks at me like I've got some kind of 3rd eye..and I leave there feeling a bit disturbed.

P.S. I still think my goatmilk soap was good. lol

 

[Lindy]

Jo - at my Spa Party I had a lady ask me if I felt that my soap was better than the others that are made here - I told her no - everyone makes good soap, we just all do it differently. Obviously this lady you met today feels "her way" is the "only way" and she doesn't sound like someone I would even want to know......JMHO

 

[NMAriel]

Lindy that looks beautiful.

 

[surf girl]

Those look edible, Lindy.

Your buttermilk soap-making sounds like my last THREE soap-making efforts. Lots of OH S***! I think yours turned out beautifully, despite the trauma.

 

[carebear]

absolutely not bad at all

every time I try to soap with liquid buttermilk I run into acceleration issues. which makes no sense to me, but it happens...

 

[AshleyR]

It turned out really nice!!

 

[Jody]

Lindy, those are so beautiful. I tried to swirl again this weekend and it didn't work out but I will try again and again.

 

[Lindy]

Thank you!!!

Carebear _ i think it's all the butter fat in the milk - it looked to me like it was already turning into soap even before it hit the pot! And that was working with it at a really heavy slush stage. I'm really glad that I did it and I love the smell of this soap even at this raw a stage! I'm looking forward to trying it.

Jody - post pictures - puhleeeeaaassse......................

 

[Jody]

OK Lindy,

These are yesterdays Carrot, Oatmeal and Honey plus my second very sad attempt at a swirl.

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[carebear]

Well, I don't think it's the high fat because I often soap with half & half without issue. Adding the lye to the milk - yes it will saponify (I simply CANNOT do that without scorching lately) and lump up, but I hit it with my SB to make it smooth before proceeding and all is well there.

I do not know WHAT it is.

 

[Lindy]

Jody!!! Those are really, really pretty - quit being so hard on yourself!

Carebear - hmmmm. I've only soaped with Goats Milk & now the Buttermilk - other than that I've used the powders. I like both ways although I find with the powders I get a lighter colour....

 

[Jody]

Thanks Lindy and I know I will get better. It's tough to see how great all the pictures are and I do think mine will get better every time and am looking forward to that.

 

[topcat]

Lindy - those soaps look delicious!!! As for your dramas, we would never have known iffn' you hadn't told on yourself :wink:

Jody - your soap is really pretty! If a swirl doesn't come out how you planned - well....you just found a new way to make a two colour soap! How cool is that?! :wink: BTW - have you tried an in-the-pot swirl yet? It may be a good way to get a feel for how you like to manage your technique..?

Tanya

 

[Jody]

Tanya, thanks for the tip but I don't know how to do that. I will do some reading up on it. The next issue of the Saponifier is supposed to have a swirling tutorial in it. Whew.