Coffee and/or Cocoa Powder, scent?

[DawninWA]

If I were to make a cold process soap with cocoa powder and coffee, would it smell like a mocha? Or just anywhere near that?

How about if I make one without those and throw a bunch of spices in it (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc)?

Do I need fragrance or EOs in order to scent it, even if a mild scent will do?

One more question. I have a whole bunch of pears in the freezer. If I puree them and use them as part of the water, would the lye turn them a funky color? I have italian plums too which impart a lovely dark purple to baked dishes, would the purple come thru or would it just be brown? (I know the smells from the fruit would not survive).

 

[IrishLass]

If I were to make a cold process soap with cocoa powder and coffee, would it smell like a mocha? Or just anywhere near that?

If my own batches made with same are anything to go by- no, it won't smell like mocha or anywhere near that. Your best bet is to add a mocha FO.

How about if I make one without those and throw a bunch of spices in it (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc)?

I would avoid throwing a bunch of spices into soap. Although it may sound like a cool idea, they can actually cause a lot of skin-irritation and discomfort, and so they need to be used sparingly with much caution.

Do I need fragrance or EOs in order to scent it, even if a mild scent will do?

Yes- quality EOs or FOs are your best bet, if you ask me.

One more question. I have a whole bunch of pears in the freezer. If I puree them and use them as part of the water, would the lye turn them a funky color?

I used pear puree in my CP once (emphasis on 'once', lol). I used half water and half pureed pear juice (pulp included). The lye was mixed in with my water, and the pureed pear juice was added to my oils shortly after the lye solution was mixed in. My batter turned orange after the pureed pear juice was added, but my finished soap cured out to a light creamy color. Fair warning- my finished soap was quite scrubby/scratchy (quite uncomfortably so) because of the pear pulp, and I vowed to never use pureed pear juice in my soap ever again. lol

I have italian plums too which impart a lovely dark purple to baked dishes, would the purple come thru or would it just be brown? (I know the smells from the fruit would not survive).

It would turn brown, unfortunately. The high pH of soap really messes with the purples found in food. The best way to get a good purple in one's soap is to use a soap-safe colorant that's been tested for stability in a high pH environment.


HTH!
IrishLass

 

[LunaSkye]

Thank you IrishLass for the BREAKDOWN! :-D I would have been really disappointed if I were to use a purple, berry-mix baby food as a base.

 

[DawninWA]

Well, all right then . Lol, thanks for the great info. I might add some cocoa powder to my next batch just for fun since I have a bunch, but I won't waste the coffee.

 

[Susie]

I used double strength coffee in a batch of soap, and although it did not have a distinct coffee smell, it did change the scent of the EO enough that I think I will repeat it in the future. It gave the soap a lovely cafe au lait color, also.

I have also made soap with cocoa powder. Again, no cocoa smell, but a great color. Word of warning, though, color will show up on a washcloth. It does come out with just rinsing with water.

 

[navigator9]

Oh, the soaps we could make if the lye didn't have it's way with our wonderful ingredients! I think we've all had our hopes dashed after unmolding a well planned soap, only to find out that the lye had other plans! At least there are excellent FOs out there to mimic chocolate and coffee scents. You can add coffee grounds for scrubbiness, I use some in a gardener's bar.