Ideas for local-themed soaps..

[Lil Outlaws]

So I'm wanting to try my hand at making some local themed soaps.
For instance, the town next to us (still in my county) is the Apple Capital. I was thinking of doing one using apple juice (or partial) for my lye solution and apple slices FO (or apple cinnamon)..

My mom's town is known for it's lavender, and has a beautiful (clean!) river running through it. I wanted to use river water (run through the Brita, of course) and lavender EO with some dried local lavender..

My town is the Cowboy Capital and also has a beautiful cypress-lined river.. so I was thinking of Brita'd river water with either a cypress FO or something country like leather or cedar (we have TONS of cedar here)...

One town the other direction is known for it's wineries, I'd love to make one with either grape juice or wine and a Vineyard FO...


My question is, are there certain liquids you can/can't use in your lye solution? (like juices, wine, etc.) Or can I use just the minimum amount of water to dissolve the lye and add the juices after it cools a bit.. ???

Any input would be appreciated!!

 

[carebear]

you can use juice for liquid, though with apple the sugar level is so high I'd recommend using it for only part of the liquid. Maybe hold out 25% of the water and add that amount as juice once you have your lye & oils emulsified.

red wine turns brown, red grape juice too - in my limited (one shot each) experience.

alcohol does not play nicely with lye - so if you choose to soap wine I'd boil it down a bit first. you CAN add lye directly to the wine but do so very slowly with the container set in the sink... do it and you will see why!

whole lavender buds in soap look like mouse turds - either grind it up or limit yourself to scattering whole buds on the surface.

Rustic Esscentuals has a fabulous cedarwood FO.

 

[heartsong]

x

just a thought, but you could cut your c/p soap while it's still soft and shape it into apples-add a silk stem and leaf. you could color them red or green and maybe use apple jack and peel or green apple f/o's.

the only thing i would worry about would be the high sugar content of juice might scorch.

for the vineyard, how about using a grapeseed oil blend?

how about lavender soap balls rolled in lavender buds? (i'm on a soap ball kick for some reason!)

and cedarwood soap balls-i love how rustic and pretty they are.

 

[Lil Outlaws]

So say the recipe called for 8oz water, I'd use 6oz water and 2oz of the local liquid?

 

[Lil Outlaws]

Oh and I planned on finely grinding any herbs like lavender

 

[Lindy]

The water from the river is fine and if you let it sit for awhile you won't have to "Brita" it which allows you to state that you are using the water from this river, rather than a purified version of it. For instance (when I remember to use it) I use sea water from the Malaspina Strait and I use it straight from the ocean. I figure the lye is going to destroy any nasties in the water. So it sits in a big vinegar container waiting for me to remember to use it..... :roll:

As for the rest I think it's a wonderful idea and perhaps you could take it one step further. Work with a winery to develop a soap using their cast off skins and perhaps some of their grapes. You would puree it and add it into your soaps. You could develop a whole line like this and name the soap after the winery (with their permission of course). You can sweeten the pot their by offering them the opportunity of carrying your soaps and if they want control over the name, well then they would be responsible for purchasing "x" amount of soap monthly to keep it exclusive, otherwise, well you'll just work with one of their competitors. Be careful how you word that.

With the orchards, what about again going to the orchard owner and suggesting that you would be really excited to use his appleas in your soaps and in return would like to name this particular soap line after his orchard. I'm betting he'll give you the apples you need to make the soaps. Use the apples and again puree them, add cinnamon and whatever other spice you would normally use for making apple pie. Try a small batch first and if you like it's scent great if not, then maybe add some apple EO/FO to get the scent you want. Again the orchard may be a good place to retail your soaps at depending on their set-up.

Just a few ideas and I like the way your thoughts are going now.

Cheers
Lindy

 

[Lil Outlaws]

I love those ideas! I'd considered it but wasn't sure how to go about it..

If I use purees/skins in the soaps, will I need a preservative to keep it from going rancid??

I am just brimming with excitement over them... and speaking of seawater, I just got back from the beach - we did my sister's senior photos there and it's also coincidentally the same beach (same hotel even) that DH and I honeymooned at... I intended to bring back some seawater to make a soap from our honeymoon spot and TOTALLY forgot. Argh I'm kicking myself!!

 

[IanT]

So I'm wanting to try my hand at making some local themed soaps.
For instance, the town next to us (still in my county) is the Apple Capital. I was thinking of doing one using apple juice (or partial) for my lye solution and apple slices FO (or apple cinnamon)..

My mom's town is known for it's lavender, and has a beautiful (clean!) river running through it. I wanted to use river water (run through the Brita, of course) and lavender EO with some dried local lavender..

My town is the Cowboy Capital and also has a beautiful cypress-lined river.. so I was thinking of Brita'd river water with either a cypress FO or something country like leather or cedar (we have TONS of cedar here)...

One town the other direction is known for it's wineries, I'd love to make one with either grape juice or wine and a Vineyard FO...


My question is, are there certain liquids you can/can't use in your lye solution? (like juices, wine, etc.) Or can I use just the minimum amount of water to dissolve the lye and add the juices after it cools a bit.. ???

Any input would be appreciated!!

have you seen the thread on silicone-mold making???



OMG picture combining some specially shaped soaps with their ingredients (for your apple soap... an apple!)... etc...


coooooool!!



great ideas from everyone!!

 

[Lil Outlaws]

I am *very* excited about this idea... I need to arrange to speak to people at these places but the good news is, my hubby is the newspaper editor and knows ***EVERYBODY*** so all I need is for him to make an introduction

Any input on the preservatives with fruit peel/pulp issue? I know zilch about that..

 

[IanT]

grapefruit seed extract??/ (but dont take my word on this for certain...) just learning about preservatives myself!

 

[ChrissyB]

Yes Grapefruit seed extract is a wonderful preservative, but from what I have read it accellerates trace.

 

[Jaaret]

GSE

I have used Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) in most of my batches and I do find that it speeds up trace. I use about 1/2 of 1% the weight of the combined oils.

GSE is not a preservative, is an antioxidant. Since I discount my lye by 7-8% to superfat my soaps, the addition of GSE, in theory, slows down the oxidization of the oils remaining in the cured bars of soap, extending their shelf life.

Since most all of my soap is used within 12 months I'm thinking of dropping the GSE. It is one of the most expensive ingredients in my soaps and I am not convinced that it is worth the expense.

 

[heartsong]

x

since you know the editor of the newspaper-how about hitting him up to do a few features and background on the new local soapmaker?

 

[tangled_panda]

Those sound like great ideas to me. . . luckily your town and the towns around you are known for good soaping things. . . we are known for Race Horses and Tobacco. . . not so good when mixed with soap . . .lol

As for adding the juices, I would say freeze them before you add to the lye. . .measure out the oz that you would need and pop it into an ice cube tray. That is what I do with all my milks that I add to lye, so they don't burn.

 

[Deda]

Those sound like great ideas to me. . . luckily your town and the towns around you are known for good soaping things. . . we are known for Race Horses and Tobacco. . . not so good when mixed with soap . . .lol

My town is famous for Lorena Bobbit, and her knife. That doesn't carry well into soap...

Lil Outlaw - I think making local themed soaps it a great idea!! I can't wait to see pictures

 

[ChrissyB]

Re: GSE

I have used Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) in most of my batches and I do find that it speeds up trace. I use about 1/2 of 1% the weight of the combined oils.

GSE is not a preservative, is an antioxidant. Since I discount my lye by 7-8% to superfat my soaps, the addition of GSE, in theory, slows down the oxidization of the oils remaining in the cured bars of soap, extending their shelf life.

Thank you for that Information Jaaret. As I said the only knowledge that I have of GSE is from reading, and I saw a lady on youtube use it. I am not even sure that we can get it over here. If you don't use GSE, what is the shelf life of your soaps meant to be? and does GSE prevent DOS?

 

[Lil Outlaws]

Thanks for all the encouragement guys! I think I'm going to give it a try - I'm ordering some relevant FOs today, so we'll give it a shot.

I think first off, I'm going to make a Hill Country Prickly Pear soap - prickly pear FO and pulverized (pureed, something) prickly pear cactus in the soap - some flesh pulp and a lot of juice. Both from the cactus part and the purply colored fruit. Probably will use the cactus juice in the whole thing and then make a swirl with the purpley part.. Hooray!

Of course I'll LYK how it goes - ordering FO today and then I'll work on gathering the cactus and other local items.
So far I've gathered a bottle of water from a local river crossing - for that one I'm desperately ISO a cypress type FO if anyone has one/knows one?


After the Prickly Pear, I think I'll try the local apple orchard and a Hot Apple Pie soap.. then the vineyards and a Cabernet soap.. local lavender and EO for that one.. we'll see

Wish me luck!

 

[NancyJo]

[quote="Deda]My town is famous for Lorena Bobbit, and her knife. That doesn't carry well into soap
[/quote]

How funny, my brother went to school with John Wayne Bobbit!!!