What natural, easy to find additives have you experimented with?

[Blue1969]

I have been having a lot of fun adding different things to my soaps and was wondering who else has done some experimenting?
I know some of the additions are common to the old soapers, but it is interesting to see the way the same recipe reacts and how the soap ends up?
Did some egg and pine tar in the week. Will be doing Aloe tomorrow with Aloe Gel I harvested today.
Where to go next?
Any suggestions?

 

[AliOop]

How fun! Have you tried any milks yet? I love adding goat milk powder, but fresh goat milk is very popular, too, as is coconut milk and coconut cream. Stay away from butter, however, as it makes for super stinky soap!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I went through a fruit and veg phase - apple puree, mashed banana, carrot puree, passionfruit, feijoa, pumpkin....
They were all ok - except for the banana one. I didn't like that one. None of them were fabulous enough to bear repeating.
I use aloe in every batch as standard ( unless I'm making a beer, oat milk or coconut milk soap).

 

[Blue1969]

How fun! Have you tried any milks yet? I love adding goat milk powder, but fresh goat milk is very popular, too, as is coconut milk and coconut cream. Stay away from butter, however, as it makes for super stinky soap!

As soon as I can get hold of them, they are going in! Wonder of one of the farmers around here milk their goats?

 

[Blue1969]

I went through a fruit and veg phase - apple puree, mashed banana, carrot puree, passionfruit, feijoa, pumpkin....
They were all ok - except for the banana one. I didn't like that one. None of them were fabulous enough to bear repeating.
I use aloe in every batch as standard ( unless I'm making a beer, oat milk or coconut milk soap).

Ah! I forgot about beer! Thx, immediately going on list. Do you boil the beer before to get rid of alcohol?

 

[lsg]

Cucumber puree is one I like.

 

[Blue1969]

Cucumber puree is one I like.

As total water replacement? Does it leave any smell or colour in the finshed soap?

 

[lsg]

I replace part of the water with the puree. I always add my puree at thin trace. At first the soap is a lovely pale green, because of the green skin. The color fades with time.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Fruit and vegetables are so expensive here now, it's a huge waste to put them in soap. A cucumber is about $4, or $4.50. ONE apple is about 90c - $1.50. Crazy. A combination of inclement weather and supply chain issues have really pushed prices up.
@Blue1969 (three years younger than me ) yes, just simmer the beer down until the alkeehole is gone then freeze it into ice cubes. Be very wary when adding the lye to your beer as it can overheat and volcano. That's why it's best to ice ice cubes to keep it cool. Make sure you use a much bigger container than you need for mixing the solution in case it does rise up - then you won't get a spill. Best to mix it in the sink.

 

[Blue1969]

Thx Kiwi. The beer is on tomorrow's menu. Just a small 250gr oil batch.
Luckily/unluckily I live in a small farm community where fresh fruit and veg are always available at very reasonable prices - or in the neighbour's backyard. Unfortunately it also implies difficult access to some finer ingredients like sodium lactate etc.

 

[Blue1969]

I replace part of the water with the puree. I always add my puree at thin trace. At first the soap is a lovely pale green, because of the green skin. The color fades with time.

Thx. Next on the list.

 

[Blufuz]

I like carrot purée a lot, it adds just enough texture to make the bar not super slippery without being in any way abrasive. My 5 year old neighbor and 70 year old aunt also loved it.

I haven’t done it yet, but soon I wanted to experiment a bit with peels (orange, cucumber, bell pepper), also puréed or flakes.

I also read good things about rice water.

 

[Blue1969]

These experiments are sooo much fun. Thx. Will add carrot to the list. Do you cook the carrot first?

 

[KiwiMoose]

These experiments are sooo much fun. Thx. Will add carrot to the list. Do you cook the carrot first?

I cooked mine, so that I could get a smooth puree.

 

[Blufuz]

These experiments are sooo much fun. Thx. Will add carrot to the list. Do you cook the carrot first?

Yeah, I boiled the carrot, used half the water weight in carrot, the other half in carrot cooking water (I used distilled water). I blended the carrot as fine as possible, using a little of the cooking water. I added the lye pearls directly to the mix of carrot water and carrot purée. It smelled questionable at first, but then with time it took on a soft “vegetable” scent which was quite pleasant, especially for sensitive noses. The color turned out marginally darker than normal soap color, but nothing super exciting.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

MIY CARROT TISSUE OIL

 

[Blue1969]

Ok, I have now tried Windhoek Lager, Pine Tar, Egg, Aloe, Jaggermeister and Castle Milk Stout - waiting for all of these to cure so I can start testing them. There are so many complaints about the smells coming out of the "soap room" that I guess I have to calm down a bit with the smelly experimentation.
Maybe I should surprise the household and make a Lavender batch?

 

[KiwiMoose]

Nahhh - too boring!

 

[Blue1969]

Ok, the lavender is done - here comes the carrots, cucumbers and rice!