June's Soap Challenge Club: One-Pot Wonder

The goal

Regular category: Using four colors in one container, pour a layered and feathered soap design.

Prep

I did the normal measuring and prep with Tussah Silk from Bramble Berry, and some Sodium lactate 60% from Wholesale Supplies Plus (WSP) to aid with removal from the mold. I prepped the four colors with oil in separate containers. I hand stirred the oils and lye water, then I mixed the fragrance at light trace.

• 40% Olive Oil
• 25% Coconut Oil
• 22% Palm Oil
• 6.5% Sweet Almond Oil
• 6.5% Castor Oil
• 5% Superfat
• 33% Lye Strength

Attempt one

Watermelon soap with poppy seeds in top layer. Fragrance Watermelon Mania from WSP.

Colors: Mostly from Nurture Soap New Leaf, Savage Garden, Rose Pink+Winter White+Titanium Dioxide to lighten, and Wanderlust

Ruined by an accelerating fragrance oil; it became solid within 5 minutes, but gloopy and squishy by re-adding the water discount. I was able to mostly mix with colors, but at best this can be confetti soap. The temperatures mixed were a bit warm, around 85-90 F. The soap top would be best described as meatloaf :(

Attempt two

Contrasting and bright colors; fragrance White Tea & Ginger EO & FO Blend from WSP.

Colors mostly from Nurture Soap (again): Black Pearl+Activated Charcoal (super fine), Neon Blue, White (Titanium Dioxide), Trial by Fire. 

I was able to mix all the colors, I made extra of the top layer because I thought it would look nicer. I needed to add more soap to the white color. I measured as I separated the colors, but I had to hurry once the soap was getting to medium-thick trace. I poured into the side of the large pot's pouring spout (as recommended). The trace was becoming thick when pouring back into the one pot, because I believe the recipe / formula contained too many hard oils. Temperature soaping at oils/lye water at 80-85 F.

The pour was fine for the first color (black), but my hands were not steady enough tilting the mold with my left hand and pouring with my right. I poured some on the mold rim and some outside the mold. I knew the feathering was not going to show, but I had to keep pouring. I stopped tilting the mold and poured what I could, but the mold was 2/3 full. Most of the red was too thick to pour, so I tried to spatula the rest out without mixing colors.

Although it did not go as planned, it still looks pretty and vibrant! It reminded me (and my dad) of a Bomb Pop Popsicle (or Firecracker).

And a closer view (with more accurate color saturation to show the vibrancy digital photos lose):

Takeaways

• Use a non-accelerating or decelerating scent
• Pre-mix colors to reduce mixing
• Hand mix, no stick blender
• Equal layers and colors, but top can have more to fill-in design
• Pour at light-medium or medium trace
• Have a steady hand to quickly and evenly pour into the mold ;)
• This design seems to be forgiving and creates an interesting design even pouring thick soap