It’s 2AM, and what am I doing? Well, I’m sitting at my computer, typing this blog post — right after finishing a batch of chocolate soap. Yes, I soap at nite. Doesn’t matter if I’ve had a long, tiring day at work. It’s something about making soap that gives me a second wind. I can scale a wall, to get to my soap pot. Oh yes! It does help that I don’t have to work today.

This was an experimental recipe. I wanted to make a palm oil-free soap, using a higher percentage of olive oil (close to 40%) and cocoa butter (15%), to help harden it up. Let’s hope my plan worked!

What’s in it: Saponified Olive Oil (Pomace), Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Coconut Milk, Fragrance Oil.

**UPDATE** The pic shows the cut soap, 20 hours after it was poured in the mold. It’s starting to darken on the top and sides, and will eventually darken throughout. It’s lightly dusted with cocoa powder on top.

NEA

 I  Roobios tea, so I was itchin’ to make a batch of Red Bush Tea soap. I purchased a half dozen fragrance oils, from Southern Soapers, and the African Red Bush Tea is one of my favorites — just from sniffing the bottle.

The base recipe is the same as the Green Chai Tea soap, with the addition of coconut milk powder. I used 3/4 tsp of Emporium Naturals “Red” colorant. I stirred in some Roobios tea leaves, right before the FO. My mold is sitting on the radiator as I type.

NEA

I don’t like it in soap — not the soap I make. For some reason, and I can’t figure out what it is, it makes my soap…drying. I’m not sure if it’s the combo of oils I’ve used, when I’ve incorporated in a recipe, or something else. I’ve tried it twice, and both times I was very disappointed.

I have an almost full bag of it. What can I use it for? I don’t do “milk baths”. Maybe I can make a body creme with it? Perhaps I’m being pushed into learning to make lotions and potions?

NEA