With this month’s Soap Challenge, I decided to stick to a simple idea using opposite colors on the color wheel. I even kept my batch attempts down to 4 this month. I think that’s a new record for me. : )
Color Choice
I decided to do opposite sides of the color wheel – orange versus green and red versus blue. I wanted to keep the warm colors on one side and the cool colors on the other side. So I made the orange and green my base colors, then drop swirled red (into the orange) and blue (into the green). After removing the divider, I dropped black and white soap into the entire mold (mostly down the middle). Then I hanger swirled it all and decorated the top. I also used 2 different essential oil blends on each side (see recipe below).
I achieved the colors using the following:
Orange – Paprika in paprika infused Olive Oil
Blue – Indigo Root Powder in Sunflower Oil
Red – Rose Clay in distilled water
Green – French Green Clay in distilled water
Black – Activated Charcoal in Sunflower Oil
White – Kaolin Clay in distilled water
*If you’re interested, I described the colorants in more detail at the very bottom of this post.
Recipe
Olive Oil – 48%
Coconut Oil – 27%
Organic Sustainable Palm Oil – 15%
Avocado Oil – 7%
Castor Oil – 3%
Superfat – 6%
Essential Oil Blend
This is an essential oil blend I recently discovered by accident (EO Blend Post). For this soap challenge, I decided to split the blend into 2 parts – a warm, spicy side and a cool, flowery side. The Star Anise is something I normally would never use (I despise it, actually). However, in small amounts with Sweet Orange, it seems to help create an orange zest type scent. Or I think so, anyway. : )
Orange/Red Side:
Sweet Orange 5X – 6 parts
Peppermint – 1.5 parts
Star Anise – 0.5 parts
Green/Blue Side:
Lavender – 3 parts
Lavandin – 1 part
Peppermint – 0.5 parts
Here’s the YouTube video I made of me making and cutting the soap for the Embracing Opposites soap challenge:
Here’s a pic of my other attempts – simple black & white, Auburn & Alabama, and my first attempt at what became my soap submission.
Thank you for reading my post!
*Colorant information, in case you’re interested:
For the paprika, indigo root powder, and activated charcoal, I used a rate of 1 Tsp powdered colorant dispersed in 1 Tbsp of oil. Then I used about 1 teaspoon of that dispersed colorant per cup of soap. (In order to get a darker orange, I actually dispersed the paprika in paprika infused olive oil that I had made earlier this year.)
For the rose and french green clays, I used a rate of 1 to 2 Tbsp dispersed in distilled water (until very fluid). Then I used about 2 to 3 Tbsp of the dispersed clay per cup of soap.
For the kaolin clay, I used a rate of 3 teaspoons dispersed in distilled water until very fluid. Then I used 3 teaspoons of dispersed kaolin clay per cup of soap.
The clays will cause the soap to thicken quickly, as you could probably see in the video. : )
Beautiful. Thank-you for all the tips too! I have a question…what do you use to edge your soaps? Thanks!
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Thank you, Lina! For edging my soaps, I use just a plain old vegetable peeler that I purchased at the grocery store.
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No way did I ever think you used all natural colorants when I first saw your soap. The colors are so brilliant and beautiful! Thank you for sharing your scent and color tips with us! I’m not a fan of anise on its own either. Auburn vs. Alabama is awesome too! :)
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Thank you, Amy!
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This soap is beautiful such talent I only wish for half of your talent
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Penny, thank you! That’s very sweet of you to say. Your embracing opposite soap is beautiful! The colors are so vibrant.
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Absolutely beautiful soap and swirls. Lovely colours too for natural colourants. Fab x
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Thank you!
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Holly, your soaps are beautiful. Great colors – congrats.
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Thank you so much, Yvonne!
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Gorgeous natural colorants. Anise is one of those oils that you love or hate. I must be one of those odd ones because I do like it. That blend you used with it sounds awesome!
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Thank you, Cris!
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Very pretty – so surprised that this was accomplished using natural colorants. Thanks for sharing how you did the colors.
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Thank you!
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I crush on this one with the mastering of natural colorants. Well done.
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Thank you!
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Your colors are beautiful, no way I thought they were natural. And your swirls are gorgeous- well done!
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Thank you so much, Beverly!
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This is such a beautiful soap! I, too, really love that you used natural colorants and essential oils and got such vibrant, beautiful results. Just lovely!
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Thank you, Penny! :)
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