This month, the goal for the Great Cakes Soap Challenge was to create an ombre colored soap. I decided to attempt this by using a soap pouring technique I’ve never tried before – the column pour. I wasn’t really sure how this would turn out, but I’ve always wanted to try a column pour. I cut the soap two different ways (horizontal & vertical) which resulted in soaps from the same batch that look completely different. :)
Note: If you’re a beginner or want to learn more about soap making, check out these helpful videos:
Soap Queen TV – LYE SAFETY: http://goo.gl/FqA0Yt
Amanda Aaron of Lovin’ Soap – BEGINNER SERIES: http://goo.gl/DjTzuE
Besides the column pour, I also created another (just in case) ombre soap where I used the wall pour method in a log mold. It turned out fine but the ombre transition just wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped. Even though my batter was thin, I think I still went too far with the blender. Of course I did! ;)
I debated (a lot) over which colorant to use. As you can see, I ended up going with indigo root powder. I used Amy Warden’s method of dissolving the indigo powder in oil (which is just the best idea ever). I was thrilled with how the colors turned out after the soap went through gel phase, especially the light turquoise color you see in the cutting part of the video. I was not expecting that. Although, after a week, the colors are not as vibrant as they were when cut, and the light turquoise, while still noticeable, has started turning more blue like the rest of the soap. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.
After the cut soap sat a couple of days, the individual layers became harder and harder to see. In two of my vertically cut bars, the soap looks as if it slowly changes from white to dark blue with no visible lines (the smoothest color transition soap is my entry). The horizontal cut bars have done the same, but the layers are still more noticeable.
RECIPE
Olive Oil – 42%
Coconut Oil – 25%
Organic Sustainable Palm Oil – 15%
Sunflower Oil – 10%
Avocado Oil – 8%
For a palm free recipe, I substitute shea butter (10%) and cocoa butter (5%) in place of the palm oil.
Superfat – 6%
I used a 31% lye solution (water = 2.2 x lye)
Colorant:
1 teaspoon indigo root powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon sunflower oil – let it sit for a few hours (or overnight).
In the video, you’ll see where I spill the indigo oil and had to quickly make more. I was totally asking for it by placing the container so close to the soap bowl. The new indigo oil, not having had time to dissolve, left me with some blue specks and took a long time to stir out. I missed a few as you’ll see during the pour, but they didn’t really show up much in the final soap, thankfully.
Essential Oil Blend:
Rosemary – 2 parts
Peppermint – 1 part
The recipe above is what I normally use when I need a slow moving (slow to trace) recipe. I soaped at 80º F and used the stick blender sparingly until reaching a stable emulsion. The soap remained very fluid for the entire pour and went through gel phase.
VIDEO
Thank you for reading my post!
Absolutely stunning!!
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Thank you!! :)
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Beautiful! I love this.
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Thank you so much! :)
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Oh wow! This is great, Holly! I love how the colors have blurred! So interesting how the soap looks so different with the different cuts too. So glad the coloring method worked well for you, and the batter behaved also!
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Thanks so much, Amy!
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I was wondering what the method was for dissolving indigo in oil. I tried clicking on the link in the blog, and it no longer exists. Is it simply mixing the indigo powder in a small amount of oil and leaving it for a few hours/overnight? aI’ve had some success with boiling indigo in distilled water, but oil would be easier. Thanks!
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Stunning, gorgeous soap! Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you!
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Beautiful soaps & wonderful video!
Thank you so much – you made my day!!
Sly
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Thank you so much, Sly! :)
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These are just lovely! What a great idea to use the column pour. The horizontal bars look like cells – so cool!!
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Thank you, Natalie! :)
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Beoutifull Holly. This is your 2nd indigo soap that I am in love with. Good luck🌞
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Oh, thank you so much! :)
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This is so beautiful!
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Thank you! :)
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Just so lovely! I look forward to your blog and videos. This one made me wish there was a fabric like it. Incredible colors. Thanks for the treat!
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Thank you so much!! That’s so sweet of you to say! :)
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Wow this is really amazing! Fantastic job!
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Thank you!! :)
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Very pretty! I have never tried column pour yet, but this is inspiring for me :) I love how they turned out!
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Beautiful, captivating, very interesting soap, Holly! Thanks for the exciting video. I wish you a lot of success in the competition.
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Stunning !! Stunning !! Stunning :)
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Beautiful, I loved seeing the turquoise in the cut and you make soap making look easy, loved your blog and how there are not lines through the transition of your color very pretty!
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Very beautiful soap!
Natural color and very smooth transition!
Good luck in the contest!
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I am loving this soap! So beautiful. Dumb question. How did you get that column block to stay put?
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Thank you! Not a dumb question at all. It was actually heavy enough that it stayed put. But I was careful not to bump it. If I make this again, I’ll probably use a little melted cocoa butter to hold it in place. Thanks for asking! :)
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I love it – how did you make it go through gel phase when processing at such a low temp?
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Thank you! I used a higher water amount than I normally would (31% lye solution) and insulated the soap really well (all the way around…making sure the bottom is sitting on a blanket instead of a cold metal table). I also raised the temperature in my soap shop a couple of degrees. If I’m really concerned about reaching gel phase (when I soap low temp and low water), I will make an extra batch of restock soap or something and sit them next to each other under the blankets. That always works for me. You could probably use a heating pad, as well, although I’ve never had to do that. Thanks for asking!
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Beautiful! Where do you buy your indigo? The one I tried was grey :(
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