Talkin' Melt & Pour Soap

It's been a long two weeks since last I wrote. Sorry about that. School's started and we've had the Labor Day holiday in between, too. At this time of the year, I often think it's kind of like wiping the slate clean, tidying up and starting all over again -- my version of New Year's, I suppose.

Taking stock in our formulary, I noted that we are a little light on the melt and pour recipes, especially when you contrast it to the numbers of cold process soap recipes provided. Granted, I am a cold process soap queen -- even referred to as a master batcher (that's "batcher", not
"b-tcher") -- but there's a lot to be said for making melt and pour. Our friends at the Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild will bestow a certificate of mastery upon both Cold Process and Melt and Pour afficiandos.

To that end, our Accounting Manager, Kaye, has undertaken the reworking of our melt and pour instructions as well as creating new melt and pour soap kits. Why our Accounting Manager? Besides accounting, Kaye has a Master's Degree in Art Education (and a degree in Phys. Ed, too). She's already devised our newest kit, Halloween Soap. The kit is available in two versions: Autumn Pumpkin and Boo Bar. Kaye has painstakingly rewritten our melt and pour instructions, including tips on advanced techniques. Take a look at Kaye's work here, on our Pumpkin Rustica soap recipe. (photo below)

Kaye has also been tooling around with some gorgeous glittery oxides we received from Englehardt and Rona, lo these many years ago. To me, they seemed like eye make-up. Bill got these samples about 5-6 years ago, and while I experimented with them in cold process soap (what haven't I put into cp soap?) and lotions, I am not a big fan of make-up, so skipped over the mineral make-up thing. Kaye found them in one of my drawers and has been creating these gorgeous melt and pour soaps, coloring them with the glitz and glamour of these oxides. I think they look terrific, but I ask you, who would ever use them? They look like works of art. Kaye's convinced we need to include these in an upcoming soap kit. So, stay tuned and look forward to more new melt and pour soap kits from Snowdrift Farm. We'd love to hear your suggestions, too.

Happy Halloween!

I know it's not the season yet, but I love to get started early on Halloween. It's always been a favorite holiday for me, and now that my kids are thinking they are too old to go "trick or treating", I'm beginning to worry. Where will I get my October chocolate fix?

But I digress. Summer is coming to a close. It's time to rethink your line and consider some new ideas for fall and winter.

Color, texture and scent are three ways you can bring a touch of autumn to your soaps and more. Earth colors found in oxides and clays are a perfect way to color soap.

D&C Orange No. 4 adds lovely shades of orange to cold process soaps, melt & pour soaps, lotions, creams, sprays and more.

If you prefer natural colorants, check here for a complete list of colors from herbs, spices and minerals that withstand cold process and other rigors of lab.

Certain fragrance oils also give color. The vanillin in our Vanilla Bean FO will turn your CP soaps and lotions and creams tan to brown. Try our Pumpkin Spice FO, too, for an aromatic journey to Grandma's autumn kitchen.

Essential oils lend scent and color, too. Try our 5-fold Valencia Orange if you're making an orange-colored soap. You'll get a lovely shade of orange using just 3% of this remarkable essential oil. Use in leave-on products, too, without fear of photo-sensitization -- the turpenes are greatly reduced. Sweet Orange, Pink Grapefruit and Patchouli also add lovely yellow and orange colors to cold process soaps.

Calendula petals and ground rosehips are examples of herbs and botanicals that will compliment your autumn soaps and sundries. Use at about 1-2% of the batch weight.

More ideas for Halloween are on the way, so stay tuned!