Sage and Mint




Wish you could smell this.

 

I really like the way this turned out. It's rustic, but it's big and smooth and smells great.

I found this wooden packing crate in the trash and re-worked it into a mold. I hate lining it (maybe it'll get easier as I do it more), but it makes a nice, big bar and there's not all the waste that using the silicon loaf mold makes.

I used the trimmings and leftovers from my Sage and Citrus Scrub as a confetti—although the colors are so similar it really just adds texture. Little bits of the orange annatto snuck in there which was a happy accident. I also made some sage curls that you can't see because the way the soap is sliced (big duh to me). The whole thing was mixed with a sage and mint base.

New recipe with a new ingredient—olive oil pomace. I got 3 quarts of it for $14 at this little spice market by Port Authority Bus Terminal. I also bought a huge bag of dried basil for infusing (a friend has asked some Basil/Lemon Soap—my first request!)

The soap is fragranced with a very complex blend of peppermint, sage, tea tree, lemon, pine, clove and the tiniest bit of wintergreen (all essential oils). I spent a bit of time on the blend. I wanted it to be minty and refreshing without smelling like toothpaste. I think I was pretty successful.

This would a great soap to use after a night of heavy drinking.

Sage and Mint Base:

Palm Kernel Oil

Olive Oil (infused with mint and sage)

Shea Butter

Cotton Seed Oil

Soybean Oil

Castor Oil

Olive Oil Pomace (infused with mint)

Sage Confetti:

Olive Oil (infused with sage and annatto seeds)

Palm Kernel Oil

Coconut Oil

Lard

Castor Oil

If you like this blog, check out my new one: The Haley Maxwell Soap Making Mysteries

Beach Bar

Fragrance of vetiver, patchouli, clove and lemon essential oils. De-vine!

I love this soap and will definitely make it again and maybe tweak the recipe a bit.

The bottom layer is made with olive oil infused with sage and charcoal. And kosher salt.

Salt doesn't add scrubbiness to soap. It makes the lather lotion-y, so I added cornmeal to do that. Good for those rough, dry spots—knees, elbows, feet etc… Salt in soap is wonderful. Really makes your skin feel fabulous and sexy—like it feels after spending the day swimming in the ocean.

The top part is just a basic lard soap with some shea. Smooth as buttercream frosting—no scrub, so it's like two bars in one. The lovely whisper of yellow is brought to you by a smidge of marigold infused olive oil.

Next time I make this, I'll use ocean water to dissolve the lye and add some seaweed to the bottom layer. Maybe swap sand for cornmeal to make it more beach-y.