This is the process I used to make my large batch of pumpkin soap!  

STEP 3 

Combine Lye Water and Oils.

I combined my batches with a lye water temp between 90F and 110F and an oil temp between 110F and 134F.  The Nature's Garden Pumpkin Crunch Cake fragrance was very easy to work with and it smelled so delicious even in soaping!  I was getting very hungry.  I brought the mix to emulsion and then added the fragrance and mica oil.  It did speed up the trace so I did need to work a little fast to get the layer down.  I waited about 2-3 minutes after pouring and used a spoon to make little mountain top designs in the soap.  It held the shape very well.

I combined my batches with a lye water temp between 90F and 110F and an oil temp between 110F and 134F.  The Nature's Garden Pumpkin Crunch Cake fragrance was very easy to work with and it smelled so delicious even in soaping!  I was getting very hungry.  I brought the mix to emulsion and then added the fragrance and mica oil.  It did speed up the trace so I did need to work a little fast to get the layer down.  I waited about 2-3 minutes after pouring and used a spoon to make little mountain top designs in the soap.  It held the shape very well.

  I did the next two layers the same, except instead of fire cider mica, I used 24K Gold Mica from TKB trading for the middle layer, and for the top layer I used electric orange mica from Nurture Soap at the recommended usage rate.   When I made the Pumpkin Crunch Cake melt and pour soap, it did discolor to a darker beige after a few weeks.  So that's why I decided to go with the more neutral color palette.  The orange comes out very earthy also because of the camelina oil in my recipe which is very dark.  The gold came out so sparkly looking up close.  It is pretty to see the sparkle in the middle layer!  And it washes off nice.  

STEP 4

Demold 24-48 hours later.  Cut soap

I was a little impatient and I demolded a little less than 24 hours later.  It was a little sticking to the bottom of the mold and I damaged a few corners.  But overall, it popped out very clean.  The 11lb slab mold from Nurture Soap is very sturdy and I think it will last a long time.  

  I cut the soap into 3 loaves first with the 16" knife with two handles for cutting cheese.  It worked great and I was able to make a clean cut.  

Then, with the left-handed soap cutter from Workshop Heritage, I cut each individual soap.  That cutter is truly a dream to work with.  Maybe for the reason that there are not so many lefty type tools out there!  I am the person who gets overjoyed that my tea pot has a lefty and righty spout so I can pour the tea left!    I'm so glad they make this nice cutter right here in the USA. What a great company!  

I set all my soaps out to dry in those little HomeEdit clear containers from Walmart as I had a few of those on hand to store my silicon molds.  But I have now big single bun bakery trays made of plastic from the Webstaurant store.  Lining is parchment paper but the setup is very airy so the soaps should cure nicely. 

 I did a pH strip test on the soap and it's safe to use now only a few days later.  But because it hasn't fully cured, the soap will need more time before I use it.  If you use the soap too early, it tends to be drying and the lather may not be as strong as it will get.  I was impressed by the lather so far though!  :)

If you'd like to use any of the items I mentioned in the blog post, see the Youtube video below for the links.  

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