Limoncello Soap Project
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Time: 2 hours
- Yield: About 4 pounds of soap
Project Description
Fragranced with Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil, it has a refreshing lemon scent. It behaves well in cold process with no discoloration, making it perfect for this swirly soap.
It's an advanced project, as it requires melt and pour embeds and a good understanding of cold process texture. For the embeds, we recommend using SFIC LCP Clear Melt And Pour Soap Base ("like cold process") to avoid glycerin dew.
You will need:
Embeds:
- Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold
- 2 oz. LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base
- Yellow Color Block
Base:
- 10" Silicone Loaf Mold
- 45 oz. Better Than Castile Quick Mix
- 6.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 13.3 oz. Distilled Water (5% water discount)
- 2.5 oz. Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil
- Yellow Mica
- Titanium Dioxide
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
- Gold UltraSparkle Mica
Follow these steps:
MAKE THE EMBEDS
1
Chop 2 ounces of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap. Place the pieces in a heat-safe container along with a chunk of Yellow Color Blocl. Melt in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Pour the soap into the cavities of the Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold. Let the soap cool and harden for about 20-30 minutes.
2
Remove the embeds from the mold. Set aside until you’re ready to use.
MAKE THE BASE
COLOR PREP: Add 1 tablespoon of titanium dioxide to 2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Green Chrome Oxide Pigment into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil and 1 teaspoon of Yellow Mica into 1 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have the Gold UltraSparkle Mica nearby to sprinkle on top.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.5 ounces of Limoncello Fragrance Oil into a glass container. Set aside.
TOOL PREP: Have a frosting bag nearby to pipe "leaves" in step 9. We used a disposable frosting bag, and cut the tip once the soap had become firm enough in the bag.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space. Always make soap in a well-ventilated area.
1
Slowly and carefully add 6.4 ounces of lye to 13.3 ounces of water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Optional: Add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the bars harden more quickly.
2
Fully melt the entire bag of Better Than Castile Quick Mix until completely it's clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 45 ounces into a large heat-safe container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 100-120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
3
Split off about 100 mL of soap into a small cup. Add the dispersed Green Chrome Oxide Pigment until you're happy with the shade of green. Pour directly into the frosting bag if it has a closed tip, or set aside and wait for it to firm up enough to pipe.
4
Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all of the dispersed Yellow Mica. To the remaining soap, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide. Whisk in colorants completely.
5
Add the measured Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil into the yellow and white containers of soap proportionally - it's okay to eyeball it. Whisk in throughly. If the batter is still extremely thin, start with the white soap first and pulse quickly with the stick blender to thicken trace to a light-medium consistency. Do the same with the yellow soap.
6
Pour a small amount of the white soap into the mold – just enough to cover the bottom. Then alternate pouring small amounts of the yellow and white soap into the mold at various heights. That helps the soap drop to different areas of the mold rather than sitting on top and creating layers. Don’t worry about being too precise when you’re pouring.
NOTE: Remember - use up all the yellow during this process, and the remaining white soap will be used for the top.
7
Once the mold is full, tap on the counter to get rid of bubbles. Check the texture of the remaining white soap. It needs to be a thick-medium trace - smooth enough to scoop with a spoon but thick enough to hold its shape. The soap in the mold also needs to be firm enough to support the white on top.
8
Once both soaps are the right consistency, use a normal size spoon to “plop” the white soap on top, building up height in the middle. Dust with UltraSparkle Gold Mica. Place 8-9 yellow ball “lemon” embeds gently down the middle of the loaf.
9
Check the texture of the green soap. It needs to be firm enough to pipe “leaves” that will hold their shape. This may take up to approximately 20 minutes, depending on how thin the soap was when poured into the frosting bag.
TIP: Place the soap batter in the fridge to help it thicken quicker.
10
Once the batter is thick enough to pipe, cut the tip of the bag so that it has a “V” shape, with the point of the “V” pointing toward the closure (not the opening).
TIP: Before piping, practice a few leaves on a piece of wax or parchment paper.
11
Pipe small "leaves" at the base of each yellow embed. With the remaining soap, pipe more leaves on wax or parchment paper to use as embeds on future batches. Or, place into a small cavity mold.
12
Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Unmold, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.Enjoy!
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman
Limoncello Soap Project
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Time: 2 hours
- Yield: About 4 pounds of soap
Project Description
Fragranced with Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil, it has a refreshing lemon scent. It behaves well in cold process with no discoloration, making it perfect for this swirly soap.
It's an advanced project, as it requires melt and pour embeds and a good understanding of cold process texture. For the embeds, we recommend using SFIC LCP Clear Melt And Pour Soap Base ("like cold process") to avoid glycerin dew.
You will need:
Embeds:
- Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold
- 2 oz. LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base
- Yellow Color Block
Base:
- 10" Silicone Loaf Mold
- 45 oz. Better Than Castile Quick Mix
- 6.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 13.3 oz. Distilled Water (5% water discount)
- 2.5 oz. Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil
- Yellow Mica
- Titanium Dioxide
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
- Gold UltraSparkle Mica
Follow these steps:
MAKE THE EMBEDS
1
Chop 2 ounces of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap. Place the pieces in a heat-safe container along with a chunk of Yellow Color Blocl. Melt in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Pour the soap into the cavities of the Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold. Let the soap cool and harden for about 20-30 minutes.
2
Remove the embeds from the mold. Set aside until you’re ready to use.
MAKE THE BASE
COLOR PREP: Add 1 tablespoon of titanium dioxide to 2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Green Chrome Oxide Pigment into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil and 1 teaspoon of Yellow Mica into 1 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have the Gold UltraSparkle Mica nearby to sprinkle on top.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.5 ounces of Limoncello Fragrance Oil into a glass container. Set aside.
TOOL PREP: Have a frosting bag nearby to pipe "leaves" in step 9. We used a disposable frosting bag, and cut the tip once the soap had become firm enough in the bag.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space. Always make soap in a well-ventilated area.
1
Slowly and carefully add 6.4 ounces of lye to 13.3 ounces of water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Optional: Add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the bars harden more quickly.
2
Fully melt the entire bag of Better Than Castile Quick Mix until completely it's clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 45 ounces into a large heat-safe container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 100-120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
3
Split off about 100 mL of soap into a small cup. Add the dispersed Green Chrome Oxide Pigment until you're happy with the shade of green. Pour directly into the frosting bag if it has a closed tip, or set aside and wait for it to firm up enough to pipe.
4
Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all of the dispersed Yellow Mica. To the remaining soap, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide. Whisk in colorants completely.
5
Add the measured Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil into the yellow and white containers of soap proportionally - it's okay to eyeball it. Whisk in throughly. If the batter is still extremely thin, start with the white soap first and pulse quickly with the stick blender to thicken trace to a light-medium consistency. Do the same with the yellow soap.
6
Pour a small amount of the white soap into the mold – just enough to cover the bottom. Then alternate pouring small amounts of the yellow and white soap into the mold at various heights. That helps the soap drop to different areas of the mold rather than sitting on top and creating layers. Don’t worry about being too precise when you’re pouring.
NOTE: Remember - use up all the yellow during this process, and the remaining white soap will be used for the top.
7
Once the mold is full, tap on the counter to get rid of bubbles. Check the texture of the remaining white soap. It needs to be a thick-medium trace - smooth enough to scoop with a spoon but thick enough to hold its shape. The soap in the mold also needs to be firm enough to support the white on top.
8
Once both soaps are the right consistency, use a normal size spoon to “plop” the white soap on top, building up height in the middle. Dust with UltraSparkle Gold Mica. Place 8-9 yellow ball “lemon” embeds gently down the middle of the loaf.
9
Check the texture of the green soap. It needs to be firm enough to pipe “leaves” that will hold their shape. This may take up to approximately 20 minutes, depending on how thin the soap was when poured into the frosting bag.
TIP: Place the soap batter in the fridge to help it thicken quicker.
10
Once the batter is thick enough to pipe, cut the tip of the bag so that it has a “V” shape, with the point of the “V” pointing toward the closure (not the opening).
TIP: Before piping, practice a few leaves on a piece of wax or parchment paper.
11
Pipe small "leaves" at the base of each yellow embed. With the remaining soap, pipe more leaves on wax or parchment paper to use as embeds on future batches. Or, place into a small cavity mold.
12
Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Unmold, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.Enjoy!
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman
You will need:
Embeds:
- Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold
- 2 oz. LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base
- Yellow Color Block
Base:
- 10" Silicone Loaf Mold
- 45 oz. Better Than Castile Quick Mix
- 6.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 13.3 oz. Distilled Water (5% water discount)
- 2.5 oz. Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil
- Yellow Mica
- Titanium Dioxide
- Green Chrome Oxide Pigment
- Gold UltraSparkle Mica
Follow these steps:
MAKE THE EMBEDS
1
Chop 2 ounces of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap. Place the pieces in a heat-safe container along with a chunk of Yellow Color Blocl. Melt in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Pour the soap into the cavities of the Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold. Let the soap cool and harden for about 20-30 minutes.
2
Remove the embeds from the mold. Set aside until you’re ready to use.
MAKE THE BASE
COLOR PREP: Add 1 tablespoon of titanium dioxide to 2 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then in separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Green Chrome Oxide Pigment into 1/2 tablespoon lightweight liquid oil and 1 teaspoon of Yellow Mica into 1 tablespoon oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Have the Gold UltraSparkle Mica nearby to sprinkle on top.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2.5 ounces of Limoncello Fragrance Oil into a glass container. Set aside.
TOOL PREP: Have a frosting bag nearby to pipe "leaves" in step 9. We used a disposable frosting bag, and cut the tip once the soap had become firm enough in the bag.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space. Always make soap in a well-ventilated area.
1
Slowly and carefully add 6.4 ounces of lye to 13.3 ounces of water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Optional: Add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate to help the bars harden more quickly.
2
Fully melt the entire bag of Better Than Castile Quick Mix until completely it's clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 45 ounces into a large heat-safe container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 100-120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
3
Split off about 100 mL of soap into a small cup. Add the dispersed Green Chrome Oxide Pigment until you're happy with the shade of green. Pour directly into the frosting bag if it has a closed tip, or set aside and wait for it to firm up enough to pipe.
4
Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all of the dispersed Yellow Mica. To the remaining soap, add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide. Whisk in colorants completely.
5
Add the measured Italian Limoncello Fragrance Oil into the yellow and white containers of soap proportionally - it's okay to eyeball it. Whisk in throughly. If the batter is still extremely thin, start with the white soap first and pulse quickly with the stick blender to thicken trace to a light-medium consistency. Do the same with the yellow soap.
6
Pour a small amount of the white soap into the mold – just enough to cover the bottom. Then alternate pouring small amounts of the yellow and white soap into the mold at various heights. That helps the soap drop to different areas of the mold rather than sitting on top and creating layers. Don’t worry about being too precise when you’re pouring.
NOTE: Remember - use up all the yellow during this process, and the remaining white soap will be used for the top.
7
Once the mold is full, tap on the counter to get rid of bubbles. Check the texture of the remaining white soap. It needs to be a thick-medium trace - smooth enough to scoop with a spoon but thick enough to hold its shape. The soap in the mold also needs to be firm enough to support the white on top.
8
Once both soaps are the right consistency, use a normal size spoon to “plop” the white soap on top, building up height in the middle. Dust with UltraSparkle Gold Mica. Place 8-9 yellow ball “lemon” embeds gently down the middle of the loaf.
9
Check the texture of the green soap. It needs to be firm enough to pipe “leaves” that will hold their shape. This may take up to approximately 20 minutes, depending on how thin the soap was when poured into the frosting bag.
TIP: Place the soap batter in the fridge to help it thicken quicker.
10
Once the batter is thick enough to pipe, cut the tip of the bag so that it has a “V” shape, with the point of the “V” pointing toward the closure (not the opening).
TIP: Before piping, practice a few leaves on a piece of wax or parchment paper.
11
Pipe small "leaves" at the base of each yellow embed. With the remaining soap, pipe more leaves on wax or parchment paper to use as embeds on future batches. Or, place into a small cavity mold.
12
Spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol to avoid soda ash. Allow the soap to harden for 3-4 days before unmolding. Unmold, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.Enjoy!
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman
