Fig, almond, and honey soap “Holiday Fest »

How to make a nice and sweet cold process soap?

At Coop Coco, we never miss the chance to get together for a good meal – or to talk about food for hours on end. So when we’re concocting recipes, food is never far from our thoughts. Our “pumpkin pie” soap and lip balm flavours are proof of that.

(Not to mention our receptionist, who seems to be munching on something tasty every time we walk past her desk!)

Today, as a special treat, we’re offering you our recipe for a mouth-watering “dessert soap”: a luscious dish with a bewitching oriental fragrance worthy of the finest holiday table. Just follow your nose and this recipe, and this enchanting soap could be in your bathroom or gift boxes in four to six weeks.

Tools

• Scales accurate to 1 g. and 0.1 g.
• Thermometer
• 3 large stainless steel bowls
• 1 500 ml measuring cup
• 1 900 ml measuring cup
• 1 rectangular silicone soap mold
• 4 ramekins (for the scents and powders)
• Immersion blender
• Spoons
• 3 silicone spatulas
• Protective soap-making gear
• Pots to make a double boiler

Ingredients

Caustic solution

• 114g (9.6%) sodium hydroxide
• 175g (14.73%) demineralized water

Oils

• 150g (12.63%) palm oil
• 120g (10.1%) coconut oil
• 80g (6.73%) castor oil
• 250g (21.04%) olive oil
• 100g (8.42%) grapeseed oil
• 100g (8.42%) sweet almond oil

Superfatting

• 45g (3.79%) cocoa butter

Additions

• 10g (0.84%) fig aromatic essence
• 9g (0.76%) honey aromatic essence
• 7g (0.59%) almond aromatic essence
• 8g (0.67%) benzoin 80% essential oil – Styrax benjoin
• 8g (0.67%) sweet orange essential oil – Citrus sinensis
• 1.5g (0.13%) mars violet
• 1.5g (0.13%) titanium dioxide
• 9g (0.8%) + a pinch (for the top) of cinnamon powder

Remember

• The 80% benzoin is alcohol based and will speed up trace. This means that you’ll have to work quickly when pouring the layers into the molds. That’s why this is considered to be an “advanced” recipe.
• This recipe requires that the room temperature of the oil and lye must be below 30º C.
• If you wish to change the oils in this recipe, you will have to change the amount of lye accordingly. To achieve the desired results, be sure to calculate the correct amount (using an on-line calculator, for example).

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace. 
2. Take the necessary precautions for handling sodium hydroxide safely. 
3. Prepare the sodium hydroxide solution: measure the water and sodium hydroxide separately; pour the sodium hydroxide into the water, contained in a Pyrex measuring cup or HDPE pot; mix together and leave to cool.
4. Weigh the palm and coconut oil in a stainless steel bowl and melt them in the double boiler.
5. Weigh the liquid oils in a stainless steel bowl and add them to the melted oils.
6. Weigh the cocoa butter (superfatting) in a stainless steel bowl and melt it in the double boiler.
7. In a measuring cup 500 ml or larger, mix the titanium dioxide with 1 teaspoon of superfatting. With a silicone spatula, press the colorant into the melted butter to eliminate lumps. Leave the spatula in the measuring cup and set it aside.
8. In another measuring cup (900 ml or 1000 ml), mix the Mars violet with 1 teaspoon of superfatting. With another silicone spatula, press the colorant into the melted butter to eliminate lumps. Leave the spatula in the cup and set it aside.
9. In a ramekin, weigh all the aromatic essences and essential oils; mix and set aside.
10. In a ramekin, weigh the cinnamon powder and set it aside.
11. As soon as the oils and the lye cool to a temperature of 35º C or less, add the lye solution to the oils. Ideally, the temperature difference between the oils and the lye should not be more than 10º C.
12. Mix with an immersion blender, turning it off from time to time to mix by hand, scraping the edges. Be sure the blender is completely immersed to avoid splashing the caustic substance on yourself or the surrounding area.
13. At light trace (the immersion blender leaves a thin trace when it is gently lifted from the mixture), add the superfatting and the fragrance blend. Continue to mix.
14. The mixture will thicken quickly. Pour about 250 ml. in the cup containing the titanium dioxide and about 500 ml. in the cup containing the Mars violet.
15. Add the cinnamon to the remaining paste and blend it with the spatula. Pour this mixture into the mold. To make sure it is level, lift the mold and tap the bottom on the table.
16. Using the spatula, mix the paste with the violet colorant and pour it evenly over the cinnamon layer.
17. Using the spatula, mix the paste with the white colorant and pour it over the violet layer. If the white paste is very thick, you can pour it in several small, evenly spaced mounds.
18. Using a wooden skewer or the stem of your thermometer, make swirls on each white mound to make a creamy frosting.
19. Sprinkle the soap with the remaining pinch of cinnamon.
20. Let stand for 24 hours (no need to cover).
21. First slice the loaf in two, then cut each half in two again. Then cut at an angle to make slices of cake.
22. Leave in a cool, dry place for 4 to 6 weeks.