In today’s cold process soap DIY, I am making a soap with a more masculine scent. This Mahogany and Amber Cold Process Soap has a lovely earthy aroma. I decided to replace all the water in the formulation with aloe vera and use aloe vera from my garden. I grow so much of it at home, and it makes for really great soaps with lots of lather. The scent is grounding and more masculine. Of course, I use it because I test all my soaps, so I think it is just perfect for anyone, really. This cold process soap threw me for a surprise when I added the scent to the soap batter, as it turned really bright yellow. The color went away after the saponification process and turned out to be gorgeous soaps.
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For this Mahogany and Amber cold process soap DIY, I am using aloe vera that I have at home. I love using it in the soaps because it adds to the lather, and it has great benefits for the skin. While it can take a few extra minutes mixing the lye to avoid burning the aloe vera, it is absolutely worth it. For this soap I had the aloe vera frozen and slowly added the lye and mixed well. This is the fastest way I found to do this step. In the past, I had placed the aloe vera in a bath of ice and water, but it took a bit longer to mix. I just wanted to be careful and not burn the lovely aloe vera as I added the lye.
The soaps are really great! I hope you try using aloe vera if you are trying this soap at home. The Mahogany and Amber adds a lovely, more grounding masculine scent to the soap as well.
As I always do, I try to match the scent with some themed colors and decided to use gold and bold red micas with a hanger swirl design for this soap.
My favorite cold process soap additives
Two of my favorite cold process soap making additives are kaolin clay and colloidal oatmeal. I add them to almost all of my soaps because of the fantastic properties they add to the soaps.
Kaolin clay is a very gentle clay used in many cosmetics and face masks. It is not only gentle on the skin, but it is also great for anchoring the scents in the soaps. I also think it gives a great slip to the soaps that make the soap super luxurious.
Colloidal oatmeal is also used in several skin care products and is considered a skin protectant. It helps retain moisture on the skin. It is very soothing and is usually recommended for people with dry skin. You can skip it, but I like it in my soaps because of its excellent skin properties.
Another additive that I tend to add to the soaps is tussah silk. I love how it makes the soap so much smoother and with a lovely silky glide.
For this Mahogany and Amber, and Aloe Vera cold process soap, I decided to make a hanger swirl design. It is one of the easiest soap design techniques. Each soap ends up with a beautiful swirl and unique design.
How to make Mahogany and Amber, and Aloe Vera cold process soap
Additional equipment needed for cold process soap making at home
- Mixing pitchers
- Immersion blender
- Silicone spatulas
- Funnel pitchers
- Infrared thermometer
- Digital scale
Recipes and techniques for making cold process soap at home
Check out the posts linked below for several free cold process soap recipes and techniques. I hope you find one that is perfect for you.
Hanger Swirl Almond Marzipan Cold Process Soap DIY
Clamshell Technique Cold Process Soap DIY
Handmade Cold Process Soap Making
All Natural Aloe Vera Cold Process Soap
In this Kiss Pour and Handmade Mold DIY I not only give you a recipe and another fun technique to use, but I also share how to make a mold using a cardboard milk box.
Summer Vibes Double In the Pot Swirl Cold Process Soap DIY
Coconut Milk & Coconut Water Cold Process Soap
Mahogany & Amber Cold Process Soap
Hibiscus Guava Fresca Cold Process Soap Layers – Tiger Stripe Technique
Ready to start making your own cold process soaps? Then this eBook with 25 different cold process soap formulations is the perfect resource. With so many formulations, you will have lots of inspiration to experiment and find the perfect one.
This eBook also includes best practices to modify the formulations to your liking.
Step-by-Step Mahogany and Amber and Aloe Vera Cold Process Soap DIY
You can use the formulation above for each or simply double the formulation and split as described below.
- Weigh out the butters and coconut oil and melt them in the microwave
- Add the liquid oils to the melted butters
- Weigh out the aloe vera in a separate container – if using the recipe above, replace all the water with aloe vera
- Weigh out the sodium hydroxide (lye) needed for the soap in a separate container
- Sprinkle the sodium hydroxide (lye) into the aloe vera slowly and mix well, then allow to cool to 85-90 degrees F
- Add the lye and aloe vera solution to the melted oils and butters and mix for a few seconds
- Add the Mahogany and Amber fragrance oil to the soap batter
- Mix using the immersion blender for only a few seconds until you achieve a light trace
- Split the batter into three separate containers.
- Add the gold color mica to one of the containers and mix well
- Add the deep red color mica to the second container and mix well
- Pour the uncolored soap batter into the mold
- Pour the deep red color soap batter into the mold in a side-to-side motion
- Pour the gold color soap batter into the mold in a side-to-side motion
- Use the hanger swirl tool and make number eight motions three to four times as you move from the bottom to the top of the soap
- Decorate the top of the soap with any leftover soap batter, mica, or glitter
- Allow the soap to go through the saponification process for at least 24 hours
- Cut the soap and allow it to cure for four to six weeks
I hope you enjoy making this Mahogany and Amber and aloe vera cold process soap.
You can learn more about cold process soap making in Cold process soap making most common questions answered in one place. This post summarizes all the questions I get about cold process soap making.
Cold process soap DIYs and Design Ideas:
Mardi Gras Inspired Cold Process Soap
Saffron and Oud Hanger Swirl Cold Process Soap DIY
Cashmere Fig Cold Process soap with In The Pot Swirl
Marbled Technique Cold Process Soap DIY
All Natural Facial Cold Process Soap with Activated Charcoal and Rose Clay
How to make soap dough embeds for cold process soap
Refreshing Avobath Perfect for Spring and Summer Cold Process Soap DIY
Cold Process Soapmaking with 25 unique formulations
Have you ever wanted to take control of the ingredients that go on your skin and make it a hobby or a business opportunity at the same time? This is exactly what I wanted several years ago when I was trying to figure out how to stop dry skin and start making my own natural products. I spent several months doing research and trying to understand the process and went over so many websites. I wished there was one single place to get all the information I needed to feel comfortable.
This is why I decided to create this ebook with lots of great information and 25 different formulations that can help you get started and put you on the right path for cold process soap making.
One of the main reasons you will fall in love with soapmaking is that you have full control of the ingredients you use to make your perfect batch of cold process soap for your needs. Cold process soap making is also a wonderful hobby that allows you to create a beautiful practical piece of art as well.
With 25 different formulations, best practices to tweak and some ideas on how you can test your batches, this ebook is the perfect resource to get you started.
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