More than a year has gone by since I started learning to make soap. It all started with excess milk from my goats, and suggestions from friends and family. What I didn't realize one year (15 months) and 42 batches of soap ago, is that soap making is addictive. Maybe its because the possibilities are endless in formulas, scents, swirls, colors and shapes. Maybe its because each batch is another lesson, a little something is learned making you want to try again to perfect your technique and apply something new. While I love using my soap and giving it away as gifts, I've also come to realize that if I want to keep making it, I also need to sell a few because 1) I can't use it all 2) there isn't enough room in my closet to store it all and 3) soap making supplies are expensive! I have also learned, there are a lot of soap makers out there. To differentiate Tangle Ridge Farm, I'm trying to find my 'niche' and continue to focus on using as many all natural ingredients as possible. I use only natural colorants, mostly clays, and (with a few exceptions of customer favorites), use only essential oils for fragrance. My soap contains milk from my goats. The beauty of this is I can freeze extra milk in the summer and have it available to use all year round. Over the past few weeks, a lot of soap making has occurred. Its a great way to spend time on cold rainy weekends when the days are short and there isn't much outside work that an be done. Using what I have learned over these past months, both from experience and research, I have put together what I hope are some new and improved formulas with a better look and larger bars. Lavender - This is a large, solid white bar scented only with Lavender essential oil. The formula used is expected to be very bubbly and conditioning. It contains goat milk coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil and castor oil. It was made on 11/19/16, and is essentially ready now as soon as I prepare it. I found a new mold and I LOVE that makes large thick bars, easy to cut and helps prevent the dreaded 'center gelling' effect that some of my earlier soaps would do in the loaf mold. The center gel doesn't hurt the quality of the bar, but I didn't like to darker color it made in the center. One of the tricky parts about using milk in soap is the sugar in the milk reacts with the lye to heat up and, even with preventative measures, can cause this reaction to occur. Certain additives and essential oils will cause it to heat up as well. This mold increases the surface area of the soap and helps to reduce the effects of the heat. Fruit and Flowers - Honeysuckle A repeat and slight modification of a favorite scent. I was on a quest for bubbles, and this one will have it. It contains goat milk Palm kernel oil, Lard, Sunflower oil, Shea butter and castor oil. Rose clay gives it the pink color, and scents are Honeysuckle fragrance oil and orange essential oil. Formulated on 12/1/16. Sugar and Spice Another bubbly and creamy formula containing goat milk Lard, Palm kernel oil, coconut oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and cocoa butter. It is scented with cinnamon essential oil and white tea and ginger fragrance oil. A fine layer in the center and on the top of cinnamon, turmeric and ginger spice gives it a little color and exfoliation. Created on 12/3/2016 Oatmeal, milk and honey - I have attempted this one several times, and this is definitely the best yet. This will be a mildly cleansing and highly conditioning bar. It contains local honey and ground oats, along with oats and honey fragrance oil. Oils used were Shea butter, cocoa butter, rice bran oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, avocado oil and castor oil, along with of course goat milk. Made on 12/22/2016 Mint Coffee soap Another repeat favorite and definitely an improvement over previous batches. This is a PALM FREE formula for those who prefer to avoid palm oil. I also want to protect the rain forest, so when I buy palm oil it is always from a certified sustainable source. This recipe contains goat milk , Olive oil, Babassu oil, cocoa butter, avocado oil, sunflower oil, mango seed butter and castor oil. Additives include coffee grounds for exfoliation, ground natural vanilla bean and spearmint essential oil. Merlot The only soap I have ever made that does not contain goat's milk. I almost feel like I cheated somehow by leaving my girls out on this one. This soap contains reduced Merlot wine, coconut oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, shea butter and castor oil. a top layer containing rose clay was added for accent, and scented with Berrywine fragrance oil. Made on 12/18/2016. Manly A simple, palm free formula that will be a hard bar with lots of bubbles. It contains goat milk, lard, coconut oil, and castor oil. Tinted with French green clay, and scented with manly fragrances of cedarwood, anise and rosemary essential oils. I think this one will be a new favorite. (12/30/2016) Conditioning - no name yet I haven't put a name on this one yet, but it is highly conditioning formula and palm free. I also attempted a swirl in my loaf mold. This soap contains a high percentage of Lard, along with olive oil cocoa butter, mango butter and castor oil. Colors include Moroccan clay, titanium dioxide, and activated charcoal. It is scented with lemongrass, lavender and cedarwood essential oils. (12/23/2016) Bastille Luffa High in olive oil, with coconut and castor added for hardness and bubbles. Inside each is a luffa sponge grown here at Tangle Ridge Farm. One batch is tinted green with French green clay and scented with pine and lime essential oils, and the other contains kaolin clay and is scented with island coconut fragrance oil. (12/27/2016). Due to the high olive oil content, it will require a longer curing time to harden. Chamomile
Another palm free recipe that will be mildly cleansing and bubbly, with chamomile flowers for exfoliation. It contains goat milk, coconut oil, avocado oil, rice bran oil, babassu oil, and sweet almond oil, Scents include tea tree and lavender essential oils (1/1/2017) The next one I want to make is BEER soap! I'm anxiously awaiting some kootie brown craft beer to get started.
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AuthorMy name is Christy Franklin. Archives
February 2021
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