To continue where I left off with the first post, I had to make a whole blog post just for the amazing book I bought from Amazon, by Jan Berry. I can’t recommend this book enough. You can get your copy here; https://www.amazon.com/dp/1645670015/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_G3VWEb2NE9PM1 And yes, it’s totally worth that $20. This book completely changed my life, personally.
The book has sections for different types of DIY products you can make at home. There’s a section on lotions, balms, solid Bar lotions, rinses and more- and of course; soap. She’s recently expanded the book, so now there’s even more in it that I haven’t even seen.
The Soap section in the original beige book I bought was just a few recipes, maybe 6 or 7. But, that was enough to really get to try out this whole new soap making thing and also try new methods, like adding real foods to soap. One recipe, in particular, stands out- the Cucumber Mint recipe, which incorporates real cucumber into the soap! You process the fresh cucumber and freeze it, so that when you add the cucumber to the lye water and it heats up to nearly 230 degrees, it doesn’t cook and burn. (I learned the hard way.) This method is also used when using other food additives like goat milk, coconut milk, fresh aloe and whatever else you can dream up! I love adding real food to my soap- it’s food based, which makes me happy as a chef.
I tried the cucumber recipe and was floored when it came out smelling like actual* mint and cucumber! Sure, it was a bit gloppy my first batch, but that was my inexperience because I over-mixed the batter way past trace. I didn’t know what I was doing! My husband was a huge fan too. It wasn’t anything to look at, as I didn’t add any colorant to it, but the smell and feeling, the silky smooth texture- was so satisfying we just loved it the way it was, it was an instant keeper. I STILL make this soap and it’s one of my best sellers, though it doesn’t look much like the original and I’ve added my own tweaks and changes, like some avocado oil and fresh mint I actually grow in my garden, plus some mica colorant (the good stuff, of course, by #MadMicas and sometimes even some oatmeal for exfoliant. Here’s the latest batch; Our BEST Seller! XL Cucumber Mint Soap with Avocado https://etsy.me/3bHRMWd
I tried every.single.soap.recipe in that book! Keep reading for more.
A Soap Company for Parrot People 