I’m art inept, and for the last eighteen years of my life, I’ve been happy to be that way.
That’s why, when Zeke says, “So are you an artist yourself?” I freeze.
“No.” My voice goes up an octave. But he looks so disappointed, I blurt out, “I’m more of a crafter.”
No. No, I’m not. I can’t even work a glue gun.
Zeke leans against his table and crosses his arms. His tattoo-covered muscles bulge–actually bulge. “Yeah? What do you craft?”
Subtly, my eyes dart around for inspiration. Quilts?
No way–I accidentally sewed over my finger when Grandma tried to teach me how to make a pot holder.
Doll clothes? Paper mache? Gum wrapper origami?
What am I going to say?
“Soap.”
Shine & Shimmer
So, I thought I’d be awesome and make a video for this soap along. This process taught me two things. One: I cannot multi-task–meaning I can’t record a video, talk, and stir at the same time. Two: I have no clue how to edit a video. At all. It’s sad really.
Long story short, it’s a good thing I’m a writer because a YouTube career is not in my future. As I’m sure you’ve figured out by this point, the video didn’t happen. Instead, this is going to be a blog-style soap along.
If you haven’t had a chance to grab the recipe, you can find it here.
First, I added the rebatch soap and water to the slow cooker. I made my own grated soap just for this project, but you can buy it online. Because my soap was fresh, I used a little less water.
I then covered the soap and turned the slow cooker to the highest heat setting. After that, I stirred it every 10-15 minutes.
It took my soap about twenty minutes to begin melting down.
At forty-five minutes, the soap shreds had melted together, and the soap looked like glossy, goopy mashed potatoes. (Which is a good thing despite how awful it sounds.)
I turned off the heat and stirred in the citrus zest, followed by the essential oil.
Once the oil was thoroughly incorporated, I scooped the mixture into the soap mold. I was able to slice my bars that evening because I used a recipe high in coconut oil. You will probably need to wait 24-48 hours to slice your soap. When the soap easily leaves the side of the mold, you’re good to go.
That’s all there is to it! Let the soap harden for several weeks, and then it’s ready to use or package up for gifts! Let me know if you make it! You can post your picture to my Facebook page or tag me on Instagram. (@shariltapscott)
Questions you might have:
What recipe did you use for your rebatch?
I made 3 lbs of 100% coconut oil soap with a 20% superfat and 20% water discount using the CPOP method. I shredded it later that day, and I rebatched it that evening.
Isn’t soap with high amounts of coconut oil drying?
This is my first time making a 100% coconut oil soap, but that’s what I’ve heard. To combat that, I took Soap Queen’s suggestion and used a crazy high superfat. I intend to use this soap as a mechanic’s soap for my husband when he needs to get grease and oil and who-knows-what-the-heck-else-he-gets-into-when-he’s-in-the-garage off his hands. My regular citrus bars work well, so the cleaning boost of the saponified coconut oil should make these awesome.
Can I use the soap right away?
Technically, you can, but the bars will last a lot longer if you wait several weeks.
Can I use different essential oils?
Yes, but you should check a fragrance calculator first to see how much you need. I like Brambleberry’s fragrance calculator. Make sure you choose the “rebatch” option.
Shari L. Tapscott 