Green Wood - Wood Grain Soap Challenge

October 9, 2016

Bar of marbled green soap with swirling patterns.

This month, the highly anticipated soap challenge centers around mastering the intricate wood grain technique. Participants are required to craft their soap using only the cold process method, with the distinctive wood grain effect being the core feature. Any mold shape or size is permitted, and the competition is divided into two categories: all-natural and synthetic. I have chosen to enter the all-natural category, drawing inspiration from a remarkably vivid dream I experienced. As a dedicated soaper, I often have detailed dreams about creating soap and strive to transform these mental images into tangible creations. In my dream, the wood appeared as aged barn wood—sun-bleached, weather-damaged, and almost petrified in appearance. This vision ignited my creative process.

Over the next few days, I meticulously prepared my natural colorants by infusing olive oil with indigo, nettle leaf, and alkanet root powders. These infusions would provide three of my chosen colors, complemented by the pure white of kaolin clay and the deep black of activated charcoal. With my natural colors ready the following day, I prepared my mold and gathered the remaining supplies, including my carefully selected essential oil blend of juniper berry, cassia, and peppermint. This blend was later mixed with white kaolin clay, a choice that enhances scent retention in cold process soap while adding a subtle creamy texture.

White rectangular storage box with wooden corner accents for Lisas Natural soap challenge Dark-colored powders and liquids in bottles and jars for Lisas Natural soap challenge using wood grain technique Three bottles of essential oils for Green Wood soap challenge using wood grain technique

My carefully formulated soap batter features a rich blend of avocado, canola, castor, coconut, mango butter, hemp, extra virgin olive, palm kernel, and shea butter. This combination was chosen to create a luxurious, conditioning bar with excellent lather, a perfect canvas for the wood grain technique. The adventure began as I brought the soap to emulsification, then separated it into five distinct portions to integrate the natural colorants. The anticipation mounted as the colors were thoroughly mixed to achieve the desired shades, and the essential oil blend was incorporated.

White kitchen stand mixer with yellow mixture for Lisas Natural soap challenge using wood grain technique Pouring golden yellow liquid from a white bowl onto a silver scale for Lisa’s Natural soap challenge Yellow plastic measuring cup with red liquid for Lisa’s Natural soap challenge using wood grain technique

With all preparations complete and the excitement building, I commenced the pour. I layered the colored soap batter one portion at a time into a single bowl, alternating colors to create the distinctive swirling pattern essential for the wood grain effect. Once all the batter was combined, it was carefully poured into the prepared mold.

Two pitchers pouring liquid on wood surface for Lisa’s Natural soap challenge with wood grain technique Five pitchers of liquid soap in green and yellow shades for Lisas Natural soap challenge

The soap was then covered and placed in a warm oven for approximately one hour, a method that promotes gel phase and can enhance color vibrancy. After this initial period, it remained covered until the following day, allowing for a slow and complete saponification process. Once fully cured, the soap was removed from the mold, expertly split into logs, then cut into individual blocks, and finally sliced into bars using a dedicated bar cutter. This meticulous cutting process revealed the captivating internal wood grain pattern.

Three pear-shaped pitchers with colored liquid for Lisas Natural soap challenge featuring wood grain technique Green bubbly liquid in white framed sieve for Lisas Natural soap challenge using wood grain technique

Large greenish layered soap showcasing wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge Three rectangular soap bars with green and brown wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge Tall rectangular soap block with wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge Rough-cut olive green soap bars showcasing wood grain technique for Lisa’s Natural soap challenge Hand placing olive-green soap bar on white paper for Lisas Natural soap challenge with wood grain technique

To accurately capture the progression of the design, I endeavored to keep all the soaps in their original order for photography. Presented here are some of the most aesthetically pleasing pieces, displayed as they were cut from the larger block.

Marbled green and yellow soap bar with wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge

Green wood grain soap block showcasing the soap challenge and wood grain technique by Lisas Natural

Swirled green and yellow marbled soap bar showcasing the wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge

Variegated green and yellow jade bar showcasing wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge

Marbled green and yellow soap bar showcasing wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge

Greenish-yellow variegated stone block showcasing wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge

Despite my efforts, I encountered a slight challenge in locating the corresponding end piece for this final set of soaps, a task made considerably more difficult when sifting through twenty-five bars from this batch.

Polished jade-like stone showcasing green wood grain technique for Lisas Natural soap challenge

Ultimately, I am very pleased with the subtle yet distinct green, blue, and pinkish-purple hues achieved through the all-natural colorants. This wood grain technique project was a highly enjoyable creative endeavor, and the resulting essential oil blend provides an amazing aroma. I eagerly anticipate experimenting with this technique using other natural colorants in the future, and of course, exploring its potential with mica colorants as well, expanding the possibilities for Lisas Natural creations.

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30 comments

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Thanks for your kind words.

Lisa, Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations • October 21, 2016

Lisa, your soap really does look exactly like a piece of wood. The colors and the patterns are just perfect!

Holly • October 17, 2016

I love the colors and swirls you came up with in your soap – I thought about trying a natural version, but the challenge of getting the right colors I wanted ended up being too daunting in the end. Beautifully done. :)

Michelle Rogerson • October 17, 2016

This really does look like a board that was cut :) Very nice!

Nicole • October 17, 2016

You did good, I dream about making soap but haven’t ever been giving direction in a dream. Keep dreaming it works.

Sharon mountain view soap • October 17, 2016

great job Lisa! You picked good colors and the design is very ‘woodsy’ for sure ~ yay~

Eva • October 16, 2016