Rimmed Soap Challenge March 2016

This month's soap challenge presented an incredibly advanced technique: creating rimmed soap using a cylinder mold. This intricate process required a two-day, two-step approach. The initial step involved crafting a decorative rim of cold process soap to fit inside the cylinder, followed by preparing a larger batch to fill the interior of this rim. A crucial first step was precisely calculating the volume needed for the rim and adjusting the overall recipe to avoid excess soap batter. Following this, the mold for the rim was carefully lined, and a thoughtful selection of colors was made.

For the color palette, a simple yet elegant approach was chosen, utilizing mica from Nurture Soap and titanium dioxide. The selected mica colors were Black Pearl, Hollywood Pink, Sahara Gold, and Turquoise, complemented by white.

The first attempt involved an 18-pound slab mold, meticulously lined for an in-the-pot swirl. Hand-stirring to trace proved to be a lengthy process before colors were mixed and poured. After covering and insulating the mold in a pre-heated 170-degree oven, then turning it off overnight, the soap remained unexpectedly soft and did not gel, indicating a false trace.

For the second batch, a stick blender was employed to achieve trace, using the same colors and in-the-pot swirl in the same mold. Insulation and oven treatment (10 minutes on, then off) still resulted in cracked soap after unmolding and cutting.

Batch number three saw the oven left on for a full hour. While the soap gelled completely, offering initial hope, it unfortunately still cracked.

Frustration mounted, prompting a change in strategy. The large mold was set aside, and a jelly roll pan was lined for a new batch with a different design, baked for an hour. This attempt also resulted in cracking, making rolling impossible.

Abandoning the previous approach, a small plastic storage box was lined for the next batch, which was then oven-baked. Using a log cutter yielded only three overly thick slices that cracked upon rolling.

Finally, success was achieved by re-sizing the soap recipe, utilizing a more suitable lined pan, and baking for an hour, followed by ten hours of cooling in the turned-off oven. The re-sized recipe produced a thicker slab, which, while still warm, could be cut into thinner slices using an adjusted log cutter. These slices were successfully rolled without cracking, marking a significant breakthrough in this challenging advanced technique.

This successful batch yielded enough material to line three cylinder molds halfway.

Next, the soap for the inside of the rims was prepared using the same base recipe. Ground hibiscus was incorporated into the lye water for color, along with tussah silk. The batter was enriched with blueberry seeds and leftover chopped rim pieces from the initial successful batch.

The soap was fragranced with "Sass and Class" from Natures Garden, a dupe of "Chanel No. 5." The thick batter was then plopped into the molds, which were thoroughly pounded to eliminate air bubbles, wrapped in towels, and allowed to set overnight.

The following day, the soaps required several hours in the freezer to harden sufficiently for unmolding from the cylinders. Once removed, they were cut into individual bars, completing the final stage of this demanding soap challenge.

This month's soap challenge proved to be a valuable learning experience. The successful development of a working system for crafting rimmed soap has instilled confidence for future creative endeavors. Furthermore, the remaining soap scraps provide exciting opportunities for incorporation into other batches. One such example is a secondary creation made with excess from batch three.

The soap was cut and used to line the sides of a silicone long mold. A small amount of leftover soap batter from the rimmed soap's interior formed the first layer, followed by another small batch to fill the rest of the mold, resulting in these distinct bars.

With a successful system now established, the creation of rimmed soaps will undoubtedly be revisited, with an emphasis on exploring even more creative variations in the future. This marks the submission for the rimmed soap challenge.