Planning a Baby Shower Gift Basket - Day 2

Today I wanted to make a soap for mom and baby for my baby shower gift basket. My goal was to have something simple, gentle and cleansing. I wanted to make an Olive Oil soap, but since I am approaching my deadline for this baby shower, I wanted a soap that was fast and wouldn’t have to long cure time a 100% Olive Oil soap has. (I really need to get better at not putting off for tomorrow what I can do today. Any good suggestions? I sure could use some!)

Finished Baby Soap

To achieve a gentle soap that will be ready to cut soon after making, today I am going to making a soap that is mostly olive oil with a tiny amount of coconut oil to firm the bar and to make it easier to cut into bars and start curing. Thank heavens a simple formulation change saves me from my lack of planning!

I also selected one of our new molds to use for this soap. While I loved the look of the Heart Soap Mold, I didn’t want any edges on the soap that might be sharp or otherwise irritating to the skin. Instead, I chose to use our new Round Ripple Soap Mold. Not only is the design adorable but the soap has no sharp edges and is comfortable to hold. Have you been able to play with any of our new molds? Which is your favorite?

Recipe:

Start by weighing the Olive Oil and Coconut Oil into a microwave-safe container. Heat those oils gently until liquid. While the oils are heating in the microwave, weigh out your lye and mix with your water. Remember to add your lye to your water, not the other way around. Your safety is our first concern! (And it is easier to create new good habits than to try to break old, bad ones.) Allow the warmed oils and the lye solution to cool.

Weighing Olive Oil

Oils ready to be melted.

While allowing your oils and lye solution to cool, I like to put away my buckets of oils and set up my mold during this period. This helps keep my counters clean and my distractions to a minimum. When your oils and lye solution are both around 100°F-110°F, add your lye solution to your oils. Remember, using lower temperatures is important if you want smooth looking soap. Using your immersion blender, mix your soap until you reach a light trace. When a light trace has been achieved, you can pour the soap into the mold.

Ready to Make Soap!

Adding Lye Solution to Warm Oils

Remember, trace doesn’t denote a viscosity, it just means that we aren’t seeing the oils float to the top and separate out. Often we pour our soap into the mold when it is the viscosity of whole milk. That is extremely fluid! One way I like to tell if I have reached trace or not is to stop blending and take a moment to fill a drinking glass with water. If the soap stays a smooth texture, it is ready to pour into your mold. If you develop a slick of oil on the top of your soap, it needs a tiny bit more mixing.

Mixing Soap

Pouring Soap into Molds

Allow your soap to sit in the mold undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Then cut into bars (or release from the individual cavities in your mold) and place out on a shelf where they can dry. You can use your soap immediately but it will last longer if you allow it to dry completely. It will also keep longer if you store it in an area where it doesn’t sit in water constantly. A great aid in determining if your soap has fully dried are our Cure Cards. The best part is you can have them included in qualifying orders for free! If you want a set, let our order desk know, they are fantastic at taking care of special requests.

Once the soap has fully cured, package it and give it away or use it yourself. This soap is so simple to make and I love how gentle and creamy it feels on the skin! This is perfect for a new baby and a new momma!