I love the smell of honeysuckle. It's the smell of sunshine and country lanes lined with flowers. For this soap, I wanted to combine that scent with real honey and the spring green color of hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil is high in vitamin A & E, which helps to heal and soothe damaged skin. Paired with Argan oil, Vitamin E oil, Honey, and plenty of Mango Butter this soap is loaded with goodness and perfect for normal to dry, mature skin.
Ingredients
Oil Portion:
10.0 ounces Orange Infused Olive Oil
5.5 ounces Olive Oil
9.5 ounces Coconut Oil
5 ounces Mango Butter
4 ounces Hemp Oil
2 ounces Castor Oil
2 ounces Argan Oil
0.25 ounces Vitamin E Oil
1 Tbsp. Honey tempered with water
Liquid & Lye Portion:
12.5 ounces distilled water
5.32 ounces lye
Fragrance:
2 ounces Honeysuckle Fragrance Oil from Nurture Soaps
Honeysuckle fragrance oil is available from multiple stores but not all behave the same in cold process soap. Honeysuckle fragrance oil from Nurture Soaps behaved well without discoloration, ricing, or acceleration. Be sure to check the product specifications when purchasing fragrance oils.
I sized this recipe to fit in a basic 42 oz. loaf mold with a silicone liner, like those commonly found on Amazon. Use general cold process soap making directions and take safety precautions by wearing gloves, long sleeves, mask, and goggles.
For this recipe, I soaped at 85° F and refrigerated my soap for the first 24 hours then let it rest for an additional 24 hours before cutting. Honey can cause soap to overheat and result in partial gel or volcanoes. Keeping the temperature low and refrigerating the soap helps offset the extra heat adding honey produces. Some soap makers use the freezer to reduce overheating. I've found that when removed from the freezer, soap can still overheat as it thaws and stick with the refrigerator.
I used orange infused olive oil in this soap to add a creaminess to the green of the hemp seed oil. When first poured the soap had a nice, light honey color but as it developed the color changed to the soft creamy green I intended.
I choose a simple textured top without botanicals for this soap. Many people choose to top their soaps with dried flowers, herbs, soap shavings, or contrasting colored soap. How you decorate your soap is up to you, have fun with it.
Once the soap has been refrigerated for 24 hours take it out and let it rest another 24 hours before taking it out of the mold. I like to let my soap sit another day or two out of the mold before cutting. Slice the loaf into equal-sized bars and let cure for 6 weeks before use.
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