It's amazing what a little mica can do. It adds a beautiful iridescence to handmade bath and beauty products. This Moonstone Cold Process Soap has a layered design, but what makes it special is the glimmer on top.
The recipe is topped with Snowflake Sparkle, Aqua Pearl, Party Pink, and Lavender Micas. You can place the colors on top of the soap easily using the new Powder Sprayer, which is part of our gemstone collection. All you have to do is press the top of the sprayer and the mica is dusted onto your soap. It's an easy way to work with powders, and also happens to be pretty fun to use.
This recipe is scented with new Moonstone Fragrance Oil, which is a combination of soft floral, light powder, and sweet fruit. It has notes of lavender, bergamot, jasmine, violet, sandalwood, and vanilla. You can sample Moonstone and three other new scents in the Gemstone Fragrance Oil Collection. It includes 2 ounces of each fragrance for just $16.95, and is available until Sept. 3rd.
The Moonstone Fragrance Oil discolors to a soft brown. To combat the discoloration, this recipe includes plenty of titanium dioxide. An abundance of titanium dioxide can lead to glycerin rivers – learn more about glycerin rivers here. To prevent glycerin rivers this recipe has a 15% water discount, so be ready to move quickly.
What You’ll Need:
5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
54 oz. Basic Quick Mix
7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
15.1 oz. Distilled Water (15% water discount)
3.5 oz. Moonstone Fragrance Oil
Titanium Dioxide
Snowflake Sparkle Mica
Aqua Pearl Mica
Magenta Mica
Lavender Mica
Party Pink Mica
Four Powder Sprayers
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
If you've never made cold process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. Or if you'd prefer to read, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don't have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
COLOR PREP: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip, but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
Next, disperse 4 teaspoons of the colorant into 4 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). In separate containers, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica, Lavender Mica, and Magenta Mica into 1/2 tablespoon of liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps. Fill the four powder sprayers separately with Snowflake Sparkle Mica, Lavender Mica, Party Pink Mica, and Aqua Pearl Mica. Set aside.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 3.5 ounces of Moonstone Fragrance Oil into a glass container that is safe for use with fragrance oil. Set aside.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you prefer a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you'd add 3.5 tsp. of sodium lactate.
TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 54 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
THREE: Add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and Moonstone Fragrance Oil to the soap. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in. If the mixture is still very thin, quickly pulse it with the stick blender to thicken the soap to a light medium trace.
FOUR: Pour 17 ounces of soap into each of three separate containers. Add the following dispersed colorants into each container, and use a whisk to fully mix them in.
- Container A (pink): 1 1/4 tsp. dispersed Magenta Mica
- Container B (purple): All dispersed Lavender Mica
- Container C (blue): 1/2 tsp. dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica
FIVE: Pour 1/3 of the white soap into the mold (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Don’t worry about the layer being straight. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
SIX: Pour half of the blue soap onto the white. Use a spoon to spread the blue soap throughout the mold. Again, don’t worry about the layer being straight.
SEVEN: Use the powder sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the blue layer of soap with mica.
NOTE: We sprayed Snowflake Sparkle Mica in between the layers of this soap. The final effect is note quite as noticeable as we thought it would be. You can skip these steps if you’d like, or follow the instructions as written if you like as much sparkle as possible.
EIGHT: Pour half of the pink soap onto the blue layer. Use a spoon to spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the powder sprayer with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the pink layer.
NINE: Cover the pink layer with half of the purple soap. Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap. Use the Powder Sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the purple layer. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
TEN: Repeat this layering process with another 1/3 of the white soap and the remaining blue, pink, and purple soaps. Between the blue, pink, and purple layers, use the powder sprayer again to completely cover the soap with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
ELEVEN: Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Cover the purple layer with the remaining white soap and use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the spoon to create texture on the top. There is no right or wrong way to create texture, so have fun with it!
TWELVE: Once you’re happy with the top, use the powder sprayer to completely cover the top with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
THIRTEEN: Use the powder sprayers filled with Lavender Mica, Aqua Pearl Mica, and Party Pink Mica to spray the colors on the top of the soap in different areas. There is no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it! But remember – you can always add more color, so start slow. Adding too much color will take away the soft “pearly” look. Less is more in this case!
FOURTEEN: Once you’re happy with the top, allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Because it has a water discount, you may be able to unmold it faster than a normal recipe. Once it’s ready, unmold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Because it has a water discount, it will cure slightly faster than a normal recipe. Enjoy!
NOTE: We did not spray the top of the soap with alcohol because it may disrupt the mica dusting. We didn’t notice any soda ash. If you’d like, you can spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just make sure the spray is extremely fine, and test a small area first to make sure it doesn’t cause the mica dust to drip.
Moonstone Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Author: Soap Queen
Recipe type: Cold process
- 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner for 5 Pound Wood Mold
- 54 oz. Basic Quick Mix
- 7.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 15.1 oz. Distilled Water (15% water discount)
- 3.5 oz. Moonstone Fragrance Oil
- Titanium Dioxide
- Snowflake Sparkle Mica
- Aqua Pearl Mica
- Magenta Mica
- Lavender Mica
- Party Pink Mica
- Four Powder Sprayers
- Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you prefer a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you'd add 3.5 tsp. of sodium lactate.
- Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it's completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 54 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
- Add all of the dispersed titanium dioxide and Moonstone Fragrance Oil to the soap. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in. If the mixture is still very thin, quickly pulse it with the stick blender to thicken the soap to a light medium trace.
- Pour 17 ounces of soap into each of three separate containers. Add the following dispersed colorants into each container, and use a whisk to fully mix them in.
Container A (pink): 1¼ tsp. dispersed Magenta Mica
Container B (purple): All dispersed Lavender Mica
Container C (blue): ½ tsp. dispersed Aqua Pearl Mica - Pour ⅓ of the white soap into the mold (it's okay to eyeball it). Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Don't worry about the layer being straight. Tap the mold on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
- Pour half of the blue soap onto the white. Use a spoon to spread the blue soap throughout the mold. Again, don't worry about the layer being straight.
- Use the powder sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the blue layer of soap with mica. NOTE: We sprayed Snowflake Sparkle Mica in between the layers of this soap. The final effect is note quite as noticeable as we thought it would be. You can skip these steps if you'd like, or follow the instructions as written if you like as much sparkle as possible.
- Pour half of the pink soap onto the blue layer. Use a spoon to spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the powder sprayer with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the pink layer.
- Cover the pink layer with half of the purple soap. Use a spoon to evenly spread the soap. Use the Powder Sprayer filled with Snowflake Sparkle Mica to completely cover the purple layer. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles.
- Repeat this layering process with another ⅓ of the white soap and the remaining blue, pink, and purple soaps. Between the blue, pink, and purple layers, use the powder sprayer again to completely cover the soap with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
- Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of bubbles. Cover the purple layer with the remaining white soap and use a spoon to evenly spread the soap throughout the mold. Then, use the spoon to create texture on the top. There is no right or wrong way to create texture, so have fun with it!
- Once you're happy with the top, use the powder sprayer to completely cover the top with Snowflake Sparkle Mica.
- Use the powder sprayers filled with Lavender Mica, Aqua Pearl Mica, and Party Pink Mica to spray the colors on the top of the soap in different areas. There is no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it! But remember – you can always add more color, so start slow. Adding too much color will take away the soft "pearly" look. Less is more in this case!
- Once you're happy with the top, allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Because it has a water discount, you may be able to unmold it faster than a normal recipe. Once it's ready, unmold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Because it has a water discount, it will cure slightly faster than a normal recipe. Enjoy! NOTE: We did not spray the top of the soap with alcohol because it may disrupt the mica dusting. We didn't notice any soda ash. If you'd like, you can spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Just make sure the spray is extremely fine, and test a small area first to make sure it doesn't cause the mica dust to drip.
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