Now that the holidays have passed, I wanted to experiment with a skin-loving, floral soap. With freezing, below-zero temperatures, I found myself wanting to complain and shudder, but then I realized I am lucky enough to live somewhere that we get to experience all four seasons. Beauty can be found anywhere – you just have to look for it! Envision walking through a snowy, winter rose garden as you’re all bundled up with some hot chocolate, tea, or coffee, as you become inspired to make this soap for yourself, family or friends. This would also be a fantastic gift idea for Valentine’s Day!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. SFIC All Natural Oatmeal Melt and Pour Soap
⅛ Shimmer Magenta Melt and Pour Color Block
½ oz. Rose Fragrance Oil
½ C. Rose Buds & Petals
4-inch Silicone Soap Loaf Mold
Cutting board
Spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
DIRECTIONS:
Begin by cutting the SFIC All Natural Oatmeal Soap Base into cubes. Once the soap is cut, place the cubes in a glass measuring cup with the small ⅛ portion of the Magenta Color Block and microwave on 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the soap has melted and liquefied. Using such a small amount of the color block will give the soap a beautiful pastel pink hue.
Gently pour the soap into the mold and spray the top with rubbing alcohol as this will eliminate bubbles that may have formed on the top of the soap. Wait a minute or two and then lightly drop the rose petals on the top of the soap. If they sink into the loaf, the soap is still too hot. After the rose petals have been placed, give the soap loaf a final few spritzes of rubbing alcohol from at least 12 inches above. If you spray too close, the spraying action may blow the petals off the soap.
Keep in mind that the rose buds are organic matter and they can potentially tinge parts of your soap green. This is why when I am working with botanicals, I take the extra time to pick out the prettiest, most colorful petals, leaving behind the green plant matter at the base of the buds. I went the extra mile and added a sprinkling of biodegradable glitter – optional!
Allow the soap to remain in the mold for at least six hours before removing. I love this mold because it allows me to make a loaf of soap without committing to the full size, which is typically 3 lbs! When I am trying new recipes, I do not always necessarily want to make a large batch – this mold holds 1 lb. of soap and it works so well, especially with the SFIC brand. Just unwrap a 1 lb. block and you’re ready to go!
I used the wavy soap cutter because I thought it would really accentuate the feminine, floral look of the soap. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference – you can use whichever soap cutter you’d like. Enjoy!
Winter Rose Soap Recipe
When did you add the essential oil?
After the soap and color blocks are completed melted, you can add the ½ oz. Rose Fragrance Oil.
Would you suggest using Rose essential oil on this recipe? If so, how much?
And, I’ve never worked with fragrance oils before (I don’t usually like the scents). Is there a reason why you’d want to use a fragrance oil instead of an essential oil when making soap?
For beginners, fragrance oils are great since they have a high flash point and they are inexpensive. If using an essential oil, you’ll need to ensure that the flash point is higher than the melting temperature of the melted soap to ensure safety, and to ensure that the desired scent is archived (generally, a higher flash point can possibly produce a stronger scent). You can substitute with the Rose essential oil, if it meets this criteria, at a usage rate of roughly 1% to 1.5% of the total volume of the recipe.
Can another melt and pour soap be used instead of the oatmeal.