This next recipe was my first goddess-inspired soap, and it was from the Aphrodite soap that Sacred Suds was born (you can read more about the inspiration for this soap in my Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty and Love blog post).  I had a special request for this recipe from one of Sacred Suds most devoted customers.  This post assumes you have soap-making knowledge.  If you are learning how to make soap, I recommend The Soapmaker’s Companion for cold process soaping or Handcrafted Soap for hot process soaping.  I made the Aphrodite soap using the cold process method of soap making (see this blog post for steps and pictures).

Aphrodite

Aphrodite ~ Rose, Amber, & Ylang Ylang soap

Awaken your inner goddess with this soap inspired by the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and grace (Aphrodite is known in Roman mythology as Venus). Scented with ylang ylang essential oil for beauty and love, and with amber* and rose* fragrance oils for sensuality, femininity, and self-love, this soap is as rich and sensual as Aphrodite herself. Crafted by the cold process method of soap-making, the bar itself is silky smooth, and the glycerin and skin-conditioning oils in the soap create a luxurious, bubbly lather that will leave your skin soft, supple, and deliciously moisturized. Invite love and beauty to bloom in you and all around you when you use this soap.

Scent blend and soap formula by Andrea Badgley

198 g NaOH (sodium hydroxide/lye)
10 oz distilled water
9 oz rose water
16 oz coconut oil
14 oz palm oil
3 oz jojoba oil
12 oz olive oil
6 oz avocado oil

5/8 oz Amber Fragrance Oil (FO) from Sweetcakes
5/8 oz True Rose FO (Sweetcakes )
¼ oz Ylang Ylang EO

4 tsp jojoba oil at trace

Prep a 2 cup vinegar bath  with 1 cup water and 1 cup vinegar.  This is for neutralizing lye spills, utensils, etc.

Line soap mold.  For my recipes (~4.25 lb batches) I use a wooden loaf mold my husband made.  The internal measurements are 18 inches long (the width of a roll of Reynolds Freezer Paper, which is what I use to line the molds), about 3.4 inches wide (sorry I don’t know the exact measurement – I already packed the molds away), and the soap ends up being approximately 2 inches tall.  I cut the loaf into 15 bars.

Measure distilled water into a large pyrex beaker.  Place beaker in a well ventilated area or in a utility sink.  Don safety goggles, apron, and gloves, then measure sodium hydroxide (NaOH) granules into a non-reactive bowl.  Slowly add NaOH to the water while stirring.  Stir until dissolved (I use a thick silicone spatula to stir).  Do not breathe fumes (I hold my breath while I’m stirring).  Rinse spatula and lye bowl in with vinegar bath.

Melt solid fats (coconut, palm) in a stainless steel pot over medium heat.  Measure vegetable oils into large stainless steel bowl.  Pour melted fats into liquid oils and set aside.  Measure fragrances and essential oils (EOs), cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

When lye solution and vegetable oils are both between 90 and 105 degrees (you should be able to hold the bottom of bowl or beaker in your hands without it feeling like it’s going to burn you), add lye to oils.  Mix with stick blender til light trace.  Add extra jojoba oil, FOs/EOs, and stir to blend.  Make sure at light to medium trace.

Pour into lined mold, cover, and insulate (wrap in a towel or blanket) for 12 to 14 hours.  After insulation, uncover, then unmold within a day or two.  Cut bars within a week.  Cure for three weeks from date of making soap (possibly longer if it took a week to cut the bars).

If you are a soap seller and plan on making this soap to sell, let me know and I will spread the word to my customers that you have it available.