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The Dream Catcher Swirl

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This is a very simple swirl technique with dramatic end results. Make sure you have some practice making cold process soap before trying this, so that you are familiar with a light trace versus a heavy trace. It is important to keep the batter nice and thin during the entire process.

3# Recipe in the 9 Bar Birchwood Mold

12 oz Coconut Oil

12 oz Palm Oil

12 oz Olive Oil

6 oz Aloe Vera Liquid

6 oz Distilled Water

5.2 oz Lye

1/4 tsp. Ultramarine Blue Pigment

1/4 tsp. Activated Charcoal

1/2 tsp. Tangerine Wow! Pigment

2 oz Litsea Essential Oil

(It is up to you whether or not you use the dividers in your mold. I cut my bars by hand the next day).

Before adding the lye to the oils, pour about 1/2 ounce of oil from your batch into three small containers and stir in each pigment in each container. By doing so, you are eliminating clumps of pigment by breaking it down in advance. Then, mix the lye solution into the oils and reach a light trace. Keep in mind, when you use aloe vera liquid as part of your lye solution, it will turn an orange color and emit a light odor that disappears after the soap sets up.

At light trace, stir in the fragrance and split the soap into four equal parts by pouring into the color containers and leaving some neutral in the pot (1 part tangerine, 1 part charcoal, 1 part blue, and 1 part neutral). Stir the colors in by hand. You should not stick blend after reaching trace because it will only make your soap thicker. Aren’t you glad you broke down your pigments first?

Now for the fun part! Alternate pouring each color directly in the middle of your mold. Count “1…2…3…” as you pour to keep an even amount of soap distributed with each color. Shake and pound the mold on the table to even out the surface. When you are out of color, you will have created a bulls-eye pattern like this:

Using a bamboo skewer, start in the middle and drag the colors out to the edge of the mold. Do not lift out the skewer until you are have gone around the entire mold. The less you manipulate the swirl the better; you don’t want to overdo it and make one big blended blur of colors.  Stop at the first “Wow! My swirl looks amazing!”

Let the soap harden over night and cut it the next day. Try different colors and see what you get! I went with a dark, medium, and light color for the most contrast. I’d love to see your results. Feel free to show off your soaping skills and post pictures to our Facebook page!

Renovations: Back of Store Update

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As you know, we’re changing things up in the soap store. Renovations are under way and we’re so excited each step of the way. Above is what the back of the store looked like before. Soap molds were displayed on the wall, essential oils and soap base were on the shelf to the right and the Soap Bar table on the left.

We cleared off the molds from the wall and moved them to the front of the store and were left with this shelf in the back. We got rid of this shelf and replaced it with these snazzy new ones in the photo below. Now all of our bulk oils, butters, and soap base is in one easy-to-grab spot.

Then, we moved all the essential oils off the shelf on the right and moved the Soap Bar table to the window. Look at how much more light we’re getting!


This Sunday we are finishing up the painting and will put up new pictures soon. Say goodbye to the red!

Invigorating Shampoo Bars

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I am a new fan of shampoo bars for many reasons. The lather is incredible, the bar is long lasting, I have shinier hair with zero buildup, and it’s all natural!

My recipe contains a lot of castor oil, which creates a rich and foamy lather. Coconut oil and palm oil also provide a fluffy lather and add to the hardness of the bar. Tea tree essential oil is an antiseptic and is known to help treat scalp conditions such as dandruff and head lice. Plus, it stimulates new hair growth by removing dead skin cells from hair follicles. It also smells minty and fresh, leaving you energized and revitalized for the day. I rub the bar in a couple small circles right on my head and work the lather up with my fingers.

Three Pound Batch Shampoo Bar Recipe:

10 oz Coconut oil

10 oz Palm oil

8 oz Castor oil

8 oz Olive oil

12 oz Distilled Water

5 oz Sodium Hydroxide

1.5 oz Tea tree essential oil

If you have never made soap from scratch before, please check out Anne-Marie’s four part series on cold process before trying this recipe. It is really important to understand how to work with sodium hydroxide (lye) so that you are soaping on the safe side.

Your oils and lye should be around 100 degrees when combined. Add color at trace if you like, or leave neutral, then add fragrance. Stick blend to a thick trace and pour into mold. Use a spatula to create peaks on the surface for texture and grip. Remove the soap from the mold after 24 hours and cure the bars on a rack for 4-six weeks. Enjoy!

Tip! If your hair is extra dry, try incorporating some vitamin rich oils such as avocado and sweet almond oil. Jojoba oil is amazing as well, but currently a bit pricey. If you change the recipe, make sure to re-calculate the lye.

Let the Renovations Begin!

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The staff at Otion are super excited about giving the store a fun new look! We have big plans and want to share our progress with you as they unfold. Notice the colors in the photo above (that’s Anne-Marie and Congressman Larsen). That’s what we’re starting with. Now take a look at the first coat of our new color scheme!

We also added four big lanterns upstairs in our teaching and party loft for additional light and ambiance. Love!

We are painting the wall green up to the red stripe, which is being painted maroon. The front door went from white to deep purple. These are the results from our first day of renovating. Much more to come!

Brand New Bamboo Mold!

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There are so many fun ways to use this mold! I used clear soap base with micas and oxides for a fun, fresh look. Take a look at Anne-Marie’s earthy and elegant version with olive leaf power, sea clay, and bamboo extract. Both methods are easy enough for beginners, so let your creativity fly!

What You Need:

1 Pound Clear Melt-and-Pour Soap Base

Fresh Bamboo Fragrance Oil

Coral Mica

Yellow Mica

Liquid Green Oxide

Droppers

Rubbing Alcohol

Framed Bamboo Mold

Begin by melting the soap base an adding 4ml of Fresh Bamboo fragrance oil. Stir thoroughly, pour about 1/4 cup of soap out separately and mix in one mini scoop of yellow mica. Keep your soap very hot during this process. Use a dropper to squeeze the soap into the frame on the mold. Spray with rubbing alcohol and let harden while you prepare the green.

In the same container that hold the yellow soap, add a few drops of liquid green and stir well. You will have to reheat this small amount of soap frequently because it hardens so quickly. Use a new dropper to fill in the bamboo details, spray with rubbing alcohol and let harden.

Finally, add two mini scoops of coral mica to the rest of your uncolored soap base. Spray the details in the mold and then pour the background. Let harden and enjoy!

Advanced Cold Process Swirling

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Here are some fun bars from our swirling class last Saturday. The top soap is scented with Pineapple Cilantro and colored with hydrated chrome green oxide, yellow mica, electric bubblegum, and tangerine wow pigment. The bottom bars are scented with a blend of Black Pepper, Litsea, and Rosemary essential oils and colored with rose clay, activated charcoal, and safflower powder. Thanks for another fun class, ladies!

Honeycomb Bars for Your Honey

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Earthy, eye-catching, and easy! This project can be made by the most novice soap makers. The trick is to line your mold with bubble wrap before pouring. Here’s what you need to make 4 bars:

1 Pound Honey Melt-and-Pour Base

4ml Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Fragrance

1 Mini Scoop Yellow Mica

1 Mini Scoop Honeyed Beige Mica

12 Bar Silicone Mold

Bubble Wrap and Scissors

Paper Towel and Gold Sparkle Mica for rubbing over the surface

Step 1. Cut your bubble wrap into squares that fit in the cavity and line your mold.

Step 2. Melt the soap base and stir in color (just the yellow and honeyed beige) and fragrance. Pour into lined mold.

Step 3. Let harden, remove soap from mold and peel back bubble wrap to reveal the textured surface.

(Optional) Step 4: Tap a mini scoop of Sparkle Gold Mica onto a paper towel and rub it lightly across the surface to create shine that reflects in the light, enhancing the pattern.

Gift ‘em or keep ‘em. This is a great project to do with the kids!

The Best Part of Waking Up…

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We LOVE coffee butter. One whiff and you’ll be in heaven. I add it to my cold process soap, lip balm and lotion bar recipes. My next experiment with it will be to make another cold process batch but sub out my water for cold coffee, which should darken the color of the soap and hopefully add even more fragrance. Yum! The soap in the photo also has ground coffee beans in the top for scrubby action.

Birthday Party at Otion

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We had the pleasure of hosting another birthday party at Otion on Thursday and even the dads made soap!

There is time for cake and presents while the bars harden in the freezer.

Everyone’s favorite part! At the end of the party, we cut the party loaf and share it among the group.

Groups of up to 12 people can reserve the upstairs loft of our store to make two bars of melt-and-pour soap each, plus a party loaf (one big loaf soap with a mixture of everyone’s colors and scents). Cost is $15 per person, you get the space and privacy of the upstairs and can bring cake/presents/etc. We provide all materials and instruction. We host parties for kids and adults!