In My Soap Pot

Testing blue micas

Three blue micas, so similar in colour, yet result in very different shades of blue in cold process soap. It’s always good to test your micas before using it in soap making as this week’s test clearly showed. […]

Testing green micas

Beautiful greens in four different shades covering the whole spectrum. There is a yellow-green of apples, a grey-green of evergreen fir trees, a gorgeous blue-green shade, and a pale green that would work perfect as a base colour in a soap design. […]

Testing yellows and orange

Sunshine, joy, happiness, cheerful, those are all words we associated with yellow. This week, I’ll be looking at how yellow and orange mica behaves in cold process soap. […]

Mica swirling technique

Creating swirly mica tops on your soaps looks a lot harder than it is, and the result is simply stunning! The surface of the soap is usually a just as important as the soap itself, and learning a technique that will create beautiful tops is very handy, especially since it leaves a lot of room for creativity. […]

Testing reds and pink micas this week

Reds and pinks are probably the most popular colours in soap making, yet for all their popularity it is often difficult to get the exact shade you desire. Many reds morph towards the purple part of the spectrum or even into browns. […]

How to use mica in cold process soap

Mica is a name given to a group of silicate minerals, which form distinct sheets and flakes. These are very thin and light, and are most commonly found in schist and granite, giving the rock its shiny, sparkly appearance. It’s this sparkle that makes the mineral so attractive to the cosmetic industry. […]

How to use soap pigments

I’m a big fan of soap pigments. They tend to colour my soap very evenly and are easy to use. They are definitely a lot less messy than lakes and micas, and also a little goes a long way. I would strongly suggest to invest in a trio of soap pigments, if you are into cold process soap making! […]

Feijoas from my neighbour’s hedge

I always look forward to March, not only because my birthday is in March, but because that’s when the feijoa season starts in New Zealand. Most people associate New Zealand with kiwifruit and maybe apples, but to me, it’s all about the feijoa. […]