Nothing like a blast of citrus to feel energised - these soaps feature orange, lemon, and lime segments scented with Energy Artisan Fragrance Oil and our Premium Lemon Pure Essential Oil, to acheive the perfect soapy summer citrus splash!
Ingredients:
1330g Stephenson Crstal RC Palm Free Melt & Pour Soap Base
390g Stephenson Crystal TBS Melt & Pour Soap Base
100g Glycerine PF
Tangelo Orange Mica Powder
Saturn Yellow Mica Powder
Neptune Green Mica Powder (Optional - not included in trolley items)
Energy Fragrance Oil
Lemon Premium Pure Essential Oil
Flexible Mould - 4 Citrus Slices
Flexible Mould - 12 Bar Square
Isopropyl Alcohol and Spritzer Bottle
Equipment:
2 x 1 Litre microwave safe jugs - needs to hold at least 1 Liter (if Pyrex you'll need a pot mitt too as it can get very hot)
1 x Small microwave safe jug
Stirring spoons or Spatulas
Knife to cut the soap base
Pipettes for Fragrance or Essential Oil and for fine detailing
Clean Up Tool or small paring knife for citrus slice detailing
Small cup for mixing powdered colours
This project is made in several stages, soap amounts, and techniques; this is the overview:
Embed Citrus Slices:
Crystal TBS Base (White), just sufficient to fill the detail section of the cavities. Approximately 30g of Crystal RC Base (Clear) for the coloured soap per cavity.
Coloured soap bases:
100g each x 6 cavities. Use Energy Fragrance in the orange coloured soaps at 1.6%, so for six cupcake bases = 600g Crystal RC (Clear)= 10g/ml fragrance
100g each x 6 cavities. Use Lemon Premium Pure Essential Oil in the yellow coloured soaps at 1.6%, so for six cupcake bases = 600g Crystal RC (Clear) = 10g/ml essential oil
Whipped Tops:
30g each x 12 cavities per mould = 360g Crystal TBS(White) Base whipped with 30g glycerine.
Colours!
We have used just three colours for our soaps, so you can decide on the colour mix you prefer for the contrasting citrus colours.
We used approximately ⅔ teaspoon Mica in each 600g base pour.
Method:
Stage One: Make the citrus slices
Nip ½ cm from the tip of a pipette making the nozzle wider.
Place approximately 30g of diced, unscented Crystal TBS soap into small jug and melt in 10 second bursts in microwave - do not allow it to boil!
Spray the base of the citrus cavities with Isopropyl Alcohol (this allows the soap to flow into all the nooks and crannies).
Now, using the pipette, carefully fill all the rind sections with soap (as per the graphic below).
If the soap starts to set up, give it 5 seconds in the microwave again.
Allow a few minutes for the soap to set.
Now use the Clean Up Tool to tidy up any overpours.
Dice and melt approximately 130g Crystal RC (Clear) Soap Base.
Note: If making more than one colour of citrus slices, divide this into smaller batches.
In a small beaker or medicine measure combine half a teaspoon of alcohol and ¼ - ⅔ teaspoon of mica powder and stir.
Add the colour to the melted clear soap, stir well.
Spray the white set up soap, and then carefully pour ½ cm into each cavity. Take care to pour onto the silicone, NOT the white set up soap.
Spray with Isopropyl Alcohol and allow to set completely.
Carefully unmould when set.
Set aside for the final stage.
Now it’s time to make the Bases!
Stage Two: Make the base layer
(Instructions are for two different coloured bases - 6 x yellow, 6 x orange)
Mix ¼ - ⅔ teaspoon Tangelo Orange Mica in half a teaspoon Isopropyl Alcohol.
Dice 600g clear soap base and place into one of the jugs (this is for the six bases).
Lightly cover the jug and heat in short bursts in the microwave, ensuring it does not boil, until liquid.
Add the mica colour liquid.
Stir thoroughly.
Now scent this soap with 10g/ml Energy Fragrance and stir well to combine.
Spritz with Isopropyl Alcohol if required to remove surface bubbles.
Pour into six of the cavities.
Immediately spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to remove surface bubbles.
Now repeat the previous process with the Saturn Yellow Mica and Premium Lemon EO.
Mix ¼ - ⅔ teaspoon Saturn Yellow Mica in half a teaspoon Isopropyl Alcohol.
Combine the mica colour liquid, melted soap, and 10g/ml of Premium Lemon Essential Oil and stir well.
Immediately spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to remove surface bubbles.
Prep your fruit!
Now slice each one into six wedge shaped pieces with a thin sharp knife.
It’s time to make the whipped tops....
Note: you need to work VERY quickly topping the soaps, and may need to remelt the white soap.
It is helpful to have someone to help you set the fruit pieces. If you are working alone, just do three soaps at a time, and remelt the whip.
Stage Three: Attach the whipped tops to the bases
Assemble the mould with the bases, the embed citrus pieces, whipped soap, knife and Isopropyl Alcohol.
Dice 360g White TBS soap base and place into one of the jugs (this is for the all twelve bases).
Add approximately 30g Glycerine PF.
Lightly cover the jug and heat in short 5 to 10 second bursts in the microwave, ensuring it does not boil, until liquid.
Take the knife and score (or cross hatch) across the surfaces of the soap you will join together.
Spray the surface liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol.
Using the hand held beater, whip until the mixture resembles marshmallow.
If it starts to set up you'll need to re-warm it.
When the soap is ready, it is still pourable - like making marshmallow.
Spritz the scored surfaces of the soap halves liberally with Isopropyl Alcohol again if they have dried out.
Now cover the surfaces with some of the melted soap base.
Working fast, embed two or three pieces of citrus soap into each one.
You may need to rewarm the whip to make it workable for the rest of the batch.
Allow to cool and set up and voilá!
Wrap to avoid any sweating.
| Difficulty: | Experienced Beginner |
| Yields: | 12 large bars |
| Time: | 1½ - 2 hours |
