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We bring you instructions on how to make ombré soap using the cold process method, i.e. using sodium hydroxide and a combination of oils and butters. All you need is an ideally rectangular silicone mould at hand and you can start!
To make the green ombré soap, a blend of vegetable oils and butters was used in combination with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. The blend was coloured with mica powder, but the colour you choose is entirely up to you.The top of the soap was covered after hardening with a white shimmering mica powder – however, this is only an optional decoration.Since every substitution of an oil or butter in the recipe results in the need to recalculate it (for example using soap calculators freely available online), the recipe is given in grams. At the same time, the total weight of oils and butters (200 g) also includes a 5 % superfat (i.e. the oils are present in 5 % excess relative to sodium hydroxide, so this portion remains unsaponified and provides skin care when the soap is used).
Do you want to make it easier to produce green ombré soap? You are in the right place. We will give you several hintsand tips on making cold process ombré soap.Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkali, so always use protective equipment when working with it. Remember to work in a well-ventilated room, away from pets and children. If it comes into contact with the skin, always rinse the area thoroughly under a stream of cold water, and you can then use diluted vinegar to neutralise any remaining sodium hydroxide. Diluted vinegar can also be used for the final cleaning of surfaces; immerse for a few minutes all tools that have come into contact with sodium hydroxide or uncured (unhardened) soap, and then wash them as usual. When dissolving sodium hydroxide, a large amount of heat is released, so you can replace about half of the demineralised water with ice made from the same type of water. Do not use ordinary tap water or boiled water – such water still contains minerals that interfere with soap formation.Pour the sodium hydroxide solution and also the oil-based colourant solutions ideally through a sieve. In this way, you prevent undissolved sodium hydroxide pellets from entering the soap, as well as the formation of lumps of undissolved colourants.When working with liquid soap batter, it is good to work quickly, as the soap will thicken and harden on its own over time. It is important to maintain the same weight of soap for individual layers. Therefore, use scales or a ladle so that each coloured layer has the same thickness and you obtain the desired ombré effect in the final result. To check the pH of the green ombré soap, you can also use a phenolphthalein solution or strips containing it. When using phenolphthalein strips, proceed in the same way as with litmus strips; the strips should not turn pink. If you use a solution, drop it onto various parts of the soap; it likewise should not turn pink. A pink colour indicates high pH values and thus unreacted sodium hydroxide; such homemade soap is not safe to use.
Below you will find more detailed information on the ingredients used, including their properties and options for substituting these ingredients.
Always use distilled or demineralised water to make soaps. We have already mentioned that mineralsin ordinary tap water cause undesirable reactions with sodium hydroxide, so avoid such water. Otherwise, your soap may not harden properly and may not reach a safe pH.
Without sodium hydroxide, the saponification process will not take place and you will not produce solid bars of soap.Therefore, if you are wary of using this ingredient, you can, for example, use ready-made melt-and-pour soap bases and make soaps from them. Do not change the weight of sodium hydroxide – it is linked to the amount and type of oils used. Handle it carefully; it is a strong alkali.
Olive oil is the basis for making many types of soaps. It gives mild and caring soaps,but soaps with a high proportion of it can be softer and may become slightly slimy in use, so it is often combined with butters or coconut oil to achieve optimal hardness and soap properties.
In the recipe, olive oil can be substituted with another vegetable oil, but such a recipe must be recalculated using a soap calculator, as the amount of sodium hydroxide and water required will change. The same applies when substituting other oils and butters.
Another popular oil for soap making is coconut oil. This oil produces beautifully hard and bubbly soaps. For this reason, it combines very well with liquid vegetable oils. You can also choose the refined version if you are looking for ways to reduce ingredient costs, as the reaction with sodium hydroxide will be the same regardless of whether the oil is refined or unrefined.
A gentle creamy lather and caring properties are provided to your soap precisely by shea butter. In addition, compared to olive oil, it imparts some hardness to the soap. Thanks to the superfatting, the unreacted portion of shea butter will excellently moisturise the skin.
To colour the soap, mica powders were used. Mica powders are available in a wide palette of colours,so choose your favourite one. An additional advantage of mica powders is that they are well stable even in an alkaline environment and thus do not change colour. It is advisable to disperse them in a little oil before addingand add them through a sieve – this prevents the formation of lumps of undispersed colourant.
To perfume the final product, a fragrance oil was used. These oils have the advantage that they do not have an intense colour and therefore do not disturb the ombré effect of the soap. For this reason, in this case it is good to avoid dark essential oils, which are indeed an alternative to fragrance oils, but some have an intense colour and may also colour the finished soap. Fragrance or essential oil can, however, also be completely omitted. These substances are added in relatively high amounts, as part of them will react with sodium hydroxide, so an excess is necessary.
Titanium dioxide is a strongly white substance used in soap making to lighten the soap and thus reduce the consumption of other colourants. It is advisable to choose a type of titanium dioxide suitable for use in oils and to disperse this substance well in a small amount of oil before adding it to the soap (ideally through a sieve). You can also omit titanium dioxide, but then it is necessary to increase the dose of green mica powder by approx. 0.5 g.
IPA is a great helper not only when making soaps from soap bases, but also when using the cold process technique. It helps to prevent the formation of soap ash – a white coating on the soap, which is mainly a cosmetic defect. When cutting the soap, you can also spray the individual slices with IPA so that the soap stops sticking and does not become covered with soap ash.
As mentioned, you can experiment with homemade recipes to achieve the desired properties. However, the final result can be influenced by many factors, such as humidity, temperature, raw material quality or storage. Before using any ingredient to make a cosmetic product, familiarise yourself with its properties, recommended dosage, storage conditions and safe handling. Every ingredient can potentially trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, so before using the product we recommend finding out whether you are allergic to any of the ingredients or the overall product, for example by a patch test. If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or if you have other skin or health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to your skin, whether it is a homemade cosmetic product, a pure ingredient or a commercially available product.
With green ombré soap, similarly to the pink soap from the previous post, you will bring a little colour into your bathroom. In addition, you can continuously enjoy the natural composition of these soaps. Have you tried making green ombré soap? Let us know how you got on. Send your questions, observationsand experiences to marketing@handymade.sk and we can exchange our knowledge with each other. We will be delighted.Our heartfelt thanks go to our dear Ivana Jačalová for the great posts with tutorials like this one on creating green ombré soap.Until next time in the suds, friends.
