To extend the life of your new handmade soaps, we recommend the following tips
Our soaps are handmade on our small studio, not on a big industrial facility, this contribute on us having better control of the process. We are proud to make our soap and skincare products in small batches to the keep the highest quality control standards we can offer.
We don't use any added chemicals or detergents on our recipes.
Our beautiful designs not only look great but will elevate your bath experience.
All of our soaps are 100% locally made in our small studio in Atlanta Ga. And lastly purchasing from us contributes to our local economy.
Can't wait for you to try one of our amazing soaps! Which one is your favorite? let us know in the comments.
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If you’re just like me and love coffee, this coffee soap recipe is for you. It’s made with an amazing blend of plant based oils and even coffee, which is extracted from freshly-roasted coffee beans.
This recipe makes about 10-11 bars of soap using a 10 inch silicone mold.
This takes a moderate amount of skills and effort and typically it takes me about 45 - 60 minutes to make this recipe.
Ingredients
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
13.9 oz. Olive Oil (42%)
8.3 oz. Coconut Oil (25%)
8.3 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
1.7 oz. Coffee Butter (5%)
1 oz. Coffee Oil (3%)
5 oz. Brewed Coffee
5 oz. Distilled Water
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
2 Tbsp. Used Coffee Grounds
Whole Coffee Beans (for the top)
Optional: Crinkle Cutter
Instructions
SAFETY FIRST: That means wear goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Make sure your soaping area is well ventilated.
COFFEE LYE PREP: Brew 7-8 ounces of coffee using distilled water. Some will evaporate, so you'll need to brew extra. The strength of the coffee is up to you - the stronger it is, the darker your soap will be.
Measure 5 ounces of coffee into a heat-safe container. Add 5 ounces of cold or room temperature distilled water to the coffee.
1 |
Once your liquid is room temperature or below, slowly add 4.6 ounces of sodium hydroxide lye to the coffee and gently stir until the lye flakes are fully dissolved. The solution will start to darken and smell quite unpleasant - this is normal! Luckily, the scent goes away in the final bars. Pro tip: When the lye mixture cools to around 150° F, add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate to harden the bars more quickly. |
2 |
Fully melt and combine 8.3 ounces of coconut oil, 8.3 ounces of palm oil, 13.9 ounces of olive oil, 1.7 ounces of coffee butter, and 1 ounce of coffee oil. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until it’s at a thin trace. Thin trace the soap looks more like a runny cake batter. |
3 |
Continue to stick blend the soap until you reach a medium trace. Medium trace is perfect for suspending the coffee grounds and creating texture on top. When the soap is at medium trace it starts to look like pudding. |
4 |
Add 2 tablespoons of used coffee grounds to the soap and use a whisk to fully incorporate them. |
5 |
Pour the soap into the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to get rid of bubbles. |
6 |
Use a spoon to mound the soap in the center and create texture. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it! |
7 |
Place coffee beans in the center of the soap down the length of the mold. Gently pressing the beans into the soap will help them stick better. Once you’re happy with the look, spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 2-3 days. Un-mold, and cut into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy! |
If you ended up making this soap recipe tag us on instagram @sunsetsoapsco 😊
]]>The candle is made in a two-part process. First, we make the cactus flower pieces in the 4 Cavity Succulent Silicone Mold. Then poke a hole through each embed using a picnic skewer and lastly the wick is threaded through.
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The candle is made in a two-part process. First, we make the cactus flower pieces in the 4 Cavity Succulent Silicone Mold. Then poke a hole through each embed using a picnic skewer and lastly the wick is threaded through.
Ingredients
Cactus Flower:
4 Cavity Succulent Silicone Mold
8.2 oz. Nature Wax C-3
2.1 oz. White Beeswax
0.8 oz. Cactus Flower Fragrance Oil
Sage Green Wax Dye Flakes
Base:
Four 8 oz. Lidded Glass Jars
Four HTP 1212 Wicks
36 oz. Nature Wax C-3
2.8 oz. Cactus Flower Fragrance Oil
Instructions
1 |
Weigh out 7.9 ounces of Nature Wax C-3 and 1.9 ounces beeswax and combine in a pouring pitcher. Place a half-filled pot of water on the stove, bring it to a low simmer. and put your pouring pitcher (or other heat-safe container) inside. Add 2 generous pinches of Sage Green Wax Dye Flakes just as the wax has melted and stir to incorporate. While the wax heats to 185° F, prep your fragrance. |
2 |
Measure 0.8 ounces of Cactus Flower Fragrance Oil into a glass container. When the wax reaches 185° F, remove it from heat and mix in the fragrance. Stir slowly and gently for 1-2 minutes to fully incorporate. Once the wax is at 160° F, pour into each cavity of the Succulent Silicone Mold. Set aside to cool. Pro Tip: Preheat the silicone mold with a heat gun or on the lowest oven setting for about 3-5 minutes (just until slightly warm to the touch). This helps create a smooth surface and allows the molded wax to pop out easier. |
3 |
Once the wax in the molds solidify (about 1-2 hours), very gently use the sharp end of a skewer to poke a hole down through the center of the succulent for the wick. Set aside to continue cooling. |
4 |
Weigh out 30 ounces of Nature Wax C-3 and place it in the pouring pitcher. Bring the water to a low simmer and start to melt. Measure 2.5 ounces of Cactus Flower Fragrance Oil into a glass container. |
5 |
Once the wax reaches 185° F, remove from the heat and slowly stir in the fragrance oil for 1-2 minutes. |
6 |
Once the wax has cooled to 145-150° F, pour it slowly into the four lidded jars. Do not fill up the jars entirely - the wax should reach the top curve of the jar. Secure the wick with a clothespin, popsicle stick, etc. Do not trim the wick. Tip: If you like, you can use wick stickers to secure them to the bottom of the jars before pouring. |
7 |
Allow your candle and succulent pieces to cool and set for about a day. Carefully remove the succulent wax pieces from the mold. If you find the skewer did not pierce the mold to the top, gently use the skewer again to poke through the embed to create a complete hole. Pro Tip: If you have trouble removing the molded pieces, place the mold into the freezer for a few minutes to loosen the wax. |
8 |
Slide the succulent piece through the wick of the base and gently push down into the glass until it is flush with the top. Some wax may scrape off the sides of the molded piece as you do this - that’s OK. Once the molded piece is secure, trim the wick to ¼” tall. Allow the wax to finish curing for 3-5 days before burning. Allow your candle to reach a full melt pool for best results. |
Summer is here! And as such we been really busy revamping our online store adding so many new features to make your online experience enjoyable, from adding flexible payments to even accepting cryptocurrencies at checkout, and also working on some new and fun products like candles, face mask, lip balms and lotion bars, plus we are also scheduled to participate in a few in person events.
We were back at the Bien Vegano Farmers Market this past June 13th from at Second Self Brewery. We tested our new products at the farmers market and I was so impress by the positive response we had not only from selling our newest products but also by meeting lots of amazing vendors. Can't thanks the Bien Vegano team enough for hosting such a nice event!
]]>COLOR PREP: Disperse 1.5 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 1.5 teaspoons of Magenta Mica into 2 tablespoons of oil. Finally, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide Pigment and Kermit Green Mica each into 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of any clumps.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.
FRAGRANCE OIL PREP: Measure 2 ounces of the Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil in a glass container. Set aside.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your space. Always make soap in a well-ventilated area.
Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Cover the soap to insulate and help promote gel phase. Allow it to insulate overnight. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for about 3-5 days. Un-mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
]]>This project is made with Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base and Pure Honey Fragrance Oil. On this blog post we will show you how you can make soaps like these in 8 steps.
All Ingredients can be found at Brambleberry.com
1- Chop 4 ounces of Honey Melt and Pour Soap, place it in a heat-safe container, and melt in the microwave using 5-10 second bursts. Divide the soap evenly into 2 small heat-safe containers. To one container, add shavings of the Black Oxide Color Block until you get a dark black shade. To the other container, add shavings of the Buttercup Color Block until you get a bright yellow shade.
2- Using a dropper or the injector soap tool, fill in the head of the bee with black soap. It’s helpful to tilt the mold slightly to help the soap stay in the head cavity of the mold, without dripping into the body. If it does, allow the soap to cool and harden for a few minutes. Then, use the clean up tool to perfect the design, as shown below. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any bubbles.
3- Use the dropper or the injector tool to fill in two small stripes of the bee. Just a drop or two of soap in each stripe usually does the trick. Use the clean up tool to perfect the stripes if necessary. During this process, you may need to reheat the black soap in the microwave to become liquid and workable. Use 3 second bursts to reheat the soap in order to prevent scorching. Allow the details in the mold to cool and harden for several minutes.
4- Reheat the yellow soap in the microwave using 3-5 second bursts. If necessary, allow it to cool until it is below 130° F. If the soap is too hot, it may melt the small black details. Once it is the correct temperature, spritz the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Then, use a dropper to add yellow soap into the bee cavity. If necessary, clean up any drips or imperfections with a clean up tool. Spritz with alcohol to remove bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden for several minutes.
5- While the soap cools, it’s time to prep your colorants. Chop and melt 15.5 ounces of Honey Melt and Pour in the microwave using 20 second bursts. Once completely melted, add shavings of the Sparkle Gold Color Block and shavings of the Copper Sparkle Color Block until you get a nice honey shade ( i usually add twice the amount of Sparkle Gold than the amount of Cooper Sparkle).Then, and use a spoon to fully mix in.
6- Add 0.3 ounces of Pure Honey Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to fully mix in.
7- Check the temperature of the soap. If it’s hotter than 130° F, allow it to cool so it doesn't melt the bee details. Once the soap is between 120-129° F, spritz the mold with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Pour the gold soap into each cavity.
8- Spritz each cavity with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help disperse bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool and harden for 4 hours before attempting to remove. Once fully hardened, remove the bars from the mold and wrap in plastic wrap to help prevent glycerin dew. Enjoy!
If you like these really cute Soap Bars, we have them available on our shop.
also follow us on Instagram @sunsetsoapsco we post a lot of great pictures and videos there 😊
]]>What an interesting week this has been. We started with a goal to create a label template for all our soap bars. Little did I know making labels is more challenging than it seems. Here are some of the resources I used to figure all this out!
I started searching on Pinterest and Instagram to get ideas of what other people were doing. I saw a lot of cool looking soap labels but I couldn’t find information on what to write in them. Then I decided to look into the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetics Guild (HSCG) and to my surprise they have a really good section on you guessed it how to make a soap label. In summary heres what you need to add to a soap label.
There are only 4 items that are absolutely required on every cosmetic label, and one item that is frequently (but not always) needed:
Whether you have a graphic designer creating your labels or you make them yourself, when you create a new label, it’s easy to check that all the required components are on the label. Being sure your label is compliant before you invest in printing and packaging can save you money, time and headaches in the long run.
Here are some images of our newest labels. Leave us a comment if this information was useful or not 😊. Have you struggle or are you struggling making labels for your products? Share your experience in the comments below. Have you signed up to our mailing list yet? Be the first to find out about our new products and offers.
]]>This easy and gentle soap is the perfect project for somebody who has never made cold process soap before!
This recipe makes: 2-3 pounds of soap
If you are using a box or a milk carton as your mold, remember to line it with freezer paper. Freezer paper is super durable and will not stick to the soap once the soap is ready to be un-molded. When you line your mold make sure to place the shiny side of the freezing paper facing the soap!
Luckily this recipe does not have any complicated steps or designs, so the tools needed are minimal. But at least you will need a fully line mold, prepared lye water, pre-mixed oils, stick blender, and a spatula. We will talk about how to do soap prep in details on a later blog :)
On this video we show how we made our first batch of Creamy Almond Milk Soap. Did you knew if you add the milk at room temperature it will turn the soap yellow and will smell for a while. Thats why you should always add the milk frozen. We froze milk the day before we recorded this video to avoid making a yellow smelly soap. Have you made soap with milk before? let us know how you did it in the comments below.
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This past week we've been working hard to naturally make our soaps more soothing, moisturizing and overall more luxurious. To my surprise the answer was literally in the fridge, I can replace ...
]]>This past week we've been working hard to naturally make our soaps more soothing, moisturizing and overall more luxurious. To my surprise the answer was literally in the fridge, I can replace the water for MILK? ...could it be that simple? obviously not lol, in order for this to work we found out the need to freeze milk otherwise the regular process is going to burn the sugar in the milk and we will end up with a bar of soap that is not 100% awesome! ... it will be like 90% awesome thou.
To make sure all my soaps stay vegan! Im going to work with Coconut Milk and Almond Milk.
Almond milk is high in vitamin E and also have magnesium which helps manage the oiliness in the skin and Coconut milk adds conditioning properties to soap and creates a luxurious lather.
Check the blog tomorrow and find out which soap we'll be making first.
Let us know in the comments below which milk do you think we'll be using first Coconut or almond?
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On the first episode of tutorial Saturday, we'll be making this handmade shaving soap. This recipe will take about 30 minutes to make depending on the tools you have to make it.
Add all theFoaming Bath Butter (2 lbs.) to the large container. Use the stand or hand mixer to whip for about 1 minute until it's fluffy.
In a separate container weight 4 oz of Olive Oil. Add 1 oz of Chamomile Extract and add 0.2 oz of Tobacco & Bay Leaf fragrance oil. Then add all the oils into the Whipped Bath Butter.
Whip the mixture for 2 minutes until all the oils are fully combined. Every 30 seconds stop the mixer and use the spatula to scrape the sides of the container.
Add 2 Tbsp. of the bentonite clay. Carefully stir the clay with the spatula before turning the mixer on (otherwise all the powder is going to fly all over the place). After mixing the clay into the mix with the spatula turn on the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed.
Whip the mix for 2 minutes until the clay is fully mixed and the shaving soap has a light and fluffy texture.
Spoon the shaving soap evenly between the jars. Depending on how much air is in the mixture, this recipe will fill 8 jars.
Print out some labels, take lots of pictures and post on social media
This week on our studio we made two of my favorites loafs of soap. To the left we have the Raw Honeycomb soap. These palm-free 🧼 bars are made with shea butter, cocoa butter and yellow beeswax to create our best moisturizing bar yet. But best of all it has our studio smelling like raw honey. Check out the un-molding video on our instagram page @sunsetsoapsco. To the right we have the Rose Clay & Charcoal soap bars. These Rose Clay & Charcoal 🧼 bars are made with 🌱 based oil absorbing ingredients that will leave your skin feeling fresh and moisturized. Plus the scent of rose-hip jasmine fragrance is unbelievable. Both of these bars are perfect as a gift or to help you relax at the end of a busy day.
]]>Hi everyone in this video you can see how we wash our hands at the studio. Basically we make sure we lather our hands for 20 seconds and then rinse and dry :) Ohh before i forget make sure you focus on washing all of your fingers and nails. Do you know a different way of washing your hands? Leave a comment and let us know can't wait to hear about it.
Happy Soaping 😊
]]>Hi 👋 Im Ángel! The person behind all the awesome soaps at Sunset Soap Co.
A little about me:
What’s your story? Leave us a comment and follow us on our social media accounts. ☺️
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