To begin with I can confidently say that layered soaps is not so much of a difficult project as many might lead you to believe. We at supplier society, just the other day made one such layered soap to demonstrate how easy a feat it is. We made it using green and sandal colored layers but that can be totally customized as you choose once the technique is mastered.
Watch the project in video format.
Ingredients for 12 x 100g bars of Layered Soap :
Palm Oil - 575g
Coconut Oil - 300g
Castor Oil - 125g
50% conc. Lye Solution (NaOH) - 323g
(or)
Lye Flakes (NaOH) - 161.50g & Distilled Water - 161.50g
Distilled Water - 100g (not mandatory but recommended for beginners)
French Green Clay - 30g
(or)
Green Pigment as per requirement
Sandal Fragrance - 30g
Tools :
12x100g Acrylic Loaf Mold
Hand Blender (powered or mechanical)
1 ltr Jug - 2nos
500 ml Beaker/Jug - 2nos
50ml Beaker - 2nos
Weigh Scale
Soap Cutter of choice
Preparation :
For any kind of Cold process soap project, the first material to prepare is the lye solution. If you're using Lye Flakes, mix 161.5 g with 161.5 g of distilled water and allow to cool.
While the lye solution is being allowed to cool, setup your moulds, jugs and other equipments that you will be needing and weigh the oils, and fragrance as provided in the ingredients above. The next step to do is to split the oils and lye solution both in equal halves and in separate beakers/jugs.
The next step would be to decide the colors and fragrance for the two layers that you're going to make. I decided to go with Sandal fragrance for both layers with one green and the other layer sandal colored. To achieve the green and sandal color I decided to use Kasthuri Manjal and Green pigment respectively. In case you're using green clay to get the green clay, I generally use 3% of the base oils which in this case would be 15g (3% of 500g).
Adding the Kasthuri Manjal and the Clay or Pigment doesn't bring variations in the color much. However, for beginners I would suggest you add these powders into the oils before pouring in the lye solution as this would mean having time to concentrate on reaching trace alone and pouring the batter into the mold at the right time.
This might seem a bit tiring but the hard part of making the soap is over. Actually making the soap is the easiest part of the process. All you have to do now is to mix the lye solution into half of the oils that you have set aside. Based on the color that you have decided for that half, add the additive of choice and fragrance. Blend until trace and pour the batter into the mold.
Repeat the same with the other half of oils and lye that has been set aside and mix the additive and fragrance you have chosen for this layer. Blend until trace and pour the batter into the mold over the lower half layer.
Making a layered soap is as simple as that. Though it might seem a bit of extra work, the results would be a satisfying layered soap and not that boring chunk of soap that you usually get :)
Allow the batter to set for a few days and cut the loaf to get a layered soap. One reason why I would urge all soap makers to make a layered soap is because they would serve as the stepping stone to all designer projects.
It would provide you with different ideas that you can use for your future and more advanced designer soap projects.
I have provided buy links for each of the ingredients and tools available with us below.
Make sure to tag us on the social medias with your layered soap. It would motivate us more and more to come up with exciting recipes.
Buy
Palm Oil here
Coconut Oil here
Castor Oil here
Lye Flakes (NaOH) here
Sandal Fragrance here
French Green Clay here
Kasthuri Manjal here
12 x 100g Acrylic Loaf Mold here
12 x 125g Acrylic Loaf Mold here
Soap Cutter (100g Non-adjustable) here
String Cutter (Adjustable) here
Electric Blender
Jugs here