artisan Archives - Soap & Clay

Soap Challenge – Circling Taiwan Swirl

January 22, 2016 7 Comments

Circling Taiwan Swirl

Well, it’s happened. After months of debating, I’ve finally screwed my courage to the sticking point and signed up for Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge. Amy Warden of Great Cakes hosts a monthly contest, providing a theme, guidelines, pour parameters, and an instructional video for those unfamiliar with the month’s pour. There are some amazing soapers that participate in this challenge each month, and being a noob in the artisan world, I have been hesitant to throw my name in with such heavy hitters. When Amy announced the theme for this month’s soap challenge, however, I knew that I had to participate, if only to get access to some pro-tips for a pour I’ve had difficulty mastering.

This month’s challenge is swirl based – the Taiwan Swirl, to be precise. To be uber-precise, the Circling Taiwan Swirl. This is a process involving three or more colors striped in a mold and then skewered and swirled in a specific way. The end result is supposed to be a lovely interior swirl, as well as 2-4 Lotus Blossom end pieces. When done right, it’s truly a beautiful pour.

The Process

First up, I commissioned some stainless steel mold dividers from Mr. Soap & Clay. I’ve had success using cardboard dividers, but as this was for a competition batch, I thought it a perfect time to take advantage of one of my husband’s many skill sets. Next, I needed to decide on a color scheme and scent. I’ve been sitting on a delicious mint blend for some time and decided that this pour would fit the bill. To enhance the scent’s intricacy (and to further fit the intricate pour), I blended it with a bit of ripe blackberry to add a bit of sweetness to the crisp and refreshing mint.

Finally, the pour. I used my tried and true slow trace recipe that I use for all design batches. This recipe has always given me enough time to perform intricate swirl and design work, but just to be safe I soaped at a much lower temperature than I normally do (around 90 degrees). The batter stayed wonderfully fluid throughout the process. *whew*

Check out those dividers! Mr. Soap & Clay is handy with the stainless!

After pouring the colored soap into each slot, it was then time to remove the dividers. This can prove more difficult than it sounds. Up and out of the mold as quickly as possible works best. I finally got to move on to the fun part: the skewer. Taking a chopstick, I ran perpendicular to the divided soap, skewering the width down the length of the mold. I then ran the perimeter of the soap 6-7 times to pull the pattern in one direction, thus achieving the “circling” bit of the Taiwan Swirl. Clear as mud? Great! I then popped the soap into the oven for a nice warm cure to make sure the soap gels and the colors really popped.

The Results

A few days later, I cut into this beauty. I separated the log into four blocks, which I then cut horizontally to expose the pattern within. And what a pattern!

Oooooooooooh

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

The lotus blossom actually appeared on both ends of my soap. I think. Honestly I’ve been staring at the swirl for so long that my eyes have gone crossed and I’m seeing lotus blossom tracers in my vision.

Lotus blossom? No? Octopus? Upside down Jelly fish? Maybe it’s abstract. Squint your eyes and tilt your head to the side.

The interior swirl was also quite lovely. Here it is on the wifi soap dish. Momma Soap & Clay has embraced the 21st century.

All in all, I’m very pleased with the result. This was a great way to up my soap game, and I am officially hooked on the Taiwan Swirl!

Artisan Soap: Cruelty Free, Vegan Friendly, Gluten Free…?

December 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

Soap Science: Gluten in Skincare

Good morning, Sudsers! This week has zoomed by, right? I’ve been busy with holiday orders, activities with the Soap & Clay kidlets, and booth events. I’ve spent the past few weeks at vendor events around the greater Seattle area, and I loved mingling with members of the community, chatting about soap and skincare needs. I tend to field a set of basic questions regarding my soaps multiple times throughout any event, questions I can readily answer and provide takeaway literature for, but the lovely community members in Bellevue, WA threw me a curveball on Saturday. I still got the basics: are your products responsibly sourced and cruelty free, do you have any vegan offerings, do you stock anything for sensitive skin, but there was one question I wasn’t prepared for. Are your soaps gluten free?

Gluten free? Hunh. Admittedly, my first thought in response to this question was, you don’t EAT soap. Please don’t eat my soap.

Don’t be like this kid.
Who also happens to be my kid.

Gluten free?

I answered as best I could, which was basically an inelegant stammering consisting of “I don’t use flour in my soap recipes, so I think I’m gluten free…wait, is oatmeal gluten? No? well it’s likely that I don’t…I want to say yes, but I’m really not sure.” Surprisingly, in spite of my less than stellar speaking skills, this customer still purchased some items and I sent them on their way, but not before collecting their email address to get them a definitive answer on the gluten question. A few minutes later, another patron asked the same thing: are your soaps gluten free? Four other customers asked about gluten over the course of this event, so the moment I got home, the research began.

What is Gluten?

First off, I obviously needed a better understanding of gluten and what those with gluten sensitivities actually need to avoid. My belief was that gluten sensitivity was a food concern; anything that a person ingests that contains gluten can have a negative impact on their body’s overall health. And while this seems to be the general consensus in the medical world, there is also a case to be made for removing gluten from skincare products as well. Which makes sense; every soap in my line has been designed to produce specific, topical results as the skin readily absorbs many things. In this day and age, there are even drugs that are administered topically because certain components can and do enter the system through the skin. So gluten in skincare products? Could be a concern.

So what is gluten? According to celiac.org, gluten is the name given to the elastic proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and various other grains to a lesser degree. For those with Celiac disease (about 1% of the population), this protein can cause a number of health problems if ingested. Through further sleuthing, however, I came across a number of articles discussing potential problems with Celiac patients and gluten found in topical products. The Mayo Clinic has some interesting information regarding topical gluten, which you can find here.

So is there gluten in soap? How about other cosmetic products? Yes, in large part. Turns out it’s pretty difficult to find commercial products that don’t contain gluten (another way of adding insult to injury for the gluten sensitive among us).

How about Soap & Clay products?

Well, that depends. Soap & Clay soaps contain no gluten. My basic soap recipe contains olive oil, coconut oil, responsibly sourced palm oil, canola oil, and sweet almond oil. I then add extra goodies, mostly in the form of oils, butters, and exfoliants. So according to this list of safe vs unsafe products for those with Celiac/gluten intolerance, Soap & Clay does not use any ingredients that contain gluten in the soaps themselves (**see below for a note about bath bombs). However, a number of Soap & Clay soaps contain oatmeal, an item that is listed on both sides of the safe/unsafe list. The reason for this is cross-contamination; any oatmeal that has been processed in a facility that also processes wheat, barley, or rye can come into contact with gluten. I use gluten-free oatmeal in my soap recipes, so by happy accident I can say that we are gluten free!

**A note about bath bombs: I’ve been unable to find definitive information regarding corn products and Celiac, so in the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, a word of caution for those concerned with gluten: all of my bath bombs contain cornstarch. If you have been told by your medical professional to avoid cornstarch, either topically or internally, please avoid Soap & Clay’s bath bombs.

So there you have it, Sudsers – all of the information you never knew you needed about soap. Remember – check your labels, know your labels, and if you have any questions, please contact me! Don’t forget – we have FREE SHIPPING through December 16th and gift boxes are still on sale. I’m hearing “craft time” turning into “mess time” in the kitchen, so I’m off to wrestle a glue stick away from a Soap & Clay kidlet. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Glue stick. Not gluten free.

FAQ Friday: Clays, Face Soaps, and Product Creation

December 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

FAQ Friday

Good morning, Sudsers! It’s Friday again – we’ve survived another workweek! As always, I hope you have something awesome planned for the weekend, even if that something awesome is playing video games in your PJs for two straight days. I understand; Fallout 4 is calling my name, too. Before you head off on adventures, check out this week’s FAQ Friday and see if your questions made the list!

I’ve received a ton of questions this week from Sudsers and booth visitors, so we’ll jump right in after a few reminders. First, I’ve extended the Gift Box sale through December 16th, so if you’re looking for a unique and useful gift idea outside of the Big Box, check them out. Also, Free Shipping continues on all orders through December 16th. Now, on to this week’s most frequently asked questions!

The “Clay” in Soap & Clay

The “Soap” bit I get. Where does the “Clay” come in?
Answer: Well, the “clay” represents, for now, the ingredients used in my soap recipes. I use clays – primarily Kaolin and Bentonite – in each and every batch of soap. Clays have tons of amazing benefits in skincare, and as my goal with each and every recipe I formulate is healthier skin for every Sudser, clays are an excellent ingredient to incorporate. Cosmetic clays are great for detoxifying skin, cleansing, purifying, removing excess oils without drying the skin, as well as providing good slip for shaving soaps! I love the extra lather, cleaning abilities, and skin softeners that come from a bar of clay soap, so I have made these hardworking additives a staple in my soap recipes.

Face Soaps: Best skincare for face

I have very sensitive skin and am worried about breakouts. Do you have a product designed for the face that won’t make me break out?
Answer: I understand the fear of new face products. I have struggled with acne for years and am always hesitant to try something new on my most sensitive feature. While all of Soap & Clay’s soaps are designed to be irritant free, I still get nervous using them on my face whenever it’s time to test a new product. I created the Face Paste and Face Polish for this reason. These soaps are face-specific, unscented, and are full of ingredients that will clarify, calm, soothe, and gently remove dead skin and debris without causing irritation. Activated charcoal shines in the Face Paste, and pumice powder takes the Face Polish to a new level of gentle debris removal. I can confidently recommend either (or both!) of these products for all skin types!

Soap & Clay Product Creation

So…do you make all of this?
Answer: I do! Each and every product found at Soap & Clay’s website or at booth events are handcrafted by yours truly. Further, all of the products I create are thoroughly tested for pH, performance, lathering, cleansing, irritants, and moisturizing properties before being added to the line. This means that every bar from Soap & Clay is not only handcrafted with love, but is also pretty great for your skin. Pretty awesome, amirite?

That’s it for me today, Sudsers. Remember, if you have any questions, concerns, suggestions (or even praise!), please don’t hesitate to reach out. I can be contacted a number of ways, including the contact form on the website. I love hearing from Sudsers, so keep the questions coming!