Candy Cane Soap Bar

Instructions

1. Makes about 1.5 litres of soap, which works out to approximately fifteen 100g bars.
2. Measure out the quantities exactly with a scale: This recipe is like chemistry. Unfortunately, there’s no compromise and you have to use a scale, and follow all instructions to a tee.
3. Prepare your colours: Mix 1 teaspoon of zinc oxide with 1 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil, like sunflower oil, and set aside. Mix 1 teaspoon of red iron oxide with 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil and set aside.
4. Make the lye solution: Slowly add the caustic soda to water in a glass mixing bowl (NOT the other way around). Do this step outdoors. Do not inhale any of the fumes from the reaction. Do not touch the solution. The solution will be murky and it will become hot, this is normal. Make sure that all the caustic soda crystals are dissolved by stirring very slowly with a stainless steel spoon. Be very careful when carrying this HOT bowl back indoors.
5. Start heating the oils: Heat the coconut and sunflower oil in a genuine stainless steel pot. Do not let it get to boiling point, this is way too hot. If the oil is too hot, your soap will flop and turn into a volcano. If you have a thermometer, the ideal temperature for the oil is 50°C.
6. Combine lye with the oil: First switch the stove off. Once both the oil and lye solution are roughly the same temperature (approximately 50°C), add the lye mixture to the oil. Again, please make sure that the stove is turned off at this point.
7. Blend until you reach a very thin trace: Once the lye and oils are combined, start blending with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Immersion stick blenders achieve trace quicker (+/- 5 minutes) than two-prong mixers (+/- 10 minutes). Stop blending as soon as you see the first signs of trace, don’t continue blending until the mixture gets to a thick trace. If you see traces of droplets on the surface, stop! You need a thin trace in order to have the time to play around with colour and patterns.
8. Add fragrance oil: Gently stir in 5ml of peppermint essential oil, or mint fragrance oil.
9. Divide soap mixture into two seperate containers: Pour half the mixture into one container, and the other half into another container.
10. Add colour: In the first container, stir in the zinc oxide mixture. In the second container, stir in the red iron oxide mixture. Your soap mixture will just keep getting thicker with time, so you need to work quite quickly before the soap becomes too solid to work with.

11. Layer the soap into your mould: Layer the soap by pouring a bit of the white soap mixture into your mould, and then a bit of the red soap mixture, then more of the white soap mixture. Repeat until your mould is full. You can pour thin, neat layers; or blobs and globs (like me).

12. Insulate your mould overnight: Cover the top with plastic or cardboard, then wrap your mould in towels or blankets for insulation and store on a level surface overnight.
13. Cut soap into bars after 24-48 hours: After 24 hours your soap will have the texture of cheddar cheese, which makes it easy to cut. If you wait longer than 48 hours, it may be difficult to cut your soap, and it may crumble. Cut your soap with a non-serrated knife.
14. Let your soap cure: Place your bars in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight and allow them to cure for a minimum of 1 week until it is safe to use, and between 4 – 6 weeks for best results. Remember to turn them occasionally, so that each side gets exposure to the air.