We announced earlier that we were adding All-Natural Soaps to our bookstore, both ONLINE and here at the monastery. Week by week, we are adding new varieties of scents and colors and designs.
New soap: Kaleido–Soap!
Yesterday and today we have been making our Kaleido-soap. The scent is “Juicy Pear” which is light and fresh — a great match for the colors.
Kaleido-soap is made with a special “column swirl” method, which originates with Venetian art painting methods.
First step is to arrange the pigments used in this soap. We have everything from spirulina for green to “Electric Bubblegum” Pink with Magnesium violet. Here Fr. Martin is checking the temperature of the oils.
The soap batter is mixed with pigments and lined up to be poured over the star-shaped column. At this stage we have to race against time as the soap is already thickening.
And down goes the soap into the mold. The various colors are slowed down by the column and pool into discrete bands of color, shaped by the column into a large floral pattern.
Gradually the mold is filled up with enough batter to make about 30 bars of soap.
Swirling a bit with a chopstick helps to add shape to the colors.
Now it is ready to cover and allow chemistry to turn oils and lye water into soap. All our soaps are made from 100% vegetable oils. They are “super-fatted” which ensures that no lye remains. All has been transformed into soap with extra oil emulsified in it to add to the moisturizing effect. Our soaps are also full of free glycerin. Glycerin is a natural humectant (it draws moisture to the skin). Sadly, in most commercial soap, it is extracted and sold as a much sought-after commodity.
Cut and ready to cure. After 30 days, the soap will harden up, the pH will be perfect and it will be ready for sale.
Look for these soaps in our store around Mid-March!
