Root Beer Float Bar Update

Check it out, we have discoloration! Now this soap really looks like root beer, and it still smells just like it, too!

Root Beer Float Test Batch

It's another beautiful weekend here in Bellingham and I'm making some delicious Root Beer Float soap to put out in the store as a test loaf. We want your opinions! But oh boy, this is like a replay of the Mint Chocolate Chip project where I have to remind myself that this is soap I have created, not a yummy treat to take a bite out of. We have already tested this scent in a small round sample, and it really discolored. I mean like a hockey puck. But the scent is SO worth it!

My plan for this small batch is to do one side colored dark with cappuccino mica and black oxide, and one side colored light with titanium dioxide. We'll see how well the light side holds up over time as it cures.

In my lined two-pound wooden loaf mold, I poured both of my colors at the same time so they met up in the middle. Then I gave the mold a good shake to even everything out. The soap thickens quickly with this particular scent, but by mixing with my rubber spatula just before pouring, I was able to work with a nice thin texture and no mad rush.

Above is just one pass with a reed in a figure-eight pattern. You could leave it like this and it would be very simple and elegant, but I did one more pass in an 'S' pattern to see what would happen:

The cut soap looks great and the fragrance is mouth-watering! The pattern looks a little bit like a cow, but I'm happy with the outcome. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!

Private Swirling Class at Otion

Yesterday was so much fun! Sally from Redmond, WA came up to Otion for a private class to learn the art of cold process swirling. She was such a pleasure to teach, and I can't wait to see her future projects!


We used the popular 18 bar birch mold (my favorite), and a blend of Energy, Strawberry and Lime fragrance oils for a delicious summer scent. Since she had never swirled before, we went all out and used yellow mica, hydrated green chrome oxide, ultramarine violet, ultramarine blue, and titanium dioxide pigments.



The soap came out great, but more importantly, Sally left with a ton of information, some simple tricks to make the soaping process go more efficiently and safely, a list of must-have tools that will save her time and energy, and a new found confidence and excitement for her colorful soap making endeavors. Thanks again Sally!

Summer Sun Bars

Take your soap from boring to beautiful in one easy step using a soap stamp!


Here's what you'll need:

A generic bar of soap
Gold Sparkle Mica
Sun Stamp (Follow this link to see our shiny new Sun Stamp! Photos show an older version).
Rubber mallet

Freshly cut bars of soap work best for stamps because the softness is easier to penetrate.

Sprinkle a thin dusting of Gold Sparkle mica in the lid off its jar. Tap the stamp in the lid until it has a generous coating of mica. If you are having trouble getting the color to stick, spray your stamp a couple times with rubbing alcohol and try again.

Center the stamp on the bar and tap with the rubber mallet, starting with each corner. Then give it a good whack right in the middle to set it into the bar. Keep in mind that too hard of hits will start to split the bar, so practice using light taps at first.

Lift the stamp and you're done! The Gold Sparkle Mica leaves a gorgeous shimmer that makes the stamp design really stand out. It couldn't be an easier way to take your soap up a notch! Have fun and see what other results you get with different mica pigments and stamps.

A Unique Twist to Vanilla

Looking for a new and exciting vanilla fragrance? Try Vanilla Forest, our duplication of the popular “Vanilla Bean” by Henry Bendel. It’s a musky vanilla laced with Lemon Leaf, Almond Flower and Vanilla Blossom with base notes of Patchouli and sandalwood. I highly recommend this fragrance to those who are already planning for fall projects.

The soap in the photo was made using opaque melt-and-pour, cappuccino mica, and the Guest Botanicals mold, which is also a great wedding favor design!