Marbled lavender soap

This is the recipe that my daughter and I used yesterday for a new soap. It is quite soft and it should lather well. The oatmeal soap I made about 2 months ago is a hard bar and has a low lather, but the cucumber is glorious!

I dried the lavender heads for a week and they were fully dry depsite the rainy weather.

378g coconut oil
250g palm oil
350g olive oil
151 g caustic soda
385ml rain or distilled water
15ml evening primrose oil
15ml lavender essential oil
15ml mauve pignment
2 handfuls dry lavender flowers

The key to making soap is to have everything ready. You need a pot for the oils, a scale to weigh them, 2 wooden spoons, 2 thermometers, 1 large plastic bowl, stick blender, greased mould.

Cover the counter with newspaper as well to stop messes. I am a bit negligent with gloves and eye protection, I used to wear them but have found that I am more adept at not messing now.

Measure the oils and place them in the pot on the stove at a low temperature to melt.

Place the quantity of water in the bowl then measure the caustic soda and add to the water. I do this outside. Stir gently until dissolved then set aside.

Check temperature on oils. You want both the water and the oils to be at the same temperature. I use 50 deg C.

When they are the same temperature add the lye to the oil while stirring. Then use your stick blender to bring to light trace. Add the essential oil and Evening Primrose now. Pour out 1/3rd of the mixture (back into the plastic bowl) and QUICKLY add the pigment. Stir.

Pour the uncoloured soap mixture into the mould. Then pour the purple ontop. Take a skewer or the back of the thermometer and do large figures of eight through the two layers.

Lastly press the flowers into the gooey surface of the soap. Cover with towels and leave overnight.

In the morning turn the mould over and the soap should flop out. Cut into desired size. Our yield was 22 generous bars.

This needs to cure for 4 - 5 weeks.