Spicy Pumpkin Soap

I love the smell of spicy, aromatic soaps. This soap reminds me of my Grandmother's Grammar Pie, one of my favourite sweets when I was a young girl. I love pumpkin. It's great to eat, to use as decoration and its great in soap! I hope that you enjoy your slice of this spicy pumpkin soap.
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You will need:

  • 119.00g lye (6% superfat)
  • 227g cold water
  • 454g Olive oil
  • 227g coconut oil
  • 170g sunflower oil
  • 57g cooked and mashed pumpkin
  • ground cardamom and star anise (choose how much you wish to use by how strong you want the spicy fragrance)
  • Cinnamon bark essential oil (5-10ml)

Method:

  1. Ensure that you have your gloves and eye protection on and all your equipment ready on your bench.
  2. Have your pre-cooked pumpkin cold in the fridge.
  3. Weigh out your Lye in a disposable cup and keep aside
  4. Weigh out your cold water and pour into your jug. Place the jug under the exhaust fan in your kitchen.
  5. Pour the lye into the water and stir until clear. Allow your water and lye solution to cool down. I sometimes place my jug in the kitchen sink surrounded by ice cubes or have some of my water allowance as ice cubes.
  6. Weigh out your oils and place in a large plastic or stainless steel bowl.
  7. When your lye water has cooled down, pour into your oils and gently stir until well mixed.
  8. Using your hand blender, place into the oil mixture, tip slightly to the side and burp the end of your blender. (You don't want any trapped air underneath the blender to splash oil and lye up into your eyes)
  9. Bring to a light trace and add your ground spices
  10. Continue to stir until a light-medium trace and add your cinnamon bark essential oil.
  11. Divide your mixture into two and add your cold mashed pumpkin to one soap container and mix in well.
  12. In your soap mould place one layer of pumpkin soap with alternating layers of plain spiced soap. Pumpkin, spice, pumpkin, spice etc.
  13. Cover and allow to sit for 24 hours. Check to see if it is dry enough to unmould as the pumpkin can cause this soap to remain moist. Leave longer in the mould if needed.