Hocus Pocus: Shimmering Activated Charcoal Soap
Halloween is a favorite holiday for many and can be a night filled with fun, costumes, and scary adventures. Celebrating is often associated with lots of makeup and enjoying sticky sweet candy which means we will need a great soap to help us clean up once the fun is over. A nearly black bar of soap with a sheen of gold sparkles captures the darkness and fun of the spookiest night of the year. Activated charcoal can work to gently exfoliate the skin while helping to remove impurities and give the soap a beautiful dark grey color. Gold mica adds a hint of shimmer and magical whimsy to the simple bar. Moonlight Vanilla Fragrance Oil and Rustic Woods Fragrance Oil come together to form a richly sweet and woodsy scent like a breeze rattling through a dark forest on Halloween night. The addition of Hansel & Gretel Fragrance Oil adds a bit of spice and mystery to the aroma.
Ingredients
- 5lb Silicone Loaf Mold
- 22 oz of Olive Oil
- 13.75 oz of Palm Oil
- 13.75 oz of Coconut Oil
- 5.5 oz of Cocoa Butter Wafers
- 3 oz of Sweet Almond Oil
- 17.4 oz of Distilled Water
- 7.8 oz of Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 2 oz of Moonlight Vanilla Fragrance Oil
- 2 oz of Rustic Woods Fragrance Oil
- ½ oz of Hansel & Gretel Fragrance Oil
- 3 tbsp of Activated Charcoal
- 2 tsp of Gold Mica Powder
Instructions
- Weigh and combine the fragrance oils, then set them aside. Add the sweet almond oil, activated charcoal, and gold mica to a small bowl and use a small whisk to combine, ensuring there are no clumps.
- Weigh the olive oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter and combine them in a large bowl. Place the bowl on top of a large pot about ⅓ full of water. Bring the water to a boil. Heat the oils until fully melted and blended, stirring occasionally.
- While the oils are melting, weigh out the lye and water in two separate bowls. Slowly add the lye to the water while gently stirring until the lye is fully dissolved and the liquid is clear.
- Let the oils and lye mixture both cool to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring that they are within 10 degrees of each other.
- Place the immersion blender into the oils, tapping it on the bottom of the bowl to release any air bubbles.
- Slowly and gently pour the lye water into the oil mixture. Pouring down the side of the bowl or down the shaft of the immersion blender can reduce the chance of splashing.
- Pulse the blender a few times, watching as the oils and lye start to combine. Switch between short pulses and stirring with the blender until the mixture comes together to a very light trace.
- Working quickly, add the fragrance oil blend and dispersed activated charcoal and mica mixture and whisk to combine. Do not use the immersion blender for this step.
- Once the soap reaches about a medium trace, pour it into the mold, scraping the bowl to ensure no soap is left behind. Tap the molds on your table or counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Cover the mold and allow the soap to sit in the mold for 48-72 hours at room temperature. Unmold soap, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
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