Guest guest Posted October 16, 2005 Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 Hello Soapers, I think I must have contracted the soaping bug, LOL! I made my first CP batch on Monday & it turned out really fine - good lather, good scent from EOs, looks good. Since then, I've written out half a dozen recipes & run them through calculators. Today I did my 2nd batch using strong Japanese green tea as the liquid. I added lye to about half of the tea & then added the rest of the tea just before I combined it with my oils. It turned dark brown, which is really OK with me, although I had expected a green color. I used good oils so it should be fine as soap even if it's not the color I wanted. Sometime I may try rebatching it and combining it with a light- colored soap either as swirls or embeds. But this experience leads me to wonder... In one of my other recipes I had planned to use rooibos tea (South African red tea that is loaded with anti-oxidants). I assumed that it would give a nice color to the soap. But after today's experience I'm not so sure. Has anyone else used rooibos tea as the liquid? if so, what color was the soap? Should I just powder it and add it at trace as a coloring agent? Thanks for any insights. Green Blessings, Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 When I soap with tea I brew it double strength, use that 100% in the soap, but I do freeze my tea before adding the lye. HTH, Serra On 10/16/05, Kathy LaShure <desert_encelia wrote: > Hello Soapers, > > I think I must have contracted the soaping bug, LOL! I made my first > CP batch on Monday & it turned out really fine - good lather, good > scent from EOs, looks good. Since then, I've written out half a > dozen recipes & run them through calculators. Today I did my 2nd > batch using strong Japanese green tea as the liquid. I added lye to > about half of the tea & then added the rest of the tea just before I > combined it with my oils. It turned dark brown, which is really OK > with me, although I had expected a green color. I used good oils so > it should be fine as soap even if it's not the color I wanted. > Sometime I may try rebatching it and combining it with a light- > colored soap either as swirls or embeds. > > But this experience leads me to wonder... > > In one of my other recipes I had planned to use rooibos tea (South > African red tea that is loaded with anti-oxidants). I assumed that > it would give a nice color to the soap. But after today's experience > I'm not so sure. Has anyone else used rooibos tea as the liquid? if > so, what color was the soap? Should I just powder it and add it at > trace as a coloring agent? > > Thanks for any insights. > Green Blessings, > Kathy -- Check out my new Garage Sale: http://scentedbusiness.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hi Kathy, I've used rooibos in soap (CP) and it makes for a nice soap, but it came out kind of a dark tan in color, not red like the brewed tea is. I just use the cooled brewed tea for my liquid and add the lye to it. Serra said she freezes her tea before adding the lye; I've never tried that, (except when making milk soaps) but maybe that would help preserve the tea color a little better, and not become quite so tan. Pam in Gettysburg > In one of my other recipes I had planned to use rooibos tea (South > African red tea that is loaded with anti-oxidants). I assumed that > it would give a nice color to the soap. But after today's experience > I'm not so sure. Has anyone else used rooibos tea as the liquid? if > so, what color was the soap? Should I just powder it and add it at > trace as a coloring agent? > > Thanks for any insights. > Green Blessings, > Kathy > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hello everyone, I also have a question about using teas in soaps (and you will be able to tell by my question I have yet to try this). When you use tea in your soap (the actual tea-water as being discussed here) is the smell of the tea evident in the finished product? Or, does the lye kill the smell? Thanks for any help you can give to a newbie! Emily , " Kathy LaShure " <desert_encelia@v...> wrote: > > Hello Soapers, > > I think I must have contracted the soaping bug, LOL! I made my first > CP batch on Monday & it turned out really fine - good lather, good > scent from EOs, looks good. Since then, I've written out half a > dozen recipes & run them through calculators. Today I did my 2nd > batch using strong Japanese green tea as the liquid. I added lye to > about half of the tea & then added the rest of the tea just before I > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 >>Hi Kathy, I've used rooibos in soap (CP) and it makes for a nice soap,but it came out kind of a dark tan in color, not red like the brewed tea is. I just use the cooled brewed tea for my liquid and add the lye to it. Serra said she freezes her tea before adding the lye; I've never tried that, (except when making milk soaps) but maybe that would help preserve the tea color a little better, and not become quite so tan. >> Pam in Gettysburg Thanks for the tips. Someone on another list did suggest using the powdered tea at trace. So I think I'll combine all the suggestions: 2x brewed tea, frozen & the powdered tea. Soaping is so much fun. Today I'm making a plain batch, so I can practice re-batching. And a friend with a bodycare shop here in our little Mojave desert community has expressed an interest in selling locally-made soap. Hurray!! Green (even in the desert) Blessings, Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 >>Hi Kathy, I've used rooibos in soap (CP) and it makes for a nice soap,but it came out kind of a dark tan in color, not red like the brewed tea is. I just use the cooled brewed tea for my liquid and add the lye to it. Serra said she freezes her tea before adding the lye; I've never tried that, (except when making milk soaps) but maybe that would help preserve the tea color a little better, and not become quite so tan. >> Pam in Gettysburg Thanks for the tips. Someone on another list did suggest using the powdered tea at trace. So I think I'll combine all the suggestions: 2x brewed tea, frozen & the powdered tea. Soaping is so much fun. Today I'm making a plain batch, so I can practice re-batching. And a friend with a bodycare shop here in our little Mojave desert community has expressed an interest in selling locally-made soap. Hurray!! Green (even in the desert) Blessings, Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Kathy, Natural colorants in soap can be challenging - but it is fun. Greens and blues are the toughest, with reds, corals, different tans and the like being easier. The lye in soap changes the natural materials. Some fun things to try... paprika makes a light pumpkin color carrot juice as the liquid for a golden bar ground rosemary for a mossy green comfrey root tea for a pale mauve Tina _The Essential Herbal Magazine_ (http://www.essentialherbal.com/) _Essential Herbal Blog_ (http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2005 Report Share Posted October 18, 2005 Hi Emily, I've never been able to detect any scent of the tea in the finished soap. Basically, I'd say, yeah, the lye pretty much takes care of the tea scent. Now, I usually scent my soaps with either fragrance oils or essential oils, so that would definitely make a difference, but, even if I leave it unscented, I still don't get any " tea aroma. " Pam in Gettysburg - In , " kirsch_blossom " <kirsch_blossom> wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > I also have a question about using teas in soaps (and you will be > able to tell by my question I have yet to try this). > > When you use tea in your soap (the actual tea-water as being > discussed here) is the smell of the tea evident in the finished > product? Or, does the lye kill the smell? > > Thanks for any help you can give to a newbie! > > Emily> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2005 Report Share Posted October 18, 2005 kirsch_blossom wrote: > Thanks for your reply Pam. That is what I suspected. I will have to > experiment and see if I can come up with a really good Earl Grey > scent. > > While we are on the subject, does anyone know of a good Earl Grey FO > or have a recipe for one I can mix myself? Bergamot should work. I like it anyhow. neysa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2005 Report Share Posted October 18, 2005 Thanks for your reply Pam. That is what I suspected. I will have to experiment and see if I can come up with a really good Earl Grey scent. While we are on the subject, does anyone know of a good Earl Grey FO or have a recipe for one I can mix myself? Thanks! , " pkginter " <pkginter> wrote: > > Hi Emily, I've never been able to detect any scent of the tea in the > finished soap. Basically, I'd say, yeah, the lye pretty much takes > care of the tea scent. Now, I usually scent my soaps with either > fragrance oils or essential oils, so that would definitely make a > difference, but, even if I leave it unscented, I still don't get > any " tea aroma. " > > Pam in Gettysburg > > - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 >>see if I can come up with a really good Earl Grey scent. >> I seem to remember that Elemi and Petitigrain were 2 essential oils used to get a tea scent- not sure if there was a third. But may be a good place to start. Hope this helps. Thanks Marilyn Schendel www.ritualwaters.com & www.soapdujour.com All things wild and water-filled are good for the soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2005 Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 Bergamot IS the scent of Earl Grey tea, well mixed with the scent of black tea of course, but yep, the Bergamot is what makes it smell like Earl Grey, and not Lipton *Smile* Chris (list mom - the earl grey tea addict who has been too busy to play on list this week Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! - Dr Seuss http://www.alittleolfactory.com <http://www.alittleolfactory.com/> On Behalf Of Neysa Dormish kirsch_blossom wrote: > Thanks for your reply Pam. That is what I suspected. I will have to > experiment and see if I can come up with a really good Earl Grey > scent. > > While we are on the subject, does anyone know of a good Earl Grey FO > or have a recipe for one I can mix myself? Bergamot should work. I like it anyhow. neysa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2005 Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 Earl Grey is scented with Bergamot. Easy! Gayla Roberts Always Enough Ranch Acampo, California Check out our SALE PAGE at www.bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenoughhobbysale.html A day without Bill Barnhill is like a day without sunshine! goatclearing http://coloredboers.home.att.net/always.html No one ever gets far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day. Elbert Hubbard - " Neysa Dormish " <neysa Tuesday, October 18, 2005 11:08 AM Re: Re: Using tea in soap > kirsch_blossom wrote: >> Thanks for your reply Pam. That is what I suspected. I will have to >> experiment and see if I can come up with a really good Earl Grey >> scent. >> >> While we are on the subject, does anyone know of a good Earl Grey FO >> or have a recipe for one I can mix myself? > > Bergamot should work. I like it anyhow. > neysa > > > > The information contained in these e-mails is not a substitute > for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional. > > > Step By Step Instructions For Making Herbal Labna Cheese! So easy, SO > yummy! > http://www.aromaticsage.com/cz.htm > > > To adjust your group settings (i.e. go no mail) see the following link: > /join > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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