Generally when I soap Oakmoss Sandalwood, I use a crock pot hot process method (CPHP), because it takes less time, and time is of the essence with this soap, as well as it sells. However, since we’re in the slow time of the year after everyone is still paying off Christmas bills and before the Spring show and market season starts, I have the time to take it a little bit slower, to CP soaps I’d normally HP, to let the soaps linger on the curing rack even longer, becoming harder, denser and longer lasting. I enjoy this time of year just for that reason.
This time when I soaped Oakmoss Sandalwood, I decided, instead of my usual in the pot (ITP) swirl, I’d give another shot at funnel swirling. Funnel swirling is enjoyable with cool, Art Deco-ish results, but it requires the soap behaving from beginning to end. It cannot thicken, accelerate or seize; it must stay at a lighter trace. Obviously, if I know this, then you can infer that I’ve had soap not behave when I’ve tried to funnel swirl it before. (One experience in this led to the birth of the “Murdered Mardi Gras Clown” soap, aka “Visions of Sugar Plums.”)
I had the joy of slicing the Oakmoss Sandalwood soap this afternoon, and it’s the prettiest funnel swirl I’ve done. I’m not bragging that this is *the* most gorgeous funnel swirl soap out there; I have a soap bud who’s made some beautiful funnel swirls. I’m pleased with it. This first picture is a cross-section of the soap, and you can really see the swirls in the block.
This shows the soap sliced into bars. No two soaps look exactly alike, but I somehow got a really good symmetry on this one, so you can definitely tell they’re all related. 🙂
These little gems will be ready by the end of the month, and the wait will be well worth it. Oakmoss Sandalwood is a sexy, masculine fragrance with an earthy, musky, fresh, green scent. It’s become my favorite masculine fragrance, and my five-year-old daughter has pronounced it “Yuuuuuummmmyyyyyy!” You can go ahead and put an order in for yours today with the understanding it’s back-ordered until it’s cured.
Sara, that is one beautiful soap.
Aw, thank you! It was fun to make. 🙂