Lime in the Coconut Soap (plus a bonus pie!)

[Mandyhello]

Thanks Harry Nilsson, I'm now "Lime in the Coconut" obsessed   I decided to make a quick little Lime and Coconut batch of soap this weekend using leftover oils I had in my pantry:





Lime in the Coconut Soap:

35 oz Olive Oil
15 oz Coconut Oil
9 oz Palm Oil
6 oz Shortening (the cheap Veggie/Cottonseed Oil one)

8.9 oz Lye
10 oz Chilled Coconut Milk
10 oz Water
4 oz distilled Lime EO
Shredded Coconut and Lime zest

It was so warm out, I didn't even premelt my oils.  I added the coconut milk, EO, and half the shredded coconut and lime zest at trace.  I topped the bars with the other half when they were in the mold.  It has a great texture, I like the little flecks of lime zest, and it smells really nice!

After that, I was still obsessed, so I made a pie



yeah yeah, we ate half, whatever   Basically, a stick of butter (yeah yeah a stick of butter, whatever!), enough flour to make a roux.  Then a can of coconut milk, juice and zest of 4 limes, a little milk, pinch of salt, sugar to taste, and an egg.  The crust is just like a graham cracker crust, but I used sugar cones all ground up instead!  Oooo, naughty

[MareMare]

um, both look awesome! Love!

[peachessunshine]

I agree, the pie looks delicious and the soap looks wonderful. I love coconut and lime!

[I Sew Cute]

Oh man! THat looks like it smells so good! Might give it a try! Thanks for sharing! 

[craftewoman]

I am so in love with handmade soaps and this one looks awesome! The pie looks divine. It's a good thing you don't consume calories just from looking!

[girly_fish]

I'm not a coconut fan, but your pie and soap both look DELICIOUS!

[Mrs Kay]

Your soap looks divine! Makes me think of sunny days in the Florida Keys.

[mrsflibble]

omg I can almost smell it!

[fiddlegirl8]

I love the look, and I'm pretty sure I would love the smell - I've never made soap before, but this makes me want to try it!  Is it difficult to do?     My skin is fairly sensitive, does the lye make the soap harsh?  Or is there something else you can substitute for the lye?   

And what is the distilled Lime EO?  Where do you buy soap making supplies?   

[Mandyhello]

I love the look, and I'm pretty sure I would love the smell - I've never made soap before, but this makes me want to try it!  Is it difficult to do?     My skin is fairly sensitive, does the lye make the soap harsh?  Or is there something else you can substitute for the lye?   

And what is the distilled Lime EO?  Where do you buy soap making supplies?   

It took me about a year to learn how to make soap properly, and I've tooled it after that.  I would say the recipe is the hardest part to master, the percentage of oils etc.  I would recommend the MMS Lye Calculator and Ohhappyday's Soap tutorial here on Craftster.  It's not that hard once you get the hang of it and it's really fun!  Homemade soap is actually much milder on your skin that most commercial soaps.  The lye mixes with the oils and through a complicated magical process that I don't totally understand, converts itself into soap.  The lye is only dangerous until the soap sets up and cures a little, it's perfectly safe once the soap hardens.  I always add about 6% extra oils too (it's called super fatting), so this makes sure the lye has plenty of oil to party with, and leaves the soap really soft and moisturizing.  Lye is necessary to make homemade soap, but if you wanted to start with something easier, you could always try melt and pour (basically all natural soap base that's premade.. you just melt it and add the essential oils that you want). 

I'm not totally sure what the difference between regular and distilled essential oils is, other than distilled is cheaper haha!  I made sure you could use it in soap, and it's fine for Lime.  I think the regular Lime EO smells a little less sweet than the distilled, but both are great in soap, and the distilled was about 50% cheaper than regular.

I buy all of my soap scents from Brambleberry or Sweet Cakes, but sometimes I get essential oils at my local natural food store (if I'm out of time).  I get all of my oils at Aldi or the grocery store and watch for sales.  Bulk hasn't been drastically cheaper so far, but I may get to that point soon.

Anyway, convo me with questions, I hope you try making soap!