Paprika is the new natural colorant I am using on this soap recipe. Despite its dark orange, red-brick color, in soap you get a light yellow-orange to dark orange brown, depending on the quantity you are using. The quantity for this recipe gives you light orange-yellow.This soap is made with a oil mixture that doesn't contain coconut oil (or even olive oil). While coconut oil is the best oil you can use for soapmaking due to foaming properties, you can make good soap without it. So, if you don't want to use coconut oil for any reason, here is a good alternative. Scented with litsea cubeba/May Chang, it got a wonderful lemony scent. And colored with paprika, I've got a pretty light orange color with spots. Difficulty: EasyWeight: 450g (15,87 oz)Superfat: 6%Lye Concentration: 25%
Watch the video above about "Cold Process Soap Making Tutorial" or read the post Learn To Make Cold Process Soap for instructions on cold process soap making before starting. These are generic but important steps for all recipes.
Assemble everything: ingredients, equipment, safety equipment. Prepare your workstations. Measure all the ingredients. Don’t start the recipe without having everything ready!
Preparing the colorant
After measuring your oils, remove 1 tbsp of liquid oil and mix it well with the paprika. Avoid clumps.
Heat the Oils
Heat all your oils in a pyrex bowl at the microwave until the palm oil melts. Use 1 min periods and check temperature. The oils shouldn't overheat (> 60ºC or 140ºF)
Make the Lye Water
Make the lye solution according to How To Make Lye Water. Mix it until the vapors start to dissipate.
Make the Soap Batter
Use as target temperature 38ºC for the oil-solution mixture. It can be less than this, but the lye and oils should not have a difference of more than 10º between them.
Mix oils and lye with the immersion blender. Add the oil with paprika during this operation. It's not usual, but paprika may accelerate trace. If it does, be swift with next instructions.
Reach trace with the immersion blender.
Add the extract and essential oil after tracing. Mix with a spoon or spatula.
Molding and Curing
Pour the dough in the molds with a pitcher and sprinkle with alcohol or witch hazel.
Let it set for 48 hours.
Unmold and let the bars cure for 4 to 6 weeks. See How To Cure Soap.