How To Make Cold Process Watermelon Soap

Two batches of your own cold process soap recipe, one sized to 30 oz of oils, the other sized to 45 oz of oils (This recipe assumes basic knowledge of cold process soap making, including safe handling of lye. If you are not experienced in cold process soap making, handling lye, resizing batches etc. I would recommend beginning with an easier recipe)

1 . Melt the 1 oz of melt and pour soap. Color it black. Beware it does not take much colorant, about as much as you can fit on the very tip of a knife. If you use too much it will be a mess. Pour the now black soap base on to a sheet of wax paper to cool (you can skip to step 2 here and come back when it has cooled). When it has cooled cut into tiny seed sized chunks. They do not need to be seed-shaped, you cannot see the shape through the soap anyway.

2. Prepare your mold. Wrap saran around one of the 2” pvc pipe caps (this will keep it from sticking) and cap one end of the 2” pvc pipe. You may choose to line the pipe with petroleum jelly or not at this point. It is very difficult to get it out, but I do not think the petroleum helps and some of it is sure to be absorbed into the soap. Prop the pipe up in a bucket or pot and pack in with towels to keep steady.

3. Make a 30 oz (of oils) batch of cold process soap using proper soap making procedure and safe handling of lye. Color it pink and scent with about two tablespoons of Watermelon fragrance. Stir until trace. Test one of the seeds by dropping on top. You want it to be thick enough to hold the ‘seeds’ without them all falling to the bottom, but still pourable to be able to get it down into your small tube. Stir in the seeds. Now you are ready to pour. I recommend a canning funnel to get down into the tube neatly, but maybe you are steadier handed than I. Cap the top of the pipe and wrap it in blankets to keep it warm.

4. Wait. This is the hardest part for me, but give it at least 24 if not 48 hours to saponify. It needs to be quite firm when you attempt to unmold it.

5. Unmold it. Unwrap and uncap both ends of the pipe. Put it into the freezer for an hour. Take it out and wait until the pipe begins gathering condensation, about fifteen minutes. Place the top end on the floor (so the soap has some room to move in the pipe before butting up against the floor) and place the dowel into the other end and push. I have to get onto a chair to get enough weight onto it to budge it, but all you have to do is budge it to break the seal and it will come right out. If you cannot get it yourself employ the help of your friend. Once you have succeeded in moving the soap in the pipe pick it up off the floor and push it out.

6. Prepare 3” pvc pipe as you did the other in step 2. Place the long pink section down into the 3” pipe and stick a skewer straight down into it. Lay skewers down sideways around it to secure it solidly in the middle and tape them down to the side of the tube.

7. Mix your second batch of soap with 45 oz of oils. Color green and scent with 2 TBSP watermelon fragrance. Stir to trace but not to thick.

8. Pour into 3” pvc pipe around pink section. I would recommend a large funnel for this step tucked between the skewers and between the pink soap and pvc pipe.

9. Wrap it up and wait at least 48 hours.

10. Unmold, placing into the freezer as before. This time you may need to find something round but bigger to help push out the soap. I used a canning lid on top of the 2” dowel to keep from tearing up the top of my soap. This one is also harder to get out than the two inch pipe, so definitely have some assistance on hand. If you cannot get it out, set it aside in a warm dry place a few days and try again. It is difficult to get it out, but the longer it cures the more it will shrink up so rest assured, it will eventually come out.

11. Cut into about ¾ “ slices.

The Sudsy Soapery Watermelon Soap

The Sudsy Soapery

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