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| MIXOLOGY |
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Mixing & Using Natural Bases From Vermont Soap Organics
Many of our customers purchase bulk unscented Aloe Castile Liquid Soap, Bath & Shower Gel and Bath Salts from us for increased savings. Following is an overview regarding how to blend our natural bases with oils and pigments to make customized scents and color variations.
General Recommendations:
Always stir the base, whole slowly adding the other ingredients. It is best to keep base and additives at the same temperature. Always test a small sample BEFORE moving on to larger amounts. Let the mixture sit for 48 hours to check for separation. Dissolve mineral oxides in a little water before adding them to blends (except with bath salts). We suggest using a standard sheet rock mud mixing blade on a heavy duty drill to mix 5 gallon pails. This works well for all bases, except the bath salts, which require a different mixing blade. Fifty-five gallon drums can be broken down and mixed this way, or use a drum type mixer at low RPM and with the appropriate blade. Always stir from the bottom, and be sure the base is homogenous before adding other ingredients.
Aloe Castile Liquid Soap:
Some essential oils make natural Castile liquid soap "snotty". These include lemon, lemon grass, clove, eucalyptus, and possibly others, including many artificial fragrances. Test carefully when using these oils or go with a gel instead, as gels tend to hold additives better than liquids. Orange oils and other essential oils may not become fully absorbed and float on top if too much is used. Warm mixture and stir to work them back into the soap. Wait 24 hours and check for separation. Skim excess from the top if needed. Any oil based or water based herbal ingredient can potentially be used. If your customers don't mind synthetic ingredients, Tween 20 (polysorbate 20), will help strong essential oil blends to stay in the soap. Castile liquid soap will absorb up approximately 1.5 - 2% essential oils. This can be doubled with the addition of 5% polysorbate 20.
Castile Bath & Shower Gel:
This is made by adding glycerin and vegetable gums to our Aloe Castile Liquid Soap. As a result, it is milder and easier to work with. This is the world's first non-detergent natural shower gel base. Gels are actually a colloidal liquid and tend to get thicker towards the bottom. Stir well before using.
Bath Salts:
We recommend mixing these with a smaller propeller type blade. Plunge the tool up and down while stirring about 1/2 bucket at a time. Add mineral oxides and herbs dry, mix well, then add scent. Bath salts can absorb double the essential oils soaps can hold!
Shea Butter:
Our 9lb containers of Shea butter come in a gallon jug. To remove the shea from the container immerse the jug in hot water to melt it. You may need to change the water a few times in order to keep the heat level consistent enough to melt all the shea. Stir it up by hand, and pour into smaller containers for later use. Add essential oils or herbal infused oils to alter the scent and properties of the shea. Use beeswax to emulsify oils into the shea, and to raise the melt point. 1/3 beeswax 1/3 shea and 1/3 herbal infused oil is a good starting point if you are experimenting with making you own balms and salves. Essential oils are used at 2-3% of the total typically.
Shea butter must cool very slowly or it will become crystally or pilly as different waxes solidify at different rates within the shea. It is also possible to whip the shea butter with a blending device, or by hand, just before it sets up. This creates a creamy texture. Shea butter can be remelted several times, but it becomes tired if you let it melt and resolidify too many times.
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TOLL FREE: 1-866-SOAP-4U2
(1-866-762-7482)
E-mail: info@vermontsoap.com
616 Exchange Street, Middlebury, VT 05753
Local: (802) 388-4302 ~ Fax: (802) 388-7471
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