Seventh Times A Charm

Today, I tentatively say that I believe we have achieved our goal of making a cleansing, nourishing, high-foaming hand soap. We made two batches of soap paste using the hot process method. The first of the two was “nice.” It was formulated to be gentle and moisturizing. The second was “luxurious.” It was formulated to be cleansing, moisturizing, and, well, luxurious. The second formulation is the one I was most excited to create.

Although the second batch was nice, I didn’t feel like it was anything special. If you know me, good or nice isn’t enough. I’ll accept good or nice over burning the skin off my hands, but it isn’t good enough to present to my soap family. I knew I could do better. My third formulation is almost where I want it. The third formulation includes pumpkin seed oil, coconut oil, castor oil, and lard. I love pumpkin seed oil. Pumpkin seed oil is amazing for one’s skin; it is a luxury oil and a bit pricey, especially with high inflation. However, pumpkin seed oil seems to be the ticket to creating the liquid soap of perfection that I am imagining.

Although we have created the foundation for the liquid hand soap, the paste, we now have to correct the dilution process. Our liquid hand soap is going to be a foaming hand soap. In order to achieve the desired foam, we have to create the perfect consistency. If the dilution is too thick, it does not expel from the foaming pump properly. Instead, it comes out like a big splat of kind of sudsy soap. If the formulation is too thin, it foams nicely, but it’s more foam than soap, so it doesn’t cleanse as well. It’s all fur coat and no knickers, as my bib overall wearing wonder buns quotes. All show and no substance simply won’t do.

We are on our seventh bottle of dilution practice. The seventh try seems to be the consistency we prefer. It is not too thick, not too thin, and just right for the foaming pump. I feel a lot like Goldilocks must have felt. Before I send out samples for feedback, I would like to tweak the formulation further and add vitamin E and aloe to the mix. This will require me to create one more masterbatch before we release any samples. I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel in this soaping saga. Once we have a formulation complete, we will have to have attractive labeling created and printed. The labeling company we work with is very timely, and I don’t foresee any issues. Realistically, the liquid hand soap could be ready to roll out by the end of March or early April. April is almost an entire month ahead of schedule.

Now that I feel as though I have a handle on the hand soap, it is time to work on the body wash. It’s not pretty, but it is exciting! Speaking of pretty, I have my complete line-up of seasonal bar soaps created for the year. We will soon be working diligently, probably locking horns and ultimately compromising over our new seasonal scents. My creativity and The Bibbed Wonders idea of efficiency often do not mesh. That dear reader will be a story for another day.

As I cautiously claim victory over the challenge of liquid soap, please be sure to stay safe, be smart, remain cautiously hopeful, and keep washing your hands.