Making Figgy Pudding Soap – Using Fragrance to Accelerate (Yes, on purpose) :)

So, I had this amazing smelling Moroccan Fig fragrance oil from Brambleberry, and I knew from their (super helpful and informative) website that this one would accelerate. I pictured myself rushing to get a gloppy mess into a mold, and then cleaning up, and then not really loving the resulting soap . . . and so I put the whole thing off for a while.

Then, because I really wanted to soap with this scent, I started brainstorming ideas and scenarios where acceleration was not the enemy. I saw a beautiful soap on Soapjam that had the bottom layer kind of curvy instead of straight across. So then I started thinking about doing a layered soap and using the thick soap that smelled like figs as the bottom layer. Then I could spoon my bottom layer around and create peaks and valleys. I would use my slow tracing soap recipe so that I would have more freedom with the design of the other layers.

I made dark brown (for the bottom layer), light brown, tan, and white for this soap. I scented the top layers with an oatmeal, milk and honey scent, which, when mixed with the moroccan fig scent, reminds me of what I imagine figgy pudding to taste like. (I have never seen or tasted actual figgy pudding, but have always wondered what it is like, since hearing “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” as a child.) 🙂

Anyhow, then I did a simple in-the-pot swirl with the remaining colors, reserving some white batter for the very top. I just did a quick swipe with fork tines to texture the top. You can see it come together in the video below. For anyone else who tries this technique of using acceleration as a design element, I’d love to see your soap pics!