Brine Design Update: A Whiter Shade Of Pale

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 16

A month ago I posted about my brine design experiment. I put soap made with brine (saline solution) next to the same soap made with plain water and found that the brine turned the soap more opaque and much lighter … Continued

Brine Design: Salt In Soap

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 37

Salt makes coldprocess soap appear opaque and therefore lighter in colour. Brine (Nacl salt solution) can be used as an alternative to synthetic brighteners like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

My Black Wattle Woodpile – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 25

When it was really cold in September I ran out of firewood. Bad planning on my part – especially since all the local firewood suppliers were flat out of stock at the end of winter. Finally I got hold of … Continued

Great Great Great Great Grandmother Mary and The Love Moment

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 16

Eighteen years ago we emigrated to South Africa. Then, like now, it was early October and the open fields around Cape Town were covered in thick carpets of purple flowers. I remember asking our driver what the purple flowers were? … Continued

Langbaken Beest and Beasts: Soap and Culinary explorations in the Karoo

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post, Recipe | 4

The Karoo a magical place. It’s an endless region (one third of South Africa) of arid semi desert. Fields of sharp rocks as far as the eye can see with scarce, low, dry vegetation. An enormous bright blue sky in … Continued

Coffee River Soap and How To Make Glycerine Rivers

posted in: Auntie Clara's Blog, Blog Post | 28

A while ago fellow soapmaker Karol Dulmanis posted a picture of a coffee soap in one of the Facebook groups I belong to. The beautiful soap had an interesting dappled look with light translucent soap contrasting with areas of dark … Continued

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