Sea Rose Devotion Soap

My mind is working overtime this morning trying to come up with a new soap creation.. The proprietor of my favorite little Italian restaurant, Pina, and I have been talking about soap.  When she grew in Sicily Marseille soap is what was used all around the home.. from bathing to laundry.. as a shampoo to just a general cleaning agent.  

As we were talking yesterday I mentioned that I had ordered some powdered Rosemary from a place that I purchase soap making supplies from.  She walked me outside and cut off this huge stalk of Rosemary from a bush she has in front of the restaurant.  I am going to incorporate this into a creation today that will be a Marseille Wanna-Be. 

Marseille soap is made from 72% olive oil and from the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.  It is made hot process so my usual crock pot method will be good for this new venture of mine.  My challenge is the where to get Mediterranean Sea water!  Google to the rescue!  I am going to use my French Sea Salt (Fleur de Sel) and mix it with water to the right concentration and that will be my Virginia Mediterranean Sea water!  One formula I found to make sea water is 35 grams of sea salt per liter of water.  That is what I am running with! 

The next challenge is how to incorporate the Rosemary into what I am doing.  I think I will make a 3 lb batch and once it is cooked spoon out 1 pound of it.  In that pound I will mix in some Rosemary that I chop fine in my bullet blender.  That will go into my 1 pound mold and the rest will go into my 2 pound mold. 

I think my recipe will be:

72% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I know.. this is a major splurge!)
20% Coconut Oil
8% Castor Oil
Homemade Mediterranean Sea Water
Lye

I am going to superfat with some of the Castor Oil.  I will mix in 5% at the end of the hot process.  That will ensure the Castor Oil is what is left after the hot processing saponifies the lye and other oils. 

This batch is going to need a long cure time.  I may discount the water.... or let some of it cook off in the crock pot at the end just before I put it into the mold to shorten the cure time.  That will be a first for me too!    

Update as the day rolled on... Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 2:17 PM

Well it's soap and it smells grand!  I changed my plan and mixed Lavender Essential Oil and chopped Rosemary in at the end with the Castor Oil through the whole batch.  I made it a tad over 3 pounds total so I could have two little remnant bars to use while I wait.   The soap is in the mold.  Tomorrow it will be hard enough to cut into bars... And then the cure for as long as I can take it!  It's a pretty cream color right now but I think over time it will be darker.  The Rosemary is still green and I think that will turn brown as it cures.  I don't mind.. because as of yet I haven't gotten into the swirls and other fancy pretty stuff.  I just want earthy real soap that feels good on my skin, cleans well, moisturizes... and sometimes has a scent!

For now I've decided the name of this soap will be Sea Rose Devotion.  Because in Italian Rosemary is Rosmarino.  Which means Sea Rose... It grows and thrives by the sea.  And Lavender flowers represent purity, silence, devotion, and caution.  Since Pina from Presto! Pizza gave me her precious Rosemary to make this soap and we had our lovely conversation about much of this... ergo the name Sea Rose Devotion!  

Update the next morning... Monday, March 26, 2012 at 5:30 AM 

I decided to cut this pretty soap up this morning before leaving for work instead of letting it sit all day.  I was a little nervous that it would get too hard because of the salt water and it seemed ready to cut.  So..without further noise from me... Ta Da.. I present to you my Sea Rose Devotion Soap!  

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