Creating my cute little soap ladybugs is an ongoing experiment. These insects are so helpful in my garden, eating white mites, aphids, and other such annoyances, that I am really determined to fairly represent them in soap form!
Ladybugs are a 2-step soap process, since I need one batch of soap for the black parts, and another for the red. Some soap-makers might be able to do this in one batch, but I haven’t figured that out quite yet! I like the black to be pretty stiff before I pour red over it, and that means the red would be too difficult to pour by then.
In addition, using all-natural colorants is a real challenge when it comes to red. Pink is easy, but true, deep red is not. So far I have had the most luck with Himalayan rhubarb root powder. The powder is infused (soaks in) one of my primary oils (usually olive oil) for 6-8 weeks. I have to stir/shake it as often as I can remember. When it’s ready, the oil has turned a deep orange-yellow. In the process of transforming into soap, it turns a deep red! Fascinating to watch. The problem is, I don’t always have 6-8 weeks to wait. So, this time around I decided to try a quick infusion. I steeped my rhubarb root powder in boiling water, then mixed with the oils. The end result was not as deep of a red as I wanted, but it’s darker than what I have achieved with a 4-week infusion of rhubarb powder, and definitely darker than things like French Rose Clay or Brazilian Red Clay. Overall I’m pretty happy with the result.
See photos below for the fun transformation of my ladybugs!
- Getting the black spots in place
- Mixing the rhubarb root into my oil-lye mix
- Pouring into the molds
- The final product (top photo)
