This weekend I made 2 lbs of soap. I used a coconut oil, olive oil, cocoa butter recipe with sodium lactate. I split it into four 1/2 pound (about 2 bars) batches and added of the following additives for the different batches:
– Buttermilk powder, colloidal oatmeal, honey 1/2 (1 bar) of which I put into the oven to gel and 1/2 into the freezer to prevent gel
– Goat's milk powder, colloidal oatmeal, honey 1/2 (1 bar) of which I put into the oven to gel and 1/2 into the freezer
to prevent gel
There is a significant difference in coloration between the gelled milk soaps and the non-gelled milk soaps. I did this test with bastile soap, but those won't be really ready to use for months, so that's why I repeated the test with a recipe that should be ready in about a month.
When I compare the fragrance of the powdered milk soaps with the bastile half and half, oatmeal, honey soaps I think the half and half soaps smells more buttery. I don't know if it's because I used half and half as opposed to milk or if it's because I used powdered milk. It was much easier to do than the frozen half and half that I had to use last time.
I also did all the soap making at about room temperature. Which means I let the lye water cool down and the melted oils/butters to cool down to about room temperature before mixing. I had much more time to work the batter. I could add additives, fragrances, and color (if I chose to) with plenty of time to play. Usually I soap much warmer and the batter thickens up pretty quick. If I'm not careful I end having to glop the soap into the molds rather than pour. I think I really like room temperature soaping. I can make a larger base batch and still have plenty of time to divide it up to add different fragrances or colors or other additives. I just have to wait for everything to cool down, which can be tricky for an impatient person.