How to Make Pumpkin Goat Milk Soap + Plop Swirl (Spoon Swirl Soap) Tutorial

I LOVE this design technique. I think some people call it the spoon swirl; I call it the plop swirl because when I’m plopping the soap into a mold, I can’t help but say “PLOP” every time! This is a great design technique for when your soap gets a little too thick to do other swirls.

For more details on making goat milk soap, check out our eBook Goat Milk Soapmaking! It includes directions for full-milk soapmaking as well as the milk-in-oil method.

It is pumpkin season! This recipe features pumpkin puree and goat’s milk.

Pumpkin Goat Milk Plop Swirl Recipe

Coconut Oil – 10 oz.
Shea Butter – 4 oz.
Olive Oil – 12 oz.
Rice Bran Oil – 6 oz.
Lye – 4.5 oz.
Pumpkin Puree – 5 oz. (canned puree works great, DO NOT get pie filling)
Frozen Goat Milk – 4 oz.

Orange Mica – 1 teaspoon
Charcoal – 1/2 teaspoon
Green Oxide – 1 teaspoon

Orange Essential Oil – .5 oz.
Peru Balsam Essential Oil – .5 oz.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil – .2 oz.
Patchouli Essential Oil – .5 oz.
Cassia Essential Oil – .2 oz.
(Or you can use a pumpkin fragrance oil! Just know that most pumpkin fragrance oils move quickly and contain vanilla, which will make your soap tinted brown.)

Mold – This soap fits in a 10″ Silicone Mold from Bramble Berry (affiliate link http://www.brambleberry.com/10-Silicone-Loaf-Mold–P5199.aspx?bb=5).

Safety Warning: This recipe is for soapmakers who have a basic knowledge of the soapmaking process and know the correct safety procedures to use when handling lye. If you are new to soapmaking, visit lovinsoap.com or soapqueen.com for more detailed beginner instructions. Be sure to wear safety goggles and gloves while soaping.

Step 1 – Weigh out the lye into a container. Set aside.

Step 2 – Weigh out the pumpkin and goat’s milk into another container together. I like to use frozen goat’s milk.

Step 3 – Sprinkle the lye onto the pumpkin/goat milk. Stir. The lye will melt the goat milk and liquify the pumpkin puree.

Step 4 – Weigh the coconut oil and shea butter into a container and melt.

Step 5 – Add the liquid oils to the melted oils. This helps to drop the temp. Add your fragrance and essential oil to the oils.

Step 6 – Wait for the oils and lye solution to drop to 90F. You can put the lye solution in the fridge or in an ice bath to drop the temp.

Step 7 – Once temps have dropped to 90F or below, pour the lye into the oils.

Step 8 – Stick blend until emulsion has been reached.

Not quite done yet. There are still streaks of oil.

Here is emulsion. All of the mixture is the same color. There are no streaks of oil. This is a nice light trace.

Step 9 – Divide the mixture equally into three containers and add your colorants.

Mix the colorants in using a stick blender. It is okay if they get a bit thick. This design uses thicker soap.

Step 10 – It is time to PLOP! Plop the soap into the mold using a spoon. Try to rotate colors.

Do this until the mold is full!

If you’d like to swirl the top, use a wooden Popsicle stick or something similar to swirl.

Step 11 – Spray with alcohol to combat ash.

Step 12 – Let the soap sit overnight to saponify. Unmold and cut the next day. Cure for a minimum of four weeks.

Enjoy!

Happy Soaping!

-Amanda Gail