Cupcakes, Cakes, Pies - yeah, yeah, been there done that...

Ah, but what about soap ice cream cones!!

Yup, that's right I made soap cones!

These soap cones are really BIG.  They are about 9 oz.  My usual bar soaps are around 4-5 oz.  Here's the size in comparison to the cupcake soaps.



And here's a cute three item collection



I saw silicone ice cream cone muffin molds.  So I got 3 of the molds and used one to make soap cones.  I think I might keep the other molds, at least one, for food use.  They would make great edible cupcakes and either use frosting or real ice cream as the top.

I thought the cone part would darken a bit more.  I used Summer Melon Spritzer FO and it has a little bit of vanilla in it, but so far it hasn't darkened at all.  Interesting.  The 'ice cream' portion I used Grape Juice FO and I tried a purple swirl cone.  The purple didn't turn out quite as dark as I wanted and the mixture got too hard and it's looking a little lumpy.  So the soap cones are looking more pale than I wanted, but they are supercute anyway!  Since these soap cones are so large I suppose one could cut them in half either from top to bottom (might be tricky) or cut between the cone and the top. 

Packages at my door!

More packages arrived at my door! 

I got my cyclomethicone, dimethicone, Dry-Flo, Isopropyl myristate for lotion making.  My goal is to try and make my lotion have more slip, less drag on the skin.

I got more fragrance and essential oils.  Oh boy.   I have GOT to stop purchasing any more fragrances.  I have so many 1-2 oz bottles.  It's pretty rare that I have actually repurchased any particular fragrance because I love trying out new ones.  I got some Lily of the Valley.  Oh WOW!  I did not know what Lily of the Valley smelled like, but I kept hearing people say it's a great fragrance.  Holy moly no kidding!  It's so refreshing.  Usually I'm not a big floral person, mostly I'm a fruity/clean fragrance type, but I really like this FO. 

I'm expecting to get some more silicone molds, bottles for lotion, more mica colorants, MP soap base.   More stuff to make more soap!

Dimethicone/cycomethicone?

What the heck are dimethicone and cyclomethicone?  They are unmodified silicones.
The following is directly from this website:

http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/silicone_use.html
"Silicone Use with Skin and Hair
Unmodified silicones stay on or near the surface of the skin. Not only are the molecules too big to physically enter past the upper living cells -- they associate with the upper layer of drying skin -- but they also cannot penetrate cell membranes due to their large size. They also dislike both the water and proteins inside cells.
Cyclomethicones are unmodified silicones. They evaporate quickly after helping to carry oils into the top layer of epidermis. From there, they may be absorbed by the skin. Cyclomethicones a similar function in hair care products by helping nutrients enter the hair shaft.
Dimethicones are also unmodified silicones. They form a barrier layer on the skin which must be renewed as the skin sloughs off. Dimethicones coat the surface of the hair and lubricate it, improving combing providing detangling, and thus, hair loss and breakage.
Silicones form a protective layer which helps prevent transdermal water loss -- a very useful characteristic for many products. Silicone gums provide instant shine to hair. Silicones act to help seal moisture into the hair, which helps prevent many kinds of damage. "
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What are Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, and Sodium Lactate?  They are emollients and humectants.
The following is directly from this website.
http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/emollients_and_humectants.html

"What are emollients and humectants?

Emollients are ingredients that soften and soothe the skin. They may be naturally occuring, such as fixed oils and glycerin, or they made be man made, such as silicone oils or isopropyl myristate. Their moisturizing qualities are provided by the chemical composition of the material itself.
Generally, emollients are added to such products as creams and lotions to provide extra moisturization or to help relax fine lines and wrinkles.
Humectants also soften and soothe the skin. They are usually derived from vegetable oils, but can be man made. Humectants derive their moisturizing abilities from water which they pull from the nearest available source. "
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While I might be able to give out a tidbit of information regarding some ingredient or technique I recommend everyone do their own research.  I don't know everything and won't ever claim to know everything! 

Lotions changes for next time?

So, I've been using my lotions for almost 2 weeks.  No break outs.  Seems good so far! 

However, I do notice that my lotions have 'drag' to them.  The texture is creamy for sure, but there is some drag on the skin.  I've purchased some dimethicone, cyclomethicone, and isopropyl myristate.  They are known to provide more slip to lotions.  Also I ordered some modified corn starch (Dry-Flo) which is supposed to provide a little more velvety feel to the lotion.  I've also read that Sodium lactate which I already have for soap making is a good less sticky alternative to glycerin.

So, next time I make lotion I'll try some of these additives and hopefully it will reduce the drag on the skin.