Three new recipes for this twist on CP soap making.

So what is CPOP you ask? Well first, CPOP stands for Cold Process Oven Process. It is a variation of CP or Cold Process soap making. For those who may not know, CP soap is a wonderful, creamy natural soap made by combining lye, water and oils which go through a process called saponification in which the mixture chemically changes and becomes soap.

In CPOP soap after the soap reaches trace and any colors, fragrance, or additives are mixed in, it is poured into an oven-safe mold and put in an oven that has been pre-heated to 170 degrees. The oven is left on for an hour. After that hour, the oven is turned off and the soap is left in the oven for another 11- 12 hours.

So why do CPOP? Well one of the common obstacles with CP soap is the curing time. It can take anywhere from 4-12 weeks (depending on the kind of soap) to cure. So if you need CP soap for a quick gift or need extra bars for a show, you're out of luck unless you already have some made. With oven process, it cuts the cure time down and speeds up saponification. Instead of saponification taking anywhere from 24 hours to a week, It only takes 12 hours. Also, some of the water in the soap evaporates out while in the oven so depending on the type of soap, it can cut the cure time by as much as 2 weeks (again it depends on the type of soap). How cool is that???

Here are 3 new recipe ideas using the CPOP method.

Castile Soap

Castile is a soap in which you use olive oil for at least 50% of your total oils. This is a softer soap initially and will be one with a longer cure time.
You will need:

*An oven safe mold ( I used a GLAD OVENWARE pan for this one.)
6oz palm oil
3oz coconut oil
12oz olive oil
1oz avocado oil
2oz shea butter
3.2oz lye
9oz water
3 tsp fragrance
**All the other supplies you usually need for CP soap making

Follow the directions in the explanation paragraph above and have fun!

Chocolate Mint Soap

This is creamy, swirled soap that looks & smells good enough to eat!
You will need:

*An oven safe mold ( I used a GLAD OVENWARE pan for this one.)
6.1 ounces lye
18 ounces water

20oz palm oil
10oz coconut oil
10oz cocoa butter
5oz avocado oil
Green color that is safe for cold process soap making
1 tsp avocado oil
3 tsp chocolate fragrance
1 ½ tsp peppermint essential oil

Follow CP soap making instructions. When it reaches trace, mix a teeny, tiny amount of the Rolling Meadows color into 1 tsp of avocado oil. Stir that and 1 tsp of the peppermint essential oil into 1 pound of the soap. Mix well; set aside. Stir the chocolate fragrance and the rest of the essential oil into the remaining soap. Pour that soap into a mold. Take the pound of colored soap and pour it into the non-colored soap. Try to pour it in as evenly as you can so there is a good equal distribution. Take a knife or spoon and swirl the colored soap into the plain soap. This is kinda like making those cream cheese brownies where you cut the cream cheese into the brownie mix. Put into your preheated oven and after 1 hour turn the oven off. Then let it stay in the oven for another 11 hours.

Fresh Cucumber

I used empty juice cans for my molds here, but you could also use pvc pipe.
You will need:

6.3oz lye
18.1oz water
31oz palm oil
12oz coconut oil

At trace add:

1oz mango butter
1oz avocado oil
1oz jojoba oil
4 tsp of the fresh cucumber blend (see recipe for blend below)

Pour into molds. Place in oven that has been pre-heated to 170. After 1 hour, turn oven off. Let it sit for another 11 hours. After it has been un-molded, use the jade green color to paint the outside of the soap. After it dries completely, use a tissue to rub off any excess color. Slice into bars.

Fresh Cucumber
2.5 oz grapefruit essential oil
1.5 oz cucumber fragrance