Sappanwood Sapped Out

By the time I got around to making the soap (about 8 hours after mixing the wood chips with the lye water), the vibrant red pigment (shown in the previous post) had already morphed to a muddy reddish brown.  When I reluctantly mixed it into the oils....I fully expected what I got.  Creamy caramel brown.  Like many other natural colorants....so...very...disappointing.  Sappanwood still might have potential for melt and pour soap and lip balms and the like, but it's plain to see there's not much future for it in cold process soapmaking.  The hunt for a nice natural red pigment goes on. Any bright ideas?

Sappanwood....sappan what?

While leafing through GCI (now that's some exciting reading) I stumbled upon a listing for Caesalpinia sappan aka sappanwood in the new colorants section. Natural red dyes are mighty hard to come by so you can imagine my excitement at the prospect of unearthing a "new" one. What was this? In almost 15 years of soapmaking, I'd never heard of it before.

I finally located some at an online chinese herb store (pricey stuff by the way) and as soon as it arrived, I immediately threw a couple of little chunks into a small jar of hot lye water. In case you didn't see Fight Club, lye is what turns fats and oils into soap and all real bar soaps are made with lye so don't freak out...OK?

Holy moly! An instant explosion of gorgeous red pigment! I'm on to something. In an effort to educate myself I found that sure enough, sappanwood produces a reddish dye called brazilin, used for dyeing fabric as well as making red paints and inks. In an acidic solution brazilin will appear yellow, but in an alkaline solution (such as lye water) it will appear red.  The plant possesses astringent, anti-bacterial and pain relieving properties among others, which are pretty nice attributes for a soap colorant, wouldn't you say?

I haven't actually tried any in cold process soapmaking mind you, that's another day, but according to my lye test, it's promising. What do you think? Anybody else tried sappanwood? Will it eventually fade to brown?  Has red sandalwood met its match?

Soap Gone Wild?

Can you believe we caught our prickly pear soap perched atop a cactus?  That's mighty risky behavior ya know!  How about you?  Have you ever noticed our soap mingling with a wildflower? Or maybe even partying with a local weed?

If you think your soap's gone wild, then document it with a photo! Use this contact form to let us know. Upon submission, we'll send you a few guidelines and where to email your photo showing our soap running loose in the wild. If we use it on our website (keep it clean!), we'll send you a special discount code for 50% off your next online retail order at a wild soap bar!

Soap gone wild.  How do you feel about that?

The Succulent Green Stuff Returns!

I realize this may not be a big deal to YOU....but to the parched and scorched desert dwellers of Central Texas (like me and most of my friends and family) who have grown weary during the extended drought (brown and crunchy is NOT my favorite shade of anything)...the sight of newly sprouted green grass, fresh white rain lillies, juicy plump purslane, and tiny blue day flowers is a big deal.  A really big deal.  After almost six inches of the glorious wet stuff falling steadily from the sky, fresh new life is emerging daily.  Relief is here at last.  AMEN!

AWSB Joins the Manor Farmers Market!

In an effort to connect with our growing community and to support local agriculture, A Wild Soap Bar will be selling our handmade soaps & body balms at the Manor Farmers Market each Wed. from 4-7 pm at Jennie Lane Park, between Lexington and Rector streets in downtown Manor.  Enjoy local foods, unique handcrafts, and plenty of good conversation plus our exclusive, discounted, low farmers market prices.  Come on out, chat with the soapmakers, meet your neighbors and get involved.  Then stay for dinner at one of Manor's many fine restaurants.  The Manor Farmers Market is a Texas Department of Agriculture certified farmers market that operates weekly from January through December.  A Wild Soap Bar is committed to working within our community.  Isn't it time you came out to support your local farmer's market? 

Letrah Avery Won Free Soap!

Letrah Avery with Deep South Bath Co. won 2 free natural soaps from the wild!  Thanks to everyone for your participation.  Stay tuned for more good things to come from a year in the wild.

Manor's Most Wanted - Win Free Soap!

Have you seen this wild man? I caught him lurking just outside our kitchen door several years ago and he's been hanging around here ever since!  Wood  you believe it?  Neighbors describe him as tall, thin, quiet and reserved, with a rough weathered exterior and tossled hair.  His appearance changes with the seasons but don't be fooled by his docile demeanor.  His underground roots run deep!   If you've seen this shady character, please leave your tips here.  You can remain anonymous if you'd like, but if your comment is chosen at random on Sept 8, you could win 2 FREE BARS OF SOAP (so we don't really recommend the anonymous thing).  Beware people!  Law enforcement officers believe he's attempting to branch out to other areas. We need your help to stop this guy now, before he sows any more seeds.  Whatever you do, don't attempt to round up this perpetrator yourself.  Leaf him alone!