Adding snakeskin to soap!? Eww. Just the thought of snakes creeps some folks out, let alone actually seeing one. Why would anyone in their right mind add snakeskin to soap, and why would anyone want to wash with that soap?

​Admit it, if you can get past the ick factor, snakeskin soap does sound rather fascinating, doesn't it? And for those who do like these cold-blooded slithery reptiles, a soap made with snakeskin might be another cool snake-related item to have. After all, snakeskin boots, belts, and purses are considered a valuable high end product with particular appeal. Why not snakeskin soap?

Not long ago, I found a shed snakeskin stuck in a bush in my front garden bed. Having learned that snakeskin could be used in soap, I decided to give it a try. Over the years, I have seen harmless black snakes in the yard now and then. They don't bother me, and I don't bother them. 

Snakes shed their skin one to four times a year. This process, called molting, removes the old, worn skin to reveal a fresh skin underneath. The old skin is left behind and disintegrates or is eaten by other critters. Snakeskin is mainly composed of a fibrous structural protein called keratin, which provides structure to hair, nails, feathers, claws, scales, and hooves, and horns. The silk fibers that are produced by insects and spiders are also composed of keratin. Keratin is insoluble in water.

So what does this have to do with soap making? Many soap makers, including myself, add silk fibers to the lye water when making soap. The fibers are dissolved in the extremely hot lye water, but the keratin protein remains, and this protein adds a lovely silky feel to the lather of the soap bar. Silk in soap is a luxury ingredient. Snakeskin in soap is also a luxury ingredient, with its similar properties. 

Still interested to learn more? Here's how to add snakeskin to handmade soap.

1. Tear off a piece, or use the whole snakeskin. I used a 12 inch segment.
2. Add the snakeskin to the amount of water needed to make the batch of soap.
3. Stir the measured lye into the water. Best to do this in a well ventilated area because melting snakeskin stinks. But it's no more stinky than when using goat milk.
4. When cooled to an appropriate temperature, pour the lye water through a strainer into the oils. This catches any visible dark bits of material that might show in the finished soap. 
5. Stir the soap batter to trace and pour into a mold. 

Easy peasy! That wasn't scary at all now, was it? And the results will have a definite high end appeal to some potential customers. Ophidian Forest handmade soap is scented with a fragrance oil with notes of wild cypress, ozone, makrut lime, sea salt, oud, elemi, leather, amber, ocean moss, and frankincense that is fresh, woody, and masculine. It will be available for sale in my little soap shop the first week of February 2021.

​I have a little more snakeskin left and plan to make more snakeskin soap. Finding a shed snakeskin in the yard doesn't happen very often, so I'll continue to stick with silk fibers until another snakeskin comes my way. If you happen to have a snakeskin and would like a custom batch of soap made with it, contact me. I'd enjoy making a batch for you!

A snake in the woods is quite a sight. Snakeskin in soap is pretty cool, too! What do you think?

​~ Debbie

This year's Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild conference was at the Gaylord Texan Resort in the town of Grapevine, north of Dallas, Texas. It was the fourth HSCG conference I've attended and was notable in that I tested for and received Advanced Soapmaker certification and was also  recognized as being a five year member of the guild. (Plus I got to see my two daughters and little granddaughter who now live in Texas, and she recognized me as her grandma!)

I've been making soap for over 10 years but wanted to be certified to show that maybe I really do know a little bit about making soap. Plus my friend Carol of Skinkist Soap encouraged me to go for it. She was my soap buddy at the conference, and she is my soapmaker friend here in Jacksonville. We have fun making different kinds of soap and talking soap together. Plus we often eat biscuits together at Maple Street Biscuit Company. That's a lot of pluses, and biscuits!

But I digress.

The Gaylord Texan Resort was a great venue for the HSCG conference, as well as a great place for a reunion with my daughters and granddaughter. The atrium of the Gaylord was the center of activity for hotel guests who could experience family-friendly activities connected with a Peter Pan themed Summerfest, which included the roaming characters Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell. Plus it was Prom Weekend for the local high schools, and the atrium and restaurants were filled with roaming wanna be princesses and their Prince Charmings - and their picture taking parents. Quite the sight. Plus 500 soapmakers, but who noticed them?

There were numerous speakers at the HSCG conference including Anne-Marie Faiola of Bramble Berry Soap, Charlene Simon of Bathhouse Soapery, Clyde Yoshida of Vibrant Soap, Zahida Map of Handmade in Florida, and many others. Plus Dr. Kevin Dunn, who is HSCG's own soap scientist extraordinaire. He and I had a short conversation during one break. I enjoyed hearing their perspectives on the business and art of making soap and appreciate what they contribute to the soap making community. In the universe of soap makers, they are all stars in their own right.

The Advanced Soapmaker certification process includes making a batch of plain soap from scratch using SAP calculations, keeping a weight record as the soap cured, labeling it correctly per FDA standards, submitting SDS sheets of each ingredient, and passing a multiple choice test. Yes, there is math involved. Thankfully online practice tests are available. And the math isn't too bad once you figure it out. Just ask Maggi, the gal I gave an impromptu math lesson to during a break. She did the math and passed the Basic Soapmaking certification test. Yay!

(Here's a helpful soapmaker math hint: remember to multiply by 40 and divide by 56.1 to convert KOH SAP values to NaOH SAP values. Oh, and pay attention to the instructions on how to round the answer.)

Moving right along.

​There is the soap making universe and then there is BrickUniverse. Yep. Both have conventions - one is for building the network of soap makers and the other is for Lego builders. And unlike a basic soap recipe, creating with Legos is never simple. But for a moment at the Gaylord Texan Resort, both of these worlds collided as I stopped to admire this treasure:

And here is the soap I submitted for certification. I call it Simplicity, because it's pretty simple. Unlike a Lego replication.

You may notice that my label has a new updated look. Plus it's now 100% FDA label compliant. I rather like the easier to read font and will continue to update my soap labels as I make more batches. If you'd like a bar of Simplicity, there are a few available in my shop.

The Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetics Guild convention filled 3 1/2 days. Whenever I had some time to spare, I took off my soapmaker name badge and put on my other name - Grandma. My granddaughter doesn't care that I'm a certified Advanced Soapmaker. Maybe when she's older I will show her how to make soap. Or how to build with Legos. Or how to do simple math. Regardless, she is a star who lights up my universe. With or without boots.

So let your light shine in someone's universe. With or without boots.
​
Thanks for stopping by!

​~Debbie, aka Grandma

I am a member of the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild, a non-profit trade association serving the handcrafted soap and cosmetic industry. Last year I tested and received Basic Soapmaking Certification. At the guild conference next month, May 2019, I plan to test and receive Advanced Soapmaking Certification. As part of that process, I had to make a basic soap from scratch. This entailed doing all the formula calculations by hand, getting safety documentation of all the ingredients, and submitting information on the soap making process. Such a far cry from the inexactness of making soap in times past! As I wrote in an earlier post, "For the pioneers, making soap was a hot, exhausting process involving wood ashes from their cooking fires and animal fats from their livestock or leftover cooking grease. It was an imprecise process at best but did result in a functional soft soap that was good for cleaning clothes but rather harsh for cleaning skin." Instead of dealing with all that mess, the basic simple bar of soap (pictured below) I made in the comfort of my kitchen is gentle and beautiful without added color or fragrance. 

Thanks for stopping by!

​~Debbie
Live simply. Use Soap.

Recently I updated the About section of my Facebook page, so this is a good time to include some of that info here.

My name is Debbie Lamb and I make soap. This is my story.

There was a time when I didn’t even know there was such a thing as handmade soap anymore. I thought the days of soap making from scratch was confined to that period of time when early settlers of the United States had to make do with what they had, or when hardy pioneers forged paths across the country in search of a new piece of land to call home. Who made soap from scratch in these modern times?

For the pioneers, making soap was a hot, exhausting process involving wood ashes from their cooking fires and animal fats from their livestock or leftover cooking grease. It was an imprecise process at best but did result in a functional soft soap that was good for cleaning clothes but rather harsh for cleaning skin. Today soap making is both an art and a science. Ready made lye is available in convenient pellet or flake form. Vegetable oils, animal fats like lard and tallow, and exotic butters like shea and cocoa are easy to find. A myriad of formulas can be formulated with online soap calculators to ensure the bar isn't harsh from too much lye. Micas, oxides, clays, and other colorants are used to add beauty to each bar, and an ever growing library of techniques is evidence of just how artistic soap making can be. 

For the new year, some things remain the same, but some things change. Isn't that the way most every year begins? As for The Lathered Lamb, I've simplified my soap production with slightly smaller bars and standardized recipes. The quality remains the same, but I've narrowed my recipes down to just a few favorites, and the bars are now the industry standard of 4.5 oz rather than 6 oz. This keeps my costs down and the price per bar compatible with other soap makers. After all, I'm just making and selling soap - but soap from The Lathered Lamb is unique to me, the soap maker.

​Handmade soap is a treat. Mine isn't necessarily better, but it is different from other handmade soaps because I made it. Just like any other handmade item. I strive to make my soaps extra ordinary, a delight to the senses, an affordable luxury for anyone who uses bar soap. So enjoy the simple pleasure of using handmade soap from The Lathered Lamb. After all, a new year is the perfect time to make some changes!

This is just a sampling of the delightful handmade soaps available in my shop on Etsy. Of course, you can order directly from this site by clicking the ENTER STORE button. Local folks can contact me directly and save on shipping. This is just the beginning - more soaps will be added soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

​~Debbie