Designing My Soaps to be Beautiful, Interesting and at times Whimsical!

Soap is so simple, most of us don't even think twice about it when we use it. I however, think a lot about it! Aside from offering a quality handmade product I also have a vision of what I want my soaps to look like. I often have a theme for each soap and sometimes make them so their look will change as you use them. For me it is a challenge to come up with mostly different designs for each soap, for my customer I hope it is fun to see the soaps change throughout their use. To me it makes them interesting...am I thinking too much about this? Maybe!

I usually start out with the fragrance then figure out what kind of soap base I will be using. Next comes the theme. Most times I try to incorporate the colors of the flowers, herbs, greenery or fruit that comprises the fragrance. Sometimes I will make a whimsical design like with my Bergamot Handmade Soap which has a round, green soap embedded in the larger soap to mimic the bergamot fruit. I also did this with my Spa Handmade Soap. I made round "soap stones" to mimic natural stones used in the architecture of some spas.

I also try and use interesting textures. Since you cannot swirl melt and pour soap, like you can with cold process soap I am always thinking of new ways to make them visually interesting and also make the tactile experience interesting. In the past I have shaved the soaps to make ridges. Recently I used a method, suggested by my daughter, that made an interesting crinkle design on my Oakmoss Handmade Soap and some Christmas tree soaps.

I also "marbleize" some of the soaps, which always makes for interesting patterns as the soap gets used. With some of my summer soaps I try and make them look like a beach or the sky and grass. 

It is all about making something look beautiful and also having a bit of fun with it too. I look at each soap as a unique work of art that will only be created the same way once. Check out my Etsy shop to see what interesting designs I come up with! MercurialGirlbyGina

Gina💗

I made "soap stones" using vegetable based soap and a small amount of activated charcoal.

 

Spa Handmade Soap

I used three popular tuberose colors, pink, yellow and white for my Tuberose Castile Handmade Soap

Salty Sea Breeze Handmade Soap looks like the shoreline at the beach.

 

I tried to make my Summer Weather Changing Handmade Soap look like the sky and grass.

An interesting pattern on my Oakmoss Handmade Soap