For over two years I have been making a coffee soap which has been popular with my garden friends. Made with coffee grounds and strong coffee (Folgers of course, Maxwell House is too wimpy) it works great for scrubbing off dirt at the end of a planting session.
Last week I decided to beef it up a bit. First I added beer. You see, new followers, once upon a time there was this lurker of a follower, Cro Magnon he called himself. (Cro Magnun's blog by the way, is a most excellent read and a long time favorite of mine. When you stop by please tell him I sent you.) Being naive about the world of suds dear Cro made a comment to another well known, well respected soaper, who went by the name of Cocobong.
They snipped at each other through the Internet waves, all in good CLEAN fun of course and in his honor I created "Cro-Bar" soap. Made of Guinness, it was hearty and earthy and a regular hit with the men folk.
But I knew deep down that "Cro-Bar" had not fully lived up to its potential. As a beer soap it was good but so was my coffee soap which I called "Java Wood" but neither were over the top. So I fixed that. At least in my own warped head it is fixed.
I started with 12 oz Guinness, letting it breathe in the open kitchen air for four days (it was only supposed to be overnight but I forgot about it) . Using it for my lye water plus another 8 oz of triple strength Folgers coffee.
To my Coconut, Olive, Babasuu, Almond and Castor Oil base I added organic cocoa powder (to offset the evil influence of the Guinness, that's why) some clove powder, but not much as it can be irritating to skin, and cedar wood essential oil. Mixing to trace I tossed in 2 scant tsp. of coffee grounds and pored it all into my biggest log mold.
For its white frosted topping, I poured a half batch of plain unscented soap lightened with titanium dioxide over the dark base. For a little texture I used a small whisk to pull some of the dark soap into the light soap.
It cut easily the next am and smells as good as I had hoped. Imagine how a husky handsome Irish Lad after a morning of breaking sod would smell after he guzzled down a pot of coffee with a Guinness chaser just before he walked out in the field to rescue a lost calf, carrying it across the rocky wall fence back to its mother... would smell.
Well, I think that smells good.
My skin has never been softer. I have lost 40 kgs of unsightly fat. Women now comment on my good looks. I am richer and more famous than I've ever been. Any previous hint of hair loss has now gone. I can play The Minute Waltz in 57 secs. And all due to CRO-BAR. I recommend it to EVERYONE (Did I say all the right things Donna?).
ReplyDeleteWhat ?!?! After I started using my own soap my skin turned to Aligator Hide,I gained 40 (more) pounds, a woman told me I was ugly to my face as well as other parts, we lost all our cowshares, I'm down to my last buck and no one cares who I am. Oh yeah,My hair turned purple and I always trip and fall while waltzing.
ReplyDeleteJust call me "The Equalizer"
Looks like a lovely bar and sounds like you had a great time creating it!! xo Jen
ReplyDeleteOoooh! Cro gets his own soap?! I think all your readers should get their own soap! This looks great by the way!
ReplyDeleteHEY! How come you never told me soap making could be so fun! You are the MASTER! I think we need to trade bars sometime :)
Jen, mu soap looks like concrete chunks compared to your creations but you know what they say "people tend to look just like their soap" or was that dogs? their cars?
ReplyDeleteZan, I'd love to do a soap trade. Email me the current parking space address of your Gypsy Caravan :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a crazy awesome soap! I must make a new soap order soon!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great-looking soap, Donna! I enjoyed hearing the story behind the Cro-Bar soap. Triple-strength coffee and Guinness sounds like quite the eye-opener!
ReplyDelete