Fresh Batch of Pumpkin Soap: Post Holiday Restocking

I got quite low on soaps over the holidays, and now I have just begun the process of making more. I plan to spend my free time in January stocking up as much soap as possible. February and March I have classes and shows planned. Also, I don't think I will find soap making terribly enjoyable when eight & nine months pregnant in April in May. I am dreaming that I can get enough soap made that I won't have to restock again until October when the humidity dies down, but that may be a bit too much wishful thinking.



Yesterday I made a new batch of my Pumpkin poppy seed soap. The pumpkins I used were from my garden like the Seminole pumpkins in the picture taken by Jason Aufdenberg at our Fair Share Garden. To make the puree for the soap I first roast it in the oven and then store what I don't use immediately in the freezer. The pumpkin puree I mix together with distilled water and lye. Here is is freshly poured into my two wooden molds. They have poppy seeds added as well as Ginger and Sweet Orange essential oils and a bit of Patchouli to help anchor the Sweet Orange.



Here it is all set up in the molds in less than 24 hours. I woke up at 2 am this morning with nothing better to do so I took the soap out of the mold and cut it.



The cut came out nicely.



The next step is to let them set out to cure for about a month. During the curing period water evaporates from the soap and they become harder and milder.



Next on the restock checklist is my Dark Stout soap made with Guinness beer, and after that more Neem oil shampoo bars.

Is there something that you don't want me to run out of in the midst of the upcoming late pregnancy/new baby era? Leave a comment and let me know! I'm scaling back on some items but plan to have more popular ones well stocked.