Fun with the Gun

Fun with the Gun

Temperature gun that is.

I must say, it is exciting the first time you pick up that high-tech piece of plastic.

We discovered the temperature of pretty much everything around us (not to mention everything on us) - skin, clothes, tongues, dogs, fire, ears, sunburns... you get the picture.

 

And one more thing - although Brad's my homeboy, my soap is not supported by Fight Club (Joel!!!)

My dad, aiming to get the perfect temperature reading. With his Ph.D. in Oceanography and undergraduate work in electrical engineering, it's times like these when he feels most at home.

 

 

 

Besides entertaining ourselves with the gun, we were quite productive and...

We made LAVENDER and TEA TREE OIL SOAP!!!

 

 

I taught my parents and a few lovely family friends how simple soap making is. Especially when you have a temperature gun ;-)

Ingredients: Olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, lye, lavender and tea tree essential oils

& love.

 



 

 How did we make this fabulous soap you ask?!

For details, check out "My first batch of cold-process soap" post below (posted July 2012)





 

 

 



Here I am suiting up and making sure I have all my PPE (personal protective equipment) on. Safety first.

I'm about to measure out the water and NaOH (lye) which was later added to the melted oils.
















Lavender petals that were added to the soap.

Lavender originates from France and Southern Europe and is a smooth, calming antidepressent. It is used to treat acne and as an insect repellant!

Tea tree oil comes from Australia and is an antiseptic. It also helps headaches.





 

My neighbor Andrea.

She was appointed as Chief of Gun Operations due to her extensive background in pottery and the melt & pour soap method.  



 

Not sure what Jeff is saying, but I am 100% sure that he is educating Debbie and Andrea about something. Being an MD, he finds every moment he can to practice "docere" (doctor as teacher) and we all love it!

Jeff - have you thought about teaching?!!

 

Andrea, Chief of Gun Operations and my mom, Sandy. They are melting the olive, coconut and grapeseed oils together, and making sure the temperature reaches around 115 degrees fahrenheit. The lye solution and oils should be within 10 degrees of each other when added together.

The three witches!

 

 

Debbie, me and Andrea waiting for the oils to cool down so that we could add the lye.

Yuuuuum!!! Who asked me if you could eat soap? Looks like vanilla pudding to me at this stage.

Beautiful!!! Our creation :D

We put plastic wrap over the top to keep air out and keep heat in. See that wooden mold? My dad helped me build it. I think we might go into the soap mold business soon, right dad?! One word: Pros
 

My dedicated pupils.
 Haha, Debbie - I am famous for never having my eyes open in group shots! I guess we'll just have to make soap again so that we can redo this photo ;-)

Two days later.... it's time to take the soap out of the mold and worship it.

 

 

Mark every inch on both sides.

 

 

And CUT it!

My mom, now officially a pro soap cutter. I'm so proud! Passed with flying colors. A+

 

 

Here they are, only 2 days old...

 

17 bars strong

 

 

I decided to give some of the soap to my coworkers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography on my last day as an employee there. I wanted to share my interest in soap with all of them and show them my appreciation for making Scripps a kick-ass place to work!!! I'm going to miss it SO much!

 

 

 Behold...

 

And that's it! I'm really happy that Andrea and Jeff brought over lavender so that we could put some petals in with the soap also. It was my first time adding flowers, or any plant material, to the mix. The harsh lye that was in the soap ended up turning the petals brown but I still think it's a beautiful addition.

 

I hope everyone enjoys this lavender and tea tree oil soap. Remember to start using it around the second or third week in October for best results. I want to hear all about your upcoming shower experiences. Let me know just how much this soap has changed your lives!

 

Love always,

Kelly

L*I*S*K*I*S
Life is Short, Keep it Sweet