Soapy Swirls with Unexpected Surprises

I’ve had so much fun creating different in-the-pot swirls and spoon swirls and drop swirls in soaps the last few months! So many factors affect the swirl: distance when pouring, consistency/thickness of the soap batter, which tool is used to create the swirl, additives (like oatmeal or coffee grounds), etc, etc, etc. It’s incredible how no two swirls are ever the same, and it’s really fun to find unexpected results when the final soap is revealed!

My latest surprise came when I cut into a loaf of Frankincense and Myrrh soap. I used a lovely forest green color, some cocoa powder to create a deep brown, and gold sparkle mica, together representing the 3 gifts of the wise men. I drop swirled each of these colors into the uncolored soap batter, then I spoon swirled all of it. Look what I found in a few bars:

See the hearts?! It’s a little abstract here.

But, you HAVE to see the hearts here, right?!

These are the same bars as above, just sitting the way they were in the mold. How on earth did I get a sideways heart in there? It’s a complete mystery to me!

How appropriate to find hearts in the soap inspired by the gifts of the three wise men?! LOVE!

Here’s what some of the other bars from the same loaf look like:

Frankincense & Myrrh soap

Isn’t it amazing how in the same loaf, every bar looks so completely unique? Gotta love soapy swirls! This is just another reason that I’m completely addicted to making handcrafted soap. It’s truly an art!

If you’re into art, keep looking. These are a few of my other favorite swirl reveals of soaps I’ve made recently.

Intense Almond soap made with deep drop swirls

Pears & Berries soap in the raw with gorgeous wispy swirls on top. Inside that loaf is a super wispy in-the-pot swirl as well!

Enchanted Apple soap with drop Holly swirls then spoon swirls and peaked tops

Blackberry Sage soap in the raw with a fun top! First I used a soap comb in both directions down the mold and across the mold, then I added big loopy swirls with a single skewer.

What’s your favorite kind of soapy swirl? Hard to choose just one favorite, I know! Stay tuned for another spoon swirl reveal this week… It’s almost Soap Challenge Club time again! 🙂