When my husband told me that a coworker of his had a pet hedgehog, I was intrigued. How does one handle a thorny-spikey animal? Can you even handle them?
And off I went into an internet search that brought me to this cute video of a hedgehog getting a bath. That was only one of the many videos and articles I read, in the end, it seems that having a hedgehog is a lot of work, but as with most pets, you are rewarded in other ways by having them.
Among other things, I learned that like most pray animals, hedgehogs live in a state of constant fear and/or alertness, which their spines protect them from (though they will first try to run away). They stand them up and roll themselves into a ball for effectiveness. However, if the owner makes them feel secured and relax, their spines also relax and are not as prickly. (If you are an animal lover, may I suggest this book to you? It was really good and it is not about hedgehogs but about most domestic animals)
The image of the hedgehog getting a bath though, is what inspired this soap. Below is what I used to make it and also the videos of the making it.
Recipe Totals
| Liquid Required | 4.38 oz | 124.12 g |
| NaOH Weight | 2.26 oz | 63.94 g |
| Oil Weight | 16 oz | 453.59 g |
| Fragrance Oil Weight | 0.96 oz | 27.22 g |
| Superfat | 5% | |
| Total Batch Weight | 23.71 oz | 672.21 g |
| Lye Concentration | 34% |
Recipe Oils, Fats and Waxes
| Oil | % | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 30 | 4.8 | 136.08 |
| Tallow Beef | 30 | 4.8 | 136.08 |
| Coconut Oil, 76 deg | 25 | 4 | 113.4 |
| Castor Oil | 8 | 1.28 | 36.29 |
| Shea Butter | 7 | 1.12 | 31.75 |
| Total | 100 | 16 | 453.59 |
Custom Additives
| Add at trace | |
|---|---|
| Tetrasodium EDTA (mixed with water) | 0.12 ounce (Optional) |
Colorants
- 1/2 and 1/4 tsp of Fluorescent Neon Blue * for one third of the soap each (8 oz)
Fragrance
1 oz Verbena Bamboo
Embeds
Soap dough in brown white, pink and black
Mold
Equipment
This is the standard equipment I use
*Affiliate links are for products for which I will receive a small percentage back if you make a purchase using them, which helps keep this blog running. However, I did not receive any incentive for purchasing them.
Here is the video of the making of the hedgehogs:
and here is the video of the making of the soap:
Soaps by Glenda 