Experiment for this morning- Liquid Prickly Pear Soap

As the summer monsoon goes, we still have not registered anything in the rain gauge.  Wyatt thinks the location of the rain gauge is an issue, since the ocotillo located a couple feet from it has grown measurably in the last couple of years.  We might put out a second rain gauge for comparison today.

This morning before I head in to teach yoga, I decided to try an experiment that has been in development for the last month or so: liquid prickly pear soap.  The recipe I had originally found to start from in development contained polysorbate 20.  While polysorbate 20 is considered perfectly safe, I have my own theories as to what is considered safe, and it is derived from a known carcinogen, so I choose not to use it.  I am not pointing fingers at anyone, just making my own choices in how I approach this.

In researching alternatives, it seemed a good stable oil might be an alternative, though could be an issue with fresh prickly pear joice for shelf life, so I added some vitamin E and thought it could stay here for six months to a year to see what the shelf life is and what I really think of this new product.  This is how product development often goes- trying it on me first, so this won't be something you will see at the market anytime soon!  But if it works out, it will be fun!

Since it was to be a small batch, I tried the blender first, big mistake!  So out came the stick blender, with these results once I added all the ingredients, and it is presently resting on the counter for me to watch the stability of the mixture as the days goes before I decide whether to bottle it and try it myself.

SO these are the first photos from the product development stage.  Why prickly pear?  It is a local nutritious fruit that is good for your skin, and the cool factor of the prickly pear is fun for a lot of folks who like the desert southwest. Prickly pear acts a lot like honey or glycerin in how it interacts with your skin in soaps, so mild but cleansing and good for those with dry skin or the like.

Well, thirty minutes post photo, and the mixture is still mixed.  We shall see!  If you have any requests or experience to share, comment away!  I will keep you posted on the experiment over time.  Have a great day!