Gummy Bear Jelly Soaps

Today’s recipe is an homage to everyone’s favorite gelatinous treat, the mighty gummy bear.  When it comes to cuteness, gummy bears pretty much have the market cornered. They come in rainbow colors, fruity flavors, and are shaped like cute little teddy bears. What’s not to love? These rainbow colored jelly soaps are guaranteed to delight children and inner-children alike.

The concept of jelly soaps and shower gels has always been fascinating to me. They are made by infusing unflavored gelatin into liquid soaps such as shower gel or bubble bath. Unlike more straight-forward recipes, jelly soaps can yield very different results depending on the specific ingredients used. Factors such as the concentration vs. water content of your liquid soap, the temperature at which ingredients are mixed, and how well the gelatin “blooms” can all affect the final product.

For this reason, I encourage you to experiment with this recipe a little before moving forward with a larger batch. Make sure you have it down to a science before you commit to making too many at once. In my experiments, I had batches melt unexpectedly, lather poorly, and even harden up too much! The following formula and method has worked the best for me so far, but I have learned that there are elements of both luck and skill involved that only practice can make perfect.

I used Tangerine, Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, Fresh Apple, and Fruit Punch to scent my jelly soaps. These are all great choices, but you can use any candy inspired scent to fragrance your jelly soaps. Check out our Fruit Stand Sampler or Tropical Fruit Sampler for inspiration.

Liquid FD&C and D&C Dyes are great for giving jelly soaps bright, bold colors. I used Yellow #, Blue #, and Red # to create a whole rainbow of jelly soap colors. Remember, you can mix and match liquid dyes to create custom color blends.

If your jelly soaps are too slippery to remove from their mold, try popping them into the freezer for a little while.

Gummy Bear Jelly Soaps
Makes about 16 1-ounce soaps

Ingredients

• 2 packets unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup boiled water
• 1 cup Shea Butter Bubble Bath Gel Base, chilled
• 2 teaspoons (total) Fragrance Oil
• Liquid Dye Color (by the drop)

Directions

1. Bring 1 cup distilled water to a boil. Mix with powdered gelatin and stir until fully dissolved.
2. Pour chilled bubble bath into the gelatin-water and mix well.
3. Divide the mixture into four containers, and add 1/2 teaspoon Fragrance Oil to each.
4. Color each container with liquid dye, adding one drop at a time to get the color you want.
5. Pour mixture into silicone mold and transfer to refrigerator.
6. Chill for two hours, or until gel sets. Turn hardened soaps out of mold and refrigerate until use.