Apple Cider soap

During the HMSG conference, I took a class on using alternative liquids to water in soap making.  Traditionally, water is mixed with the lye flakes, the mixture heats up, I wait for it to cool, then mix it with the oils.  The class presented the option that the lye flakes don't have to be mixed with water, it can be any liquid, like beer, wine, anything.  We went to the Manotick farmers market and bought some apple cider, I thought i would try making a batch of soap with that.  

I kept the cider in the fridge, the mixed it with the lye.  

The cider-lye mixture got darker as I added more lye, and it started to heat up. 

It got darker still.  

I used a simple oil mixture, Coconut, Palm and olive oil, then mixed the two together.  

The colour got lighter.  For extra applyness, I added Apple Pie fragrance oil.  

Through the whole process, I was surprised at the colour changes.  I thought with the lye mixture being so dark, it would make the whole batch a dark brown, but it didn't at all.  I poured the soap into orange juice cans.  

I just made a small batch, I wasn't sure how it would turn out.  the next day I peeled off the can, the soap was still a lighter colour than I expected.  

I cut the logs into 1" thick circles.

I have set them out on the curing rack, I'm curious to see if they change colour.