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Recipes to Share
Basic Soap Recipe #1 |
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The fun of making your own soap, you can personalize it any way you wish. Experiment a little with the oils and butters. Try a little of the goat milk powder to make a nice, soothing, goat milk soap. Add in a little Emu oil, it's wonderful for babies and adults alike. From soothing diaper rash to soothing aging skin.
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BASIC SOAP RECIPE
Melt slowly in large pot a total of 40 oz of "fats", using a combination of lard, tallow, vegetable shortening, coconut oil, or cocoa butter. With only about 10% to 15% being coconut oil/cocoa butter.
When completely melted at very low heat. Set to one side.
Pour 16 oz of cool water (tepid water) into stainless steel pot (one in which you do not wish to ever use for anything other than soap making!)
Be sure to have all protective gear on such as, goggles, gloves and face mask. Add in 5.4 oz 100% pure lye and with long handle wooden spoon stir carefully until lye is completely dissolved.
Please be sure that you have no children or animals around at this point in the soap making task.
Your lye/water mix will reach temps up to 250 to 300 degrees almost instantly.
Usually in about 45 minutes to 1 hour both your oil and your lye/water mixture should be around 100 degrees (check with large candy type thermometer). You want both to be about 100 degrees, or within a few degrees of each other. (may have to cold water bath one or the other to get temps about the same, do not over cool).
At which time you begin slowly pouring the fats into the lye/water mixture stirring constantly. Check to make sure that these are binding together, if needed stop adding fats and stir until you see that they are not still separating. When all fats are added into the mix your "soap" will start looking a bit like runny pudding. (Don't try to fool the kids with it, they think it's something to eat!) Your spoon should start leaving a "trail" showing that the soap is thickening some. Have your prepared molds ready to pour into.
If you wish to make cold process soap the beginning of trailing or tracing as some call it you want to add approximately 2 oz of Essential oil or fragrance oil at this point. Stir another 5 minutes or so, making sure that the Essential or Fragrance oils are blending in well. Then pour into prepared molds. (If using a plastic type mold, it's best to use Vaseline to "grease" your mold with for easy release).
Always use a thick plastic under your work areas and under your molds in case of leakage. Have plenty of coverage because if it does leak it will run everywhere!
Use plastic to cover then cover with old towels or blankets to prevent drafts or the soap to cool to fast. The "cooling" process must be slow for the soap to through all of the processing correctly.
After 24 to 48 hours your soap should be ready to un-mold. Use rubber gloves. Sometimes putting into the freezer for an hour or so will help release the soap from its mold. Once you have un-molded your soap place onto a drying rack (I use the plastic coated wire closet organizer type racks/shelves) to where the air can circulate around the bars fully. This soap must "cure" or dry for 3 to 6 weeks. Don't worry about wrapping your soap too soon, the longer your soap "cures" the harder your bar will be therefore making your soap last longer.
If you are pouring soap into a long mold, best to check it about 18 to 24 hours. Once the soap has cooled and is firm you can slice into bars.
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Ingredients