To be honest I am a complete beginner with making home made soap. It is however something that I have wanted to do for years but always thought it was extremely hard. This put me off until I found an easy recipe and method.
Onto home made soap –I want to give full credit to Rhonda-Jean at Down To Earth Blog for this soap recipe and method. Please do visit her wonderful blog sometime to glean lots from this amazing homemaker.
I took a little while to gather all my ingredients, caustic soda (lye) being the hardest to find.
I also was unsure of what to use for a mould. Then I found an veggie drawer from an old fridge which seemed perfect. The mould needs to be greased well to start.
Using Rhonda-Jean’s recipe I measured out my ingredients:
460grams Olive Oil600grams Rice Bran Oil
440grams Coconut Oil
570ml distilled water
230grams Caustic Soda
The oils are combined in a large pot on the stove and heated gently to 50 deg Celsius.
The water and caustic soda are combined in a plastic bowl and left to stand until the temperature reaches 50 deg Celsius.
This is where you “hurry-up-and-wait”. But when they are both at the same temperature you gently pour the water and caustic soda into the oils without splashing.
Caustic soda is corrosive and will hurt your skin. Work with surgical gloves, an apron and if necessary goggles.
Use a stick blender to gently mix until saponification occurs. The mixture turns creamy and leaves a trail if you lift the blender.
At this point add a few drops of essential oil, I had rose geranium, and mix with a wooden spoon, then pour into the mould.
Smooth over the top with the spoon then wrap the mould in a towel. You will now leave this for about 15 hours and then cut it when firmed.
Soap cannot be used immediately, it needs to cure. The curing process is when the oils and water combine and all the caustic soda is rendered neutral.
Home made soap should not be rushed or made when you are in a rush. It is also a good idea to do it when there are no little children underfoot that can get hurt with the accidental splash.
Other pages you may like:
Eco friendly cleaners
Homemade cleaners
Go Greener
Home made soap makes a wonderful green gift for a variety of occasions whether it is Christmas or a birthday, combine it with a sea sponge or home grown loofah for a nice touch.
Try to make your own homemade laundry soap
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