Post by Sherry on Jan 15, 2011 21:33:42 GMT -5
WARNING - 
Soap making is addictive and can lead to making other beautiful things like face cleansers, moisturizers, shampoo, cream & liquid soap, shower gel & scrubs etc..One year I made the entire families Christmas presents, I presented all sorts of things in a lovely leather box.. Xmas is coming fast..
I will try to keep this as simple as possible. But I will answer all your questions if you want to ask any..
It makes it a lot easier if you have a stick blender,if not then you can buy one for a few $$. You also need kitchen scales, a deep bowl, and something to use as a mold. You can line a cakepan in kitchen paper so you can get the soap out, or use a small cardboard box, lined in paper, or a plastic dish etc etc.
When Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) is mixed with distilled water it creates what we call a lye solution. This solution is then mixed with oils causing a chemical reaction called saponification.
***You will need to find this before you start on anything else.
Do not use Lewis Red Devil Lye, as it does not contain Lye.
You can use Roebic Crystal Drain Opener. Check the ingredients on the drain cleaner of what ever you find for either Lye or Sodium Hydroxide.
Those of you in Canada will have trouble buying it, here is 1 option creationsfromeden.com/store/index.php?cPath=39_92
What is Soap Trace?
Trace is when the soap mix looks like custard & is ready to pore in the mold.
Frequently turn OFF the stick blender and use it as if it were a spoon to stir the soap. I alternate blending with it ON and stirring with it OFF until it starts to thicken slightly (the surface appearance will change and develop some dullness...patterns can be seen in the wake of the blender). If you don't give the motor rest periods during blending, you can burn out your blender. My "ON" periods are probably only about 15 - 30 seconds at a time... and OFF periods at least that long, or sometimes longer. I lift the blender (in the OFF position) out of the soap to check how well the soap coats the guard. It should be like thin to medium pudding before pouring. Some fragrance oils will really speed up this thickening process, but most essential oils do not. The whole process doesn't normally take more than 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the recipe.
Video shows you how..
link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid271521142?bctid=1398260218
Method how to make any soap recipe.
1. Prepare your soap mold and measure out the additives such as scent, colour, botanicals or any soap bits you may be using and set them all aside.
2. Weigh out and place all hard oils (butters, coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, lard, etc) into your soap pot.
3. Weigh out the liquid oils and set them aside as well.
4. Prepare your lye solution by first weighing out the water and then the sodium hydroxide. Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the water and gently stir until the crystals dissolve. Try not to inhale it while it is steaming. Never use lye on aluminum utensils.
5. Once the lye solution has become clear, you can slowly pour it over the hard oils in your soap pot. The lye solution will be very hot and that heat is what will melt your hard oils. Use caution at this stage as it will burn you if splashed on your skin. Gently mash the hard oils down into the lye solution with your whisk and slowly stir until the hard oils have completely melted.
6.Add the liquid oils to the soap pot and using your stick blender, mix until the soap traces.
7. You can now add your scent, colour and other additives. Blend and pour into your soap mold.
8. Sit the molds out of the way, and leave it for 24 hr. Turn your soap out of the mold onto a cutting board, and cut into desired sizes. Once you have cut the soap into bars, they need to cure for about 4 - 6 weeks in a cool, dry, dark location.
- Place them in a single layer on a tray lined with paper towel. Turn them each week so that all sides are exposed to the air. Store the soap in a box, cupboard or drawer, do not wrap them in plastic. It is better to have a soap rack to sit the soap on to dry after you have used it.
9. Clean up. Wipe all soap residue off everything with paper towels. Fill bowl 1/2 full with hot soapy water and run the stick blender for a few minutes to clean off the soap..Do not put too much soapy water down the drain, it will block it up, I use a bucket of hot soapy water to rinse off, before doing the dishes. Throw bucket water outside.....
Recipe for "Saltwater Suds Soap", lovely shower soap too.
* Coconut Oil- 630gr /22.2 oz
* Olive Oil - 180gr / 6.3 oz
* Castor Oil - 90gr / 3.2 oz
* Distilled Water - 10.5 oz
* Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) - 5.2 oz
This will make 12 x 3oz cakes of soap
I will add more recipes later. I also have the most beautiful natural face moisturizer recipe...
To this base recipe you can add anything you want.
I love adding coffee grounds just before pouring into molds.
You can add Neem Oil for the ferrets, tho I don't think it needs it, it makes a good natural ferret soap as it is. It will not dry out their skin.
You can push some Oatmeal into the wet soap, or lavender.
If you want it to smell pretty you can add fragrance oil at 3-4 teaspoon per pound of soap.
You can save a cup of soap after pouring out, colour it with cocoa then swirl it onto the top the the molds. Pretty..
You can experiment all you like.
If you make a boo boo, after you have cut the cakes, you can grate them, melt it slowly on the stove, and make it into soap balls. Or you can put grated bits into a jar, add water and use it as liquid soap.
Soap making is addictive and can lead to making other beautiful things like face cleansers, moisturizers, shampoo, cream & liquid soap, shower gel & scrubs etc..One year I made the entire families Christmas presents, I presented all sorts of things in a lovely leather box.. Xmas is coming fast..
I will try to keep this as simple as possible. But I will answer all your questions if you want to ask any..
It makes it a lot easier if you have a stick blender,if not then you can buy one for a few $$. You also need kitchen scales, a deep bowl, and something to use as a mold. You can line a cakepan in kitchen paper so you can get the soap out, or use a small cardboard box, lined in paper, or a plastic dish etc etc.
When Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) is mixed with distilled water it creates what we call a lye solution. This solution is then mixed with oils causing a chemical reaction called saponification.
***You will need to find this before you start on anything else.
Do not use Lewis Red Devil Lye, as it does not contain Lye.
You can use Roebic Crystal Drain Opener. Check the ingredients on the drain cleaner of what ever you find for either Lye or Sodium Hydroxide.
Those of you in Canada will have trouble buying it, here is 1 option creationsfromeden.com/store/index.php?cPath=39_92
What is Soap Trace?
Trace is when the soap mix looks like custard & is ready to pore in the mold.
Frequently turn OFF the stick blender and use it as if it were a spoon to stir the soap. I alternate blending with it ON and stirring with it OFF until it starts to thicken slightly (the surface appearance will change and develop some dullness...patterns can be seen in the wake of the blender). If you don't give the motor rest periods during blending, you can burn out your blender. My "ON" periods are probably only about 15 - 30 seconds at a time... and OFF periods at least that long, or sometimes longer. I lift the blender (in the OFF position) out of the soap to check how well the soap coats the guard. It should be like thin to medium pudding before pouring. Some fragrance oils will really speed up this thickening process, but most essential oils do not. The whole process doesn't normally take more than 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the recipe.
Video shows you how..
link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid271521142?bctid=1398260218
Method how to make any soap recipe.
1. Prepare your soap mold and measure out the additives such as scent, colour, botanicals or any soap bits you may be using and set them all aside.
2. Weigh out and place all hard oils (butters, coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, lard, etc) into your soap pot.
3. Weigh out the liquid oils and set them aside as well.
4. Prepare your lye solution by first weighing out the water and then the sodium hydroxide. Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the water and gently stir until the crystals dissolve. Try not to inhale it while it is steaming. Never use lye on aluminum utensils.
5. Once the lye solution has become clear, you can slowly pour it over the hard oils in your soap pot. The lye solution will be very hot and that heat is what will melt your hard oils. Use caution at this stage as it will burn you if splashed on your skin. Gently mash the hard oils down into the lye solution with your whisk and slowly stir until the hard oils have completely melted.
6.Add the liquid oils to the soap pot and using your stick blender, mix until the soap traces.
7. You can now add your scent, colour and other additives. Blend and pour into your soap mold.
8. Sit the molds out of the way, and leave it for 24 hr. Turn your soap out of the mold onto a cutting board, and cut into desired sizes. Once you have cut the soap into bars, they need to cure for about 4 - 6 weeks in a cool, dry, dark location.
- Place them in a single layer on a tray lined with paper towel. Turn them each week so that all sides are exposed to the air. Store the soap in a box, cupboard or drawer, do not wrap them in plastic. It is better to have a soap rack to sit the soap on to dry after you have used it.
9. Clean up. Wipe all soap residue off everything with paper towels. Fill bowl 1/2 full with hot soapy water and run the stick blender for a few minutes to clean off the soap..Do not put too much soapy water down the drain, it will block it up, I use a bucket of hot soapy water to rinse off, before doing the dishes. Throw bucket water outside.....
Recipe for "Saltwater Suds Soap", lovely shower soap too.
* Coconut Oil- 630gr /22.2 oz
* Olive Oil - 180gr / 6.3 oz
* Castor Oil - 90gr / 3.2 oz
* Distilled Water - 10.5 oz
* Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) - 5.2 oz
This will make 12 x 3oz cakes of soap
I will add more recipes later. I also have the most beautiful natural face moisturizer recipe...
To this base recipe you can add anything you want.
I love adding coffee grounds just before pouring into molds.
You can add Neem Oil for the ferrets, tho I don't think it needs it, it makes a good natural ferret soap as it is. It will not dry out their skin.
You can push some Oatmeal into the wet soap, or lavender.
If you want it to smell pretty you can add fragrance oil at 3-4 teaspoon per pound of soap.
You can save a cup of soap after pouring out, colour it with cocoa then swirl it onto the top the the molds. Pretty..
You can experiment all you like.
If you make a boo boo, after you have cut the cakes, you can grate them, melt it slowly on the stove, and make it into soap balls. Or you can put grated bits into a jar, add water and use it as liquid soap.