Recently got together with some friends to make some soap. Yet another avenue to being more natural. We don't (and haven't for some time) even have store bought bar soap in the house. All we use is the Castile soap bars I make. It is fun to experiment with putting stuff in the soap, I have added coffee ground, millet & calendula petals. I have made several different scents, mango, peach, coffee, cucumber melon, tea tree and lavender, lavender and lemon, peppermint & apple. So experiment away! Soap makes a great gift too.
Castile Soap
74 oz of olive oil (by weight)
14 oz of coconut oil (by weight)
24 oz cold water (by weight)
12 oz of lye crystals (by weight)
Measure the lye into a glass container (no plastic or metal!!!) add the water to this. Do this outside!!! Vinegar neutralizes lye if you get any on you wash with vinegar asap. Stir with a wooden spoon. The lye will destroy anything it touches over time, so use a spoon you don't like. Once you combine these two it will get very hot. You want to bring the temp down to 120-110. I do this by bringing it inside and placing it in a sink of cold water.
At the same time combine the oils (I use the cheapest quality oils available) heat them to 110-120 degrees as well. The trick is getting them both at the same temp at the same time. The oil will heat up fairly quickly, but takes forever to cool down, will continue to get hotter ever after the heat is turned off as well. The lye you cannot reheat. So that is the one you watch closer. If it starts getting close to the desired temp. Pull it out of the cold water and let it sit on the counter until the oil is at the right temp. Combine. Using a stick blender (if plastic never use on food again, if metal it will be ok) only use the actual power on the stick blender for about 5-10 seconds with a 30 second break in between or you will burn out the motor. In between just use the stick blender like a stirring spoon. Do this until it gets thicker and when you pull the blender up the drippings stay on top. Make sense? at this point add any herbs, scents, and or colors you like. Immediately pour into molds. If you use crayons as color add those to the oils when heating them. The color will change as it drys. Let it sit in the molds for about 24 hours then pop in the freezer and pop out of the mold. Let sit and cure for at least 6 weeks. The longer it cures the longer it will last and the harder the soap will be.
Castile Soap
74 oz of olive oil (by weight)
14 oz of coconut oil (by weight)
24 oz cold water (by weight)
12 oz of lye crystals (by weight)
Measure the lye into a glass container (no plastic or metal!!!) add the water to this. Do this outside!!! Vinegar neutralizes lye if you get any on you wash with vinegar asap. Stir with a wooden spoon. The lye will destroy anything it touches over time, so use a spoon you don't like. Once you combine these two it will get very hot. You want to bring the temp down to 120-110. I do this by bringing it inside and placing it in a sink of cold water.
At the same time combine the oils (I use the cheapest quality oils available) heat them to 110-120 degrees as well. The trick is getting them both at the same temp at the same time. The oil will heat up fairly quickly, but takes forever to cool down, will continue to get hotter ever after the heat is turned off as well. The lye you cannot reheat. So that is the one you watch closer. If it starts getting close to the desired temp. Pull it out of the cold water and let it sit on the counter until the oil is at the right temp. Combine. Using a stick blender (if plastic never use on food again, if metal it will be ok) only use the actual power on the stick blender for about 5-10 seconds with a 30 second break in between or you will burn out the motor. In between just use the stick blender like a stirring spoon. Do this until it gets thicker and when you pull the blender up the drippings stay on top. Make sense? at this point add any herbs, scents, and or colors you like. Immediately pour into molds. If you use crayons as color add those to the oils when heating them. The color will change as it drys. Let it sit in the molds for about 24 hours then pop in the freezer and pop out of the mold. Let sit and cure for at least 6 weeks. The longer it cures the longer it will last and the harder the soap will be.
Shanda
