Soapmaking

[Stacykins]

I didn't see a soapmaking thread, but with all the self sufficient and crafty people here, I can't be the only one! I started a few years ago making cold process soap. I have ultra sensitive skin (even commercial products for 'sensitive' skin cause me to break out) so this allows me to control the quality of the cosmetics I use. I also make my own lotions (in the form of lotion bars) and lip balm. If asked by friends I will gift them stuff I make, since selling it opens up a whole can of worms and I'd need business insurance and whatnot.

Not to mention, I just LOVE making soap. It is fun, just like cooking, just with lye (meaning proper safety precautions must be used!). It is chemistry in action. I keep my recipes fairly simple, but goats milk is always present in my mixes unless someone asks me specifically for a soap without.

And what is a thread without pictures? This is a batch I made this past weekend. My father wanted a soap that he could give out as Christmas presents. I taught him how to make soap, but he is really busy being a high school teacher and all. His is 50% lard (nice, white, hard soap), 30% coconut oil (white, hard, adds lots of frothy bubbles, but can be drying if used in too high a percentage most of the time), 10% grapeseed oil, 10% sweet almond oil, and fragrance. That is his preferred recipe, and he wanted it without goats milk for a pretty white soap (boo!).

The next picture is the soap I made for Christmas presents. A little more complicated. 65% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, and 10% sweet almond oil, with goats milk and tussah silk (this gets dissolved in the lye/milk mixture). Goats milk discolors soap to a creamy/brown color, but it is amazing for the skin.

That is a hunk of Dad's soap next to mine because I accidentally ruined a piece of his, hah.

 

[dwbonfire]

awesome!
i really want to try making soap, and i just found someone close by with goats milk. i plan to go get some this weekend. would you be so kind as to share your recipes and directions how you make it? the simpler and more broken down the better for me lol this is my first time. thanks for sharing!

 

[Stacykins]

Hrm, soapmaking in a nutshell, hard to type down it all in one sitting. One resource to check out and utilize is SoapCalc . It has information on the actual soapmaking process and a handy dandy calculator that helps determine how much you need of each ingredient in the recipe.

Aside from the actual ingredients, a few things to have are:
Vinegar - like, a gallon. Acetic acid is used to counteract the strong base (lye) in case of any spills, splashes on your skin, etc.
Goggles - your eyes + strong base = blindness
Food prep, medical, or cleaning gloves because your skin + strong base = chemical burn
A scale that can measure in both grams and ounces, and has a tare function
A set of plastic containers gladware, mixing bowls, etc. for measuring out ingredients into. Label and keep these separate from containers you prepare food in. Soap residue + food = not good. Why plastic? The reaction between Sodium Hydroxide and water is very exothermic and can shatter glass (even pyrex), resulting in a caustic basic solution being spilled EVERYWHERE! It won't eat through the plastic. I use cheap juice jugs that I got at a dollar store, solo cups, etc.
A stick/immersion blender w/bell attachment, not whisk. This is optional, but it will SAVE you a ton of elbow grease when it comes to mixing the soap batter until it reaches trace (thickens enough to pour into mold, that is).

I wish I could just download all the soapmaking info from my brain into here, since there is a lot to know. Like how different oils have different properties due to their fatty acid makeup. Like coconut and palm oil add TONS of bubbles to soap, but if too much is used with too low a superfat level (that is, oil leftover after the saponification is complete, hand and body soap needs superfat or else it will be very harsh), it can dry out your skin. Olive oil is very very moisturizing but a pure olive oil soap (Castille) has barely any lather at all. Castor oil is both ultra moisturizing aaand adds lots of fluffy lather, but too much makes for a soft soap that doesn't last long. And that there are so many different additives, like goats milk, tussah silk, clays, botanical, etc., that you can add to the soap. FYI, PLEASE research on how to specifically make a goats milk soap before doing so. The GM must be frozen, very slushy, or the mixing container sitting in an ice bath because the exothermic reaction between the goats milk and the lye (GM replaces water in a normal recipe) can scald the goats milk if it gets too hot, resulting in burnt, icky milk that won't work for soap.

Here is a good How-To for the Cold Process (no additional heat needed method) of soapmaking. I suggest doing some research and wandering the internet before doing it. It is pretty easy, but a lot of caution is necessary because of the NaOH.

 

[snowgirl]

Thanks for the pics & info on soapmaking. It sounds like fun. I've been making cheese for a few months and want to try soap. I know you can buy lye online. Are there places where you can buy it locally? Thanks.

 

[Stacykins]

Thanks for the pics & info on soapmaking. It sounds like fun. I've been making cheese for a few months and want to try soap. I know you can buy lye online. Are there places where you can buy it locally? Thanks.

I've found the only local place that reliably stocks 100% lye (must say so on bottle, pure lye, sodium hydroxide, and/or NaOH) are Ace hardware stores. They sell it, and it is in the plumbing section. Apparently it can be used to clear out clogged drains. Definitely hit up the local hardware stores first, buying online means you have to pay hazmat shipping charges, which are an arm and a leg.

 

[snowgirl]

Thanks, my husband suggested that I check Ace for the lye.

 

[greybeard]

My nearest neighbor makes his own soap and it is wonderful. He makes an old fashioned lye soap and another more modern type soap with different oils for those with sensitive skin. I shall try to get the "recipes".

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I have found lye at Lowe's and our local True Value hardware store. Just make sure the label says 100% lye. And goat milk soap can be whiter (not pure white, but not too dark) if you freeze the milk and put the pot in a sink of ice water while the lye dissolves. If it's not allowed to heat up too much it'll stay pretty creamy colored!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Here is a simple recipe for a first batch that makes a nice lathering soap. All your oils can be found at the local Wal-Mart store! All measurements are by weight so you will need a digital kitchen scale.

4 oz Castor Oil
8 oz Coconut Oil
8 oz Olive Oil
12 ounces of Lard
4.45 ounces of Lye Beads
8 ounces of water

Place your lye beads in a heat proof glass container large enough to hold the entire 2 pound batch. Very gently pour in the lye while you stir. Continue to stir until lye is completely disolved.(Be VERY careful as solution will get super hot and don't inhale fumes)
Prepare mold by spraying with non stick olive oil.

While lye is cooling, go ahead and measure out your oils and set them aside.
Allow the lye mixture to cool until it reaches a temperature of between 100 and 120 degrees.
After lye cools, add the oils as you stir. Continue to stir until soap traces (consistancy will be like a cooked custard, thick but loose)
Pour into mold and allow to set up for 2 days.
Turn out finished loaf and allow to set for one week. Then cut into desired bars and lay them flat to allow them to breathe and cure for a minimum of 4 weeks.

 

[Stacykins]

I have found lye at Lowe's and our local True Value hardware store. Just make sure the label says 100% lye. And goat milk soap can be whiter (not pure white, but not too dark) if you freeze the milk and put the pot in a sink of ice water while the lye dissolves. If it's not allowed to heat up too much it'll stay pretty creamy colored!

Yep, the key to a good goats milk soap is to make sure the milk doesn't get too hot! I like to weigh out most of my goats milk, and then pour the milk into an ice cube tray. I do this the day before. I also double up with milk/lye container in an ice bath, too.