Let me just say that making soap has been on my list of things to do for a while now - I distinctly remember contemplating a first attempt back at the start of the year when I had a great big baby belly to contend with. Of course it didn't happen back then, but it finally has now! I was given a great recipe for a [sort of] castile soap from the kind folks behind Eco Market, and the moon and the stars aligned and I happened to have all the ingredients and materials on hand and with my husband keeping our baby boy at bay, I got busy and made my soap. I am absolutely hooked. My mind is bursting with different things to try next time... and the time after that... and the time after that. Anyway, this is what I did for my first go. Oh and I say a 'sort of' castile soap, because a castile soap [as I now know] is olive oil based and although this recipe does have a lot of olive oil it also has a fair amount of other oils. So it's sort of a castile soap.
The Recipe
Ingredients:
800ml olive oil
800ml sunflower oil
600g coconut oil
900ml water
300g caustic soda [lye]
Essential oils of your choosing
Equipment:
A stick mixer*
Protective gear [gloves, glasses, apron]
Digital thermometer or milk thermometer
Large stainless steel pot
Soap moulds
Scales
Measuring jug
Cooking spray
Cooking spray
What To Do:
1. Wear protective clothing unless you're a complete pro. Caustic soda burns, you don't want to get it on anything, yourself included. Open up windows to ensure good ventilation. Cover your work area in newspaper [if you value it]. And grease your moulds with cooking spray.
2. Measure out all your ingredients. Put the oils in the stainless steel pot. Put the lye in a small bowl, and put the water in a measuring jug. Keep the essential oils close by.
3. Heat the oils slowly to about 45 degrees celsius, mixing as you go. When they reach this temperature, carefully add the lye to the water in the measuring jug. This will go nuts and heat up really quickly, and you want it to be the same temperature as the oils. Gently add the lye and water mix to the oils.
4. Remove from heat, and blend with a stick mixer for about 10 minutes. You need to blend until it reaches a point called 'trace', which is roughly when you can see ripples on the surface of the mix. Be careful not to overheat your stick blender [like I did...].
5. Add essential oils, and blend again until they're mixed through.
6. Pour it into your moulds, then wrap them in a towel or tea towel to cool slowly. After about 15 hours, it should have set enough that you can tip it out of the mould and cut it into bars.
7. Leave it alone for 6 weeks, on a rack where air can circulate. This is the hard part, as I'm finding. Turn it over ever other day or so to help it set. This part is really important, as this is what makes the soap into a good solid block that will hold together well.
The End Result
Awesome. Like I said, I loved doing this. I can't wait to start using the soap, my patience is being sorely tested. And I want to make more! There are just so many combinations I want to try. This time around I used Ylang Ylang essential oil. I would love to try it also with Lavender, and Sweet Orange also sounds nice. Plus there's different options for adding colour [paprika anyone?], and even making exfoliating soap [by adding poppy seeds!]. I love the homemade look about it. And if it all just sounds too hard but you still want the benefits of homemade soap - head on over to Eco Market and see what's on offer, there might just be someone selling some near you.
Do you make your own soap? I'm sure a few readers are old hands at the soap making thing, what advice would you offer to a newbie soap maker?
* Only one stick mixer got harmed in the making of this soap. Let me just say - read the instructions of your mixer carefully. If it says 'don't mix hot oil' and 'don't mix for more than 15 seconds at a time', then it's probably not a good idea to hold it in hot oil for 10 minutes. Or even 8 minutes for that matter.
2. Measure out all your ingredients. Put the oils in the stainless steel pot. Put the lye in a small bowl, and put the water in a measuring jug. Keep the essential oils close by.
3. Heat the oils slowly to about 45 degrees celsius, mixing as you go. When they reach this temperature, carefully add the lye to the water in the measuring jug. This will go nuts and heat up really quickly, and you want it to be the same temperature as the oils. Gently add the lye and water mix to the oils.
4. Remove from heat, and blend with a stick mixer for about 10 minutes. You need to blend until it reaches a point called 'trace', which is roughly when you can see ripples on the surface of the mix. Be careful not to overheat your stick blender [like I did...].
5. Add essential oils, and blend again until they're mixed through.
6. Pour it into your moulds, then wrap them in a towel or tea towel to cool slowly. After about 15 hours, it should have set enough that you can tip it out of the mould and cut it into bars.
7. Leave it alone for 6 weeks, on a rack where air can circulate. This is the hard part, as I'm finding. Turn it over ever other day or so to help it set. This part is really important, as this is what makes the soap into a good solid block that will hold together well.
The End Result
Awesome. Like I said, I loved doing this. I can't wait to start using the soap, my patience is being sorely tested. And I want to make more! There are just so many combinations I want to try. This time around I used Ylang Ylang essential oil. I would love to try it also with Lavender, and Sweet Orange also sounds nice. Plus there's different options for adding colour [paprika anyone?], and even making exfoliating soap [by adding poppy seeds!]. I love the homemade look about it. And if it all just sounds too hard but you still want the benefits of homemade soap - head on over to Eco Market and see what's on offer, there might just be someone selling some near you.
Do you make your own soap? I'm sure a few readers are old hands at the soap making thing, what advice would you offer to a newbie soap maker?
* Only one stick mixer got harmed in the making of this soap. Let me just say - read the instructions of your mixer carefully. If it says 'don't mix hot oil' and 'don't mix for more than 15 seconds at a time', then it's probably not a good idea to hold it in hot oil for 10 minutes. Or even 8 minutes for that matter.
I am dependent homemade of cosmetics, so certainly try one day.
ReplyDeleteI'm wanting to make more of my own. I'm planning to make the coconut sugar scrub on your blog soon! Now that I have coconut oil :)
DeleteI love my homemade soap. It was Rhonda's Down to Earth blog which finally persuaded me. The wait to try your first batch is SO hard, but worth it. My last batch was goats milk soap which is really lovely.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the stick blender. First couple of batches it seemed ok, but that last batch the motor was feeling very hot :/
I also make nappy balm (not now needed as littlest one has just toilet trained - no more cute nappies hanging on the washing line. Quite heartbreaking really!!) with coconut oil, olive oil, Shea butter, bees wax and a smidge of vitamin E oil. It also works well for eczema, as a general moisturiser and was fantastic for the bit of sunburn I got (we've actually had a summer here in the UK this year!)
Enjoy. It's so lovely to make your own and know what's in the things you're using :)
Goats milk does sound lovely, and gentle.
DeleteI've been thinking about nappy balm! I'm very keen to try that soon. The other day as I was loading nappies into the wash I thought to myself that I will actually miss this when I don't have to do it anymore. Funny hey.
Well done, It is so exciting to make the first batch, I bought a Lemon Verbena plant to add the powdered leaves to the second batch.The silicone cupcake moulds (hearts, roses, etc,) in the cheap shops are great for making pretty shapes for soap to be gifted.
ReplyDeleteCopha can be substituted for expensive coconut oil, as it is just cooking grade coconut oil.
After burning out the motor on a cheap stick blender, I bought a "Bodum" brand one for a good price and it does the job with a few rests and the blending stick part is metal, so no worries with hot oil.
I might have to try the Bodum.
DeleteLemon Verbena sounds nice, I think anything fresh and natural will make it even more yummy. I'm definitely planning to gift some of these soaps, I might look into some fancy moulds for the next batch.
Sorry, the plant was a Lemon Myrtle, it is a native and the perfume is awesome.
DeleteMorning brain....hadn't had my coffee !
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great and good enough to eat! I also made my first batch about a month ago now, still drying out. No problems with the stick blender, but I only blended for 30 seconds at a time. It's a cheapie $12 blender but did the job. Will aim to chop up some rosemary (finely) and sprinkle on top for the next batch. I meant to ask you what camera do you use for your photos, they look really good :)
ReplyDeleteI know, is that why they are called 'cakes' of soap? I saw yours on your blog, they look good!
DeleteI use a Nikon D3100, it's an entry level DSLR just with the standard lens that it came with (18-55mm). I'd love to get some more lenses, one day :)
You are a braver woman than I am. After reading about so many people making their own soap and making it look so easy, I still can't work up the courage to do it.
ReplyDeleteI think it sounds harder than it actually is. And I hope after a couple of goes it becomes even easier. I made sure to print out instructions and had everything assembled ready to go. And just took my time with it. I'm so glad I finally did it.
DeleteI think this may be the post to get me started! I've wanted to try for so long but the caustic soda bit freaks me out!! My stick blender is very old so I don't have the instructions, what kinda damage are we talking here? It won't blow up in my face or anything?
ReplyDeleteGive it a go! The caustic is really not that bad, you don't want to breath in a mouthful or get it on your skin or anything.
DeleteWe're talking melting damage... the handle got really hot, obviously I was overheating the motor part. I would exercise common sense (ha!, I say that now) and use it in short bursts. And if it feels hot, give it a rest.
Good luck!