Do you make your own soap?

I imagine that most readers who have found my blog already make their own soap but, if there is anyone out there who hasn't taken the plunge, let me give you some encouragement to have a go at making your first batch. If you do, I can almost guarantee that it won't be your last.

Now let me start off by saying that I am no expert when it comes to making soap and just make basic soap. My family likes using it and it is nice to know just what exactly is in a product we wash ourselves with.

I was encouraged to have a try at making soap after reading about the process in Rhonda's book, 'Down to Earth' and you can find tutorials and other hints about soap making here on her blog. When Rhonda explains the process she warns about the dangers of using caustic soda and rightfully so. So... when I got over my paranoia about handling such a potentially dangerous product and telling myself that I was still alive after changing dozens of dirty nappies when my children were babies, I collected all the ingredients and made my first batch and was surprised to find how easy it actually was.

Firstly I made sure I added the caustic soda TO the water and not the other way around...

 

 

heated up the oil...

 

 

 

and when the temperatures of both the oil and caustic soda + water were around 50 degrees I added the caustic soda to the oil very carefully to avoid splashing...

 

 

 

Then it is just a matter of using a stick blender until it reaches 'trace' ...

 

 

 

getting there...

 

 

 

Once it reaches 'trace' then just pour it into your moulds...

 

I got a bit carried away with spreading the soap out with a fork!

 

 

Then put the soap to bed for the night by wrapping it in a couple of towels.

 

 

 

The next morning turn it out of the moulds and admire your handiwork. The bits on the right of the photo will be added to water and used for hand washing. The soap now needs to be dried out for six weeks to harden.

 

I had bought a new stamp and wanted to try it out but I really needed a flat surface for that so had a few disasters when I tried it on the raised surfaces of the heart shaped cakes of soap. Next time I will use a different flat mould.

 

 

 

 

 

 These are the moulds I have. As far as I am concerned, the cakes of soap which I find most comfortable to use are made in the purple rose mould as it is a round shape and fits nicely in my hand.  I recently picked up the red heart mould at The Reject Shop and it may become a favourite shape too. The clear moulds were bought online from Aussie Soap Supplies. These moulds need to be put into the freezer for an hour or so before turning out otherwise it is difficult to release the soap. However there is no such problem with the silicone moulds.

 

So there you have it. As I said, I am no expert but it is fun making your own soap. My first batch was made using the recipe in the Down to Earth book and contained coconut oil, rice bran oil and olive oil. However, coconut oil can be a bit expensive to buy so I now use copha instead. In the first photo in my post I used  copha, rice bran oil and olive oil for all of the soap except for the white cake which was from a batch made without the rice bran oil.

 

One thing that I have noticed during all the wet weather we have had is that the soap becomes sticky and wet but it dries out as soon as the humidity has gone. Also, as there are no chemical hardeners in this soap, don't leave it on a bathroom sink where it might be sitting in water or it will go soggy.

 

If you haven't already done so then have a go at making soap. Take the warnings about handling caustic soda seriously and protect your eyes, wear gloves and a long sleeved shirt. You will be amazed at how easy it is to do and will be pleasantly surprised I am sure. If you have any problems come and join us on the Down to Earth forum as many of the members there make their own soap and are always happy to help.