Starting with Soap - Day 8

Finished Soap

I have so much fun making soap and using different luxury oils. It can be quiet the addicting hobby! Which soaps have you made? Which one has been your favorite so far? I want to know!

It is really hard for me to choose favorites but so far I think I have enjoyed the lanolin soap (Day 6) and the soap with both Palm Kernel Oil and Coconut Oil (Day 5). Remember, it is still a little early to pass judgement just yet. We still have a few more luxury oils to go!

Weighed Oils

Today’s luxury oil is Emu Oil. There are many stories of how Emu Oil has aided dry skin. While I don’t know how valid those claims are, it certainly makes an excellent soap. Try this oil for yourself. I think it will surprise and delight you.

Recipe:

Making Lye Solution

Now to make soap. Weigh your oils into a microwave safe container. If your Emu Oil has been sitting for a while, I like to give it a good shake so I know the stearines are evenly distributed. While the oils are heating in the microwave, weigh out your lye and mix with your water. Remember to add your lye to your water, not the other way around. Safety first!

Adding Lye Solution to Oils

Allow your two mixtures to cool. I like to put away my oils and set up my mold during this period. This helps keep my counters clean and my distractions to a minimum. When your oils are around 110°F-130°F, add your lye solution to your oils. (Because Emu Oil is prone to fractionation, you will want to make sure everything has completely melted. Otherwise you have get white dots in your soap.) Using your immersion blender, mix your soap until you reach a light trace.

Mixing Soap

Remember, trace doesn’t denote a viscosity, it just means that we aren’t seeing the oils float to the top and separate out. Often we pour our soap into the mold when it is the viscosity of whole milk not cooked custard. That is pretty fluid!

Soap in Mold

Allow your soap to sit in the mold undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Then cut into bars and place out on a shelf where they can dry. I like to use cardboard boxes under my soap so I don’t damage my shelves. You can use your soap immediately but it will last longer if you allow it to dry completely. A great aid in determining if your soap has fully dried are our Cure Cards. The best part is you can have them included in qualifying order for free! Let us know if you want a pack.