Making soap?

[Arielle]

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lye

Looks like a bit of work, but I can see a use for the winter wood ashes!!

 

[farmlady1]

I have always stirred with a long handled wooden spoon and poured the soap into wooden boxes made for soap. The soap sets in the boxes until it is firm enough to be turned out onto racks to air dry, which takes a couple of weeks and longer if the humidity is high.

Since this is an old post, I hope that you have not given up on making your own soap and that you have found a recipe that works for you.

 

[jerrey]

keep it going

 

[Arielle]

I have always stirred with a long handled wooden spoon and poured the soap into wooden boxes made for soap. The soap sets in the boxes until it is firm enough to be turned out onto racks to air dry, which takes a couple of weeks and longer if the humidity is high.

Since this is an old post, I hope that you have not given up on making your own soap and that you have found a recipe that works for you.

THis is helpful. I have worried that the soap might firm up too fast and become too solid to form or pour into boxes. I'm hoping to pick the brains of a friend that made the most gorgeous soaps a few years ago. Works of art. Me? I'm happy with rustic and practical. lol

 

[sepaditty1]

i like the method with the ashes. Seems like you really are making it from scratch.

 

[2boys1homestead]

We started making our own soap this year. We make it from coconut oil mostly. I just purchased Lye from Bulk Apothecary (in OH) and it came in nice bottles, crystallized. Making lye from ashes is, from what I heard, where lye soap gets it's bad name. Every species of tree produces different ashes with different levels of sodium hydroxide. So, if done incorrectly, the soap can burn the skin. Since we are using commercial lye, it's really standardized and make the process much easier. Being a potter, I've come in contact with straight up ashes in water and it's not pleasant (we used them for glazes), so I prefer the commercial lye.

There are lots of recipes out there and soap is a ton of fun to make. It's also 100x better than bar soap from the store. Good luck and have fun!!

 

[Arielle]

where do you find co for a good price??

 

[2boys1homestead]

where do you find co for a good price??

we buy the coconut oil from Bulk Apothecary (they have a website). It's the 76 degree oil, I get 8lbs for 20$-ish. Seems like a decent price to me. I can make almost 4 batches of soap off of one bucket. For the quality of soap, it's a fantastic deal. They also sell much larger quantities, up to a 55gallon drum, so it gets more cost effective as you go.

 

[Arielle]

LOl I would be in heaven with a 55 gal drum of it. I use it for a lot of things, but very sparingly to make it last as it has ben really expensive to find. 1 jar was $11 at the local grocery. DOnt think they sold much and so dont sell it anymore. At the store next door it was a one off thing at $5 for the same jar. I bought 6 and hoard it. lol

So thanks for the new source to buy it!!

 

[2boys1homestead]

LOl I would be in heaven with a 55 gal drum of it. I use it for a lot of things, but very sparingly to make it last as it has ben really expensive to find. 1 jar was $11 at the local grocery. DOnt think they sold much and so dont sell it anymore. At the store next door it was a one off thing at $5 for the same jar. I bought 6 and hoard it. lol

So thanks for the new source to buy it!!

No problem. They are my favorite source to purchase candle and soap making supplies from. They ship out extremely fast too, it's great!