I uncovered my box of soap yesterday from under its layers of blankets to reveal that I indeed did have soap. It is no forgone conclusion that when you pour the stuff into the mold, that it will harden. Though in all the years that I have been doing this, I've only lost one batch. That doesn't seem to allay my fears however. I wait with baited breath every time I attempt this project.
Soapmaking is a chemistry experiment par excellence. I have to weigh out all the ingredients and combine them at the proper temperatures and am dealing with caustic substances. . . all very scientific. It's FUN!
This batch was particularly reticent, and I had to resort to heating the whole mess up two different times to get the reaction going in the right direction. Looks like it was worth the patience.
I use the book by Ann Bramson called "Soap. Making it, Enjoying it" I highly recommend it to you if you are wanting to try something out of the ordinary one day.
The recipe that I use from the book makes a fine hand soap that is mild enough to wash your face with. It contains coconut and olive oils. And this time the oils that I used to scent it with were not destroyed by the lye (which sometimes happens). So my soap smells like lily of the valley with a touch of lavender. Quite pleasant.
Although after yesterdays outburst, I suspect some of you think I should use a bar to wash my mouth out.
But I can't do it yet. The stuff has to age for about a month before it's ready to use.
Sorry! Can't oblige you today. :-)
[album 65561 Soap Box2.JPG]
Comments (10)
I used to have a friend who raised Emu's, and made her own soap using fat from them. She swore by it and would only use that for her family. She gave out samples of it to everyone in the cub scout troup, and it was one of the best soaps I had ever used. No dry skin at all!
Alli
I enjoyed responding although I would like to add that there are many truths and levels to look at any argument but I was a flower child you know make love not war and smoke weed
beautiful so you made soap with a lily valley and lavender scent such a beautiful spiritual experience washing with your soap would be I truly beleive that it would not only be physically cleansing but spiritually cleansing as well
have a beautiful day mon amie there is always so much variety in your journal one never knows what the next tone will be
anyway my favourite word is harmony
I have three bottles of partially used shampoo. Because? After I use a brand for a few times, my scalp begins to itch. So I decided that instead of throwing away, I could use the shampoo as a mild hand soap. Works very nicely, and smells good too.
But I'd surely like to find a shampoo I could use more than 3 or 4 times. Suppose you could work out a formula for homemade shampoo without all that other stuff they put in the commercial products?
Shalom
I have made soap, with good results, so nice to know that you *know* what is in there and in turn what you are putting on your skin
x
As to yesterday, you said what needed to be said and what too few are willing to say in public so keep the soap for washing hands and faces. Your mouth would not benefit from it in any way.
i adore coconut too