How To Make Your Own Organic Soap

Ingredients:

• Organic Oil - Olive Oil or Soy Bean Oil


• Lye


• One large stainless steel pot


• One heat-resistant 2-cup measuring cup


• One wooden or stainless steel spoon


• Two glass thermometers. Ordinary candy
  thermometers work great.


• Eye protection (splashing lye can cause blindness).


• Rubber gloves to protect your hands (Raw lye is damaging to your skin).


• Kitchen scale


• Soap molds

How to make your organic soap, step-by-step:

1. Heating the oil. Pour your selected oil into the stainless steel pot. Use one thermometer to measure the oil temperature making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pot (otherwise you may get an inaccurate reading). TIP: Heat the fats and optional ingredients (organic lavender or other organic scents) to the temperature specified in this recipe.

2. Preparing to work with the lye. Put on your safety goggles and rubber gloves before working with raw lye, this is very important.

3. Measure out the cold water using the heat proof measuring cup. Make sure the water is cold otherwise, if you add lye to warm water, it can cause a rapid boil over and this can be dangerous.

Slowly add the lye while stirring the cold water. This causes a chemical reaction which makes the water heat up.

Continue stirring until the lye is completely dissolved. Use the second thermometer to monitor the temperature of the lye water mixture.

4. Get the oil to reach its ideal temperature at the same time as the lye water mixture reaches its ideal temperature. When the temperature is correct in both mixtures, add the lye and water mixture to the fat mixture.

The ideal temperature for most small batches of organic soap is around 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Use the steel or wooden spoon to stir the soap until it begins to "trace." When you first combine the oil mixture with the lye and water, you will notice that the solution is thin and watery. The lye and oil will complete a slow chemical reaction and slowly form soap.

As you stir it, the mixture will get thicker and turn opaque.

You will know that soap is beginning to trace by scooping up a small bit of the soap mixture in your spoon and then dripping it back into the bowl.

If the drips remain in a small mound on top of the mixture, then the soap is ready.

You can also test it by using the spoon to draw a small line in the surface of the soap mixture. If the line remains in the soap for more than a few seconds, then the soap is ready.

The amount of time that it takes the soap to "trace" will vary. It depends on what kind of oil you used, how big the batch is, and what the temperature of the mixtures were when you combined them. Ideally, you should have to stir the soap for about 15 minutes.

If it still has not started to set up after 15 minutes, don't panic. Let it sit for about five minutes and then come back and start stirring again.

It will trace eventually; it may just take awhile. Like all new projects, learning how to make organic soap takes some time and experimentation.

6. Pour the soap into molds and wait for it to harden.

Just like tracing, this may take a variable amount of time. It is dependent upon a number of factors such as the size of molds and what kind of oil you used for your base.

7. Once the soap has hardened, it is time to take it out of the molds.

Just because the soap is hard doesn't mean that it is safe, so you need to keep your rubber gloves on.

If you are having a hard time getting the soap out of the molds put them in the freezer for an hour or so. This should allow the soap to pop right out of the mold since the soap with shrink a little bit when it freezes.

9. Your soap will actually become safe to handle and use after it has aged.

The potency of the lye naturally reduces as the pH of the soap balances out. This process usually takes about three weeks and is critical.

10. Remove the soda ash. While the soap is aging, a fine white powder sometimes forms on the surface.

Don't worry, this is natural. The powder is the result of the chemical reactions that are taking place as the soap ages.

If you are worried about appearance, then cover the soap with plastic wrap as soon as you pour it into molds. This will limit the contact with air that the soap has as it cures.

Gently wash away any small residue of ash, this will not affect the shape or appearance of your soap.

Remember to use the proper caution when working with raw lye (see below), and enjoy your organic homemade soap!

Safely working with lye when making handmade soap

Lye is one of the key ingredients in the production of soap. Through a chemical reaction it converts oils and fats to what we know as soap.

Lye is also one of the key ingredients in drain openers such as drano and liquid plumber because of its unique ability to convert greasy buildup into a soluable substance thus clearing a clogged line.

Lye should be handled in the same way that drain cleaner, bleach or pool chemicals would be handled.

If mishandled it can be a dangerous chemical and can cause harm to you and others. If handled correctly these kinds of problems can be avoided. There is no reason why accidents involving lye cannot be completely avoided.

You can substantially reduce your chances of ever having an accident by remembering three things.

1. Never pour water into lye. Always pour lye into the water (slowly). If you pour water onto lye it can cause a violent reaction.

2. Secondly, be careful not to splash or spill the lye solution.

3. Keep lye out of the reach of children.

Please read the following safety information regarding lye. Warning:

Keep children and animals away from lye. Lye is very caustic and can cause serious injury or even death if swallowed and can cause blindness if splashed into the eyes.

By all means wear long sleeves and be sure to always wear safety goggles.

Always keep a large cup of fresh water nearby. If you should splash some lye or raw soap into your eye, IMMEDIATELY pour large amounts of cool water into your eye continuously for 10 minutes, or longer. Visit your nearest hospital emergency room or call 911.

If you should splash lye or raw soap onto your skin, rinse immediately with cool water. For more serious skin burns, seek medical care immediately.

If lye is accidently swallowed, do not induce vomiting, call a poison control center or 911 for further instructions, get to emergency fast.

It is important to have your lye containers labeled.

Again, keep lye away from children and when working with lye keep children away from your work area.