I don't think I've ever posted about soapmaking, though it's in my profile. I began making soap in the summer of 2001, and have enjoyed making all of our own soap and some for gifts ever since. It's a neat creative outlet, as you can play around with the scents and additions. I haven't ever done anything specifically with color, except for using baking cocoa in my chocolate soap (as seen above), but I've had lots of fun nevertheless.
My very favorite soap is my chocolate soap. It's made with a significant amount of cocoa butter, which makes a very hard bar and lathers very nicely.
Last Tuesday I'd already planned on making soap as I hadn't made any for about a year, and we were about to run out. And then it snowed, making it the perfect day to stay in and make soap (and other things, like things to eat). I decided to try making two different kinds of soap, both using the same base of the cocoa butter soap. To one half I added chocolate essential oil, and took out a bit and added cocoa, then swirled this into the white soap base to make chocolate marble soap. I made this part just as I have for several years, except that for molds, I used cupcake papers in a muffin tin, and one round cake pan, instead of the rectangle I usually make (then I cut it into bars). Chocolate soap looks and smells good enough to eat!
The other half I made into lavender soap, with lavender essential oil and blended lavender buds. Even though it came from the same base, it was looking and feeling a bit soft. The soap sits in the molds for 24 hours or so, then it is cut and put on a wire rack to cure. It has to cure for 3 weeks, and I turn it once during that time for even exposure. I just checked on the soap, and now, after having several days to sit, it's looking much firmer and can be picked up without leaving wet residue on my hands. I'd never had this happen before, so I'm not sure what happened.
Beginning to make soap requires lye safety, which can cause fear of something awful happening. A soapmaker must never forget that lye is a poison and can burn very badly, and can even cause death in the wrong circumstances. One must *always* take care when handling lye, and let everyone in the house know that the lye is there and to take precautions. That said, other than the lye handling, soap is very easy to make and is very rewarding. I've never had a batch fail, which is more than I can say for breadmaking.
The book I have used exclusively for making soap is The Soapmakers Companion. I chose it because of it's emphasis on natural ingredients and for it's complete lack of animal tallow and the like. It does have recipes that contain milk, egg, and/or honey, so it's not completely vegan, but there's plenty here for the vegan to enjoy making as well. The book lays out, step by step, the procedure for making soap and lets you know of the precautions that must be taken when one uses lye. It also goes into the chemistry of soapmaking, so you can make your own formulations, but I have stuck with the recipes in it and have not been interested to learn the numbers and elements. (I never took chemistry in high school or college--maybe that's why.)
Any other soapmakers out there? What kinds do you like to make?
13 comments:
i love making lye soap too. I'm about out of my last batch and need to start planning again. The best soap I ever made was a cocoa butter/vanilla soap made with goat's milk I got from my SIL. OMG! for 2-3 days the house smelled like I was making brownies.
Thanks for the inspiration.
I`ve always loved the thought of making soap, but was put off by the lye.....
beautiful! I've never made soap but yours looks amazing.
I've never made soap, but yours are gorgeous.
Thanks for bringing me some of that soap! I think my favorite batch ever was some lavendar soap made with lavendar from Eatwell Farms. It was good to see you this week. Isaiah raved about his time at the ranch. Thanks for making that happen, too.
hi elizabeth! how fun & rewarding to make your own soap - i've always wanted to do this and like to buy soap from the ladies at the farmer's market because it smells so nice and is natural. i really like vanilla. yeaaah, for hibi's snow day!!! :o)
Mmmm, I've always wanted to make soap, and even have a book about it, but haven't actually done it yet. At this stage in my life, it will probably need to wait until my kids are a bit older. Yours looks great.
I'm happy to find your blog. I live in Eugene and my husband and I just became catechumens in the Greek Orthodox church here.
Thanks, everyone! And welcome, Rebeca! I enjoyed poking a bit around your blog, too. Yes, I don't think I'd start soapmaking if I had kids your kids' ages....mine were 4 and 7 when I started, and I think that was about as young as I'd start something like that. Unless they were out of the house with someone else.
Congratulations on becoming catechumins! Perhaps at some point we'll have a chance to meet. You're pregnant at the same time as Pres. Vicki! I think I've only met her twice, but really like her a lot. I just saw Fr. Timothy at a clergy family dinner in Seattle on Tuesday night, and he told me they're having another baby.
Oh wow, that's brilliant. That soap really does look good enough to eat. That would be a dangerous thing to have around my home...I could wake up absent-minded one day and eat it. I'd be burping bubbles for a long time :S
I've always wanted to try making soap. I'm married to a man who loves handcrafted soap. But that lye part has always made me hesitate. But maybe if I had a mentor to guide me.....? ;-)
No, really, Asmaa, you really wouldn't eat it. Not more than a tiny lick, anyway. It just smells so good!
Lisa--you're welcome, and thank you for the soap you brought over! We're enjoying your doublemint soap in the shower currently....and I had a tiny sliver of the old chocolate soap in there, and of course I had to try them together. It's divine! But what are the seeds in your soap? I've been meaning to ask you. I like stuff like that in soap--I always include lavender buds in my lavender soap. Even though some people think it looks like bugs.
Melisa--just say the word! I'd be happy to help out however I can. First thing is to make sure that little one of yours is otherwise occupied! I'd be happy to come over and help, or you could come over here and watch me make some. Whatever you want to do. Or I can just give friendly advice.
I have always wanted to try soapmaking, but they lye scared me away. I'm a bit too clutsy to be handling dangerous substances! It sounds like fun though.
Hallie
Those are gorgeous!
I've never made soap,but I love to snap up homemade bars at craft fairs.
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