With only organic ingredients such as coconut oil and palm oil, organic soap is the right ingredient to soften and heal the skin naturally. You can buy organic soap products anywhere, but with a little effort to get the tools and materials you need, you can learn to make your own organic soap at home. The manufacturing process requires patience and a bit of experimentation until you get the proportions of the additional ingredients just right. By learning and mastering the basics of soap making, you can create other unique variations of organic soap.
Ingredients
- 60 grams of food grade leachate (sodium hydroxide)
- 130 ml distilled water
- 350 ml olive oil
- 45 ml castor/castor oil
- 75 ml coconut oil, melted
- 15 ml essential oil with your favorite fragrance
For 4 bars of soap
Step
Part 1 of 3: Making a Leachate and Oil Mix
Step 1. Use a kitchen scale to accurately measure the ingredients
Accurate ingredient dosage is an important factor for your successful soap making. If the dosage of some ingredients is wrong, an unbalanced ratio can prevent the soap from solidifying properly.
- If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can buy one from the kitchen or home supply area of your local supermarket. You can also buy them from major stores or online.
- Containers, kitchen utensils, molds, or jugs used for measuring or making soap may not be reused for food. Contamination caused by leachate will be dangerous if consumed.
Step 2. Wear protective clothing when processing leachate
This material is caustic and should not come into contact with the skin or face. To protect the skin when processing leachate, wear long-sleeved clothing, gloves and protective eyewear. To prevent inhalation of leachate vapors, work near an open window or turn on a fan to improve air circulation.
If you experience respiratory problems or are afraid to inhale the vapors from the leachate while processing it, wear a respirator mask. You can buy them from a hardware store, major supermarkets, or the internet
Step 3. Pour 130 ml of distilled water into a stainless steel jug or pitcher
Use a thick, durable plastic jug or pitcher if you don't have a stainless steel jug. Do not use items made of aluminum because it can trigger a negative reaction with the leachate.
Step 4. Add 60 grams of food quality leachate to a jug or pitcher filled with water
Pour the leachate slowly so as not to pool. Use a silicone spatula to stir the water while pouring out the leachate. Keep stirring the mixture to dissolve all the leachate.
Always add leachate after you pour water into the pitcher. If you pour water directly on the leachate, a chemical reaction will occur prematurely and the leachate will be heated
Step 5. Cool the leachate mixture for 30-40 minutes
Be careful when handling or moving the leachate mixture. The natural chemical reaction of the leachate and water creates a hot solution.
When mixed with water, leachate can reach temperatures of up to 90°C. Even after the mixture has cooled, the solution will still feel hot (about 40-45°C)
Step 6. Heat the coconut oil in a double pan to melt the solids
Stir in the oil and heat over low heat so the oil doesn't foam or burn. Once all the oil has melted, remove the pan from the stove.
A similar alternative to coconut oil is babassu oil, a vegetable oil produced from the babassu palm tree in South America. Use the same amount of the oil if you are allergic to coconut oil or want to try a different ingredient
Step 7. Mix the other oils in another stainless steel jug to make a soapy dough
Add 350 ml of olive oil, 45 ml of castor/castor oil, and 75 ml of melted coconut oil. Castor oil will create a lather when the soap is used, olive oil will soften and condition the skin, and coconut oil will harden or solidify the soap.
Coconut oil may still be hot so you need to be careful when mixing it with other oils
Part 2 of 3: Mixing Soap Dough
Step 1. Add the leachate mixture to a pitcher or pitcher of the oil mixture to make a soapy dough
Pour the mixture slowly so it doesn't spill. Be careful not to burn the skin as the leachate and oil mixture is quite hot.
The temperature of the oil and leachate mixture is in the range of 40-45°C. Use a stainless steel thermometer to check the temperature before mixing the two solutions. If the temperature of the oil is lower, heat the oil in a double pan first until the temperature of the two mixtures is the same
Step 2. Stir the mixture using a stainless steel spoon to combine all the ingredients
You can use any stainless steel spoon, but it will be easier to stir the ingredients if you use a spoon with a long handle. Keep stirring the mixture carefully for about 30 seconds. This will allow the leachate and oil to combine before you mix the two more thoroughly.
If you don't have a stainless steel spoon with a long handle, use an immersion blender on the off position to carefully mix the ingredients
Step 3. Add special mineral clay, sugar, flowers, or herbs to color the soap
Choose ingredients that can change the appearance of the soap to match your favorite color. Naturally, olive oil gives the soap a yellow or cream color after the soap has set. If you like or don't mind the color, don't add any additives.
- Add a little cosmetic clay to change the color of the soap to pink, green, or white.
- Add a few drops of milk, cane sugar, or honey for a warm caramel color.
- For a more vibrant color, use the petals or leaves of your favorite herbs. For example, alkanet roots can produce a purplish color and spinach leaves can produce a green color.
Step 4. Puree all ingredients for one minute using a hand blender
Dip the head of the blender (which has blades) into the mixture before turning it on. Otherwise, the mixture may be "thrown" out of the jug or pitcher. Gently rotate the blender at the bottom of the pitcher to smooth the mixture.
- If there are multiple speed settings in the blender, use a late speed setting. If the mixture is mashed too quickly, air bubbles will form on the dough.
- If you don't have a hand blender, you can buy one from your local convenience store or the internet.
Step 5. Stir and mash the mixture alternately to thicken it
Use a hand blender (off) to knead the dough. If you alternate between using a blender and a spoon, the mixture may drip or spill. Continue this process for about 10-15 minutes.
In the process of making soap, the thick soap mixture is known as "trace". This means that the dough is thick enough when it is dropped on a surface and remains attached to that surface. When the dough reaches this consistency, you don't need to smooth or knead it again and it's ready to be poured into the mould
Step 6. Add essential oils to the thick soap mixture to give it the desired aroma
Start by adding 15 ml of oil first and mix it with the dough using stainless steel soap. Essential oils will produce a stronger aroma when added to a thick mixture than when the dough has hardened. Therefore, if the smell that you can smell from the dough is not strong enough, add the dough in small quantities until you can smell it.
Some essential oils commonly added to soap mixes include vanilla, almond, lavender, lemongrass, geranium, or peppermint
Part 3 of 3: Printing and Compacting Soap
Step 1. Pour the mixture into a silicone soap mold with a length of 10 centimeters to mold the soap
Use a mold that produces four rectangular soap bars. A standard soap mold usually measures 10 x 10 centimeters and is 7.5 centimeters high. You can get prints like these from craft supply stores, supermarkets, or the internet.
- Purchase silicone molds with unique patterns or designs to modify or decorate your soap as desired. You can also use a silicone bread mold and cut the dough into soap bars later.
- Don't use muffin tins or cake pans, as the batter can damage the tins (and the soap too).
Step 2. Cover the filled mold with freezer paper and a towel to retain heat
Leave the soap covered for at least 24 hours, but check its condition periodically to make sure it doesn't overheat or crack. If the soap cracks, keep the pan or mold covered or covered, but move it to a cooler place (eg a cupboard or basement where it is cooler).
Use freezer paper instead of regular wax paper as it is thicker, while waxed paper can melt due to the heat from the soap mixture. You can also use parchment paper
Step 3. Open the cover of the pan or mold and let the dough harden for the next 2-3 days
Check the condition of the soap at least once a day to make sure it hardens properly and doesn't spoil. You can see that the texture of the soap gradually changes to a gelatinous consistency within three days. By the third day, the soap was hard enough when you touched it with your finger.
Step 4. Remove the soap bars from the silicone molds to harden them
Place these bars of soap in a place that is not exposed to direct sunlight and let sit for at least 6-8 weeks. The air will dry and harden the soap thoroughly. After that, the soap is ready to use!
- Soaps that use a higher ratio of water than olive oil take only 4-6 weeks to harden.
- If you are using a silicone bread mold, use a knife to cut the soap into four equal bars before setting it hard.
