General | Soap Recipes 101

nancy May 10, 2010

How to Make a Homemade Lye Soap

photo by INeedCoffee / CoffeeHero

It is very easy to do your own homemade lye soap. You do not really need special ingredients because everything that you need can be found at your nearest grocery store.

For your basic homemade lye soap, all you need is a combination of fat and lye with water for the catalyst. For a more luxurious soap, you can add aromatherapy or scented oils and dyes for cool colors. Some people use tap water while some use distilled or rainwater.

Lye (sodium hydroxide) is a chemical used in soaps that can cause skin burns so it is very important to be careful when using it. Before using it, be sure to read the instructions and then follow them carefully.

When making homemade lye soap, you may want to use a lye calculator to be sure that you are using the right amount of lye on your soap. The amount of lye that you will use depends on the type of fat or oil that you are going to use.

To begin with your homemade lye soap put the lye in a bowl of water. Take note: pour the water first and then lye and not vice versa. It is better if your water has ice in it. Continuously stir the soap mix and be aware of the reaction that will occur. Lye causes the water to boil. Stop stirring and wait for the simmering to stop. After the bubbling stops, let the soap base mix cool down under room temperature.

You can use whatever type of oil that can be used for making soap. Oils can come from plants, vegetables or from hydrogenated oils to animal fats. If you are going to use animal fat, just make sure that it is clean, fresh, contains no salt and has no solid and rough particles. The advantage of using animal fats (lard or tallow) is that is makes soap denser compared to plant oils. What is good about using plant oils from coconuts is that the soap will produce creamy lather while olive oil gives out silky, fine bubbles that are gentle to the skin.

The reaction between the animal fat and lye is called “saponification”. It may take more time to reach trace (the joining of lye and oils). Once it reaches trace you can now add both coloring and scented oils. Afterwards, pour the soap base mix in the mold and let it cool down until it solidifies. Let your homemade lye soap cure for two to three days and let it completely dry for best results.

nancy May 1, 2010

Handmade soap: Choose your skin’s nourishment

photo by ghbrett

Are you drawn to commercial soap products for their persuasive claims and lovely models of the nourishing benefits to your skin, yet the opposite is happening? Do you feel desperate for not being able to find a soap that naturally cares for your skin rather than strip it of moisture causing dry spells? You’re not alone in this struggle.

Many individuals, groups, and organization today are in the craft of soap making after reports of the adverse effects of synthetic chemicals used in commercial soaps are reaching consumers. Besides that, many consumers are searching for all-natural pure soap that doesn’t leave any residue on the skin and doesn’t cause it to dry.

Natural handmade soap contains natural oils and herbs making it a great alternative to commercial soap products in the market. However, bear in mind that not because they’re handmade doesn’t mean they don’t contain some of the synthetic products you wanted to avoid in the first place. Thus, your scrutiny is also required when choosing a handmade soap especially that the US FDA does not strictly regulate herbal products.

Selecting a handmade soap

One thing is certain when it comes to handmade soap – there are hundreds of products to choose that can sometimes lead you into indecision. The handmade soap industry accounts this popularity to the growing number of evidence against commercial soaps. Thus, handmade soaps are no longer just available in specialty beauty shops but they are widely available on the Internet, by mail order, and in department stores.

Handmade soap formulations vary upon the manufacturer’s preference and concept of handmade soap. To guide you, here are a few things to consider when buying handmade soap:

1. Look for soap products made from a blend of vegetable oils like coconut, vegetable, peanut, sunflower, palm, and palm kernel. These are but a few of the popular vegetable oils used in the industry today. Olive oil contributes to the quality of a handmade soap. If you have oily skin, avoid a handmade soap that contains high amounts of coconut oil since it can leave it dry.

2. Handmade soap with no animal fats or tallow is most preferred. Tallow has comedogenic properties that tend to remain on the skin as if creating its own barrier. Animal fats include bees wax, tallow, lard, lanolin, honey, and milk.

3. Check for additional natural ingredients such as cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin E, and Aloe Vera along with other organic herbs and spices. If you want a handmade soap with exfoliating abilities, select those that include oatmeal, ground almond, cinnamon, and corn meal.

Fortunately, the rising popularity of handmade soap has provided consumers with an excellent alternative indeed and healthier skin in the future.

nancy April 27, 2010

Herbal soap: Nourishing skin the natural way

photo by avern

Vegetable oils are, by far, more skin-friendly when used as soap base than animal fats or oils. This has been found to be true in several studies and, besides, vegetable oils contain vitamins and minerals not present in animal fats (such as goat’s milk, animal lard, etc). This is also what makes herbal soap a better choice over commercial soap.

The human skin

To understand the benefits of herbal soap, we need to understand our skin’s natural environment first. The skin acts as the body’s first line of defense against infection against many environmental hazards and is able to absorb and use nutrients that we apply topically.

The skin is also capable of detoxifying harmful substances with similar enzymatic processes the human liver does. Unfortunately, our skin is incapable of separating synthetic substances found in many of today’s commercial soaps, lotions, skin care, and cosmetics products that it practically has no use for and can be irritating to its natural state.

How herbal soap works

Animal fats and synthetic chemicals that make up almost all of today’s soap bars and skin care products are too drying for the skin. Many studies have found these chemicals to be potentially irritating and are listed among the carcinogens. Herbal soaps, on the other hand, contain many of the nutrients and essential oils the skin and body needs to nourish new skin cells and help strengthen the skin’s natural defenses.

The FD&A does not strictly regulate the herbal soap industry but released a guideline for consumers a few years ago. Manufacturers can label their herbal soap as “all-natural”, “natural”, and “made of natural ingredients”. The difference in this labelling is in the amount of natural ingredients used in the soap.

Just because they’re made of herbs doesn’t mean that herbal soaps are not formulated for various skin types. On the contrary, the benefits of an herbal soap on your skin depend largely on the type of herbs and vegetable oils it consists of. There are various types of natural ingredients used to make herbal soaps. For instance, coconut oil and olive oil are used as base and are excellent natural moisturizers to various skin types while lemon and mint may be included in the ingredient of an herbal soap for oily skin. Many of the herbal soaps also use natural fragrance derived from pure essential oils that adds aromatherapy benefits.

So give your skin a relief and let it heal itself naturally with natural ingredients found in herbal soap.

nancy April 23, 2010

Procedure in Making Coconut Milk Soap

photo by kart0ffelk0pf

The use of milk in soaps has become very popular. The most famous type of milk that soap makers use is goat’s milk. However, coconut milk has always been a favorite in soap making.

Coconut milk soap is very popular since ancient times. It is used by kings and queens because they are proven to have good moisturizing effects to the skin because of its creamy, rich lather. To make your own coconut milk soap you can follow the steps below.

Coconut Milk Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

- 5.4 oz. Coconut Milk (half of it frozen and half normal liquid form)

- 30 percent Coconut Oil (5.4 oz.)

- 25 percent Palm Oil (4.6 oz)

- 30 percent Olive Oil (5.7 oz.)

- 5 percent Castor Oil (1 oz.)

- 10 percent Canola Oil (1.9 oz.)

- 2.7 oz. lye

- .8 oz. Natural Fragrance Oil

Instructions in making coconut milk soap:

Make the lye solution. Measure your lye using a lye calculator. Put the lye in a big bowl and then gently pour in your frozen coconut milk followed by the other half which is in normal liquid form. At this point, you will notice a chemical reaction take place. Stir slowly and carefully as the lye heats up the coconut milk.

The lye will turn the coconut milk’s color into light-amber as well produce a foul odor as it burns the sugars found in the milk. The foul odor will go away when the reaction is finished.

You will see that the coconut milk soap base will start to thicken because of the “trace effect” (joining of lye and coconut milk), which is responsible for transforming the mixture into coconut milk soap. The fat present in the coconut milk is just enough to harden the soap mix.

Once the reaction stops, let the lye cool down under room temperature, typically around 80 to 90°.

In a microwave oven, melt all of the oils that you are going to use. Afterwards, put them all in the bowl of lye and coconut milk before the soap mix completely settles. While doing so, continuously stir your coconut milk soap base.

Pour your soap base mix in the molds and cover it with a clean towel. Let it set for at least three days. Remove the soap from the molds, cut them in little bars and wrap your soap using wax papers. Let it cure for another week for best results.

Making your own coconut milk soap is very easy. Once you have mastered the process you can create your own milk soap using other ingredients that are not mentioned above.

nancy November 7, 2009

Candle And Soap Making Secrets – Best Selling Product!

Amazing Discovery – 33 Year Old Woman Figures Out How To Make Her Own Beautiful Scented Candles And Soaps Cheaper And Better Than The Store Brands! Promote This High Converting Product In Great Candlemaking Soapmaking Niche.

Candle And Soap Making Secrets – Best Selling Product!

nancy November 6, 2009