I spent the morning teaching a friend how to make soap, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.π©βπ«π This surprised me because I have been asked to teach in the past and I've always said, "No," but now I realize I am GUILTY of closing the door to a life-changing opportunity.πͺ
The business side of soapmaking (packaging, pricing, marketing, etc) is not as exciting to me, and today's experience sincerely revived my spirit. I've always viewed soapmaking as a stress-reliever and mind-clearer (I made soap while in labor with my youngest if that paints a clear enough picture!π©βπ¨πΌ), and being able to share my passion is the cherry on top.
So, if any of you out there want to be my soapmaking-teaching guinea-pig, let's chat! Preferably in the Northern Virginia area so we can connect in-person. Have a great day, future soapmaking badass!πββοΈ
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I have made it just once before so I had something to trade with whilst living with no money in south spain. I found an old book in an abandoned wagon and had liters of olive oil to use and so that was the main ingrediant, I had no thermometer and a dodgy gas stove but it came out great!
Only thing was I didnt read the part of leaving the soap for 2weeks so that its safe to use, and I tested it when it was fresh and burnt the skin haha
Random that your post was on my feed but its an original one, soap making is a rebelious thing to do, like growing your own food and making your own wine ect! Soap Anarchy!
edit add on.. Your not using esteem?!
Soap anarchy! I like that! Would be a good brand name maybe.π€ I am still deciding on a name. But yes, you are correct actually, this soap is completely made with olive oil. I was so excited to have my friend over I forgot to add the beeswax. So, to say the least, what a tremendous learning experience this has turned out to be. Do you still make your own soap? I started for fun to satisfy a family member, and now it has become a passion. So wonderful the way life works out.
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I only made it once, and used cocofat with the oil.. how was it with just oil?!
Well, funny you ask, because I totally forgot to add the wee bit of beeswax necessary to harden it upπ It looks like fudge, and feels soft and smooth like peanut butter, NOT what I was going for. If it doesn't harden soon, maybe I can melt it down again and add the beeswax, like a hot process soap. But, yes, soap can be made with olive oil (and lye) alone, eith the correct proportions. Soapcalc.net is a great free tool.
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Interesting! Ill make soap when im down south to sell or trade
Will you share the recipe that you used :) (If its not a secret.)
Hey there! I'd gladly share. It was not my recipe to begin with, and can be found in a book at your local library, most likely, because that's where I found it. It's honey soap. (Honey, water, sodium hydroxide, olive oil, beeswax... no essential oils needed for aroma, since the honey is magical on its own!)
Soapcalc.net is a great (free) tool I use often to make your own recipes.
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-best-natural-homemade-soaps-40-recipes-for-moisturizing-olive-oil-based-soaps_mar-gomez/9783994/item/19079670/?mkwid=URE13OvE%7cdm&pcrid=70112893392&product=19079670&plc=&pgrid=21326766312&ptaid=pla-292433097256&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_content=URE13OvE%7cdm%7cpcrid%7c70112893392%7cpkw%7c%7cpmt%7c%7cproduct%7c19079670%7cslid%7c%7cpgrid%7c21326766312%7cptaid%7cpla-292433097256%7c&gclid=CjwKCAiAnfjyBRBxEiwA-EECLL2ryKdpbG_7jyVq-KmPJS7vc5hlCH490c6_22oIx4-7sVMQUWx_9hoCUlcQAvD_BwE#isbn=0778804909&idiq=19079670
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Honey Soap (Honey, water, sodium hydroxide, olive oil, and beeswax)
I like the idea of being able to create things, so I took the above recipe and ran with it. I was able to understand how to locally source: Honey, water, olive oil, and beeswax...but I was uncertain about the sodium hydroxide. But why should that stop me, I mean someone has to make it so why not me? so I figured out how to make sodium hydroxide
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-sodium-hydroxide/
But the problem seemed to be 'where am I going to get a carbon rod at?'
After you gather the carbon rods, afix the two rods on either side of the container. Connect a 9 volt battery to the carbon rods (so one of the carbon rods is (+) and the other rod is (-)...this can be done using alligator clips
(pictured above alligator clips)
fill the container with clean water and non iodized salt, and let the carbon rods interact with the liquid for about 7 hours. A white film type residue will collect on the side of the container..that white film type residue is sodium hydroxide. And like was already said mix the sodium hydroxide with the honey, beeswax, olive oil and water...and you will have soap!
For a much simpler process please see
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@captaintj/the-sensibility-of-homsteading
Cool! I like your scientific route! Back in the old days they'd just burn plants and use those ashes. So, depending on the plant used, the lye could provide different benefits too. I thought I had a genius idea once, "how cool would it be to use cannabis ash," but then realized, duh that is way too resinous.π€£
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I thought that I remember them saying that campfire ashes that were the remains of 'hardwood trees' basicly that excludes trees that remain green all year long (so that excludes pine, cedar, and fur trees)
I LOVE this! I have always wanted to make soap. We get our raw goat's milk from a herd share, and the farmer turns some of the milk into goat's milk soap - it is so wonderfully smooth and nourishing. I swear I can feel my skin soaking it up. Keep up the Soap Anarchy - (love that @movingman) π±
Ooh yes!! I absolutely love goat's milk soap and body cream. It is easy to make soap, and you might even discover you love doing it once you give it a try, just like I did.π
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Go for it girl. Exciting!
Thank you for the words of encouragement! I truly appreciate you taking time out to respond. Have a great weekend, my friend.πππ
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