We just started using this soap in the shower and so far so good. I've priced a very similar soap selling in an eco store called The Source and it sells for $9.95. It's marketed as a shampoo bar that comes unwrapped. It's a slightly larger bar and the only difference I could see in the ingredients list was Castor oil was used in theirs and a few scents and colorings.
- 1 pound (16 ounces or 453.6 grams) coconut oil
- 1 pound (16 ounces or 453.6 grams) olive oil
- 0.303 pounds Caustic Soda (4.844 ounces or 137.339 grams)
- 0.760 pounds water ( 12.16 ounces or 344.73 grams)
- Up to 1 ounce of essential oils of choice (optional)
- Stick blender, spatula, rubber gloves for hands, cling wrap, moulds, hand towels and trays to put the moulds on.
Before you start, please put on rubber gloves and protective eyewear. Make sure you have long sleeves on and enclosed footwear.
Carefully measure out all your ingredients before you start heating the oils.Into a large icecream container or metal bowl, add the Caustic Soda to the water and stir until the liquid becomes clear and the Caustic Soda dissolves. Let the mixture sit for 15 - 20 minutes until it feels warm, not hot PLEASE do not dip your finger in but feel the warmth from the outside of the container
While the Caustic Soda ( Lye ) is cooling, gently heat up the olive and coconut oils in a saucepan until they reach 48 degrees Celsius.
Gently and slowly add the warmed oils to the lye mixture and stir.
Using a stick blender combine mixture until it reaches trace. This looks like thickened custard. You may need to rest the blender every few minutes. Turn it off and use the blender to stir.
Pour into silicon moulds, place cling wrap and hand towels over the top. Place in a safe place to cool and harden.
Start using your soap within a few days.
Here are links to the other soap recipes I use -
http://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com/2015/10/soap-making.html
http://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com/2017/04/olive-oil-soap.html
Your soap looks good, Wendy. By the way I was able to buy apple green tiles for the kitchen which are something like yours but the renos are behind time and start at the end of the month instead of early September. I have learned that tradie time is a tad different to the norm ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found the tiles of your dreams Nanna Chel xoxo
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ReplyDeleteHi Wendy, thank you for sharing your new soap recipe. Did you use extra virgin olive oil or a lighter one?
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda, I used extra virgin olive oil but I wasn't happy with the color. I shouldn't complain, the oil was given to me and I thought it would be a great way to use it up.
DeleteThanks Wendy, do you mean that the extra virgin oil made the finished soap quite yellow? That's why I was asking, because I wondered about the final colour and it sounds like that is the case.
DeleteI have always heated the oils and then added the lye mixture when the same temp was reached. I have always considered this the cold process making method. Hot processes require much longer cooking of the oils. At least this is my understanding. If your soap is hardened off and able to be used then I must be wrong. I have followed Rhonda's process for years if that's any indication to you. I made soap today and have added bentonite clay to one lot, to be used as shaving soaps, activated charcoal to another, for acne treatment and pink clay to another to make up some poo bear moulds for the Granddaughters. These soaps are to be part of my Christmas gifting.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, I'm not a soap making expert but from what I've read on the internet, if you heat the oils then it's described as the hot process. Either way, the outcome is quite different for each process. If I'm wrong, then I'm happy to learn the correct terminology.
DeleteYour soap looks beautiful as always Wendy, and to be able to use it within a couple of days is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a lovely weekend,
xTania
Yes it's great to use it almost straight away especially if you are running low on soap.
DeleteWendy... the coconut oil, does this have to be the liquid one or the set one and then you melt it? I want to make this! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnnabel, I've only ever used the set one in a jar.
DeleteThank you, Wendy, for this recipe. It may be my new favorite :) I scented it with some Neroli oil my brother gifted me and it smells heavenly. I am very excited to see how these babies turn out!!! Mary B/San Diego from the Bluebirds/Tuesday Afternoon group.
ReplyDeleteDear Wendy
ReplyDeletecan i make the soap with half receipe?
thanks
fika (jakarta)
I haven't tried a half recipe but if you measured everything correctly you should be fine.
DeleteDear Wendy,
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of olive oil is it virgin olive oil, light olive oil?
And for coconut, is it cooking oil or virgin coconut oil?
Thanks
Fika
I used extra virgin olive oil. The coconut oil is just coconut oil as a solid in a jar.
DeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the beautiful recipe and creations.
I am also new to soap making but have done extensive research and have been selling soaps (not made by me) for the past 8 years. My understaning for the reason why one waits to use the soap after 4-6 weeks is to cure it in cold process soap-making is to ensure you get to the righ PH level for the soaps to be used. Otherwise I believe it might be too alkaline. Hope that helps:)
Hi, that is cold process soap, it doesnt matter if the oils are warm or hot some times, or if you melted them (beewax, butters, etc). Still is considered cold process and takes 4-6 weeks to be ready to use.
ReplyDeleteThe hot process is made in a crock pot, you can see few stages of cooking (trace, apple sauce, gel, etc), before is done and you test the ph, so no lye is present. The whole process takes 1 hour of cooking or so, sometimes a bit more, not less than that. Then you can use the soap in about 1 week.