Soap

Natural Veggie Soap

6 cups olive oil
2 1/4 cups coconut oil
3 1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups lye
4 1/4 cups cold water
Slowly add the lye 1 tablespoon at a time to the cold water while stirring continuously. (Lye is caustic and should not come into contact with your skin, avoid inhaling fumes and wear rubber gloves) After you have stirred thoroughly, allow the mixture to sit until the temperature drops to between 95F and 98F. As the lye cools, place the oils and shortening together in a pot and heat it to 125F-130F. Remove the pan from the heat and place a thermometer in the liquid and let the mixture cool, watching the temp. When the two solutions are the same temperature, 96F, stir the oil mixture for about 30 seconds, and then add the lye mixture slowly but evenly in a steady stream. Do not stop stirring. When the consistency is like very thick gravy, the soap is ready for additives. Continue stirring while making additions, the pour the soap into the mold of choice. The simplest mold is a wax coated cardboard milk container. To make bars, pour the solution into a rectangular flat pan large enough to make the soap 1/2” to 2” thick. When the soap has had 24 hours or more to cure, use a hot knife to cut it into squares and remove it from the pan. After molding and shaping the soap, let it sit for 2-3 days in a dry place to cure. Once cured, it does better if wrapped.

Basic Glycerin Soap

4 heaping tablespoons (60ml) lye
1-cup cold soft water
2/3-cup glycerin (preferably vegetable)
3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons commercial shampoo (optional, provides extra bubbles)
Gently add the lye 1 tablespoon at a time to the cold water. Take care as in the natural veggie soap. Allow the lye mixture to drop to about 90F to 95F. Meanwhile, heat the glycerin and coconut oil (and commercial shampoo) in a pan until the mixture reaches 150F. When both mixtures are at the correct temperature, slowly pour the glycerin and oil mixture into the dissolved lye. Stir constantly until the combination has a honey-like consistency, this will take about half an hour. Pour the liquid soap into molds and follow the directions in the veggie soap recipe.

Soap-making techniques –

· Marbling - Prepare two cups of unscented colored soap mixture and set this aside while you scent the remaining uncolored soap in the kettle. Pour half of the scented soap into a mold, drizzle 1 cup of color in vertical and horizontal lines. Repeat with remaining soap and color. Stir with a chopstick or slotted spoon in a swirling direction, no more than twice.
· Layering – Pour a layer a day, trying different combinations of colors and scents.
· Chunking – Chop up an already prepared bar and place the chunks in the newly poured batch. It is helpful for the new batch to be as thick as possible.
· Glazing – Make a batch and let it cure in the mold. Then pour melted clear glycerin soap over the tops of the pre-made bars and lay dried potpourri or flowers in the glaze.

Basic Vegetable Soap

12 ounces coconut oil
12 ounces olive oil
20 ounces vegetable shortening
16 ounces distilled water
6 ounces lye
Mix lye slowly into water, stirring thoroughly. Mix oils together in a large saucepan and stir regularly. Allow both mixtures to cool to 97F, then mix together slowly, stirring constantly. After 10-15 minutes, the mixture should start tracing, which means it is opaque and thickened enough so that when you pick up the spoon in the pot the liquid soap drizzles off and leaves a trace on the surface. If 45 minutes passes without this happening, the measurements were off.
Optional – Add extra ingredients here
Pour the soap mixture into the molds Seal the mold with plastic wrap, put some blankets or towels on top, and place it in a draft-free place. Let it sit for 48 hours. After 48 hours, soap should be firm to the touch. Take it out of the mold and if necessary, cut it into pieces. Trim off excess and place it on a drying rack, clean butcher block, or a piece of plastic wrap. Let the soap air-dry for 2 1/2 weeks or until hard to the touch. Scrape off whatever ash may be on the surface.
Soap is ready to use.

Basic Animal Soap

2 1/2 pounds of very clean beef tallow
16 ounces distilled water
5 1/2 ounces of lye
Place tallow in a large pot and heat until it reaches between 120F and 125F
Make lye mixture as described in Basic veggie soap.
When lye has cooled to the same temperature as the tallow (120F-125F), pour the lye into the tallow in a thin and steady stream, stirring constantly.
Follow directions in Basic Vegetable Soap

Additional Recipes
(Note – Add beeswax to oil or tallow mix while it is being heated)–

Summer Citrus

2 ounces beeswax
15 drops orange essential oil
10 drops lime or lemon essential oil
1/4 cup finely grated lime peel
1/2 cup finely grated lemon or orange peel

Cinnamon Ginger Soap

1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1/2 ounce ginger essential oil

Soothing Honey Vanilla Soap

2 ounces sweet almond oil
6 ounces beeswax
1 ounce slightly warmed honey
2 ounces vanilla essential oil

Smooth Coconut Rosewood

2 tablespoon finely grated coconut
3 ounces rosewood essential oil

Cleansing Lavender Key Lime

1 ounce lavender essential oil
1-ounce lime essential oil
2 tablespoons finely grated key lime peel
2 tablespoons finely ground dried lavender
1 1/2 ounces liquid chlorophyll

Moisturizing Honey Soap with Nutmeg

4 ounces beeswax
2 tablespoons finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon finely ground cinnamon
1-ounce sweet almond oil
1-ounce honey
1 ounce nutmeg essential oil

All Purpose Coffee Oatmeal Soap

4 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans
4 tablespoons finely ground oatmeal

Chamomile and Sweet Almond

2 ounces sweet almond oil
2 ounces dried chamomile flowers
1-ounce chamomile essential oil
1-teaspoon paprika

Chocolate Milk Soap

1/2 ounce baking chocolate
2 ounces milk

Add the chocolate to the oils or tallow; add the milk the water (reducing it by two ounces) before the lye is added.

Indulging Geranium

2 ounces cocoa butter
1 ounce geranium essential oil
1 tablespoon dried geranium petals
1 ounce avocado oil

Add the avocado oil and cocoa butter to the oils or tallow before heating

Soap Additive Ideas –

Skin Softeners / Emollients

Aloe gel (1 tablespoon)
Apricot Kernel Oil (1 tablespoon)
Avocado Oil (1 tablespoon)
Castor Oil (1 tablespoon)
Honey (1 tablespoon)
Karite or Shea butter (1 tablespoon)
Carrot Oil (3/4 tablespoon)
Milk (1/4 cup)
Powdered milk (1/8 cup)
Sweet almond oil (1 tablespoon)
Wheat germ oil (3/4 tablespoon)
Beeswax (1/4 cup)

Exfoliate

Alfalfa meal (1/4 cup)
Bran (1/4 cup)
Cornmeal (1/4 cup)
Ground almonds (1/4 cup)
Mustard seeds (1/4 cup)
Powdered Oatmeal (1/4 cup)
Seaweed (1/4 cup)
Tapioca Pearls (1/4 cup)

Additional Recipes

Basic Soap

24 ounces olive oil
24 ounces coconut oil
38 ounces vegetable shortening
12 ounces lye
32 ounces water
Ingredients listed below
Follow directions for veggie soap

Love Light Soap

1 1/2 ounces bergamot essential or fragrance oil
1 1/4 ounces lemon essential or fragrance oil
1-ounce patchouli essential or fragrance oil
1/2 ounce bois de rose essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce lavandin essential or fragrance oil

Patchouli Soap

4 ounces patchouli essential or fragrance oil

Fire Light

1-ounce benzoin essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce palmarosa essential or fragrance oil
3/4 ounce orange essential or fragrance oil
1-ounce petitgrain essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce patchouli essential or fragrance oil

Sweetgrass

4 ounces sweetgrass essential or fragrance oil
1-ounce chlorophyll powder or liquid

Bug Away Soap

2 ounces basil essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces white cedar essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces eucalyptus essential or fragrance oil

Tigress Soap

2 1/2 ounces juniper essential or fragrance oil
1 ounce lemon peel
3/4-ounce lime peel
1/2-tablespoon camphor

Calendula Baby Soap

4 ounces Calendula (a.k.a. Marigold) and olive oil mix

Comfrey and Aloe-vera soap

2 ounces lavender essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces rosemary essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces aloe extract
4 ounces comfrey root powder

Flower Fern and Moss

1-ounce patchouli essential or fragrance oil
1 ounce lavender essential or fragrance oil
1-ounce oakmoss essential or fragrance oil

Garden Mint

4 ounces peppermint essential or fragrance oil
1/2 cup dried and crushed peppermint leaf
Or
2 ounces peppermint essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces spearmint essential or fragrance oil
1/2 cup dried and crushed peppermint leaf

Lavender soap

4 ounces lavender essential or fragrance oil
1/2 cup crushed dried lavender

Lemon Verbena
4 ounces lemon verbena essential or fragrance oil
1-ounce turmeric or yellow color chips

Little Cherub Baby Soap

1/2-ounce chamomile
3 ounces lavender

Rosemary Morning

4 ounces rosemary essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces powdered dill weed
2 ounces dried rosemary

Buffalo Restoration

2 ounces sage essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces white cedar essential or fragrance oil

Rosa Rugosa

4 ounces rose oil
1 melted pink or red crayon

Forest Garden

1/2-ounce balsam fir essential or fragrance oil
1 1/2 ounce cedar essential or fragrance oil
2 1/4 ounces vanilla essential or fragrance oil
1 1/2 ounces amber essential or fragrance oil
2 1/4 ounces musk essential or fragrance oil (synthetic is okay here)
1/2-teaspoon cedarwood essential or fragrance oil
1/2-teaspoon allspice essential or fragrance oil
1/2-teaspoon patchouli essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce frangipani essential or fragrance oil
1/4-ounce oakmoss essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce gardenia essential or fragrance oil

Woodsman’s Balsam Fir

4 ounces balsam fir

Oatmeal Complexion

8 ounces powdered oatmeal

Oat and Wheat

2 ounces pulverized oatmeal
2 ounces oat bran
1-ounce wheat bran
1-tablespoon whole oats (optional)

Gentleman Farmer

3 ounces lemon grass essential or fragrance oil
1-ounce cedarwood essential or fragrance oil
4 ounces ground cornmeal

Mr. Spicy

4 ounces cinnamon essential or fragrance oil
1-tablespoon ground cinnamon

Body Repair (will clean anything)

2 ounces balsam fir essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces kerosene
8 ounces pumice

Worker’s Soap

1 ounce cinnamon essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces allspice essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces cornmeal
2 ounces pumice

Chocolate Love-a-lot

4 ounces chocolate fragrance
4 ounces cocoa powder

Cocoa Butter

1/2-teaspoon bitter almond essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces lavender essential or fragrance oil
2 ounces warmed cocoa butter

Sweet Vanilla

4 ounces vanilla fragrance
1 tablespoon ground vanilla bean

Brown Windsor and Clay

3 1/2 ounces cassia essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce cumin essential or fragrance oil
3/4 ounce clove essential or fragrance oil
3/4 ounce lavender essential or fragrance oil
1/2-ounce thyme essential or fragrance oil
3/4-ounce neroli petitgrain essential or fragrance oil
8 ounces cosmetic-grade clay

Erotica

4 ounces patchouli
1/2-ounce bitter almond

Isis Soap

3 parts Myrrh
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Lotus Bouquet

Love Soap

4 parts Geranium
3 parts Palmarosa
2 parts Neroli
1 part Ginger

Luck Soap

2 parts Vetivert
1 part Orange
1 part Nutmeg

Moon Soap

3 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Camphor
1 part Lemon
1 part Eucalyptus

Protection Soap

4 parts Rosemary
3 parts Basil
1 part Frankincense
1 part Bay
1 part Mint

Psychic Soap

3 parts Lemongrass
2 parts Bay
1 part Cinnamon

Sabbat Soap

4 parts Sandalwood
3 parts Rosemary
2 parts Patchouli
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Myrrh
1 part Bay
1 part Lemon
1 part Ginger

Witch’s Soap

3 parts Rosemary
2 parts Pine
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Orange

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