Castile Soap (aka olive oil based soap): First try
This recipe is for a solid soap with a superfat of 5%
Ingredients:
2.04 oz Lye
5.28 oz Water
16 oz Olive Oil
[Total Batch Yield: 23.32oz]
What you'll need:
Molds of some kind that can hold our total batch yield
Thermometer (a candy thermometer or an instant-read would work great)
Mixing bowl (not metal)
Cup
Tool for mixing (an immersion blender works the best but you can do this by hand)
Cooking Pot
Digital scale
Rubber Gloves
Safety Goggles/Glasses
Instructions:
Go ahead an slip on your safety gear before you begin!
Measure out 2.04 oz of lye and set it aside in our mixing bowl, then measure out 5.28 oz of water into a cup. You'll want to take these two items outside to mix them together in your mixing bowl. Go ahead and either place your thermometer in the liquid or have it ready.
THIS MIXTURE WILL GET EXTREMELY HOT AND WILL SMOKE -- stay clear of the smoke and just keep an eye on the temperature we want a temperature of around 120-130°F.
While this is cooling you will want to place 16 oz of olive oil in the cooking pot and set it on medium/low. Our goal is to bring this up to around the same temperature as the lye water (120-130°F).
Once everything is at the right temperature go ahead and combine them in the mixing bowl and begin mixing. Now there is nothing wrong with hand mixing - it will just take more time. Our goal with stirring it to bring the soap to medium trace (e can be described as the mix being like a thick cake batter or thin pudding consistency).
Once trace is reached we will just need to place our mix into our molds - I personally used silicone bread molds.
Now that we have our mix in the molds they will need to rest for at least 24 hours - once that time is up, pop your soap out of the mold and cut it to size if needed.
For pure olive oil soap, in particular, keep in mind that it will do better with age -- initially it won't be as sudsy as you are used to but over the course of 4-6 months of aging it will get there.
This is how I let my soap age, for the first couple of weeks:
It was a really fun experience! I don't think I will ever be buying regular soap bars again. :)
I want to make soap. It's been on the project list for a very long time. Other things just keep getting in the way. Those homemade bars just look so nice!
Thank you! I found I just had to force myself to sit down and do it one day - I figured I would have more free time as an adult - but nope!
same here @daddykirbs but after I set aside the time and did it, I felt so accomplished and proud of myself. One day you'll get to it. I know you will!
LOVE to make soap. I am waiting for some goat milk base to get delivered tomorrow and I am trying my first pour and mold type of soap. Usually I make it in the crock pot as you did here, but I wanted to try a new recipe.
I have not bought soap ever since I started making my own: and now I'm addicted to essential oils!
Wish I could use goats milk :( I hear it is awesome for soap - but sadly I'm allergic.
Good luck on your project all the same! It really is a great hobby.
Oh such a shame! I have been reading up on it and am sold on the potential luxuriousness it seems to offer. I'll post my recipe and results later this week!
Yes it is an awesome hobby and when I make it and my husband uses it and says how much he likes it; I feel so proud!
Very cool!
Boy, I havent made soap in forever... I really need to!
You can also melt down the soap bars in water if you want a liquid soap. I used to do this with mine and use it as a liquid body wash...
Ugh! Where is the extra time when you need it?!
Haha, thanks for posting!
Thank you!
That is on the list of projects for sure - liquid soap has a few more uses that I'd like try out. :)
Hey @waffl3ir0n. Is that the recipie up there? Welive in Portugal, a country with an abundance of olive oil. I would be very interested in trying this too. Do you also have tips about adding herbs or essential oils for smell?
Thank you so much for shsring!
Moritz
Hello Moritz, this is the fragrance calculator I plan to use next time: https://www.brambleberry.com/pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
As far as adding herbs - I haven't do it yet but I know you can add most to soap I would just google around and see what others have used and how they have combined them.
My only tip would be to add your scents and herbs in before medium trace sets in to be sure it mixes well!
Good luck!
Thanks @waffl3ir0n. Will check the fragance calculator as well.
That looks amazing! Great job. I want to try making soap one day. I can imagine that you could really play around with scents and create!
Thank you!
Yes! I bought scents recently and that is the next plan -- to play with colors and scents.
I also want to try adding things into the soap, such as honey or oats. :)
Or corn meal for scrubbing?
Yeah that would be a fun exfoliant :)
Wow, this is so lovely. I love everything homemade, clean and raw. It feels quite different than just buying. I make homemade masks for my skin. :)
Yes! Me too, and there's something about knowing what is in it/knowing I made it that just seems to make it feel better. :)
Homemade masks is something I want to get into - do you have a goto fav?
home made soap is the best. Is the olive oil the secret in making a hard soap? I've tried some that just mush when they get wet.
This soap is pretty hard and hasn't turned to mush in the shower at all :)
I have also heard that coconut oil soap makes a very hard soap as well.
thanks for the reply and info. Mushy soap isn't much fun. :)