Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Recipes for Vegetable-Based Soaps
My greatest pleasure in soapmaking is designing new recipes, unveiling the experimental batches, and seeing that they worked. In a world of assembly-line burgers — a world that rewards the economic efficiency of mass production and honors sameness — I embrace the opportunity to invent colors, mold shapes, change textures, choose skin-care attributes, and add fragrances.
Once you understand the basics you, too, can design your own signature bars. The reader who understands the chemistry of soapmaking has no need for someone else's recipes. Once you understand how to substitute one fat or oil for another, and what percentages to use of sodium hydroxide, water, various nutrients, and essential oils, reworking soap formulas is quick, easy, and fun. Do not feel limited by the recipes I offer — you can simply rework them to meet your preferences. You may like soaps made with cocoa butter or have a friend who loves oatmeal and honey goat milk soap. Maybe you know someone with allergies who over-reacts to scents and needs a soap without them.
Enjoy my recipes and have fun designing your own. Most likely, your favorite creations will be those that have been carefully and lovingly designed for your family and friends. Don't be surprised if before long your neighbors and friends are sharing personal skin histories with you. It's satisfying to respond with a soap or a cream that offers some relief.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THESE RECIPES
Each of the following recipes produces fifteen 4-ounce (113-gram) bars of soap. Feel free to double or triple a recipe as desired. You may have to adjust the amounts of water slightly when using significantly higher soapmaking temperatures, due to the evaporation that occurs at high processing temperatures (see Chapter 9, here). The ratios of the other soapmaking ingredients do not change if batches are increased or decreased.
Superfat
To superfat a soap is to leave unsaponified oils in the final bars for the mildest soap. Unsaponified oils do not form compounds with the other soapmaking components but, instead, remain in their original form in the bar as emollient ingredients.
Discount
A reduction, expressed as a percentage, from the amount of sodium hydroxide required for a complete saponification. When a discount is applied, a percentage of fats and oils are left unsaponified in the final bars as moisturizing ingredients. The sodium hydroxide discount printed in the margin of each recipe reflects a discount already applied.
To Superfat or Not to Superfat
I continue to experiment with my formulas in an attempt to learn more about the effect of any one adjustment on the final bar. My preference is for a hard bar that is mild, moisturizing, and cleansing, with a rich, generous lather. My goal has always been to find ways to increase any one of these traits without significantly lessening any one of the others. I walk a fine line at times.
One of the most important factors involves the maximum percentage of sodium hydroxide permissible in a mild bar of soap. For years I took a 15.5 percent discount from the amount of sodium hydroxide required for complete saponification. Since then I have continued to test the possibilities and the limits, and I have worked my way to a 10 percent discount. I apply slightly lower discounts to those recipes that incorporate a meaningful percentage of hemp seed oil, the most unstable oil I've worked with to date, and to those that incorporate ground nut meal, aloe vera gel, or whole grains.
The Soapmaking Temperature
The recipes in this book can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, though I have suggested my favorite range for most recipes — between 80°F and 100°F. Recipes that require a more limited range specify the temperatures under the heading, "Temperatures."
The Stir
All of the recipes in this book are perfectly suited to a freestanding electric mixer, though those who love a quiet workout can make any of the following recipes by hand. Just be sure to stir as quickly and forcefully as the lower speeds of a mechanical mixer.
Tracing
The state at which soap has thickened sufficiently to scent and then pour into molds. Most batches have traced sufficiently at a light trace, when a portion of the soap drizzled from the spatula leaves a trace of the pattern before sinking back into the mass. For layered soap, I recommend a full trace — allowing the soap to thicken just to the point when the trailings of soap begin to remain on the surface. Learn to recognize the first signs of trace to avoid the overly thick soap caused by delay that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to scent and pour level bars.
One important thing to remember: Stirring affects tracing time. Until I decreased the size of my batches, I had never made soap using an electric mixer. Most of my 15-pound (6.8-kg) batches of soap take fifteen to twenty minutes to trace when hand-stirring. Because I enjoy the quiet process of making soap by hand, and the tracing time is short, I have never bothered using a mixer for these batches. However, when I cut the batch size to 5 pounds (2.3 kg) for the recipes in this book, and found myself testing many small batches in a day, I decided to experiment with a freestanding mixer. The consistent results I obtained reminded me how important it is to stir quickly. Since I hand-stir briskly and firmly, the mixer does not shorten my tracing times significantly. But for people whose hand-stirring is irregular, a mixer ensures a quick and consistent stir. It is especially useful in recipes that replace all of the water with milk; these soap mixtures must be stirred quickly and constantly for a smooth soap with a fine grain.
When hand-stirring, stir as quickly and firmly as possible, from the beginning to the end of the soapmaking process. Use a soapmaking pan large enough to accommodate occasional splashing. At first, when the soap mixture is more watery, your stir will be somewhat inhibited, though you can still stir quickly and firmly. Once the mixture begins to thicken, you can stir more and more quickly and forcefully. Five minutes or so into the soapmaking process, you can practically beat the soap back and forth and around and around. When hand-stirring less than 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of soap at a time, a wire whisk is helpful to ensure a quick, thorough stir.
If you are using a mixer, begin with a low speed (1). Then increase to setting 2 once the mixture thickens somewhat. Be sure to use a splash-guard. Closer to the end, you can go a little faster, but never use the high speeds — you might whip air bubbles into the soap mixture that will remain in your final bars. I rarely increase the speed above 2. (For more discussion of stirring, see Chapter 9, here.)
EQUIPMENT
Ideal equipment for making 5-pound (2.3-kg) batches of soap:
For mechanical mixing only: freestanding electric mixer, mixing bowl, paddle, and splash-guard
For hand-stirring only: 8-quart (7.6-liter) enamel or stainless steel pot (the "soapmaking pan") and wire whisk
For mechanical mixing or hand-stirring:
* 3-quart (2.8-liter) stainless steel or enamel saucepan
* 2–3 quart (1.9–2.8 liter) heat-resistant glass bowl or pitcher
* 2 heavy-duty rubber or silicone spatulas
* Good-quality scale (preferably two scales — one measured in grams, one in ounces)
* One good-quality thermometer (0–220°F [18–104°C]; the quick-read type is best)
* Trays or molds (5 pounds, or 2.3 kg, of soap poured into a rectangular wooden tray that measures 15" × 6.85" [38 cm × 17.4 cm] produces fifteen bars of soap that measure 2.9" × 2.28"), or 7.6 cm × 5.8 cm — adjust as desired)
* Heavy-duty waxed freezer paper for lining the trays
* Masking tape to flatten the paper against the sides of the trays
* A sharp, thin paring knife for cutting and trimming the soap
* Safety goggles and gloves
SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND CONCERNS
Everyone making soap should wear goggles and gloves for protection. Purchase gloves that are somewhat close fitting, allowing you a degree of feel. Look for latex, neoprene/latex, heavy plastic, or natural rubber gloves. Make sure that the material isn't slippery; it's important to have a reliable grasp.
Before you begin, think about the safety concerns for yourself, your family, your pets, and any unknowing passersby, keeping in mind the dangers of dry sodium hydroxide, the lye solution, and even the less concentrated soap within the pot. Pots and bowls should not be placed close to the edge of a counter or a table. Educate your family; put up warning signs; make sure that you'll be able to monitor the process from start to finish or wait for another time; and factor in all of the contingencies you can think of before deciding to proceed.
Working with Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide is highly reactive in its dry form or within solution. One bead of lye can burn right through layers of skin in the presence of just a hint of sweat. A splash of solution can burn or blind you and even eat into a butcher-block table.
This compound is worthy of our greatest respect and even greater caution. Sodium hydroxide is corrosive to all tissues. Accidentally swallowed, it causes serious internal injury and can be fatal. Even the weaker solutions can cause extensive damage.
Ingesting lye can be fatal if you do not act immediately. Past literature instructed people to neutralize any ingested sodium hydroxide with acids, such as lemon or lime juice, or vinegar, and then to drink a demul-cent, such as egg whites or olive oil, which often induces vomiting. Poison control centers now urge people not to use this procedure and not to induce vomiting. Check with your local poison control center for the most up-to-date procedures. Be prepared to act should someone ingest sodium hydroxide. As of this writing, the recommended action is to give water only — 4 ounces (118 ml) for children and 8 ounces (236.6 ml) for adults — and to head to the hospital emergency room. In the case of eye exposure, irrigate the eyes with large quantities of running water and seek medical attention. Flood skin burns with large quantities of running water until the soapy, slippery feel disappears; then treat as you would treat any other burn.
The disposal of toxic chemicals is a critical issue for many businesses. The soapmaker must be aware of safe disposal, but we have the advantage of creating usable waste. Soap scraps can be recycled, and yesterday's lye can be used at another time if it is kept in a safely sealed container. Measurement errors can be corrected by adding more sodium hydroxide or water, as needed.
As your lye cools down for a few hours or overnight, be mindful of exactly where you set down the bowl. Remember to consider children, cats, dogs, and the level of activity in the room. Carefully think through location — as well as all other soapmaking steps — before you begin. It's better to cover all the bases, even those remote contingencies.
STEP-BY-STEP SOAPMAKING INSTRUCTIONS
The following basic recipe for Soap Essentials Bar II includes all of the steps needed to make any of the other recipes in this book. Please read these instructions carefully and completely before you proceed with any of the recipes.
SOAP ESSENTIALS BAR II
Makes 15 4-ounce (113-g) bars
The original Soap Essentials Bar recipe, which appears in The Natural Soap Book, makes forty 4-ounce (113-g) bars and cannot be made in a noncommercial freestanding mixer. Many users of that recipe have expressed interest in a smaller batch, so they could either use a mechanical mixer or just make fewer bars at a time for a greater variety of soap. I have therefore revised my original formula to accommodate these requests.
WHAT YOU NEED
* 201 grams sodium hydroxide
* 1 pound 3 ounces (538.7 g) distilled water
* 1 pound 5 ounces (595.3 g) olive oil
* 1 pound (454 g) coconut oil
* 14 ounces (396.9 g) palm oil
* 12 grams grapefruit seed extract (an optional preservative)
* 7 teaspoons (35 ml) pure essential oil or fragrance oil, optional
Temperatures
* Fats and oils: 80–100°F (27–38°C)
* Lye solution: 80–100°F (27–38°C)
* Sodium Hydroxide Discount: 10%
PREPARING THE WORK AREA
1. Before beginning, set up your work area and required equipment.
2. Line a mold — a wooden tray or heavy cardboard box — with heavy-duty waxed freezer paper. Be sure to miter the corners and flatten the paper against the sides of the mold. Use masking tape to secure the paper to the mold without waves or wrinkles.
3. Measure out the essential oil, preservative, and extra nutrients, if desired, and set them aside in tightly sealed containers.
MIXING THE KEY INGREDIENTS
4. Put on your goggles and gloves. Weigh the sodium hydroxide and set it aside.
5. Set the glass container on the scale and add the distilled water; remove from the scale. Carefully add the sodium hydroxide to the water while stirring briskly with a rubber spatula. The fumes may overwhelm you after about ten seconds, so hold your breath while stirring as quickly as possible, then leave the room for fresh air. Return after two to three minutes to dissolve any remaining sodium hydroxide by stirring briskly. Do not wait longer or the beads will clump into a solid mass at the bottom of the bowl and resist dissolving.
The reaction will heat the lye solution to over 200°F (93°C), so set the bowl aside in a safe place to cool down to 80–100°F (27–38°C) (or your desired soapmaking temperature; see Chapter 7). If you plan to cool the lye overnight, cover the container tightly to avoid weakening the solution.
6. While the lye is cooling, you can begin mixing the oils. Set the soapmaking pan (if hand-stirring) or the mixing bowl (if using a mixer) on the scale and add the desired weight of olive oil (or any other liquid oils, if you're using other soapmaking formulas). Then set the 3-quart (3-liter) saucepan on the scale and add the correct weights of coconut oil and palm oil (or any other solid fats or beeswax when you're using other soapmaking formulas).
Place the pan with the coconut and palm oils over medium heat until most of the solid pieces have melted (no stirring necessary). The few remaining chunks will melt from the heat of the pan. Pour the melted fats into the olive oil. Should you choose to use a natural preservative, add the grapefruit seed extract to the warm fats and oils, incorporating thoroughly. Let this cool to 80–100°F (or your desired soapmaking temperature; see Chapter 7).
MAKING THE SOAP
7. You are ready to make soap when the fats and oils and the lye solution have both cooled to the desired temperatures. If you have cooled the lye overnight and the temperature has dropped below this point, heat it up by setting the container in a sinkful of hot water. Oils can be heated over low heat on the stove for a short time, if necessary. Remove the pan from the stove once the oils reach 4°F (17.5°C) below your desired temperature; the heat in the pan will raise the temperature naturally.
8. Wearing goggles and gloves, slowly drizzle the lye into the oils, stirring as quickly as possible by hand. A freestanding mixer should be set at its lowest speed (setting 1) at this point in the soapmaking process. Continue to stir briskly, keeping as much of the mixture as possible in constant motion. When stirring by hand, stir briskly and forcefully throughout the entire soapmaking process, scraping the sides often to avoid a buildup of residue and to keep all of the ingredients in solution. A wire whisk works best for small batches. When using a mixer, keep the setting on the lowest speed until the mixture thickens; increase to setting 2 as it thickens even further.
When the lye is first added to the oils, the mixture is too thin and watery for an all-out beating, but stir as briskly as possible without splashing. About five minutes of continuous quick stirring produces a thicker, more uniform mixture that can gradually tolerate faster and stronger strokes. From this point until the soap is ready to be poured, the stir should be continuous, forceful, and brisk, and should reach all corners of the soapmaking pan.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Soapmaker's Companion"
by .
Copyright © 1997 Susan Miller Cavitch.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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