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SmartSoapmaking
TitlePage|AbouttheAuthor|Dedication
AFewFirstThoughts
SuperstitionsGalore!MythsaboutSoapandSoapmaking
WhatIsSoap,Anyway?WhatItIsandWhatGoesIntoIt
WhatDoIUsetoMakeIt?GatheringtheEquipmentYouNeed
Anne’sSheaButterSupreme
Step-by-StepSoapmakingFromPreptoCleanupandBeyond
MoreRecipes!DifferentSoapsYouCanTry
All-VeggieGroceryStoreSoap#1All-VeggieGroceryStoreSoap#2GroceryStoreShorteningSoapNonVeggieGroceryStoreSoapOlivePalmSoapChris’sAvocadoSoapAaron’sHazelnutSoapAlmondFacialSoapAnne’sLongerLastingSoap
DesigningYourOwn
HowtoCreateGreatRecipes
INSValuesChart
GettingYourSoapinShapeHowtoChooseorMakeaMold
WrappingItUpLovelyPackagingforYourSoap
Why?Why?Why?FrequentlyAskedQuestions
AFewFinalThoughts
WheretoLearnMore
WheretoFindDesignTools
WheretoGetSupplies
MoreBooksforYou
SMARTSOAPMAKING
TheSimpleGuidetoMakingTraditionalHandmadeSoapQuickly,Safely,andReliably,orHowtoMakeLuxuriousHandcraftedSoapsfromScratchforFamily,
Friends,andYourself
ByAnneL.WatsonIllustratedbyWendyEdelson
ShepardPublicationsFridayHarbor,Washington
Textcopyright©2007,2013byAnneL.WatsonIllustrationscopyright©2007,2013byShepardPublications
EbookVersion1.5
AnneL.Watsonisthefirstauthortohaveintroducedmoderntechniquesofhomesoapmakingandlotionmakingtobookreaders.ShehasmadesoapunderthecompanynameSoapTree,andbeforeherretirementfromprofessionallife,shewasahistoricpreservationarchitectureconsultant.Anne,herhusband,Aaron,andtheircat,Skeeter,liveinFridayHarbor,Washington.
Soap&LotionBooksSmartSoapmaking~MilkSoapmaking~SmartLotionmaking
Cookbooks
BakingwithCookieMolds
Lifestyle
LivingApartTogether
Novels
Skeeter:ACatTale~PacificAvenue~Joy~Flight~AChamberedNautilus~IslandWomenTrilogy(ComingSoon)
Forupdatesandmoreresources,visitAnne’sSoapmakingPageat
www.annelwatson.com/soapmaking
ForAaron
AFewFirstThoughts
“Makesoapwhenthemooniswaning,oritwillbeharsh.”
“Youhavetostirsoapclockwise,oritwon’tset.”
“Soaphastobestirredwithasassafrasstick.”
Youprobablywouldn’tbelieveanyoftheseoldsuperstitions.Butsoapmakinginstructionstodaycanbealmostasillogical.Theymaketheprocessseemcomplicatedanddifficult.Theymakeitlookterriblydangerous.Itisn’t.Maybeyou’relikesomeofmystudents.Untiltheytookmyclass,theywere
afraidtotrysoapmaking.Iloveitwhentheclassisfinishedandtheysay,“Well,ofallthings—isthatallthereistoit?”Ormaybeyou’vemadesoap,butyouwonderifeverythingyoulearnedtodo
isreallynecessary.Ifthere’sasimplerway,you’dsureliketoknow.Ineithercase,I’vebeeninyourshoes.Istartedoutafraidtotrysoapmaking,
andthenafriendtaughtmehow.ButforalongtimeIbelievedalotofoldwives’talesaboutit.IdidsomethingsthatnowseemassillytomeasanyofthesuperstitionsIquoteabove.WhenIbegantosuspectthatsomeofwhatI’dlearnedwasnonsense,
Idecidedtofindoutwhatwastrueandwhatwasn’t.SoIstartedaskingpeople,andnaggingpeople,andtradingsoapfortechnicalinformation.IbargedaroundtheInternetandbuggedlibrariansandteachers.Istudiedsoapmakingbooks,watchedavideo,andevenlearnedcomputerprograms,alltoseewhatdifferentpeoplehadtosayaboutthethingsIwantedtoknow.GoodthingI’magrownup—ifIwereakid,peoplewouldhavetoldmeIwasapest.Asitwas,theyprobablyjustthoughtit.WhenIcouldn’tgetanswersanyotherway,Iexperimentedonmyown.What
willhappenifIdon’tfollowthisrule?Sometimes,nothing.Bye-bye,rule.Moreoften,though,Ifoundthattechniquesusefulforbabyingparticularrecipeshadbeencastasrulestoapplytoall.Inthisbook,Itellyouwhenyou’relikelytoneedsuchtechniquesandwhenyoucanskipthem.OneofthemainthingsthatIlearnedwastonotblindlyacceptwhatIwas
told.Shortofstickingmyfingerintoalyesolutiontoseeifitreallywouldburn
me—anddon’tyoudothat,either—Itestednearlyeverything.So,unlikesomesoapmakingbooks,thisoneisn’tbasedonhanded-downinformation.It’sbasedonthingsI’vetried.Onceinawhile,Idoacceptsomeone’swordforsomething,butwhenIdo,I’vebeencarefultosayso.Ontheotherhand,I’mnotequippedtorunatestinglab.I’mcertainofmy
resultsfortherecipesandbatchsizesI’veworkedwith.Otheringredientsorquantitiesmaygivedifferentresults.So,“gobythebook”atfirst,thenexperimentfurtherifyoulike.Orskiptheexperimentingandjustmakesoap.
SuperstitionsGalore!
MythsaboutSoapandSoapmaking
Thereareagreatmanymisconceptionsaboutsoapmaking.Let’staketimetodispelsomeofthem,startingwithafewthatmakepeopleafraidtomakesoap.
MythsThatScareYouAway
Myth#1:Soapmakingisdifficult.“Istirredthatpotfortwodays,andIneverdidgetittomakesoap.”WhenIwasfairlynewtomakingsoap,IjoinedacoupleofInternetmailing
listsforsoapmakers.Themessagesincludedlotsof“Help!”emailsfrompeoplewhohadbeenstirringabatchforhoursordaysandcouldn’tmakeitwork.Iwonderedhowtheydidit.Howdoyougetabatchofsoaptofail?Icouldn’t
thinkofapolitewaytoask.Yearslater,Iposedthisquestiontoagroupofexperiencedsoapmakers.They
agreedthatbyfarthemostcommoncauseof“Help!”emailsisthatnewsoapmakerstrytodesigntheirownrecipesbeforetheyknowhow.Makingsoapanddesigningrecipesaretwodifferentcrafts.It’sbesttolearnthemoneatatime.Sostartwithrecipesthataretriedandtrue.Someofthosewritersof“Help!”messagesmayhaveunknowinglypicked
difficultrecipes.Athemeyou’llfindoverandoverinthisbookisthatdifferentsoaprecipesvarydramaticallyinwhatittakestomakethem.Someareeasyandsomearen’t.Andjustbecausearecipeisharderdoesn’tmeanthesoapitmakesisbetter.I’llshowyouhowtofigurethatoutinadvance.
Myth#2:Soapmakingisexpensive.“Youneedallthisspecialequipment,andtheingredientscostalottoo.”We’renotsettingupafactoryhere.Asidefromacoupleofspecialitems,
soapmakingusesmoreorlessthesametoolsthatcookingdoes.Manysoapmakersusetheirregularkitchenequipment,anddoitsafely.Yes,you’reusinglye,butlyeisn’tplutonium.It’seasilyneutralized,diluted,andremoved.Ifyouwashyourequipmentcarefully,there’snoreasonnottouseyourkitchenware.“Carefully”isthekeywordhere—youdon’twantsoapinthesoup,orsoupinthesoap.Buttheideastillbotherssomepeople.Andsomematerials,suchas
aluminum,tin,andcopper,workfineforcookware,butyoucan’tusetheminsoapmakingbecausetheyreactwithlye.Soyoumaynotwantorevenbeabletousesomethingsfromyourkitchen.
Ifyoubuypots,lookforstainlessorenameledsteel.Enameledsteelspatterwareisusuallyinexpensive.Restaurantsupplystoresoftenhavegreatpricesonstainlesssteelpots.Yourothertoolsandcontainersmaybestainlesssteel,enameledsteel,heat-
resistantplastic,oroven-safeglass.Chancesare,youhaveplentyofusablestuffinyourcabinetsanddrawers.Ifyou’renotsureaplasticcontainerisheat-resistant,fillitwithboilingwater.Ifyoudecidetobuyequipment,shoparound—bestofall,visitathriftstore(charityshop,intheU.K.),discountstore,ordollarstore.Astomaterials,youcanmakesoapfromjustaboutanyfat—anythingfrom
thecheapestvegetableoilorshorteninginthegrocerystoretothemostexotic,unpronounceablesubstanceeverwrungfromatropicalplant.Someofthebestmaterialsaretheonesthatareplentifulandcheap.Don’tthinkingredientsarebetterjustbecausetheycostmore.Afinalpointonexpense:Ifyoucanmakegoodsoap,youcanmakeitforgifts
—beautiful,greatly-appreciatedgifts.Andforalmostallofus,that’slessexpensivethanhittingthemallsforeveryeventthatcomesalong.Anymoneyyouinvestshouldcomebacktoyoufromthatalone.
Myth#3:Handmadesoapisharsh.“Oh,lyesoap....It’sroughonyourskin,isn’tit?Idon’twanttomakethat.”Mostofushaveheardabouthomemadecountrysoapthatwould“takeyour
hiderightoff.”Butcountrysoapwasn’tharshbecauseitwasmadewithlye.Allsoapismadewithlye,eventheglycerinsoapblockssoldincraftstores.Evenluxurysoapsthatsellformorethanmostofuswouldpay.Countrysoapwasharshbecausethequalityofingredientswasunreliableand
therewasalotthesoapmakersdidn’tknow.Theyrenderedtheirownfatsandmadetheirownlyefromhardwoodashesandrainwater.Theyhadnotestforthestrengthoftheirlyesolutionotherthanfloatinganegginit.Theirrecipeswerehit-and-miss.Today,mostsoapmakersbuytheirfatsandlyealreadyprepared.Theywork
frompreciseformulationsthatcarefullybalancetheingredients.Infinishedsoapthat’smadeproperly,nolyeremains.Sohowdoyoumakeitproperly?Tobeginwith,usetherecipesanddirectionsinthisbook.Beforewe’redone,
I’llshowyouhowtocheckasoaprecipeyoufindelsewhere,aswellashowtodesignyourown.
Myth#4:Soapmakingisdangerous.
“Well,Idon’twanttomessaroundwithlye.”Idon’tknowwhy,butnearlyeveryonesays“messaroundwithlye,”asif
soapmakinginvolvedslingingthestuffallovertheplace.Iassureyou,itdoesn’t.Youstirsomelyeintowater,andmixthelyesolutionwithfat.Ihaveyettomakeamessdoingthat.AndIhaveyettogetburned.Ofcourse,youcan.Ifyou’recarelesswithlye,youmaywellgethurt.If
you’recarelessridingabicycle,youmaygethurttoo.Thisdoesn’tkeepmanypeoplefromridingbicycles.Itjustmakesthemtakereasonablecarewhentheyride.Theywearprotectivegearandpayattentiontowhatthey’redoing.Thatstrategyworksinsoapmakingtoo.Yourprotectivegearforsoapmaking
isgogglesandgloves,andyouwearthemwheneveryouworkwithlye.Likewhenyou’remowingthelawn,keeppetsandchildrenawayfromwhere
you’reworking.Likehouseholdcleaners,soapmakingingredientsmustbestoredsafely.Labeleverything,whetheryouthinkit’shazardousornot.Keepallcontainersclosedtightlyandoutofreachofchildrenandpets.Likedrivingacar,soapmakingshouldbeavoidedwhenyou’refeeling
impairedinanyway—tired,angry,tipsy,distracted,sick,rushed,whatever.Likefryingindeepfat,soapmakingneedsyourfullattention.Onceyou’vemixedthelyesolution,stickstrictlytowhatyou’redoingtillyoursoapisfinished.Don’tleavethelyeunattended,evenfor“justaminute”—especiallyifyouhavepetsorkids.Usingmymethods,thiswon’tbeaproblem,becauseyouwon’tneedthelongcoolingtimesyouwouldwithmostotherinstructions.Wealldothingseachdaythatrequirecare.So,whenyoumakesoap,justbe
careful—youalreadyknowhow.
MythsThatLeadYouAstray
Sofar,I’vediscussedmythsthatarebelievedbypeoplewhohaven’tmadesoap.Butthere’sanotherwholeclassofmisconceptionsheldbysoapmakersthemselves.Someoftheseideas—likeneedingtostirwithasassafrasstick—mustbe
centuriesold.Notmanypeoplewouldstillbelievethat.ButsomemythsareofferedastruthbyhalfthesoapmakingbookstodayandasimilarpercentageofWebsites.Rememberthejokeabouttheguywhosnapshisfingerstokeepelephants
away?Hisfriendsays,“Butthere’snoelephantsaroundhere.”Andtheguysays,“Yeah,itworks,don’tit?”Somesoapmakinginstructionsarelikethat.Ifyoutakealotoftimeand
troubletodowhattheysay,therecipeworks.Butitworksjustaswellifyoudon’t.So,whybother?Hereareafewmisconceptionsandmystificationsstillmakingtherounds.
Myth#5:Youhavetomixsoaptillyougettrace.Onethingthatpuzzlesnewsoapmakersisinstructionstostiryoursoap
mixturetillitshowsaconditioncalledtrace.Thisisdescribedaswhenthemixtureissothickthat,ifyoudribbleabitofthemixturebackintothepot,a“trace”ofwhatyoudribblewillremainonthesurface.Beginningsoapmakingbooksoftencontainclose-upphotosofsoapattrace.
Iremembersquintingatmanyofthem,tryingtofigureitallout.WhenIstartedmakingsoap,Imadetwosuccessfulbatches,frettingabouttracethewholetime.Thesoapcameoutfine,butIwassureIwasdoingsomethingwrong.Ihadn’tseenanythingthatlookedlikethephotos.Itwasmygoodlucktohaveafriendwhohadbeenahighschoolchemistry
teacher.WhenIphonedandtoldheraboutmydifficultieswithtrace,sheaskedwhatitwas.Iwassurprisedachemistdidn’tknow,butIexplainedasbestIcould.Therewasabriefsilence.OfcourseIcouldn’tseeher,butshewasprobably
rubbingherforehead—whichshedoeswhenanyonesayssomethingthatmakesnosense.Finally,shesaid,“Youdon’tneedtoworryaboutthat.Ifyoujustmeasure
correctly,controlthetemperature,andmixyouringredientswell,you’llgetsoap.”Idecidedtofollowheradvice,andI’veneverlostabatchofsoap.Follow
mine,andyouwon’teither.
mine,andyouwon’teither.Butwhythedifference?Areallthosesoapbookswrong?Notreally.Withhandstirring,youdohavetolookfortrace.That’sbecause
saponification—thechemicalreactionthatcreatessoap—hastothickenthemixturetothatpointbeforeyoucanstopstirringandpouritintothemold.Otherwise,someofthefatandthelyesolutioncouldstillseparate,leavingthereactionincomplete.Butinmoderncraftsoapmaking,handstirringismostoftenreplacedbyuseof
astickblender.Thisblendsthefatandthelyesolutionsorapidlyandthoroughlythattheyquicklygetmixeddowntoamicroscopiclevel.Thatnotonlygetsthemixturesaponifyingawholelotfaster,italsohelpsholdthefatandthelyesolutiontogetherwhileit’shappening.Ofcourse,thechemistryismorecomplicatedthanthat,butthebottomlineis
thatyoudon’thavetowaitforthemixturetothickenallthewaytotracebeforepouringitintothemold.Itwillgetthereafteryoupourit.Howdoyouknowwhenyoucanstopblending?Don’tworry,I’lldescribethe
signsforyou.You’llbeabletotellbysight,bysound,andevenbytemperature.Yes,you’llbeabletogaugeitwithathermometer!Onceagain,recipesvary.Forafewtemperamentalones,youmayneedtolet
themixturecomefullytotracebeforepouringitout.Butformostrecipes—includinganyoftheonesinthisbook—youdon’t.
Myth#6:Thelyesolutionandthefatmustbeatthesametemperature.Oneoftheoldestandmostcommonerrorsinsoapmakingcraftbooksistosay
thattheseingredientsmustbeatexactlythesametemperaturebeforeyoumixthem.Itseemsthatoneofthefirstsuchbookswaswrittenbysomeonewhobelievedit,andit’sbeenpasseddowneversince.Youstillcomeacrosscomplicatedinstructionsforusinghotandcoldwaterbathstomatchthetemperatures—instructionsthatwouldkeepabarrelofmonkeysbusy.It’sjustnottrue.There’sarangeofabouttwentydegreesFahrenheit(eleven
degreesCelsius)that’sperfectforsoapmaking.You’lldofinewhenyourlyesolutionandyourfatareeachanywhereinthisrange—andImakeiteasytogetthemthere.
Myth#7:Soapmustbeincubated.Anotherfallacyisthatsoapmustbekeptwarmafterit’spouredintothemold.
Allsortsoflittlenestsandincubatorshavebeenprescribedforthispurpose.Somesoapbooksgivedirewarningsthatthesoapwon’tsetifyouevenpeekatitwhileit’sgettingthere.
Accordingtothismyth,soaphastogothrougha“gelstage.”Now,it’struethatsoapbecomesakindofgelifyouholdintheheat.Then,asitcools,itbecomessolidandopaque—justlikesoapthathasn’tgonethrougha“gelstage.”Temperatureduringthesettingperiodhaslittleornothingtodowithsoap
setting.I’vetriedtomakesoapfailbypouringitintomoldsthatdon’tconserveheatandthenputtingtheminacoldplace.NomatterwhatIdid,thesoapcameoutfine.Infact,whenIaskedothersoapmakersaboutthis,Ilearnedthatmostmilksoapmixturesareactuallycooled.Ifasoapmixturedoesn’tset,thereasonisusuallyexcesswaterintherecipe—nottemperature.Insomecases,though,warmingmayhaveotheradvantages.Somerecipes
producesoapwithasortofthinrindifthemixtureisn’tkeptwarm.Thisrinddoesn’thurtanything,andyoucantrimitoff—butwarmingmaypreventitentirely.Also,somesoapmakersreportthatwarmingcreatesabettertextureinsoap
fromtherecipestheyuse.Otherssaywarmingmakesthetextureworse!Inmyowntesting,I’venoticednodifferenceatall.Inanycase,youwillcertainlygetsoap,whetheryouwarmitornot.
Myth#8:Soaptakesmanyweekstostopbeingcaustic—orittakesnotimeatall.Manysoapmakersbelievesoapiscausticformorethanamonthafteryou
makeit.That’stheoldermyth.Thenewer,oppositeoneisthatsoapshouldbecompletelyusablewithinhours.Afewsoapmakerstakethistoextremes—ifsoapisn’treadyforuseassoonasit’ssolid,theysayitwasmadewithtoomuchlye.Inmyexperience,neitherofthesenotionsistrue.I’veexperimentedwith
quiteafewsoaprecipes,testingthesoapwithpHstripsandbyusingit.Theresultsdependedontherecipe.AlmostallsoapsItriedcouldbeusedonmyhandsrightoutofthemold—butusingsomeofthesameonesonmyfaceconvincedmetheydobecomemilderoverasmuchastwoweeks.Butapartfromthat,newsoapcangetmushyfastifyouuseitbeforeithasa
chancetodryoutalittle.So,regardlessofmildness,it’sgoodtostorethesoapinawell-ventilatedareaforatleastacoupleofweeks.
•
Onceagain,don’tbelieveeverythingyouhearorread.Evenbookshaveerrors—andifyouswalloweverythingyouseeontheInternet,youmaywindup
stirringyoursoapclockwisewithasassafrasstickunderawaningmoon.
WhatIsSoap,Anyway?WhatItIsandWhatGoesIntoIt
Firstofall,here’swhatsoapisn’t:Itprobablyisn’tthestuffyoubuyinthesupermarket.Mostbar“soap”isactuallysoliddetergent.Checkthelabelingonthewrapper.Youalmostneverseetheword“soap.”So,whatissoap?Soapisformedbycombiningfatwithlye.Thesoapisproducedbyachemical
reactionbetweenthem,calledsaponification.Abitoftrivia:Chemically,soapisasalt.Traditionally,themixtureoffatandlyewasboiled.Buttodaythemost
commontechniqueformakingsoapbyhandiscoldprocess,orCP,themethoddiscussedinthisbook.(Bytheway,“coldprocess”doesn’tmeanthateverythingstayscool,butonlythatyoudon’taddheatyourselfoncetheingredientsaremixed.)Othersoapmakingmethodsincludemeltandpour(MP),hotprocess(HP),coldprocessovenprocess(CPOP,pronounced“SEE-pop”),andrebatching.Thesoapfromallthesemethodscomesfromfatandlye,thoughforsome
methodsthey’realreadycombinedforyou.Otheringredientsincludewaterorawater-basedliquidtodissolvethelye,andoptionaladditiveslikecolorantandscent.Togettheresultsyouwant,youneedtoknowalittleaboutsoapmaking
ingredients.Let’stakeacloserlookatthedifferentkinds.
Fat
Soapmakingfatcomesfrombothanimalandplantsources.Mineraloilscannotbeusedtomakesoap.Soapmakersclassifyfatsbywhetherthey’reliquidorsolidatroom
temperature.Generally,theliquidfatsarecalled“oils,”andthesolidfatsarecalled“butters.”Buttheuseofthesetermscanvary.Somesolidfats,suchaslardandtallow,aren’tcalledbutters.Some“oils”areactuallysolidfats—palmoil,forexample.Themostconfusingcaseiscoconutoil,withitsmeltingpointaround76°F(or
around25°C).Thismeansit’susuallysolidbutcanbecomeliquidintheheatofsummer.Toaddtotheconfusion,apartiallyhydrogenatedformofcoconutoilissolidto92°F(about33°C),whileaformcalledfractionatedisliquidatallnormaltemperatures.Tomaketheconfusionoftermscomplete,manysoapmakerssimplydon’tlike
thetermfat—oftenbecausetheyequateitonlytoanimalfatslikelardandtallow—sotheyrefertoallotherfatsas“oils.”Ofcourse,youcanuseanytermsyoulike—butforclarityandaccuracyinthisbook,I’llsticktothetermfatforallthesesoapmakingmaterials,whethersolidorliquid,animalorplant.Intraditionalcountrysoapmaking,thesolidfatswereusuallyaby-productof
meatbutcheringonthefarm.Fatforsoapwouldbemadebyrenderingbeeforporkfat.Today,soapmakersgetbeeftallowandporklardready-made.Butafewspecialtysoapmakersstillrendertheirownanimalfats,whichmaynowincludesuchexoticsasbuffaloandemu.Soapmakersdifferaboutusinganimalfat.Tallowandlardmakegood,
inexpensivesoap,butifyou’reopposedtotheiruse,youcanchoosefrommanyexcellentfatsmadefromplants.TherecipeIstartyouwithhasnoanimalfat.Amongsoapmakingfatsfromplants,thesolidfatsincludesheabutter(from
sheanuts),coconutoil,avocadobutter,andpalmoil.Theliquidfatsincludeallthecookingandsaladoils,aswellassheaoil(fractionatedsheabutter),castoroil,andtheoilofnumerousotherseeds—fromflaxseedtopeachpits.Oneoftheprincipaloilsinsoapmakingisoliveoil.(IntraditionalCastilesoap
recipes,it’stheoneandonlyfat.)Anygradeofoliveoilwilldo—youdon’tneedagrademeantforfinecooking.Infact,olive-pomaceoil,theworstchoiceforcooking,issaidtobethebestforsoapmaking.Basicoilssuchascorn,safflower,olive,andcoconutaresoldbygrocery
stores,healthfoodstores,foodco-ops,restaurantsuppliers,andbig-boxdiscountstores.Exoticoilsandalmostallbutterswillprobablyhavetobeboughtfromstores
Exoticoilsandalmostallbutterswillprobablyhavetobeboughtfromstoresthatsellsoapmakingsupplies,orfromcatalogsorInternetsources.Youmayfindjustwhatyou’relookingforfromasmallsupplierthatservesaspecialmarketniche.ThoughcatalogsandInternetsourcesmaysellbasicoilsaswell,andatlowerprices,buyingthoselocallymaybecheaper,becauseyouavoidshippingcosts.
Lye
Theothermostimportantingredientinsoapmakingislye.Thisnamecanactuallyrefertoanyofseveralalkalis—akindofstrongbase,theoppositeofanacid—anditcanevenrefertothosealkalisplusthewaterthey’redissolvedin.Butnowadays“lye”almostalwaysjustmeansthedryformofsodiumhydroxide,orcausticsoda—andthat’swhatyou’lluseinyoursoapmaking.(Liquidsoap,bytheway,takesadifferentkindoflye—potassiumhydroxide,orcausticpotash.)Inthepast,lyewasmadebyleachingwoodashes.Onereasonthat“granny
soap”wasoftenharshwasthathomemadelyevariedinstrength.Havinglyeavailableinastandardized,industrially-producedformisoneofthemainreasonssoapmakingtodayissafeandpredictable.Therecipesandtechniquesinthisbookassumeyou’reusingcommerciallye.Idefinitelydon’trecommendmakingyourown.Formerly,lyewasreadilyavailableingrocerystores—butinsome
communitiesithasbeentakenofftheshelvesbecauseit’susedinmakingnotonlysoapbutalsoillegaldrugs.Youmightfinditatahardwareorhomeimprovementstore(DIYstore,intheU.K.).Ifnot,chemicalsuppliersmaysellsmallquantities.OrbuyfromsoapmakingsupplyWebsitesorfromothersoapmakers.Thelabelshouldsay“100%lye”or“100%sodiumhydroxide.”Neverusea
draincleaningproductthatdoesn’tstatethis,becausethelyewillbecombinedwithotheringredientsthatcan’tbeusedinsoapmaking.
Water
Inthepast,soapmakersoftenusedrainwaterforitspurity.Forthesamereason,today’ssoaprecipesalmostalwayscallfordistilledwater.Youshouldusedistilledatleastforyourfirstefforts,sincemineralsintap,spring,andwellwatercanaffectyoursoap.Afterthat,ifyouwanttoexperimentwithanotherkindofwater,goahead.Ifitdoesn’twork,youcanalwaysgobacktodistilled—orsetoutarainbarrel.WhenIlearnedsoapmaking,recipeshadafairlyhighpercentageofwater,and
weweretoldtoletthesoapdryoutforsixweeks.Thecurrenttrendistominimizewatersothesoapscanbeusedsooner—butthatcanhaveitsowndisadvantageswhenyouworkwithlye.Sincetherecipesinthisbookwillbeusedbybeginners,I’vedesignedthemwithmediumamountsofwater.Otherliquidsbesidesplainwatercanbeusedinsoapmaking.Some
soapmakersuseteasmadefromsoothingherbssuchaschamomile.(Othersoapmakersseenopoint,believingtheherbslosetheirdesirablequalitiesintheprocess.)Makingsoapwithmilkinvolvesspecialtechniquesnotcoveredinthisbook,butyoucanfindseveralbooksandWebsitesonitifyou’reinterested.
Additives
Probablyeverythingbutthecat’spajamashasbeenaddedtosoap.Infact,ifIseea“Cat’sPajamasSoap”nexttimeIgototheFarmersMarket,Iwon’tbesurprised.Additivesareusedtochangethescent,color,ortextureofsoap,ortoenhance
itinsomeotherway—forexample,tomakeitmoremoisturizing.Youdon’treallyneedanyadditives,andforsomepeople,avoidingthemistheirmainreasonformakingsoapinthefirstplace.Butothersenjoythem,solet’slookatsomecommonones,andyoucandecideforyourself.Probablythemostcommonsoapadditiveisscent.Thetwokindsusedmost
oftenareessentialoilandfragranceoil.Anessentialoilisanaromaticoilproducedfromaplant,sometimesdiluted
withacarrieroil.Theplantoilmaybedistilledwithwaterorsteam,ormaybeextractedwithsolventsorcarbondioxide.Somesoapmakerspreferessentialoilsbecausethey’re“natural.”However,
somepeopleareallergictoparticularones.Somearenotrecommendedforuseduringpregnancy.Somedon’tworkwellinsoap—forexample,thescentofcitrusessentialoilstendstofadequickly.Ifyouwanttousenaturalscentbutaren’tfamiliarwithpropertiesof
individualessentialoils,Isuggestyoustartwithlavender,sinceit’spleasant,available,andgenerallysafe.Beyondthat,researchthepropertiesofanyessentialoilthatappealstoyou.Essentialoilsareavailablefromgrocerystores,healthfoodstores,foodco-
ops,NewAgestores,soapmakingsupplystores,andInternetsources.AlmostalloftheseexceptInternetsourcessellsmallquantitiesathighprices.Thisisfineforyourfirstbatchortwo,butafterthat,savemoneybycheckingtheInternet.Searchonthekeywords“essentialoilssoapmaking”foralonglistofsuppliers.Afragranceoilisanartificialchemicalaromainacarrieroil.Fragranceoils
aresupposedtobenontoxic,butlikeessentialoils,theymaysometimescauseallergicreactions.Unlikesomeessentialoils,theydon’tfadequickly.Somesmellgreatandsomearehorrible.ManyInternetsourcessellfragranceoils.Thekeywordsforasearchare
“fragranceoilssoapmaking.”Butbeforeyoubuyanyfragranceoil,makesureit’ssuitableforcoldprocesssoap.Thesellershouldstatethatprominently.Fragranceoilssoldatcraftstoresareforcandlesandmelt-and-poursoap,notforcold-process.Whenyouopenabottleofessentialoilorfragranceoil,especiallyforthefirst
time,keeptheopeningturnedawayfromyouand/orweargoggles.Onceinalongwhile,theoilfromoneofthesebottlesspraysallover.Colorantforsoapisavailableaseitherliquidorpowder.Ofcourse,asoap
mixturewillhaveitsowncolor,createdbythecolorsofthefatsandtheessentialorfragranceoils.So,anycoloryouaddwillblendwiththecoloralreadythere.Thesoapcolorantcanbeeitherapigment(natural)oradye(artificial).
Considerationsherearesimilartothoseconcerningessentialoilsversusfragranceoils.Bothtypesofcolorantareavailablefromsoapmakingsuppliers.Youmightcomeacrossrecipesthatsuggestusingcrayonsorfoodcoloring.
Botharenontoxic—butpersonally,Iprefertouseacosmetic-gradecolorant,ifIcolormysoapatall.Otheradditivesmaybeusedtomakethesoapharder,makeitmore
moisturizing,increaseabrasiveness—younameit.Possibilitiesincludefoodproductssuchasoatmealandpoppyseed,mineralssuchasmicaandpumice,anddecorativeortherapeuticflowersandherbs.Someadditives—particularlywholeplantmaterialslikelavenderbuds—don’tcomeoutofalyebathasprettyastheywentin,sofindouthowaparticularadditiveworksincoldprocesssoapbeforeyoutryit.
WhatDoIUsetoMakeIt?GatheringtheEquipmentYouNeed
Thoughtheequipmentforsoapmakingisn’tenormouslyexpensive,thereareitemsyou’lldefinitelyneed.I’vehadmyshareof“Help!”emailsfrompeopletryingtomakedowithequipmentthatjustwasn’tgoingtowork.They’reafraidtheywon’tlikesoapmaking,sotheydon’tspendmoney—butit’saself-fulfillingprophecy.Alittleliketryingouticeskatingwithrollerbladesyoualreadyhave.Remembermystoryaboutmychemistryteacherfriend?Shesaid,“Measure
correctly,controlthetemperature,andmixyouringredientswell.”So,it’snosurprisethatessentialequipmentincludesascaleformeasuringcorrectly,athermometerforcheckingthetemperature,andastickblenderforpropermixing.Youmayalreadyhavethesetoolsinyourkitchen.Thescaleshouldbedigitalandshouldmeasureintenthsofanounce,orin
grams,orboth.Youcanpayafortuneforakitchenscalelikethisinagourmetshop,butagoodpostalscalewillworkjustaswellandshouldn’tbeexpensive.SuchscalesareavailablefromofficesupplystoresorontheWeb.Yourscaleshouldhaveabuttonorcontroltoadjustfortare—theweightof
thecontainer.Beforeputtingingredientsintoacontainer,placeitemptyonthescaleandpushthetarebutton.Thescalewillresettozero.(Youmayhavetopushthetarebuttonmorethanoncetomakethathappen.)Now,whenyouputinyouringredients,you’llgettheirweightwithoutthecontainer’s.Anotherwaytoeliminatethecontainerweightistoturnthescaleoff,setthe
emptycontaineronit,andturnitbackon.Again,thedisplayshouldreadzero,andwhenyouaddyouringredients,you’llgettheirweightalone.Mostdigitalscalesusebatteries,butsomehaveanoptionalACadapterfor
pluggingintoanelectricaloutlet.Theadapterisworththeextracost,sincelowbatterypowermaycausepoorreadingsandfailedsoapbatches.Tochecktemperature,you’llneedoneortwofoodthermometers—typically
thelong-stemtypeusedformeatorcandy.Ifyou’retestingfortemperatureriseduringsaponification—asIhighlyrecommendatleastforbeginners—onethermometershouldbedigital,“instant-read,”andwaterproof.Otherwise,digital,dial,ormercuryareallfine.Youroptimumtemperaturerangeforsoapmakingis90°–110°F(32°–43°C).
Anythermometeryouuse,then,shouldcoverthatrangeandatleasttenortwentydegreesFahrenheit(atleastfiveortendegreesCelsius)toeitherside.Astickblenderisahand-heldkitchengadget,awandwithablenderbladeon
theend.Othernamesforitare“immersionblender”and“handblender.”Insoapmaking,astickblenderwillshortenmixingtimesfromhourstominutes.Therecipesandmethodsinthisbookassumeyou’reusingone.Youcanfindstickblendersatalmostanystorethatsellssmallappliances,and
ofteninthriftstores(charityshops,intheU.K.).Currently,myfavoritebrandisKitchenAid.Amorepowerfulmodelcanshortenyourblendingtimesconsiderably,especiallyformoredifficultrecipeslikeCastilesoap.Ifyouhaven’tusedastickblenderbefore,taketimetolearnhowitworks
beforeyoumakesoapwithit.Asasafetyfeature,thepowerswitchmustbeheldinthe“on”positionfortheblendertorun.Wheneveryouletupontheswitch,thebladestops.Tryitoutfirstwithwater.Lowerthebladeintotheliquidbeforeturningon
theblender,thenletupontheswitchbeforeliftingthebladebackout.Theblademustnotbeturningasitentersorleavestheliquid,orelsetheliquidmightsplatter.Practiceuntilyoucanhandletheswitchcorrectlywithoutthinking.AsIsaidbefore,youneedglovesandgoggles.Lyemanufacturersrecommend
neopreneorPVCgloves.WhenIstartedmakingsoap,Iboughtapairofchemicalglovesfromacleaning-supplystore.They’rebig,thick,andstiff.Theywork,andthey’llprobablylastlongerthanIwill.Buttheymakeithardtohandlethings,andbeingclumsywhileworkingwithlyestruckmeasaproblem.Manysoapmakersrecommendthemorecommonrubberglovessoldfor
cleaninganddishwashing.Thesemaybelessresistanttolyethanchemicalgloveswouldbe,butthey’remorepliable.Personally,Iliketheextra-longglovesyoubuyinpaintstorestowearwhilestrippingfurniture.Whateverglovesyouuse,beawarethey’llalmostsurelycutdownonyour
dexterity,soproceedcarefullyandwatchyourhands.Iftheglovesmakeithardtopressbuttonsonyourscaleormicrowave,useyourknuckleinsteadofyourfingertip.Gogglesareessential.Youneedthesnug-fittingkindwornbywoodworkers.
Glassesorsunglasses,eventhewraparoundkind,aren’tgoodenough.Don’ttaketheslightestriskwithyoureyes.Anyhardwarestoreshouldsellthekindyouneed,andthey’renotexpensive.Theinstructionsinthisbookcallforamicrowaveoventomeltsolidfat.
Thoughthat’sbest,youcouldmeltitinsteadinaslowcookerorinaregularovenatthelowestpossibleheat.Youalsoneedthefollowingkitchenware:
•Souppot,stainlesssteelorenameledsteelspatterware,orotherlargepot.Don’tusealuminum—itreactschemicallywithlyeandmaybeunsafe.Mypotholdsabouteightquarts(abouteightliters),whichleavesagooddistancebetweenthesurfaceofthesoapandthetopofthepot.Sincethesoapmixturemustbedeepenoughtokeepthebladeofthestickblendersubmerged,thepotshouldhaveadiameterofnomorethanabouteightinches(twentycentimeters)forrecipesofthesizeinthisbook.•Saucepan,stainlesssteel.Onethatholdstwoquarts(twoliters)isideal.You
coulduseenameledsteel,butitwon’tworkquiteaswell,asI’llexplainlater.•Roastingpan.Itdoesn’thavetobeaspecificsize,butyoursaucepanshould
fitintoitwithroomonallsides.Steelisgood—ordinarysteel,stainless,orenameled.Soisheat-resistantplastic.Thepanisjusttobefilledwithwaterandice,soifyoudon’thavearoastingpan,youcanimprovise—forexample,alasagnapanwillwork.Justdon’tuseanythingfragileormadeofaluminum.•Largemicrowave-safebowlorglassmeasuringpitcher(largejug,inthe
U.K.).IpreferapitcherbecauseIlikehavingthehandleandpourspout.Mineholds10cups(about2l).Plasticisfineifit’smicrowave-safe.•Bowlsorglassmeasuringcupsforweighinglyeandfats.Iusecupsbecause
ofthehandleandspout.Quart-size(orliter-size)isperfect.•Twolong-handledspoonsforstirring—steel,stainlesssteel,orplastic.For
theoneusedtostirthelyesolution,thebestchoiceisaslottedspoon.•Miscellaneousequipmentsuchasaplasticdishpan,arubberspatula,and
papertowels.Oneofthebestplacestobuymuchofthiskitchenwareatareasonablepriceis
arestaurantsupplystore.Thriftstores(charityshops)oftenhavegoodstainlesssteelandenameledsteelcookware.WhateverIneed,Icheckthethriftstorefirst.Whenbuyingusedcookware,makesureitisn’taluminum.Thenameofthe
materialmaybestampedonthebottomofthepot.Forenameledsteelcookware,makesuretheinteriorsurfacesarenotchipped,orelsetheexposedmetalwillstainthesoap.Onceyoursoapmixtureisready,you’llneedamoldtopouritinto.I’ll
discussmoldslaterindetail,butforyourfirstbatch,Isuggestamilkcarton.Thebestkindisaquart-size(orliter-size)waxedcardboardcarton.Ahalf-gallon(two-liter)cartonwillalsodo,thoughtheshapeofthefinishedsoapwillbelessthanideal.Plasticmilkcartonsworkfinetoo.Don’tusethesilvery-linedpapercontainers—thatliningisaluminum,whichreactschemicallywithlye.Amilkcartonmakesagoodbeginningmold,forreasonsofbulkandheat
retention.Evenifyouhavesmallmoldsformelt-and-poursoap,don’tusethemforyourfirstbatchofcoldprocess.
Onemorethingyou’llneedisawaytotestyourfinishedsoap,tomakesureithasnoexcesslye.Thetraditionalmethodoftestingistotouchthesoapforasecondwithyourtongue.Thisisthesoapmaker’sversionofRussianroulette,andIdonotrecommendit.Evenifitwasn’tdangerous,there’sareasonwhywashingsomeone’smouthoutwithsoapisapunishment.ThebetterwaytotestiswithpHstripsoradigitalpHmeter,bothofwhich
measuredegreesofacidityoralkalinity.Sinceameterisexpensive,Iusethestrips.Thesearedesignedtochangecoloraccordingtowhatthey’retesting.Matchthecolortooneonthechartthatcomeswiththestrips,andyouhaveyourmeasurement.ThemostimportantthingtoknowaboutpHstripsisthatthereareseveral
kinds,designedtotestdifferentranges.ThestripsyouneedforsoapwilltestinapHrangeatleastfrom7(neutral)to11(tooalkalinetouse).YoucanbuysuchstripsfromanInternetsoapmakingsupplierorfromacompanythatsellsprofessionalorschoollabsupplies.Stripssoldinswimmingpoolsupplystoreswon’ttestinthisrange,andneitherwillstripsusedforaquariums,gardening,orsalivatests.DifferentbrandsofpHstripshaveslightlydifferentcolorranges.Someshould
beusedonlyundernaturallight,sinceanordinarylightbulbmayshiftthesubtleshadesofgreenortan.Nowlet’smakesoap!
Anne’sSheaButterSupreme
HereistherecipeIrecommendforyourfirsteffortsatsoapmaking.It’snotonlygoodasastarter,it’salsomyfavoriterecipeofall,producingasuperbsoap.Ifyou’reallergictonutsorhavesomeotherreasontoavoidsheabutter,start
insteadwiththerecipegivenlaterfor“All-VeggieGroceryStoreSoap#1.”Thatone,though,isn’tquiteaseasytomake,andthefinishedsoapisn’tquiteasfine.It’shandytocopythisrecipesoyoudon’thavetoflippagesbackandforthas
youworkthroughtheinstructions.
10.5oz(298g)coconutoil10.5oz(298g)oliveoil9oz(255g)sheabutter8oz(227g)distilledwater4.2oz(119g)lye
Scent(optional)—Startwiththemanufacturer’sdirectionsforamount,oruseabout1.2oz(about35g).Sincearomastrengthsandpersonaltastesvary,figuringhowmuchtousemaytaketrialanderror.
Colorant(optional)—Followthemanufacturer’sdirectionsforamount.
Beforeusingthisrecipe,readthefollowingpagesthoroughlytounderstandthemethod!
Step-by-StepSoapmakingFromPreptoCleanupandBeyond
I’vetoldyouthatmakingsoapissimple,anditis.Therearethreebasicsteps.
1.Preparethefats.2.Makealyesolution.3.Mixthelyesolutionandthefats.
That’sit.Everythingelseiseitherpreparation,cleanup,oradetail.Ofcourse,someofthedetailsareimportant.Notdifficult,justimportant.
ManyaretricksandshortcutsI’veworkedoutformyselforlearnedfromotherswholiketosimplifysoapmaking.Thesearewhatmakestudentscommentattheendofmyclass,“Ithoughtitwouldbemorecomplicatedthanthat.”Otherdetailsaregivenjustsoyouwon’tbeleftwonderingaboutanything.
Don’tletthemfoolyouintodecidingsoapmakingishard.Ifyouweredescribinghowtomakepancakes,youcouldwritepagesofdetails.Thatdoesn’tmeanit’shardtomakepancakes.Thefirsttimeyoumakesoap,allowplentyoftime—preferablytwotothree
uninterruptedhours.Thetimeyouneedwilldecreasedramaticallywithexperience.Ittakesmeabouthalfanhourtomakeabatch.Butyou’llbemuchslowerwhenyou’relearning,andit’simportantnottofeelrushed.Nowlet’slookatthewholeprocedure,frompreparation,tocleanup,and
beyond.
DressingforSoapmaking
Coveryourselfcompletelyforprotection—longsleeves,longpants,socks,andsolidshoes—usingclothesyoudon’tcareabout.Orwearaprotectiveouterlayer,likealabcoat.Ifyouhavelonghair,tieitback.
PreparingtheWorkAreas
Foryourmainworkarea,themostimportantrequirementisahandysourceofrunningwater.Isetupinmykitchen,whereIcanusethesink.You’llneedaspecialworkareaformixingthelyesolution.Themost
importantneedinthisareaisgoodventilationtoremovefumes.Somesoapmakersmixthelyeoutdoors,othersworkonastovetopwiththerangehoodfanrunningattopspeed.Whereveryourlyemixingareais,keepotherpeopleandpetsawayfromit.Ifyouworkonatablethat’spaintedorvarnished,protectthesurfacewithatarporotherwaterproofcovering.Here’salistofwhatgoesinthemainworkarea.
•Scale.•Saucepan.•Souppotorotherlargepot.•Largemicrowave-safebowlorglassmeasuringpitcherforsolidfat.•Bowlorglassmeasuringcupforlye.•Bowlorglassmeasuringcupforeachliquidfat.(Butskipthisitemifthere’s
onlyonekindofliquidfatintherecipe.)•Smallbowlsforscentandcolorant(ifyou’reusingthem).•Foodthermometer,preferablywaterproofdigital“instant-read.”•Stickblender.Plugthisinnearthesink—totherightofit,ifyou’reright-
handed,totheleftifyou’realefty.Takethesamecareyouwouldwithanyelectricalappliancenearwater.Useagroundedoutlet,orifavailable,aGFIoutlet—thekindwithacircuitbreakerandaresetbuttonbuiltin.•Long-handledspoon,steel,stainlesssteel,orplastic.•Spatula,rubberorsilicone.•Soapmold.AsIsaidbefore,Irecommendamilkcartonforyourfirst
efforts.Ifit’scardboard,openthetopcompletelytomakeasquareopening.Ifit’splastic,cutoffthetopjustbelowthescrewthreads,butleavethehandle.•Rollofpapertowels.•Vinegar.(Thisisforcleanup,notforlyeburns.)•Plasticdishpanwithwaterforsoiledutensils.Ipourinsomevinegartoo.
Idon’tcountonthevinegartoneutralizelye,butthesmellatleastremindsmethere’snastystuffinthedishpan.•Allrecipeingredients(includinglye).
Here’salistofwhatgoesinthelyemixingarea.
•Roastingpan,stainlessorenameledsteel.•Foodthermometer.(Ifyouhaveonlyonethermometertosharebetweenhere
andthemainworkarea,placeitherefirst.Ifyouhavetwo,thisonehaslessneedtobedigital.)•Long-handledspoon,steel,stainlesssteel,orplastic—preferablyslotted.•Pitcherofcoldorchilledtapwater.
•Bowloficecubes.•Rollofpapertowels(ifyou’renotbyyourmainworkarea).
PreparingtheIngredients
1.Inyourmainworkarea,turnonthescale.Makesureit’ssettoyourchoiceofouncesorgrams.2.Placetheemptysaucepanonthescaleandpushthe“tare”buttontoreset
thescaletozero.3.Pourdistilledwaterintothesaucepantillyouhavethecorrectweightfor
yourrecipe.Ifyoupourtoomuch,don’ttakethepanoffthescale—removeexcesswaterwithaspoon.4.Withthesameweighingmethodyoujustusedforthewater,weighthe
liquidfatfromyourrecipeintothesouppot.Orifyouhavemorethanoneliquidfat,weigheachoneintoaseparatebowlorcup,thencombinethefatsinthepot.Usingseparatecontainersletsyouremovesomeofanindividualfatifyoupourtoomuchwhilemeasuring.5.Ifyou’reusingliquidcolorant,addafewdropsnow.6.Placethesouppotinthesink.7.Weighallsolidfatforyourrecipeintothelargemicrowave-safebowlor
glassmeasuringpitcher.It’seasytotellsolidfatsapartandremovealittleofoneifyouaddtoomuch,soyoudon’tneedseparatecontainersfortwoormorefats.Justtarethescalebeforeaddingeachone—don’ttrytoaddtheweightsinyourhead.8.Heatthesolidfatinyourmicrowavetillit’sjustmelted.Thetimeneeded
dependsonthequantityandtypeofsolidfatandalsoonyourmicrowave.Inmine,ittakesabouttwoandahalfminutesforthesolidfatinmystarterrecipe.Becarefulnottooverheat.Thefatshouldnotboilorsmoke.Youcanleavethemeltedfatinthemicrowavefornow.9.Ifyou’reusingscent,weighitintoasmallbowl,usingthesametechnique
asforthewaterandtheliquidfat.Ifyourscentcamewithrecommendationsforquantity,figuretheamountneededforyourbatchweight—meaningthecombinedweightofalltherecipe’sfat,withouttheotheringredients.Forallrecipesinthisbook,thebatchweightwouldbe1.8lb(0.8kg).Ifyouweregivennorecommendations,useabout1.2oz(about35g)ofscentforthisbatchweight.10.Ifyou’reusingpowderedsoapcolorant,mixitinasmallbowlwithabout
atablespoon(around15milliliters)ofliquidfattakenfromthelargesouppot.Formystarterrecipe,useaquartertoahalfteaspoon(aroundtwomilliliters)ofpowder.Blendthismixturetoasmoothpaste.Don’tputitbackinthepotyet.
MixingtheLyeSolution
1.PUTONYOURGOGGLESANDGLOVES.2.Inyourmainworkarea,makesureyourbowlorglasscupformeasuring
lyeiscompletelydry,asisanythingelsethatmightcontactthelye.3.Putthebowlorcuponthescale,andtareitbacktozero.(Ifit’shardto
workthescalebuttonswithgloveson,useyourknuckleinsteadofyourfingertip.)4.Weighthelyeforyourrecipeintoabowlorcup.Note:Inrarecases,static
electricitywillmakethelyegrainsscatterasthey’repoured.Ifyouseethishappening,spoonoutthelyeinsteadofpouringit,orfirstwipethebowlorcupwithadryersheet.5.Takethebowlorcupoflyeandthesaucepanofdistilledwatertoyourlye
mixingarea.Setthesaucepanintotheroastingpan.6.Ifyourlyemixingareaisonthestoveinyourkitchen,turnonyourhood
fantotopspeedandopenwindows.7.Tricklethelyegraduallyintothewaterinthesaucepan,stirringconstantly
withthelong-handled,slottedspoon.Note:You’readdinglyetowater.Neveraddwatertolye.I’veseenmorethanonesetofsoapmakinginstructionsgetthiswrong!(SinceIpromisedI’dtellyouifIpassedalonginformationwithoutexperimenting,IhavetosayIhaven’ttriedaddingwatertolye.It’senoughformethattheU.S.ConsumerProductSafetyCommissionrecalledasoapmakingbookforgivingthatadvice.)Asthelyedissolves,thesolutionwillheatupandgiveofffumes.Ifyou’re
workingoutdoors,stayupwind.Ifyou’reinyourkitchen,standawayfromthesolution,keeptheventfanrunning,andkeepthewindowsopen.Somepeopleareunusuallysensitivetolyefumes,andnoonefindsthempleasant.Formostpeople,thefumesfromasmallbatchliketheonefrommystarterrecipewon’tbeaproblem.Justdon’tgettoocloseorletthemcollect.Trytokeepthelyefromformingacrustonthebottomofthesaucepan.You
wantthelyetodissolveasyouaddit.Ifacrustdoesform,grateitwiththebackoftheslottedspoon.Becarefulnottosplash.Scrapethelastofthelyefromyourbowlorcupwiththespoon,thenkeep
stirringtillthelyeisthoroughlydissolved.Thesolutionwillbecloudyatfirst,thenturnclear.Evenafterthat,afewgrainsoflyecanremain,sokeepstirringtillthey’reallgone.8.Pouryourcoldorchilledwaterfromthepitcherintotheroastingpan—not
intothesaucepanwiththelyesolution.Makethewaterintheroastingpanas
deepaspossiblewithoutfloatingthesaucepan,thenaddicecubestotheroastingpan.Thisbathwillquicklycoolthelyesolution,especiallyifyoursaucepanisstainlesssteelinsteadofenameled.Stirringthesolutionwillhelpcoolitevenfaster,andsowillliftingthesaucepanslightlysotheicewatercontactsthepan’sbottom.9.Checkthetemperaturebyholdingthethermometerinthelyesolution
withoutlettingittouchthebottomofthesaucepan.Youwantthesolutiontobeintherangeof90°–110°F(32°–43°C).10.Whenthesolutionhascooledenough,takethesaucepanoflyesolution
andyourotherlyeutensilstoyourmainworkarea.Don’ttrytocarrytoomuchatonce!Putthoseotherlyeutensilsintotheplasticdishpanofvinegarwater.AsIsaidearlierinthisbook,you’reextremelyunlikelytoburnyourselfor
anyoneelsewithlyeifyoujustfollowdirections,payattention,anduseglovesandgoggles.Butifitdoeshappen,flushtheburnwithcoldrunningwaterforatleastfifteenminutes,withanycontaminatedclothingremoved.Lyemanufacturersrecommendthatyouthencalladoctororpoisoncontrolcenterforfurtherhelp.
CombiningtheIngredients
1.Takethefatyoumeltedandpouritintothesouppotwiththeliquidfat.(Ifthemeltedfathasbeensittingforverylong,itmightbegoodtoreheatitabit.)Combiningthefatsshouldbringthemalmostatonceintothedesiredrangeof90°–110°F(32°–43°C).2.Pourthelyesolutionintothesouppotwiththefat.Thelyesolutionandthe
fatdoNOThavetobeatidenticaltemperatures,butthefinalmixtureshouldbesomewhereintherangeof90°–110°F(32°–43°C).3.Stirbrieflybutwellwiththelong-handledspoontostartmixingthe
ingredients.4.Carefullycheckthetemperaturewiththethermometerandmakeanoteof
it.(Again,it’sbestifthethermometeriswaterproof,“instant-read,”anddigital.)5.Mixwiththestickblender.Moveitthroughthemixturesoeverythinggets
mixedthoroughly,tippingthepanasyouneedto.Whiletheblenderisrunning,becarefultokeepthebladesubmerged,oryou’llstiralotofairintothesoapandmaysplashthemixture.Whenyouliftthebladeoutofthemixture,takeyourfingeroffthebuttonsothebladestopsbeforereachingthesurface.You’llsoonseechangesinthemixture.Originallyoilyandtransparent,itwill
becomecreamyandopaque.Thesurface,whichwasshinyatfirst,willbecomeduller,andtheoilyringattheedgeofthemixture’ssurface—rightwhereitmeetsthewallofthepot—willshrinkandallbutdisappear.Nextyou’llnoticethemixturethickeningandgettingsmoother.Itwillcome
toresemblethickeggnogorverythinpudding.Atthispoint,youcanstopblending,becausethesaponificationthatproducessoapcancontinuewithoutfurthermixing.Youmightcallthisthe“pointofnoreturn.”(AsIsaidbefore,withthestickblender,youdon’thavetokeepmixinglongenoughtosee“trace,”asotherinstructionsmightcallfor.)Besidesthesevisualsigns,youcangetafeelforthethicknessbyturningoff
theblenderandbrieflystirringwithitlikeaspoon.Withaweakerblender,youcanevenhearthedifference,asthethickeningslowsdowntheblade,causingthesoundofthemotortodropinpitch.Thefinalsignforyouistemperature.Whenyounoticethemixturegrowing
thickerandsmoother,startcheckingitagainwithyourthermometer.Saponificationgeneratesheat,andbythetimethemixturehasreachedthe“pointofnoreturn,”thetemperatureshouldhaverisenaboutacoupleofdegreesFahrenheit(onedegreeCelsius).Onceithas,you’redone!Anexperiencedsoapmakercandowithoutthistemperaturetest,butIhighly
recommenditatleastforyourfirstfewtrieswhileyoulearntheothersigns—especiallyifyou’renotworkingwithateacher.Beyondthat,though,it’salwaysagreatfinalcheck.Howlongshouldyoubeblending?Thatdependsagooddealonthepowerof
yourmotor.Withapowerfulblender,theappearancecanstartchangingalmostatonce,andyoucannoticethickeningwithinafewminutes.Withaweakerblender,youmightseelittledifferenceatallforfiveortenminutes,orevenlongerwithadifficultrecipe.YoushouldhavelittletroublerecognizingthesignsI’vegiven—butifyou’re
notsure,itdoesn’thurttoblendsomemore.You’llwanttostop,though,bythetimethetemperaturehasrisenfivedegreesFahrenheit(threedegreesCelsius).Justafewdegreesabovethat,themixturecansuddenlybecometoothicktopourfromthepot!6.Addanyscentorcolorantyou’vemadeready,andblendabittomixitin.7.Pourthemixtureintoyourmold,scrapingthepotwiththerubberspatula.If
yourmoldisacardboardmilkcarton,closetheflapsexactlyastheywerewhenunopenedandfastenthemshut.Ifthecartonistoofulltoclose,orifyou’reusingaplasticmilkcontainer,coverthetoplooselywithplasticwrap.Labelthecartonorcontainer.Youdon’twantanyonetomistakethisformilk.8.Putyourmoldasidetositawhile—somewhereoutofthecat’sorthekids’
reach.Thesoapwillcontinuetosaponifywhileit’ssitting.Thisreactionwillkeepgeneratingheatasitgoeson—soifyouhappentonoticethesoapandmoldgettingwarmer,don’tworryaboutit.They’resupposedto!
Cleanup
1.Don’ttakeoffyourglovesandgogglestillyou’refinishedcleaningup.2.Ifyouuseadishwasher,washyourutensilsoncebyhandbeforeloading
them.Ifyoudon’t,yourdishwasherwillprobablyrunover.Ifyou’rewashingonlybyhand,washtwice.Payspecialattentiontohandlesandtheouterlipofthepot.3.Wipedownyourworksurfaceswithapapertoweldampenedwiththe
vinegar.4.Washyourgloveswithyourhandsstillinsidethem.5.Nowtakeoffyourglovesandgoggles.
RemovalandTesting
Yoursoapshouldbesolidinabouttwelvehours,andreadytocomeoutofthemoldandbetestedinabouttwenty-four.You’llknowthatthesaponificationismostlycompletebecausethesoapandmoldwillhavecooledtoroomtemperature.Ifyourmoldisamilkcarton,youcanalsosqueezeittomakesurethesoapissolid.Ifitis,putonyourgloves,thentearorcutawaythecarton.Atthispoint,thesoapshouldn’tbecaustic,butyoushouldkeepyourgloves
ontillyoutestit.Putalittledistilledwateronitssurface,scrubitaroundtomakeapaste,thenpushapHstripintothepaste.Ifthestripshowsanythingintherangeof7to10,thesoapisfine.TheexactpHreadingdoesn’tmatter—thestripsdon’tmeasureallthataccuratelyanyway.Buttheywillletyouknowifyoursoapisinasaferange.IfthepHstripreads11or12,letthesoapsitforafewdaysandtestitagain.It
mayjustneedalittlemoretime.Ifyourreadingisabove12,don’tusethesoapanddon’teventouchitwithoutgloves.SometimesaveryhighpHwillslowlydecreasetillthesoapisusable.Moreoften,thesoapshouldbediscardedorrebatched.(Seemychapteronfrequentlyaskedquestionsforinfoonrebatching.)Ifyoursoapisinablock—asitwillbeifyouusedamilkcarton—thenstart
yourtestingontheoutsidesurface.IfthattestsOK,slicetheblockinhalfwithalarge,sharpknifesuchasaFrenchcook’sknife.Lookatthecutsurfaces.Yoursoapshouldhaveatexturethat’sfairlysmooth
andregular,withaconsistencylikecheese.Itmaybeslightlystickyonthecutedges,andtheremaybeasmalldifferenceintexturebetweenthecutfacesandtheoutersurfaceoftheblock—somethinglikearindcoveringasoftcheese.Thisisnormal.FinishbytestingoneofthecutsurfaceswithapHstrip.IfittestsOK,you’re
homefree.It’simportanttotestforsafety’ssake,butdon’tletmescareyou.Ifyou
followtheinstructionsinthisbookanduserecipesthatareproperlydesigned,youshouldneverseeapHreadingthat’sdangerouslyhigh.
CuttingandCuring
Aftertesting,removeyourgloves,takeyourlarge,sharpknife,andfinishslicingthesoapintobars.Ifyoulike,youcantrimthesidestomakethemneater.Youcanalsosmooththeedgesbybevelingthemwithavegetablepeeler.Soapshoulddryoutforawhile,whichalsogivesitachancetogrowmilder.
Setthebarsinawell-ventilatedarea,onarackifpossible.Dryingtimedependsonhowmuchwaterthesoapwasmadewith,aswellasonhowit’sstoredandthehumidityofthestoragearea.Minimumtimesnormallyrangefromacoupleofweekstoamonth,withmostoftherecipesinthisbookfallingabouthalfwaybetween.Soapwithaveryhighpercentageofliquidfatmayneedtodryevenlonger.Howcanyoubesurethesoapisdryenough?Justtryabar.Ifitgetsusedup
toofastorgetsgooey,thatsoapneedsmoretime.Thelongerthebarsdry—uptoacoupleofmonthsorso—theharderthey’llbeandthelongerthey’lllastinuse.
MoreRecipes!DifferentSoapsYouCanTry
Manybooksgiveyounumerousrecipesthatarereallyonlyacoupleofsoapsdressedupwithdifferentscentsandcolors.Instead,I’llnowgiveyouavarietyofbasicsoapsthatareeasytomake.Creativechoicesofscentandappearanceremainforyou—avisittotheWebsiteofanymajorsoapmakingsupplierwillprobablygiveyouenoughinspirationtolastaboutfiveyears.Myrecipesincludeagoodassortmentofsoapsthatuseonlygroceryorhealth
foodstorefats.Otherrecipescallforfatsthatprobablyareavailableonlyfromsoapmakingsuppliers.Goodsourcesarelistedintheresourcessectionofthisbook,andyoumaybeluckyenoughtofindalocalvendor.Localpricesareoftenhigher,butcountshippingcostswhenyoucompare.Ifyou’remakingsoapforothers,beawarethatsomepeoplearehighly
allergictoparticularfats.Allmyrecipesuse30ozoffat(850g).Youneedasoapmoldthatwillholdat
least5cups(1.2l)ofliquid.FollowthedirectionsI’vealreadygiven,unlessarecipecallsforavariation.
RecipeChecking
Beforeyoutryanewsoaprecipe—mineoranyoneelse’s—alwayscheckthegivenlyeandwateramountstomakesurethey’recorrect.Eveniftherecipecomesfromapublishedbook,don’tuseittillyou’resureithasnoerrors—andthatgoesdoubleforanyrecipeyoufindontheInternet.Thoughyoucandothemathyourself,thesimplestandsafestwaytochecka
recipeiswithalyecalculator.Thesetellyouhowmuchlyeandwateryoushoulduseforagivenquantityoffat.ManysuchcalculatorscanbefoundandusedontheWebforfree,andthey’refoundinsomecomputerprogramsaswell.I’velistedsomeofbothkindsintheresourcessection,alongwithWebsitesthatexplainhowtocalculatebyhand.
All-VeggieGroceryStoreSoap#1
Thisisanexcellentbasicsoapwitheasilyavailableingredients.
9oz(255g)coconutoil21oz(595g)oliveoil9oz(255g)distilledwater4.1oz(116g)lye
All-VeggieGroceryStoreSoap#2
Thissoapisalittlesofterthanaverage,butyoumightnotevennoticethedifference.Ithasgoodlatherandismoisturizing.Carefulwiththisone—allergytopeanutsiscommon.(OutsideNorthAmerica,cornoil—sometimesknownas“maizeoil”—maynotbeasreadilyavailable.)
3.5oz(99g)peanutoil17.5oz(496g)cornoil7oz(198g)coconutoil7oz(198g)distilledwater3.8oz(108g)lye
GroceryStoreShorteningSoap
Thissoaphasgoodhardnessandlatherbutisbelowaverageinmoisturizing.I’duseitwheremoisturizingislessimportantthancleaningpower.ThisrecipecallsforCrisco,apopularAmericanbrandofvegetable
shortening.Inotherpartsoftheworld,youcansafelysubstituteanyothershorteningmadeofsoyandcottonseedoils.(Theproportionsdon’tmattertoomuch,becauselyerequirementsofthetwooilsarenearlyidentical.)
20oz(567g)Crisco10oz(284g)coconutoil10oz(284g)distilledwater4.3oz(122g)lye
Non-VeggieGroceryStoreSoap
Aharder-than-averagesoapwithaveragelather.Averageinmoisturizing.
8.4oz(238g)lard9.8oz(278g)coconutoil9.8oz(278g)oliveoil8oz(227g)distilledwater4oz(113g)lye
OlivePalmSoap
Aslightlyhardersoapwithgoodlatherandmoisturizing.
18oz(510g)oliveoil12oz(340g)palmkerneloil9oz(255g)distilledwater4.1oz(116g)lye
Chris’sAvocadoSoap
Amoisturizingsoapwithaveragelather.IdesignedthisformyfriendChris,whoaskedforsoapwithavocadooil.
2.5oz(71g)avocadobutter7.5oz(213g)coconutoil12.5oz(354g)avocadooil7.5oz(213g)oliveoil9oz(255g)distilledwater4.1oz(116g)lye
Aaron’sHazelnutSoap
Thissoaplathersverywellandishighlymoisturizing.Donotinsulateorwarmthissoapasit’ssetting.Idesigneditformyhusband,Aaron,andscenteditwithhazelnutfragrance,whichheloves.
17.5oz(496g)hazelnutoil10.5oz(298g)palmkerneloil8oz(227g)distilledwater3.9oz(111g)lye
AlmondFacialSoap
Thissoaplathersbeautifullyandishighlymoisturizing.Sincethisrecipecontainsonlyliquidfats,themethodisslightlydifferent.Putthefatsintothemicrowave-safepitcherandwarmthemtojust100°F(38°C).They’llreachthattemperaturequickly—inlessthanaminuteinmymicrowave.Don’ttrytouseregularcoconutoilhere—itmustbefractionated!
5.9oz(167g)fractionatedcoconutoil22.1oz(627g)almondoil7oz(198g)distilledwater4.1oz(116g)lye
Variation:Increasethewaterto8oz(227g)andpourintoamugforuseasshavingsoap.
Anne’sLongerLastingSoap
Thisisafairlyhardsoapthatworkswellwheresoftersoapsgetsticky.Sinceallthefatsinthisrecipearesolid,you’llneedtomodifythebasicmethodalittle.Onewayistoheatallthefatstogethertillthey’remelted,thencooltoabout110°F(43°C).Oryoucanmeltallthefatsexceptthecoconutoilandthencombinethem.Eitherway,you’reworkingatthehighendoftheusualtemperaturerange,whichpreventsthefatfromsolidifyingonitsownduringprocessing.
1.5oz(43g)cocoabutter6oz(170g)avocadobutter10.5oz(298g)palmoil6oz(170g)coconutoil6oz(170g)sheabutter9oz(255g)distilledwater4oz(113g)lye
DesigningYourOwn
HowtoCreateGreatRecipes
Onceyou’vemadegoodsoapfromoneortwoofmyrecipes,youmaybeeagertodesignyourown.Itreallyisn’thardifyouspendalittletimelearningaboutvariousfatsandadditives.You’llalsowanttobecomefamiliarwithlyecalculatorsandothersoapmakingdesigntools.Writedowneverythingyoutry.Thiswillhelpyoulearnwhatworksandwhat
doesn’t,andtorepeatwhatworksespeciallywell.Startsmall.Thoughsmallerquantitiesforceyoutobeespeciallycarefulwith
measurements,youavoidhavingahugebatchofsomethingthatdidn’twork.
ChoosingFats
Choosingablendoffatsforanewreciperequiressomethought.Eachfatischemicallyunique,whichiswhysoapmadefromonefatorblendmaybequitedifferentfromanother.Thequalitiesthatmostconcernsoapmakersarefluffylather,stablelather,soaphardness,andmoisturizing.Somefatsproducesoapwithfluffylather—thesoapmaker’stermforlarge,
abundantly-producedbubblessimilartothosefromcommercialbars.Althoughfluffylatherhaslittletodowithhowwellthesoapcleans,it’sapleasantqualitythatyou’llprobablyfavor.Thedisadvantageofsuchfatsisthatmostofthemtendtodrytheskin.Someofthebestfatsforfluffylatherarecoconutoilandpalmkerneloil.Somefatsproducesoapwithstablelather,whichisdenserandcreamier.Asa
rule,thesefatsaremoremoisturizingthantheonesthatmakesoapwithfluffylather.However,somepeopledislikethiskindoflather—afactorifyou’remakingsoapsforothers.Goodfatsforstablelatherareoliveoil,sweetalmondoil,andcornoil(sometimescalledmaizeoil).Somefatsmakesoapthat’sharderandlastslonger.Amongthebestfatsfor
hardnessaretallow(beeffat),coconutoil,andpalmkerneloil.Somefatsmakesoapthatdriestheskin,othersaremoremoisturizing,or
emollient.Someofthebestfatsformoisturizingareapricotkerneloil,sweetalmondoil,sheabutter,andoliveoil.Yourchoicesmaydependonpracticalconsiderations.Somefatsare
expensive,othersquitecheap.Someareavailableineverygrocerystore,othersarehardertofind.Somefatsarejustmoredifficulttomakeintosoap.Aruleofthumbisthatatleast40%ofasoap’sfatshouldbesolid.Likeall
rulesofthumb,thisonehasexceptions.Oneoftheoldestsoapformulas,Castilesoap,traditionallywasmadefromonehundredpercentoliveoil.Itis,however,notoriouslyhardtomake.Andarecipewithallitsfatpolyunsaturatedwon’tmakesoapeasily,andmaynotmakegoodsoapatall.Eachofthesoapmakingfatshasitsstrengthsandweaknesses.Ifyouwantto
designyourownrecipes,learnthepropertiesofdifferentfatsandtrydifferentcombinations.
Superfatting,LyeDiscount,WaterRange
I’vealreadyrecommendedusingalyecalculatortocheckallnewrecipesbeforeyoutrythem.Ofcourse,you’lluseonetoowhendesigningyourownrecipe,totellyouhowmuchlyeandwateryou’llneed.Atermyou’relikelytorunintowhenusingoneofthesecalculatorsislye
discount.Let’stakealookatwhatthismeans.Inthechemicalreactionthatmakessoap,thelyeisneutralizedbythefat.If
youusedonlyexactlyenoughfatforthisneutralizing,therewouldbenomarginforerrororforinconsistencyinyouringredients.Itwouldbeeasyforyoursoaptoturnoutwithtoomuchlye.Soweusealittleextrafatasabuffer.Thisiscalledsuperfatting,andrecipesusuallyhaveitbuiltin.About5%to8%superfattingisthenorm.Lyediscountisanotherwaytorefertothis.Mostlyecalculatorsfigureinthis
discountasadefault.Butbecarefultocheckthis.Afewwillgiveazerolyediscount,whichwillputyoursoap—atbest—rightontheedgeofbeinglyeheavy.Mostlyecalculatorsalsogivewaterquantityasarange.Withtheleastwater,
yougetfastersaponificationandfastercuring.Butthenit’salittlehardertodissolvethelye,andthesolutionmaygiveoffmorefumes.Forareasonabledryingtime,youdefinitelywanttousetheleastwaterifless
than40%ofthefatinyourrecipeissolid.Ontheotherhand,ifyourscentisonethatspeedsupsaponification—“acceleratestrace,”asthesupplierssay—youmaygetbetterresultswiththemostwater.
TheMysteriesofINS
Intheearly1900s,chemistsfiguredoutawaytoroughlypredictthehardnessofsoapwhenmadefromagivenfatorblend.TheindicatortheycameupwithiscalledtheINSvalue.
Thoseinitialsstandfor“IodineNumberSaponificationValue.”Theiodinenumberisameasureofhowunsaturatedafatis,whilethesaponificationvalueisusedtofigurehowmuchlyeisneededtoconvertthatfattosoap.TheINSvalueisthesaponificationvalueminustheiodinenumber.Valuesrangefromlessthanzerotoover250.Thehigherthenumber,thegreaterthehardnessthesoapissupposedtohave.(TheinformationontheoriginandpurposeofINScomesfrom“TheHistoryoftheManufactureofSoap,”byF.W.Gibbs,inAnnalsofScience,Vol.4,Issue2,April15,1939.Youdidn’tmissthatissue,didyou?)Veryfewhandcraftsoapmakersarechemists,sonotmanyhadevenheardof
INSvaluestillDr.RobertS.McDanielwroteabouttheminhisexcellent2000bookEssentiallySoap.Withoutreallyexplainingwhatthevaluesstoodfor,McDanieldidsaythatanyblendoffatswithavaluenear160shouldproduceanidealsoap.Formyself,Iwouldn’tcallasoapidealwithoutalsoconsideringthe
propertiesofthefatsandthesoap’sintendeduse.Butfrommyexperiments,anINSvalueintherangeof145to160doespredicteasysaponification.Inotherwords,ifyourmixturehasavalueinthatrange,youshouldgetittoturnintosoapwithoutmuchfuss.Andifitsvalueisnotclosetothatrange,therecipemayeitherbetroublesomeormakepoorsoap.Orboth.So,INSvaluescanbeagreathelpinfiguringwhetheryourexcitingnewidea
forasoaprecipeislikelytowork.Later,whenyougetabetterfeelforvariousfatsandthewaytheyworktogether,youmaynotneedINS—someadvancedrecipedesignerspaynoattentiontoit,eveniftheydidatfirst—butyoucanalwaysfallbackonitinapinch.TogettheINSvalueforablendoffats,youhavetouseanINScalculatoror
doalittlearithmetic.AtableofINSvaluesfollowsthischapter.Tocalculatebyhand,lookupthevalueofeachfatfromtherecipeandmakeachartlikethis:
Addtheweightsofeachfattogetthetotalweight.Inthiscase,wehave:
12oz+18oz=30oz
Next,dividetheweightofthepalmkerneloilbythetotalweight:
12oz÷30oz=0.4
MultiplythisnumberbytheINSvalueforpalmkerneloilandroundtheanswertothenearestwholenumber:
0.4x235=94
Thesamecalculationfortheoliveoilgivesyou65.NowaddyouranswerstogettheINSvaluefortheblend:
94+65=159
YoucanseethisisnearlytheidealINSvalueof160.Afatblendwiththisvalueshouldbeeasytomakeintosoap.Andinfact,thisblendproducesaverynicesoap,whichyou’llfindasoneoftherecipesinthisbook.Justthesame,youcan’tjudgeafatorblendjustbyitsINSvalue.Youstill
needtotakeintoaccountallpropertiesofindividualfats.UsingagoodsoapmakingprogramorWeb-baseddesigntoolisthebestwaytomakesureyourfatsprovidegoodhardness,moisturizing,andlather.Seetheresourcessectionofthisbookforseverallistings.Thevaluesinthefollowingtableweremostlycalculatedfromsaponification
valuesandiodinenumbersIfoundonvarioussuppliers’Websites.NotethattheINSvalueforeachtypeoffatcanvaryfromonebatchtoanother—so,ifyoursupplierlistsavalue,usethatinstead.Ifyoucan’tgettheINSvaluefromyoursupplierorthistable,youcanoften
findtheothervaluestocalculateINSyourself.AsIsaidbefore,it’sfiguredbysubtractingtheiodinenumberfromthesaponificationvalue—mostoftencalled“SAPvalue”or“SAPnumber.”Confusingly,saponificationvaluesarefoundintwodifferentversions.The
onesyouwantarethe“big”oneswithwholenumbers.Theotherkind,withdecimalvalueslessthan1,cannoteasilybeusedtocalculateINS.
INSValuesChart
Almondoil~97Aloebutter~238
Apricotkerneloil~91Avocadooil~103
Avocadobutter~130Babassuoil~234Beeswax~84
Blackcuminseedoil~72Baobaboil~98Borageoil~49
Camelinaseedoil~44Canolaoil~70Castoroil~95
Cocoabutter~158Coconutoil(plain,“76°”)~248Coconutoil,fractionated~324
Cornoil(maizeoil)~71Cottonseedoil~88
Crisco~111Emuoil~125
Eveningprimroseoil~38Grapeseedoil~66Hazelnutoil~101Hempoil~40
Illipebutter~153Jojobaoil~9Karanjaoil~96
Kokumbutter~154Kukuinutoil~25Lanolin~83
Lard(pigfat)~125Linseedoil(flax)~–3Macadamianutoil~120Mangobutter~137
Mangooil~138Meadowfoamoil~88
Minkoil~105Mowrahbutter~130Neemtreeoil~118Oliveoil~109Palmoil~148
Palmkerneloil~235Passionfruitseedoil~63Peachkerneloil~87
Peanutoil~93Perillaseedoil~0Pistachiooil~106Poppyseedoil~57Rapeseedoil~69Ricebranoil~82Rosehipoil~–7Saffloweroil~48
Saffloweroil,highlinoleic~100Salbutter~146Sesameoil~79Sheabutter~112Sheaoil~100Soybeanoil~62Stearicacid~209Sunfloweroil~58
Sunfloweroil,higholeic~102Tallow(beeffat)~159
Tamanuoil~84Walnutoil~42
Wheatgermoil~58
GettingYourSoapinShapeHowtoChooseorMakeaMoldSoapmoldscomeinaninfinitevarietyofshapesandsizes.So,it’sbesttoputoffthinkingaboutthemtillyou’vemadeasoapbatchortwo.Yourideasofwhatkindyouwantwillprobablybechangedbyyourfirstefforts.Fortherecipesinthisbook,you’llneedamoldthatholds5cups(1.2l)of
water.
KindsofMold
Varioushouseholdobjectscanbeusedforsoapmolds.Manybeginnersusecardboardorwoodboxes,bakingpans,plasticfoodcontainers—justaboutanythingyoucanimagine.Forindividualbars,the“snacksize”disposable/reusablefoodstoragecontainersmakegreatmolds.TheonesIbuyhaveamaximumcapacityofaboutacupandahalf(aboutone-thirdliter),thoughyouwon’tfillthemcompletely.Theymakealarge,easy-to-holdbarwithanattractiveraisedborder.Goodmaterialsfor“found”moldsincludewood,glass,plastic,silicone,and
stainlesssteel.Ifyouusecardboard,itmustbesturdy.Keepinmindthattheobject’sshapemustallowthesoaptoberemovedeasily.Loafpans,browniepans,andwoodboxesareobjectsthatworkwellforthat.Severalkindsofsoapmoldaresoldbycraftstoresandsoapmakingsuppliers.
Themostfamiliarkindisthemoldedplastictraywithcompartmentsforthreeorfourindividualbars.Craftstoresselltheseforworkingwithmelt-and-poursoap,butsomesoapmakerslikethemforcoldprocessaswell.Idon’t,becauseIdisliketheextrafussofpouringindividualbars,andI’vehadtroublegettingthesoapout.Traymoldsarelarge,shallowboxes,onebarindepth.Theymayinclude
ornamentalpatterns,aswellasraisedlinesthatmakegroovesinthesoaptoguidecuttingitintoindividualbars.Ortheymayhaveremovabledividersthatseparateyourmixtureintobar-sizedportionsafteryou’vepouredit.Bakingpans
canbeusedastraymolds—justdon’tusealuminum.Blockorloafmolds,suchassimplewoodboxes,makeathickblockofsoapto
beslicedintobars.Thisistheeasiestkindtouse,andit’salsoeasytomake.Fortherecipesinthisbook,youcouldbuildonewithacavityabout4in.high,3in.wide,and7in.long(about10cmhigh,8cmwide,and18cmlong).
LiningaSoapMoldTobesureyoucanremovethesoap,lineanymoldthatcan’tbetakenapartordestroyed.Somebookssaythatsoapcanberemovedeasilyfromflexiblemoldssuchasplasticfoodcontainers.Inmyexperience,that’ssometimestrue,butnotalways.
Moldsmadeofabsorbentmaterials—suchaswoodorcardboard—allneedtobelined.Othersmayaswellifthey’reinflexibleorhavecomplexshapes.Aswithsomuchinsoapmaking,theneedforliningmaydependontherecipe.Ahighpercentageofliquidfatmakesyoursoaplikelytostick.Goodliningmaterialsinclude:•Piecesofplastictarp•Freezerpaper(withthe
shinysidetowardthesoap)•Plasticbagsthatfityourmold(withanyprintingonthesideawayfromthesoap)•Parchmentpaper•PlasticwrapDONOTUSEALUMINUMFOIL.Itreactswithlye.
Withplasticlinings,theheaviertheplastic,thefewerthewrinklesinthesurfaceofyoursoap.Forinstance,thetrashbagsmeantaslinersforoutdoorgarbagecanswillworkbetterthanthesmaller,thinner-walledonesthatyou’duseinyourkitchen.Aneasywaytomakealineristousetwooverlappingrectangles.For
instance,I’veusedpiecesofplastictarptolineboxmolds—onerectanglelaidintotheboxlengthwise,anothercrosswise.Eachwaslongenoughtocoverthebottomandtwosides,withenoughleftatthetoptofoldoverandcoverthepouredsoap.Butdon’tuseapiecedlinerinamoldthatismadetocomeapart,evenifyou
tapethelinerpiecestogether.Forsuchamold,youneedalinerthatcan’tleak.Aplasticbagworks,ifyoucanfindoneinagoodsize.Forinstance,agallon-sizefoodbagmightdoit.Ablockmoldcanbelinedsafelywithonelargesheetofpaper.Here’sthe
easiestwaytodothis,asalsoshownintheillustrations.
1.CutaStyrofoamblocksoitjustfitsthelengthandwidthoftheinsideofthesoapmoldbutrisesaboveitbyaninchorso(acoupleofcentimetersorso).Inotherwords,theblockshouldfillthemoldexactlylikeablockofsoapexceptthatitsticksoutthetop.2.Styrofoamiscrumbly,andyoudon’twantbitsofitinyoursoap.So,cover
theblockwithplasticwrapandtapeitsecurely.3.Measuretheinsideofyourmoldandusethemeasurementstocutasheet
fromarolloffreezerpaper.Thewidthofthepapershouldbeequaltothewidthofthemoldinteriorplustwotimesitsheight,plusaboutaninch(aboutacoupleofcentimeters)forslack.Thelengthofthepapershouldbeequaltothelengthofthemoldinteriorplustwotimesitsheight,plusaboutaninch(acoupleofcentimeters)forslack.
Asanexample,takeamoldwithacavitythat’s4in.high,3in.wide,and7in.long(thedimensionsIrecommendedearlier).Thewidthofthepaperwouldbe:3in(Int.width)8in(Int.heightx2)1in
(Slack)12in(Total)Thelengthofthepaperwouldbe:7in(Int.length)8in(Int.heightx2)1in(Slack)16in(Total)4.Cutoutasecond,identicalsheetoffreezerpaper,usingthefirstasapattern.Setoneofthesheetsasideasapatternformorelinersinthefuture.
5.Taketheothersheetandcenteritovertheblockasitstandsupright.Theshinysideofthepapershouldbedown.Nowfoldinbothsidesofthepaper,wrappingtheblockexactlyasifyouwerewrappingapresent,exceptthatthebottomsurfaceoftheblockwon’tbecovered.Youcansecurethefoldedendsat
firstwithstraightpinsstuckthroughthepaperintotheStyrofoam.Avoidingpinheads,tapethefoldedendsofthepaperwithpackingtape,thenremovethepins.6.Removethepaperliner,turnitover,andsetitintothesoapmold.Youcan
trimtheexcessfromtheheightifyou’reusingatoponyourmold.7.Ifnecessary,usedabsofshorteningtostickthelinertoitselfatfolds,orto
thesoapmold.Thismaymakethelinerfitmoreneatlyandavoidirregularitiesintheshapeofthesoap.8.KeeptheStyrofoamblockforthenexttimeyoumakeliners.Complexmoldsmaybelinedwithplasticwrap.Ifthepatterninthemoldis
toofancytolinewithoutlosingdetail,youcantrytousethemoldwithoutalining.Somemoldswillreleasethesoapifyouputthem,soapandall,intothefreezerforaboutanhour.Bewarned:Sometimesthisworksandsometimesitdoesn’t.Sincepetroleumjellyandmineraloilwillnotsaponify,somesoapmakersuse
themtogreasemolds,muchasacookwoulduseshorteningtogreaseacakepan.Othersfeeltheseproductsleaveanundesirableresidueonthesoap.
WrappingItUpLovelyPackagingforYourSoap
Youmaynotbeinterestedinpackagingsoapforyourownuse,butasImentionedbefore,handcraftedsoapmakesanidealgift.Andanicepresentationwithattractivepackagingisagreatfinishingtouch.Youdon’twanttowrapcoldprocesssoapinplasticorfoodwrap,because
thatwouldkeepmoisturefromescaping.What’susedinsteadisa“cigarband.”Thisisabelt-likestripofpaperorclotharoundthemiddleofthebar.Youcanmakeacigarbandfromanyattractivepaperorfabric.Toaddtextand/orgraphics,useastick-onlabel.Addresslabelsareagood
size,andtheycomeeitherinwhiteortransparent.Awordprocessingprogramwillmakelabelstoprintfromyourcomputer,butadedicatedlabelmakingprogramwillprobablybeeasiertouse.Imentiononeintheresourcessectionofthisbook,butsomeofthedozensofothersaresurelyasgood.Thelabelmightdescribethescentandlistsomeoftheingredients.Unless
you’resurethepersongettingthesoaphasnoallergies,youshouldatleastnotethefatsusedintherecipe.(Thisisassumingyou’relabelingsoapjustforgifts.Ifyou’resellingit,yourlabeltextmustcomplywithlabelinglaws,andthat’sawholesubjectuntoitself.)Forgraphics,freeclipartiseverywhere.Theproblemis,mostofitlooks
exactlylikefreeclipart.Whynotuseyourownphotosinstead?Youcouldtakepicturesofflowersthathavethescentsyou’reusing,oraseashelltosuggestanoceanscent,andsoon.Alabelmakingprogramshouldbeabletoinsertyourdigitalorscannedphotolikeanyothergraphic.Oruseagraphicsprogramtocreateyourowndesigns.Besidesseveralgood
generalprograms,somewonderfulspecialtyonesareavailable.Oneofmyfavoritesisaprogramforquiltdesign.Originalquiltdesignsmakelovelylabelsforsoap.Insteadofmakingacigarband,youcangift-wrapsoapwithfabric.Cutyour
rectanglewithpinkingshearsforafinishedappearance.Securetheendsandedgeswithfabricglueortackyglue.Orcutafabriccircleanddrawituparoundthesoapasabag,tyingthe
openingwitharibbonandlettingthetopedgesformafrill.Tiealabeltagtotheribbon.Youcanmakegoodtagswithperforatedsheetsofbusinesscardsmeantforcomputerprinting.Scrapbookingandminiaturessupplierssellpaperpunches
forcomputerprinting.Scrapbookingandminiaturessupplierssellpaperpunchesthatwillmakeonlyatinyholeinyourlabel,makingitlookmoreprofessional.Acircularwrappinginnylonnetortulleisalsogood.Thenetwrappingisleft
onwhenusingthesoap.Thisisparticularlygoodforsoapthatdoesn’tlatherwell,sinceitwillincreasethelatherdramatically.Youcancutnetcirclesyourselforelsebuythemprecutinthebridalsection
ofacraftstore.Fastenthetopwithatransparentrubberbandandtiethedecorativeribbonoverit,asaribbonalonewillcomeoffinuse.Transparentrubberbandsaresoldashairfasteners,solookforthemanywhereyou’dbuybarrettes.Youcanalsosewthetopclosedandtiearibbonoverthestitching.Forshavingsoap,useapotterymugasacontainerandaddanold-fashioned
shavingbrush.Soapandbasketsgotogetherperfectly.Sincesoapisaconsumablegift,it’s
nicetocomplementitwithsomethingpermanentlikeabasket.Goodpackagingwillgiveyoursoapstheprofessionallooktheydeserve.It
makesallthedifferencebetweenagiftthatlooks“homemade”andonethat’s“handcrafted.”
Why,Why,Why?
FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Whydoyourrecipesmakesuchsmallbatches?Personally,I’veneverwantedtomakemuchsoapofthesamescentatonce,
evenwhenIwasmakingsoapasabusiness.Buttherearepracticaladvantagestoo.Smallerbatchesareeasiertomixwhenyouuseastickblender.Theyproducelesslyefumes,soyoucanworkindoorswithnoproblem.Thecontainersareeasiertoheftaround,sothere’slesschanceofanaccident.Andsincesmallerquantitiesofingredientsareatrisk,abeginnerwillbelessafraidoffailure.Allinall,Ithinkit’sbestforabeginnertostartsmall.Butsmallerbatchesdo
haveonedisadvantage:Precisemeasurementismorecritical.Ifyouwanttomakelargerbatches,increasetheamountofeachfat
proportionally,thenusealyecalculatortore-figuretheamountsoflyeandwater.Thewaterandlyeyouneedtoaddarenotproportionaltotheaddedfat.Withmuchlargerbatches,youmightalsohavetowatchoutforoverheatingin
themold.Usingastickblendermeansthere’smoreheatgeneratedafterthemixturehasbeenpouredthantherewouldbewithhandstirring.Ifthere’stoomuchbulkandtheheatcan’tleavethemoldfastenough,thesoapmixturecouldevenreachtheboilingpoint.So,ifyourbatchisverylarge,youshouldstillstickwithmoldsofmoderatesize—andifyou’refillinganumberofthematonce,makesuretoleavespacebetweenthem.
Yourrecipesmeasureouncesdowntoatenth.Whyaren’tyouthatexactwithgrams?Sincethereareabout28gramstoanounce,measuringinwholegramsis
actuallymoreprecisethanmeasuringintenthsofanounce.
Whydoyouusecoconutoilinsomanyrecipes?It’struethatcoconutoilisexpensiveingrocery-storequantitiesandthatmany
storesdon’tevenstockit.Butit’sstilltheonlygrocerystorefatthatproducesgoodfluffylather.
Whatisfractionatedoil?IfIdon’thavethatkind,canIjustusetheregularoil?No,thepropertiesaredifferent.Tostartwith,fractionatedoilhasalower
meltingpoint,remainingliquidatlowertemperatures.Infact,that’swhatfractionationisallabout.Eachnaturalfatisreallymadeupofmanykindsoffatmixedtogether.To
fractionateit,it’sfirstmelted(ifitisn’talreadyliquid),andthencooled.Atsomepointinthecooling,partswithahighermeltingpointbecomesolidanddroptothebottom,whilepartswithalowermeltingpointarestillliquid.Theliquidthat’sskimmedoffisthefractionatedoil.Sometimesoilisfractionatedwithoutbeingcalledthat.Forinstance,sheaoil
iscreatedbyfractionatingsheabutter.
HowdoIsubstituteotheringredientsfortheonesinyourrecipes?Whoa.Youdon’tsubstituteinasoaprecipe,youdevelopanewone.Learnby
makingyourfirstfewbatcheswithtried-and-truerecipes.Youcangetascreativeasyouwant—later.
WhydoyourecommenddistilledwaterforsoapmakingandpHtesting?Mineralsintap,well,orspringwatercanaffectbothsoapmakingandtesting.
Somesuchwaterwouldprobablywork,butyoucan’tpredictit.Evenlong-agocountrysoapmakers—whoweremostlycompletelyunscientific—oftenreliedonrainwater,nature’sclosestequivalenttodistilled.
Whyweighthewater?Icanjustuseameasuringcup.It’struethat,forwater,fluidouncesformeasuringvolumeandouncesfor
measuringweightaremoreorlessequivalent(moreintheU.K.,lessintheU.S.).Andsinceusingapreciseamountofwaterisn’tcriticalinsoapmaking,measuringbysightinacupwillwork.Butweighingismoreaccurate,andlesstroubletoo,Ithink.Inanycase,theequivalenceoftheouncesisforwateronly.Don’ttrythisforanythingelse.
Whydoyouuseastainlesssteelsaucepanformixingthelyesolution?Everyoneelsesaystouseaglassmeasuringcup.Also,what’stheroastingpanoftapwaterfor?Whenyouaddlyetowater,thesolutiongetshot.Itcangetuptoboiling.For
coldprocesssoapmakingsuchasIdescribe,itshouldbeintherangeof90°–110°F(32°–43°C).Inaglasscontainer,gettingbackdowntothatrangetakesitforever.Withthestainlesssteelcontainerandacoldwaterbath,reachingthatrangetakesitonlyaminuteortwo,eveninhotweather.
Whyisitsoimportanttoaddthelyetothewaterinsteadoftheotherwayaround?I’veseensourcesthatsayyoucanaddwatertolye.OneortwobooksandafewWebsitessaytoaddwatertolye.DON’TDOIT.
Addingwatertolyeisdangerous,becausethereactionissostrong.TheU.S.
ConsumerProductSafetyCommissionactuallyrecalledonesoapmakingbookforgivingthisadvice.(SeeU.S.ConsumerProductSafetyCommissionRelease#04-010,October15,2003.Findthenoticeonthecommission’sWebsiteatwww.cpsc.gov.)We’realsowarnednottoaddlyetowarmorhotwater,againbecauseofthestrongreaction.
IreadthatIshouldkeepabottleofvinegarhandyincaseIgetlyeonmyself.Whydon’tyourecommendthat?Treatingtheburnwithvinegarwillmakeitworse.Thevinegarwillneutralize
thelyebutwillgenerateheatandfurtherdamageyourskin.Lyemanufacturersrecommendthatyouuserunningwater.
Yourinstructionsareforamicrowaveoven,butwhatifIdon’thaveone?Youcanmeltthesolidfatinaslowcooker,orinaregularovenatthelowest
possibleheat.Eitherofthesewilltakeforty-fiveminutestoanhourtomeltthesolidfatsinmystarterrecipe(includingthecoconutoil).Getthemmeltedcompletelybeforeproceeding.Idon’trecommendmeltingfatonastovetop.Notthatyoucan’tdoit,anddo
itsafely.Buttherearealotof“if’s”—ifyouuseadoubleboiler,ifyoupaycloseandconstantattention,ifyou’repreparedtohandleagreasefireifonestarts.Idon’tdoit,andagain,Idon’trecommendit.
Whycan’tIuseaplasticpailformixingthelyesolutionwiththefat?Whataboutotherplasticutensils?Ican’texactlyrecommend“plastic,”becauseplasticsarealldifferent.Some
soapmakerssaythatplasticworksfine.Butyoudohavetobesureit’sheat-resistant.Ifthecontainerismicrowave-safe,itshouldbeOK.Orfillitwithboilingwatertoseeifitgetssoft.
Whyuseastickblender?Whynotjuststirwithaspoon?Orwhataboutanelectricmixeroraregularblender?Thestickblenderisidealformixingthefatwiththelyesolutionquickly,
thoroughly,andsafely.Youcanuseaspoon.Ifyoudo,bepreparedtostirforalongtime.Specialsoapmakingrecipesandtechniquesforelectricmixersandregular
blenderscanbefoundontheWeb.I’mnotanexpertinmakingsoapwitheither,butneitherseemstomeagoodtool,especiallyforabeginner.Aregularblendercanbeusedsafelyonlyforverysmallbatches,andifoverfilledmaypopitslidandspewthesoapmixtureallover.Also,boththesetools—especiallythemixer
—canbeatinsomuchairthatthesoaptextureispoor.
Checkingthetemperatureseemssuchaneasywaytotellifthesoapmixtureisreadytopour.Whydon’tallsoapmakingbookstellyoutodothat?BecauseIworkeditoutmyselfwhilewritingthisone!Ithinkit’sagreat
technique,especiallyforbeginners,becauseyoudon’thavetodependentirelyonyourjudgment.Inmytests,Icouldpouroutamixtureafteratemperatureriseoftwotothree
degreesFahrenheit(oneortwodegreesCelsius)andgetgoodsoapevenifIwasn’tyetsurefromvisualsignsthatthemixturewasready.WithariseoftendegreesFahrenheit(fiveorsixdegreesCelsius),themixturewasatheavytraceandindangerofsolidifyinginthepot!(Keepinmindthatthesespecifictemperaturedifferencesareformyownrecipesandbatchsizeasgiveninthisbook.)Infairnesstoearlierauthors,thismethodmightworkonlywhenusingastick
blenderorotherrapidmixer,whichhasn’tbeencommonamongcraftsoapmakersforthatlong.Ifyouwerehandstirring,Idon’tknowifyoucoulddetecttherise,becauseyou’dbegeneratingheatmoreslowlyandmightbelosingitaboutasfast.Also,agooddigitalthermometerhelpsalot,andthey’veonlyrecentlybecomesoaffordable.
Whatisfalsetrace?Ireadaboutthat,andnowI’mnotsureifmysoaphascometotrace,orifit’sjustfalsetrace.“Falsetrace”iswhenyoursoapmixturethickensconsiderablybutthenre-
separatesintolyesolutionandfat.It’srare,butitcansometimeshappenwhenthetemperatureofyourmixturefallsbelowtherecommendedrange,causingmeltedfattostarttoresolidify.Thethickeningcanfoolyouintothinkingthemixturehassaponifiedwhenitreallyhasn’t.Withhandstirring,thiscoolingandthickeningmighthappenanytime,but
withastickblender,youwouldprobablyonlyseeitrightafteryoustartblending.You’llknowit’stooearlyforsaponificationtohavemorethanbarelybegun,andinanycase,themixturewillshownosignificanttemperaturerise.So,justkeepblending,andthemixtureshouldappearnormalinaminuteorso.
WhyisyourexplanationofsuperfattingdifferentfromothersI’veread?Superfattingisthetermforincludingabufferofextrafatinarecipetomake
surealllyeisneutralized.Confusingly,somesoapmakersinsteadusethetermtomeanaddingpartofthefatjustbeforepouringthesoapintothemold.Thisisdonetosavethemostexpensive“luxury”buttersandoilstillthelyehasbeen
neutralizedbytheotherfat.Thisissupposedtoletthelateadditionretainitsdistinctive,desirablequalities.Thoughthereasoningmakessense,somesoapmakersbelievethismethodhasnobenefitoveraddingallfatsatonce.
Howdoyoumakemarbledsoap?Here’soneway.Pouralittleofthethickenedsoapmixturefromthepotintoa
bowl.Addyourcoloranttothebowlandmixwell.Nowpourthecoloredmixturebackintothepotandstironceortwice,justenoughtoswirlitaround.Thenpourthemarbledsoapmixtureintothemold.
HowdoImakeroundsoap?Roundsoapcanbemadeusingplasticpipeasamold.Themainproblem
seemstobegettingthesoapoutofthepipe.YoucanfindvariousschemesontheWebformakingandusingsuchmolds.
DoIreallyhavetowaitacoupleofweekstousemysoap?Isthereanywaytospeedthatup?Ifyou’resureyoursoapmoldcanstandtheheat,youcansetitcoveredina
regularovenataround170°F(77°C)rightafteryoupouryoursoapintoit.Aftertwohours,turnofftheovenwithoutopeningthedoorandleteverythingcoolforseveralhoursorovernight.Thesoapwillbereadytouse.Whenthisheatingtechniqueisaddedtocoldprocesssoapmaking,thecombinedmethodiscalledcoldprocessovenprocess,orCPOP(pronounced“SEE-pop”).Somewoodsusedformoldswilldofineintheoven,butotherswillblacken.
Unfortunately,it’shardtopredictaheadoftime.Ofcourse,youdon’twanttotrythismethodwithamilkcarton.
Whatisrebatching,andwhat’sitgoodfor?Rebatchingisthereprocessingofabatchofsoaptoaddingredients.For
instance,ifyourrecipewassomehowofforyoumismeasured,andyouknowexactlywhatwaswrong,youcouldrebatchtocorrecttheimbalance.Youcanalsorebatchtoaddspecialmaterials.Thesemightincludealuxury
fat,orascentthatwouldhavemadethesoapsaponifytoorapidly,oroatmeal,orabotanicalsuchaslavenderbuds.Rebatchingtoaddspecialingredientsissometimescalledhand-milling.Idon’thavemuchexperienceinrebatching,butyoucaneasilyfind
informationaboutitontheWeb.EspeciallygoodforthisisKathyMiller’sWebsite,listedintheresourcessectionofthisbook.
Whatdoesitmeanwhenascentissaidto“acceleratetrace”?
Whatdoesitmeanwhenascentissaidto“acceleratetrace”?Somescentsandotheradditivescanmakesaponificationhappensofastthat
thesoapsolidifiesbeforeyougetachancetopouritintoyourmold.“Acceleratestrace”isthewaymanufacturersdescribethispotentialproblem.Whenthesoap“seizesup”likethatinthepot,itdoesn’tmakethesoapdangerous,justmisshapen.It’ssaidthatyoucanpreventtheseizingbykeepingthescentcoolandadding
itwhenthemixturejustbeginstothicken.Personally,Iavoidsuchscentsorelsesavethemforrebatching.
I’vereadthatafailedsoapbatchhastobedisposedofashazardouswaste.Isthattrue?I’vereadthattoo.Thestatementispuzzlingbecauselye,theonlyhazardous
componentofsoap,isroutinelypoureddowndrainstocleanthem.Howcoulditbeanymorehazardouswhenpartlyusedupinsaponification?Alittleresearchconfirmedthat,atleastinmycommunity,themixturewould
notbeconsideredhazardouswaste.However,thefatinasoapmixturecouldclogyourdrain.
Whydon’tyoudescribethesignsofafailedsoapbatchlikeotherbooksdo?Frankly,Idon’thavemuchexperiencewithsoapfailures.ThefewthatI’ve
hadnearlyallcamewhenIwasexperimentingtoseeifIcouldmakearecipefail.TheotheronecamewhenItriedanonlinecalculatorthatwasn’tsetupcorrectly(andonceIidentifiedtheerror,Ifixedthatsoapeasilywithrebatching).ButI’veneverhadsoapfailwhenitwasmadefromaproperlydesignedrecipeandwiththemethodsIrecommend.AsIsaidbefore,mostfailuresseemtocomefromsoapmakerstryingtocreate
theirownrecipesbeforethey’reready.Otherscomefrominadequatemixingwhenstirringbyhand.Afterreadingthisbook,youshouldbesafeguardedfromeithersourceofproblems.Rememberwhatmychemistryteacherfriendtoldme:“Ifyoujustmeasure
correctly,controlthetemperature,andmixyouringredientswell,you’llgetsoap.”Whywouldthatfail?
AFewFinalThoughts
Torefinetheinstructionsinthisbook,I’veaskedtheopinionsofmanysoapmakersandsiftedtheresults.I’veexperimentedwithsuggestionsandmodifiedmyownprocedures.I’vetriedtotrimawayunnecessary,cumbersome,orconfusingdirections.Themethodsdescribedhereworkformeandtheyworkformystudents.But
noteveryonewillagreewithallI’verecommended—andthat’stobeexpected.There’smorethanonegoodwaytodoalmostanythinginsoapmaking.BesidesthetechniquesI’veoffered,I’dliketoleaveyouwithafewthoughts
aboutbasicapproach.•Nevergetlaxinyoursafetymeasures,butdon’tbeafraidofsoapmaking,
either.•Waittodevelopyourownsoaprecipestillyou’vemasteredthebasisprocess
ofsoapmaking.•Questiontradition—experiment.Soapmakingisfun,creative,andrewarding.You’llbeamazedatthebeautiful
soapsyoumake,atacostfarlessthanyou’dpayifyouboughtthem.Enjoysoapmaking!
WheretoLearnMore
Books
HerearethebooksIconsiderespeciallyusefulforbeginnersmakingcoldprocesssoap.
TheEverythingSoapmakingBook,byAliciaGrosso,AdamsMediaCorporation,Avon,Massachusetts,2003.Thisisanexcellentgeneralsourceofsoapmakinginformation.Unfortunately,it’soutofprint,solookforausedcopy.
EssentiallySoap,byRobertS.McDaniel,KrausePublications,Iola,Wisconsin,2000.McDanielisachemistwhomakessoapandwriteswell.Iwouldhavethoughtaprofessionalscientist’sbookwouldbeoutofreachforabeginner,butit’soneoftheclearestexplanationsofsoapmakingI’veread.
TheSoapmaker’sCompanion,bySusanMillerCavitch,StoreyPublishing,NorthAdams,Massachusetts,1997.Agoodreference,withdetaileddescriptionsofthepropertiesofvariousingredients.
WebSites
Anne’sSoapmakingPage
Checkhereforthelatestresultsofmyexperimentsinsoapmaking.There’salwaysmoretotryandtolearn!
www.annelwatson.com/soapmaking
SoapCalc
Thissiteisoneofthemostusefulsourcesofsoapmakinginformationandformulaanalysis.It’snearlyindispensableifyou’redesigningyourownrecipes.
www.soapcalc.net
Miller’sHomemadeSoapPages
KathyMiller’sWebsite.Hassoapmakinginstructionsandapagelistingfatsandtheirproperties.Anespeciallygoodresourceforrebatching.
www.millersoap.com
SoapNuts
AlargelibraryofresourcesfrommembersoftheSoapnutsYahoogroup.
www.soapnuts.com
ColeBrothers
Hassoapmakinginstructionsandapagethatlistsfatsandtheirproperties.
www.colebrothers.com/soap
SoapmakingDictionary
Definesdozensoftermsusedinsoapmaking,courtesyoftheCoconutCoastHandmadeSoapCo.
www.ccnphawaii.com/glossary.htm
Skinesscentuals
Goodbasicinformation,especiallyaboutpropertiesoffats.
www.saveonscents.com/skinesscentuals
EmailDiscussionLists
Therearemanysoapmakinglists,allwithdifferentpersonalities.Someencouragebeginnersandareexcellentplacesforquestions,whileotherlistsaremainlyforprofessionals.Someliststhriveondebate,whileothersforbidit.Searchontheterms“soapmaking”and“soapmaking”atYahooGroups(groups.yahoo.com)andseewhatlistsappealtoyou.Thentryafewandstickwithwhatyoulikebest.Somelistssponsorcooperativebuysofsoapmakingsupplies.These
operationsvaryinquality.Probablythesafestwaytofindagoodco-opgroupistogetinvolvedwithamailinglistandthenasktheothermembersforareferral.
WheretoFindDesignTools
OnlineCalculators
SoapCalc
Thisiswidelyconsideredthefinestsoapdesigntoolavailable,andit’sfree!Includeslye,water,INSvalues,andpropertiesoffats.
www.soapcalc.net
BrambleBerryLyeCalculator
www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
CranberryLane’sLyeCalculator
www.cranberrylane.com/calculator.htm
MajesticMountainSage’sLyeCalculator
www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
PineMeadowsLyeCalculator
www.pinemeadows.net/lyecalc.php
ComputerPrograms
SoapMaker
Thisprogramfeaturesagraphicaldisplayofsoaphardness,fluffylather,stablelather,andemollientpropertiesofanygivenmixtureoffats.Itcancalculatearecipe’spercentagesofindividualfatsfromtheirquantities,andviceversa.Itcanalsocalculatethecostofsuppliesperbar,whiletheprofessionalversionkeepstrackofsupplyinventory.
www.soapmaker.ca
SoapCalc
Thisisasimplespreadsheetthatcancalculatelyeandwater,figureyourcostperbar,andalsore-sizerecipesforuseinanordinaryblender.Itdoesn’thavethefatspropertiesinformationcontainedinSoapMaker.(ThisSoapCalcisnottobeconfusedwiththefreeSoapCalcyoucanuseontheWeb.)
www.colebrothers.com/soapcalc
WheretoGetSupplies
Inthislist,suppliersinthewesternU.S.areonesI’veusedmyselfandcanpersonallyrecommend.Formostoftherest,I’vereliedonrecommendationsfromexperiencedsoapmakerswhoareacquaintedwiththem.
Fortheupdatedlistofsuppliers,visitAnne’sSoapmakingPageat
www.annelwatson.com/soapmaking
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