Did you know that exfoliants — poppy seeds, oats or herbs — scrub skin to release debris and remove dead skin cells?
Will you make soap in March with me?
Week 1: Learn about lye, saponification and cold-process
Week 2: Supplies and ingredients (oils, fats and essential oils)
Week 3: The method, step-by-step
Week 4: My favourite recipes
Week 5: Troubleshooting and your questions answered!
Let’s dive into the ingredients and equipment you’ll need to make your own soap!
Ingredients:
Oils and fats (listed below)
Lye (purchase at soap-making store, online or at your local hardware store)
Water (tap is usually fine but distilled is safest)
Essential oils (optional)
Additives (optional): honey or exfoliants (listed below)
Colorants (optional): cinnamon, turmeric, beet powder or cloves
Supplies:
Apron, rubber gloves, eye protection (goggles or glasses)
Stainless steel pot (large), stainless steel bowls (small and medium)
Heat-resistant glass container
Digital thermometer (18-105 C)
Digital scale (metric)
Hand blender/emersion stick blender
Whisk, silicone spatula(s)
Wooden soap block, molds or baking pans
Parchment paper, towel, scissors, tape, steel cutting blade or knife
Cooling racks
Coffee grinder (optional)
Ice cubes (for an ice bath to cool lye and water or the fats and oils)
Don’t use:
Any bowls, pots or pans made from Teflon, plastic, aluminum, tin or cast iron — lye will corrode these
Wooden spoons or spatulas — also will get eaten by lye or splinter
Oils and fats
Apricot kernel oil
Moisturizes and conditions
Contains vitamins A, E and D
Heals and moisturizes (great for babies!)
Beeswax
Makes bars hard and long-lasting
Canola oil
Moisturizes
Don’t use more than 50 per cent
Note: you can source organic, GMO-free
Castor oil
Attracts and holds moisture
Makes bars hard
Cocoa butter
Moisturizers
Makes bars hard
• Good lather
• Makes bars hard
• Don’t use more than 20 to 30 per cent
• Light-weight, non-greasy
Jojoba oil
• Conditions and is great for sensitive or oily skin
• Creates a stable lather
• Use one to two ounces per pound of oils
Mango butter
• Moisturizes
• Don’t use more than 15 per cent
Olive oil
• Skin softener (plus easy to find and affordable)
Safflower oil
• Unsaturate, so use it with coconut oil
• From karite nut trees that grow in regions of West and Central Africa
• High in “unsaponifiables”, i.e., retains original makeup (my favourite ingredient—soap feels like lotion)
• Great for sensitive skin (nourishes all types)
• Don’t use more than 20 per cent (you’ll probably use less because it’s expensive!)
Sunflower oil
• Contains vitamin E (a preservative to combat rancidity)
• Use no more than 15 to 20 per cent
• Moisturizes and conditions skin
• Creates a stable lather
Bar soap exfoliants: from “tickly to scratchy”
Exfoliants scrub skin to release debris and remove dead cells. Don’t like texture in soap? No problem. They’re optional.
Ground herbs and flowers like chamomile or calendula
Ground almond meal
Organic rolled oats
Ground, dried orange or lemon peel
Cornmeal
Poppy seeds
Other fun additives: honey (hydrates and soothes), white or green clay (draws out dirt, toxins and sebum).
Essential oils
Pure essential oils are derived from plants and they’re volatile! That means they evaporate quickly when exposed to air. Add one type or blend them to create a desired scent without toxic synthetic fragrances. (More to come…)
Stick with me and I’ll walk you through the step-by-step method next week!
Enter to win a deluxe soap making kit donated by Voyageur Soap & Candle Company Ltd. ($79.95 value)!
Sincerely,
Lindsay Coulter, a fellow Queen of Green
Written by Lindsay Coulter
David Suzuki’s Queen of Green answers your green living questions and offers tips and recipes to make your life easier on the environment. It’s all about green living made easy.
