A Beginners Guide To Homemade Lye Soap. June 22, 2008
Posted by in : Free Patterns , trackbackOne of the most fun to do and practical hobbies in the world is that of making your very own homemade lye soap. This art has been perfected through the centuries and even today there are an astounding number of people that still enjoy the creative art and cost effective production of producing your very own customised soap right at home. It is an artwork that you can use at home, that makes excellent gifts or it can even be a best seller at the local arts and crafts markets if you use the right packaging. So, here is an absolutely delicious guide on how to make your very own homemade lye soap as made by generations before. It is your chance to experience the fun, and to enjoy hand crafted soap with all the luxurious as can only be found in top market beauty products usually reserved for only the richest.
Even though making your very own homemade lye soap is loads of fun, please take note that you need to follow some safety precautions as lye is a very caustic chemical agent. Wear a face mask, safety goggles, rubber gloves as well as a rubber apron whenever you are working with lye. Avoid breathing the fumes or contact with skin. Work in a well ventilated area or outside if at all possible. Keep out of reach of children. Read the manufacturer’s notes carefully before use. Follow the soap making guide closely. If you keep to the safety regulations and work carefully then making your own soap is going to be a world of fun.
Now back to what everyone has been waiting for with great anticipation, your easy to use home made lye recipe. This is perhaps one of the most interesting and useful craft available to date, and thinking back to the origins of homemade lye soap, that is really saying something. It allows you to be creative while making something that your entire family can use and it is really cost effective. All it takes are a few ingredients, some love, a little care and a bit of time.
Ingredients:
1 can lye crystals.
2x ½ pints of cold water.
5x ½ lbs. cooking fat or lard.
Scented essential oil (such as lavender)
Food coloring or pigment that should match the scent produced by the oil. (Eg. Green for mint, purple for lavender etc.)
What you will need:
Glass bowls.
Wooden spoons.
Glass pans or soap molds.
Wax paper.
Safety glasses.
Rubber gloves.
Glass cooking thermometers.
What you need to do:
The first step in the process is getting on all your safety gear as previously mentioned. Lye is a caustic chemical and will cause severe burns if it gets into contact with the skin and eyes. Pour the water into a glass container. Add your lye to the water very slowly and be careful of any spills or splashes. Remember that you always add lye to water and never the other way around. Carefully stir you mixture so that the crystals dissolve, a period during which you will notice the temperature of your mixture rising. Now put your mixture aside so that we can start working on the lard.
Place the lard or fat in pot and heat until it melts into a liquid. Leave it to cool down. Once the fat as well as the lye has cooled down to between 85 and 100 degrees you can start the mixing process. Remember to wear all your safety gear. Pour the liquid fat into a clean glass bowl, then SLOWLY pour the lye into the bowl containing the fat. Remember that you always pour lye to the fat and never the other way around. Be careful while pouring the lye and always work in a very well ventilated room, or if at all possible, outside. Use a wooden spoon to mix the lye and the fat until the mixture starts to trace. In other words, keep mixing the liquids until the wooden spoon leaves a visible path in the mixture for a few seconds. Add the coloring and fragrance oils. Note that you should only use one or two drops as you do not want the scent to be too strong, nor the coloring to stain whatever the soap is used on.
If you already have molds that you would like to use for your masterpiece then now is the time to get them ready. Otherwise, take a clean glass pan, grease it and line it with some wax paper. Carefully pour your mixture into either the molds or your prepared glass pan. Place another piece of wax paper over your mixture. Now you need to cover the molds or glass pan with a towel and leave it to cool over night. Remove the contents from the molds or pan, cut it into the shapes and sizes that you want it to be and place them on a rack. Store the rack in a cool, dry place for two to three weeks so your bars can harden and turn into your divine soap works of art.
Here comes half the fun. Now you can use the product for whatever you feel like. Get creative, get some sublime packaging and turn it into a great lucrative product for your business or your local arts and crafts market. Use it as a personalised soap for your hotel or guest house. Perhaps a stunning gift for friends, family or whomever else you think will love it as well. If nothing else, use it around your home so that you and your family can enjoy this luxurious product of your imagination. Homemade soap can give you endless pleasure if you let your mind go.
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