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HOW TO MAKE COLD-PROCESS SOAP

Cold-Process Method: A method of making handmade soaps which take place at relatively low temperatures (45 Celsius / 113 Fahrenheit). Soap is made from fat, and a solution of lye in water, and the process is called saponification. In detergents petroleum distillates replace the fats and industrial type processes are used.

TYPICAL INGREDIENTS FOR SOAP MAKING
What you will need to get started.

• Lye The chemical name for lye is sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and it is commonly known as caustic soda. Used as a drain cleaner it is available from supermarkets and hardware stores. Buy the best quality you can because some brands contain impurities of heavy metals. To get a better quality NaOH it may be worth buying the sodium hydroxide from a chemical supply house. Handle lye with care as it can be extremely hazardous.
• Water is used to dissolve the lye to make a lye solution. The water should be no more than 20C because mixing water with lye creates heat, which has the potential to cause an explosive effect and splatter the caustic solution. Distilled or rain water is recommended.
• Vegetable Oils Many different types of vegetable oil may be used. Castor oil produces a soap that creates a rich lather and moisturises the skin. Coconut oil makes a hard soap with a creamy lather but tends to dry the skin. Olive oil makes a mild, non-drying soap with a creamy lather. Palm oil, made from the trunk, leaves and seeds of Palm trees, makes a soap that is hard, mild and lathers well but tends to be drying like Coconut oil. Cocoa butter adds soothing and moisturising characteristic to a soap.
• Animal Fats produce a hard soap with a rich lather. Animal fats are prepared by a process called rendering. To render fat heat just cook waste animal fat with water in a large pan. Allow to cool, then separate the solidified fat from the water and refrigerate, or freeze the fat if you are not going to use it for a while.
  Waste animal fat may be available from your local butcher or a cold foods factory. Suet from beef kidney is reported to make the best quality soap but why waste an excellent edible fat, high in fat soluble vitamins, that was cherished by traditional societies. My preference is to go for any waste animal fat.
• Glycerine occurs naturally in animal and vegetable fats. The glycerine is extracted from commercially made soaps and used for other purposes.
• Essential oils may be added to soap for therapeutic or aesthetic purposes. However be sure to do your research and follow the recommended guidelines as some types of essential oils may be harmful to health.
• Botanicals such as herbs, spices, grains, etc.

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT FOR SOAP MAKING
Keep the soap making equipment solely for soap making and do not use for food preparation. Be aware that lye reacts with most metals, therefor containers should preferably be made from glass, enamel, plastic, stoneware or stainless steel which should be rinsed immediately after use. Because heat is formed when you mix lye with water you should check that any plastic containers intended for this purpose maintain their rigidity.

• An accurate set of kitchen scales for measuring the lye and fat.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• A 2 litre container for mixing the lye and water.
• A 500ml measuring container.
• A pouring jug for dispensing the lye.
• A large enamel or stainless steel saucepan.
• Two thermometers with a range of 20-100C or 70-212F. They need to be accurate around 45C / 120F. A quick response thermometer is required with a clip that allows you to attach it to the side of the container.
• Two water baths. One to hold the container of lye and another for the fat.
• Strong plastic or wooden spoons.
• A heavy duty jug or ladle for transferring the soap from the pan to the moulds.
• A spatula for scraping soap from the pan.
• A plastic rectangular container to be used as the primary soap mould. To check the dimensions of the mould, fill the mould with a volume of water that equals the amount of soap that you intend to make. Ideally the bars of soap should be about 2-3 cm thick. If you intend to meltdown the soap to make hand-milled soap then the thickness is not so important.
• An old blanket or towel to insulate the soap mould while the soap sets.
• Butcher's paper, lunch-wrap paper, or freezer paper on which to lay the bars of soap while they cure.
• A kitchen grater to grate the soap to make hand-milled recipes.
• Fancy moulds for hand-milled soap. Check the moulds can handle the hot soap.

SAFETY FIRST
Important safety considerations.

Soap making should not be attempted by children, and small children should be banned from the soap making area. Lye is a caustic and poisonous chemical that may be fatal if swallowed. The liquid has the potential to seriously burn the skin and eyes, and for the fumes to burn the lungs. Lye is corrosive will react with most metals and is commonly used as a drain cleaner. If lye should come in contact with skin or eyes then flush with running water. Please read the safety label on all ingredients that you buy before you use them. For more specific safety information you are strongly advised to check a Merck Index online or at your local library in the reference section.

At all times you should wear rubber gloves, eye protection, covered footwear and protective clothing. The best eye protection is a full-face shield as used by construction workers or at the least, wrap around plastic goggles that cover the entire eyes. While you are in the process of soap making, your soap making area should not be used for any other purpose. Make sure you have access to a sink with cold running water, a ventilated area to exhaust away the lye fumes, a bottle of white vinegar to neutralise lye spills, and plenty of clean sponges and rags. The soap making should occur on a bench top. It is not good safety practice to use the floor to store water baths and equipment. Spillage of lye on the floor should be immediately wiped up as the surface may become dangerously slippery.

Lye crystals should be stored in an airtight container as they tend to absorb moisture from the air, which may weaken its strength. All containers should be immediately recapped after use and soap making equipment should be labelled correctly and stored away from children, pets and kitchen utensils.

Fats and oils are flammable. Be careful of heating fats/oils in a saucepan without any water. The addition of water helps to keep the temperature down. Also be careful about mixing hot fat and water as they may react explosively. Rehearse a fire and safety drill before making your first batch of soap. An electric stove is safer than a gas stove with naked flames. If you use gas, then be sure to take extra safety precautions.

Safety check list:

• Rubber gloves.
• Safety goggles.
• Covered footwear.
• Protective clothing.
• Ventilation.
• A sink with running water.
• White vinegar.
• Clean rags.
• Merck index.
• No children or distractions.
• Fire drill, blanket and extinguisher.
• Adequate time, 2-3 hours.

THE COLD-PROCESS METHOD OF SOAP MAKING

1. Mix the water and lye to make a solution, then use a water bath to adjust the temperature.
2. Melt and mix the fats and oils, and use another water bath to adjust the temperature.
3. Mix the lye solution with the fats/oils, when both are at the same temperature.
4. Once the soap starts to 'trace' pour or scrap the soap into a mould, then insulate the mould with blankets and leave to cure for 1-2 days.
5. Cut into bars and leave to cure for 4-6 weeks.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SOAP MAKING

Measurements
Be as precise with your measurements and keep accurate notes of quantities, ingredients and useful bits of information for future use. For accuracy all ingredients, including water are weighed rather than measured as a liquid. This is because most kitchens are not equipped with laboratory type beakers and measuring cylinders but they may have a set of scales. Note, that in the recipes below all ounces are by measured by weight, not by liquid.

Lye Preparation
Slowly add the lye to cold water while stirring slowly. Take care, because if you just dump the lye into the water it may boil explosively. Mix the lye in a well ventilated area and avoid breathing any fumes. Check the temperature of the lye (keep the thermometer away from the edge of the container in case you get a false reading) and use the water bath to bring the lye solution to 45C /113F. With a little practice you will find that by adding hot water or ice to the water bath you can bring the lye solution to the desired temperature fairly quickly. It is a good idea to make the lye solution some hours before so that it has time to cool.

Oil and Fat Preparation
Measure the fats and oils into a saucepan. Mix, turn on the heat and slowly bring to around 45C /113F. If you are using oils without fat, you may work at the lower temperature of 38C / 100F. Fats may solidify at this temperature so it is preferable to work at 45C /113F. Remember to use one thermometer for the lye solution and another for the fat/oil mixture.

Water Bath
A water bath is a container of water into which you sit your container of fat or lye solution. The level of the water should be low enough so as not to float the container of fat or lye. The temperature of the water in the bath is usually higher or lower than the starting temperature of the fat or lye solution. If your containers are made of stainless steel or glass they will conduct heat faster than plastic.

Mixing the Lye Solution and the Fat/Oils to Make the Soap
Transfer a cupful of lye solution to a pouring jug. Use the pouring jug to slowly pour lye solution into the fat/oil mixture while stirring constantly with a flat wooden spoon/spatula, ensuring that you touch the sides and the bottom of the container, so as to mix the soap uniformly. Stir until you have added all the lye to the fat/oil and the solution begins to 'trace' (thicken). If the soap has not traced after 15 minutes, rest for 10 minutes then stir once again for 15 minutes and so on. A soap made with fat will thicken faster than a soap made with vegetable oils which may take to 2-12 hours. Once the soap has traced you may add essential oils and other ingredients, which you should have prepared before hand.

Stir well, then pour all of the soap into a mould. You may wish to use a jug, a ladle or pour directly from the saucepan, whichever is more appropriate (consider safety). If you use a clear plastic container as a mould then you will be able to see whether or not the soap sets correctly. Quickly wrap the mould in a blanket, and leave in a warm place so that it does not cool too quickly. Allow to set undisturbed for 1-2 days. Once the soap has hardened you may release it from the mould. If it does not set correctly then refer to the Problems That May Be Encountered Section at the bottom of this page.

Take care in releasing the soap from the mould as it will remain caustic for a number of weeks. Wear safety glasses and rubber gloves. Releasing the soap is best performed over a sink in case the saponification process is not complete and there is free lye.

Store the soap on butchers or freezer paper. Cut the soap into bars before it sets too hard. You may find that a knife heated in hot water will cut the soap easier. The soap should be ready after 6-8 weeks, by which time the ph should be less alkaline. If the soap is too alkaline it may sting any cuts on your hands and have a drying effect.

COLD PROCESS SOAP RECIPES

1. Wood-Ash Lye
2. Traditional animal fat soap.
3. Kefir vegetable soap.
4. White soap.

WOOD ASH LYE
The simplest and cheapest soap of them all

Just some background information on washing soda (sodium carbonate). In Africa there are large natural soda-lakes which derive their source of soda from ongoing volcanic activity. These lakes are too caustic for normal animal and plant life but support some hardy shrimp which provide nourishment for the famous pink flamingos. The flamingo has a beak that is reversed so they may feed for shrimp without having to dip their head into the caustic water. Once the flamingos have eaten their fill they fly to a freshwater lake for a bath.

Washing soda may be purchased from some supermarkets in the laundry section as a water conditioner. I find that it washes clothes quite satisfactorily and is about as 'green' as I can get my laundry liquid. However, washing soda is a little too caustic to be used as a hand soap or for washing dishes.

Potassium carbonate, available from Asian supermarkets as Lye Water, is also used as a food additive in packet soups. (I believe it may be used to lower the surface tension.) I have used potassium carbonate to wash my dishes in the kitchen for years. The way to use it is to rinse off the debris from the dishes with a sponge and hot water, then pour about one millilitre of lye onto a sponge which has been run under the hot tap. Wipe the dishes and put aside until you have wiped all them all, then rinse clean with warm water. Lye effectively gets off grease and rinses away easily.

Wood ash lye or sodium carbonate can be made from mixing wood ash with water for 24 hours and then straining the liquid to produce a solution high in potassium carbonate.

Note: The lye and wood ash lye referred to in this section is not the same lye that you will use in the other recipes which use sodium hydroxide, also commonly referred to as lye.

WOOD ASH LYE INGREDIENTS

• 1 part sieved wood ash
• 5 parts of water

INSTRUCTIONS
The simplest method is to pour boiling water onto the wood ash in a metal bucket, stir well then leave to sit for 24 hours. The ash should settle to the bottom leaving a clear solution on the top. Decant the solution and filter through a piece of towelling or linen. The lye solution will be slippery and it is recommended to wear gloves when handling it.

A stronger solution can be made by boiling the ash with water for for ten minutes before leaving it to sit for 24 hours.

Take care, if all the potassium carbonate has not been dissolved the waste ash may still be caustic.

TRADITIONAL ANIMAL FAT SOAP

Animal fats produce a hard bar of soap with a mild creamy lather. For consistency you should use exactly the same type of animal fat each time. Soap makers with a pioneering spirit will make do with the fat that is available at the time and learn to adapt the recipe.

RENDERING FAT
Animal fats are purified by a process called 'rendering' in which pieces of waste fat (meat and bone) are cooked with water in a large saucepan on the stove top or a roasting pan in the oven for a number of hours at low heat. Then strain the solution into a clean pan, allow to cool and separate the fat from the gelatine.

Start with about 1-2 kg of waste fat from your local butcher. Cut away any meat and bone which may be used to make a broth, as long as the fatty pieces are suitable for human consumption. Otherwise discard the meat and bone. Cut or grind the fat into small pieces (ask your butcher).

Fill a large saucepan with the pieces of fat. Add 2 - 4 inches of water and 2-4 tablespoons of salt to help separate the impurities from the mixture, and slowly bring to a low boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for a few hours or until all or most of the fat has melted. You may need to add more water. Periodically skim off the scum and discard.

Strain while still hot through a steel sieve or colander into a clean saucepan.. Discard the solids. Leave the fat to cool then transfer to a refrigerator until the fat has set hard. (Overnight.) The next day upend the saucepan, tipping the solidified fat into a clean sink. Discard the gelatine broth and rinse the fat clean of gelatine and debris. If you wish, you may reheat the fat with water once again to further purify the fat.

INGREDIENTS FOR A TRADITIONAL ANIMAL FAT SOAP
Decide on how much soap you want to make then multiply all ingredients by the same number. For example if you want to make about 60 ounces of soap then multiply all the quantities by 4.

INSTRUCTIONS
Slowly add the lye to cold water, mixing carefully until dissolved. Bring the lye solution to 120 F in a water bath.

Melt the fat in a saucepan and bring to 120 F in a water bath. Blend the lye solution into the fat, stirring until the soap traces, then pour into a mould. Wrap the mould in a blanket and leave to set for 1-2 days then release from the mould and leave to cure for 4-6 weeks.

KEFIR SOAP

A gentle soap with long-lasting bubbles.

INGREDIENTS
Decide on how much soap you want to make then multiply all ingredients by the same number. For example if you want to make about 60 ounces of soap then multiply all the quantities by 4.

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the coconut, palm and olive oils and bring to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit in a saucepan then transfer the saucepan to a water bath and maintain at 120 F.

Mix the Kefir whey with the lye. Slowly add the lye to the Kefir. If the Kefir whey is cold, once you have added the lye it should bring it fairly closely to 120 F. Slowly add the lye/Kefir solution to the oil, stirring until the soap 'traces'. Once the mixture traces pour it into a mould. Wrap the mould in a blanket and leave the soap to set for 12-24 hours. Tip the soap out of the mould, cut into bars and leave to cure for 6-8 weeks.

WHITE SOAP

This makes a good multipurpose soap that is mild with long lasting, small creamy bubbles. It is a good soap for hand-milling.

INGREDIENTS
Decide on how much soap you want to make then multiply all ingredients by the same number. For example if you want to make about 60 ounces of soap then multiply all the quantities by 4.

INSTRUCTIONS
Slowly add the lye to cold water, mixing carefully until dissolved. Bring the lye solution to 120 F in a water bath.

Melt the fat in a saucepan and bring to 120 F in a water bath. Blend the lye solution into the fat, stirring until the soap traces, then pour into a mould. Wrap the mould in a blanket and leave to set for 1-2 days then release from the mould and leave to cure for 4-6 weeks.

PROBLEMS THAT MAY BE ENCOUNTERED

Most problems will be caused by lye that has not been stored properly, inaccuracies in weighing, or blending at too high a temperature. Note: If a soap is too caustic after 4-6 weeks of curing then you are advised to throw it away or use it for a non-domestic purpose.

1. The soap won't trace.

Castile type soaps made with olive oil may take 12 or more hours to trace. If the soap remains thin it could also indicate that the lye is no good.

2. The fat and lye separate in the mould.

This may be caused by the soap cooling too rapidly. First try and resurrect the soap by stirring in the mould. If that does not work then try remelting the soap (no higher than 45C) and stir until it shows tracing. Then pour into the mould and insulate with a thicker blanket. Leave the mould in a warm place for 2 days before removing the insulating material.

Another possibility is that the ingredients may have been weighed inaccurately. In this case the soap will not set the second time around either. Either invest in more accurate scales or make a larger quantity, which should have the effect of reducing the measuring error.

3. A layer of oil forms on top of solid soap.

This is similar to the preceding example but is more likely to happen with a soap made just with oil and no fat. Pour off the oil and keep for another recipe, reheat the soap, stir until it traces and pour into a clean mould.

4. The soap curdles when you are mixing it. (Basic soap or hand-milled soap.

This may be caused by inaccurately measured ingredients, or adding an excess of dyes or additives that contain sodium compounds. It may also be caused by cooling the basic soap too quickly, or by mixing at too high a temperature.

5. The soap is slimy.

Probably caused by inaccurate measurements. If the soap is caustic then you are advised to discard it.

6. Bubbles of lye in the set soap.

If you get bubbles of lye inside the bar of soap then it was probably caused by too much lye (inaccurately measured ingredients.) The lye will be caustic.

6. You can smell fat or rancid fat.

If there was too much lye in the recipe then the fat may go rancid. Throw it out.

7. The soap traces rapidly and sets in the pan.

This is more likely to occur when making hand-milled soaps, where an essential oil or another ingredient has affected the chemical reaction. The only solution is to pour it into a primary mould as quickly as you can.

8. Inconsistency between batches of soap.

This may be caused by inaccuracies with your measuring scales or differences between batches of ingredients. The quality of the fat is the one variable you have least control over. Fat may vary depending on the type of animal it came from, the part of the animal it came from, and the feed the animals received.

9. A white powder forms on the outside of the soap.

This may be crystals of soda ash (sodium carbonate) formed from the action of carbon dioxide in the air with a layer of lye on the surface of the soap. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.

CONVERSION TABLES

Weight
16 ounces = 1 pound = 454 grams
0.035 ounces = 1 gram
1 ounce = 28.35 grams

Volume
1 fluid ounce = 29.6 ml
1 pint = 473 ml
1 quart = 946 ml
1 gallon (128 fl oz) = 3.785 litre

Temperature
To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius: subtract 32, multiply by 5, and divide by 9.
To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: Multiply by 9, divide by 5, and add 32.

REFERENCES
- Country living hand made soap: recipes for crafting soap at home by Michael Hulbert, Hearst Books, 1998.
- The Complete Soapmaker: Tips, Techniques & Recipes for Luxurious Handmade Soaps by Norma Coney, Sterling Publishing Company. New York N.Y. 1996.

MEASUREMENTS 1 teaspoon = 5 ml / 5 gm. 1 tablespoon = 15 ml / 15 gm. 15 tablespoons = 1 cup / 225 ml. 1 cup = 8 fluid oz / 225 ml. 1 US gallon = 3.6 litres. 1 lb = 16 oz / 454 gm. Temperature 20C = 68F. Conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius: °C = (°F - 32) / 1.8. Conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit: °F = °C × 1.8 + 32 Post your comments at the Rejoice Newsgroup. Exchange recipes and experiences with others interested in traditional food preparation at the Rejoice-In-Life News Group. Sign up at rejoiceinlife newsgroup MORE RECIPES MAKE FRIENDS WITH GoodBugs™ Simple recipes - great results. Culture: probiotic sauerkraut. Make: kefir and simple cheese. Bake: Sourdough bread, cakes, Christmas cakes and puddings. - Easy sourdough starter recipes. Brew: Refreshing probiotic ginger beer type beverages made with a probiotic starter culture that you can buy at your health food shop. Get Abby's recipe for low alcoholic real beer. It is easy to make; just brew it in the bottle and ready to drink in 5 days. > Get more information.

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