Keep The Antidote Nearby
Lye is an alkaline chemical that gives chemical burns when it makes contact with the skin. The antidote to this chemical reaction is vinegar. Which I keep within arms distance while making soap.
Lye is an alkaline chemical that gives chemical burns when it makes contact with the skin. The antidote to this chemical reaction is vinegar. Which I keep within arms distance while making soap.
I am amazed that a chemical like Lye that can cause such chemical burns to our skin is what is used to make soap of all things.
I’ve blogged about the process I use to make my soap Castille Soap. (See Making Fight Club Style Soap)
The Dirt On Making Soap
Making bars of soap that will give a clean sudsy lather is everything but clean.
Making bars of soap that will give a clean sudsy lather is everything but clean.
It’s messy, sticky, globby, grimy and unless you enjoy the aroma of boiling oil, it’s stinky. (Don’t get me started on the first time I made a batch using lard instead of vegetable based oil. Let’s just say Have You Ever Smelled Boiling Pig Hooves? Enough said.)
Autumn Hobby
I find myself making batches of Castille Soap mainly in the Autumn. (Castille means that the soap contains a lot of Olive Oil). It’s becoming a rite of passage of sorts it seems from Autumn into Winter for me.
I find myself making batches of Castille Soap mainly in the Autumn. (Castille means that the soap contains a lot of Olive Oil). It’s becoming a rite of passage of sorts it seems from Autumn into Winter for me.
The part that’s dangerous is working with lye. Because lye can eat through aluminum and cause major chemical burns to skin. Scent Box
The most fun part for me is pulling out my small box of essential oils and deciding what the batch will be scented with.
The most fun part for me is pulling out my small box of essential oils and deciding what the batch will be scented with.
My go-to scent combination is clove, cinnamon, cedar wood, cassia wood, & citrus orange.
I like trying new scents out though. We’ll see what other combos arise.
I know a batch worked well when I wash out the crock pot and it’s gets all sudsy.
I usually let the soap batter cool in a mold overnight.
Finished Product
While cutting the bars I really get whiffs of what the scent has turned into.
I place them out to air harden a bit more. Castille soap seems to get better and better with age.
