Soap is an integral part of our mundane existence. It is mainly used for washing, bathing, and cleaning rituals intertwined in our daily living. Although no one is certain about its origin, it was believed to have been first used in the Middle East for thousands of years before getting transported to Europe by the Turks. Soap making is a craft that harks back for thousands of years, and has been gaining momentum recently for increased consumer interest with natural, organic, and handcrafted products.
This soap formulation by Skin Esscentuals (http://home.earthlink.net/~skinesscentuals/index.html) is based on Catherine Failor’s popular copra soap, which is credited with the addition of stearic acid. However, in contrast with Failor’s original formula, this recipe calls for decreased coconut oil in favor of more palm oil and represents an equal ratio between soap and solvent. The sorbitol amount is also increased from the upper range (6% - 9%) suggested by Failor to increase the soap’s transparency. Propylene glycol and glycerin meanwhile serve as solvents. This recipe yields 4 bars (4.5 oz.) – or slightly over a pound of transparent soap base. The steps follow the cold process method, as enumerated in Ponte Vedra Soap Shoppe’s site (http://www.pvsoap.com/instructions_for_cold_process_soapmaking.htm).
Ingredients
castor oil 70.0 gm
coconut oil 40.0 gm
palm oil 125.0 gm
stearic acid (melted) 15.0 gm
sodium hydroxide 36.3 gm
water (lye solution) 55.9 gm
propylene glycol, food grade 100.2 gm
glycerin 70.0 gm
sorbitol (or sugar) 94.1 gm
water (sorbitol solution) 64.0 gm
Equipments
Weighing Scale
Stainless steel or enamel pot, one gallon
Two plastic pitchers, 2-3 quart size
Hand stick blender for tracing
Plastic measuring cups
Two wooden or plastic spoon each for the lye and oils
Two kitchen thermometers with reading that exceeds 100°C
Rubber gloves
Safety goggles
Clear plastic container with snap-on lid, or wooden soap mold with freezer paper lining (8” x 11” x 3”)
A piece of cardboard with the size of the wooden mold for cover
Old blanket
Freezer paper or plastic garbage bags
Method
Weigh distilled water in one container, the amount of which is approximately 37.5 percent of the total weight of oils. Place this in freezer to chill but take care not to freeze the water solidly. Then slowly and steadily, pour lye into the water, and not the other way around. A chemical reaction results, which gets the mixture hot, despite water’s cold temperature. Do not mix lye with hot water too, to avoid mixture “boiling over”. Stir until dissolved. Do this procedure in a well-ventilated area and be careful not to splash because lye is caustic. Then, let the lye-and-water mixture sit until its temperature reaches
between 100-125°C. This can take several hours, but to speed up the cooling process, you can place the container in a cold water bath.
While cooling the lye-and-water mixture, prepare and measure the oils. Heat them until it reaches the same temperature as that of the lye-and-water mixture. It is important not to work on a very low temperature so as not to impede saponification.
Pour lye mixture very slowly into the oils. Stir steadily in a figure-of-eight motion until all the lye is dissolved. Alternate between stirring with a spoon and using a stick blender until mixture reaches light trace. Trace is the point when saponification begins, so-called because when a bit of the mixture is
drizzled on the surface, it leaves a streak. Don’t use the stick blender beyond the light trace stage, so as to avoid whipping bubbles. These bubbles could result in the formation of unsaponified lye pockets in the hardened soap. At this point, add the rest of the ingredients slowly. Continue to stir until you see
swirling patterns on top of the mixture (known as the tracing stage). This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending on the temperature of the mixture.
Line the mold container with freezer paper for easy release before pouring the mixture. Wrap the mold in blankets and sit undisturbed for 48 hours. If soap mixture does not fill to the brim, place a piece of freezer paper on top, then cap with a cardboard piece to prevent soda ash.
After two days, remove the blankets and leave it to dry again for a few hours. Remove soap from the mold and cut into bars. If it doesn’t unmold easily, place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then try to cut again. Place the soap blocks on drying racks for six weeks or longer to cure. Curing allows all
excess water to evaporate and permits any remaining lye to finish saponification. The longer the curing period, the milder and harder the soap gets.
*Note: For safety purposes, put on safety goggles and rubber gloves before preparing the lye mixture. Decide the batch size and the weight of oils or butters to be used. You can weigh straight ahead if an oil is in solid form – unless, it doesn’t solidify in a homogenous state and its fats are not well distributed (e.g., palm oil). In that case, melt the oil in a hot water bath first until completely and uniformly liquid before weighing.
