I'd been planning on waiting to learn to make soap for a while yet, because I'd heard it made to sound so expensive and complicated. But my net.friend Dilli recently tested out a crockpot soap recipe she found that demystified the process for me. It's pretty well fool proof. And while talking to her about it, I realized I didn't need any special supplies or equipment. The only thing I purchased to start was an inexpensive bottle of lye from the hardware store.
I used a 48 ounce bottle of vegetable oil, 6 ounces of my new bottle of lye, and 14 ounces of water. That's it as far as consumables. The supplies included my crockpot, a stainless steel whisk, two glass measuring cups, gloves, a kitchen scale, and a glass casserole dish to use as a mold. I didn't have a full sized dish so I also lightly greased a muffin tin for palm sized round soaps.
It's a very easy project that comes out to be a good money saver. Dilli even made this great video that steps you through the process. It's based on a tutorial she found here. If you've never made soap before, the tutorial is a good read as it emphasizes a few safety tips.
23 comments:
I am guessing one would want a craft crock pot and a food crock pot? What about Glycerin?
Wow! This does look much simpler than other recipes for soap that I have seen.
One question, though, other recipes say that once your utensils and pots have touched the uncured soap, they can no longer be used for food. Is it different with this recipe since it cures as it cooks? I am not ready to sacrifice a crock pot to the soap making endeavors! At least not yet...
I would not use a crock pot for both soap and food. The lye is extremely caustic and will cause damage to the finish over time. You should just have soap making utensils that are separate from food preparation.
As a Soapmaker, I also have separate pots for my soap. I make cold process which is more time consuming for sure, but not quite as easy. I use vegetable shortening, lye, olive oil, castor oil and coconut oil in my soap. Then add fragrance if I feel like it and color. Since I sell my soaps and H?and Creams that I make I have molds my hubby made me out of 1x4's. We have decided though that when we finally retire we will still use my soap and not buy. It just is better for the skin and all. It is really hard to find lye though in the USA in large enough amounts since it is now used to make meth and other street drugs. I get my lye over the internet. You also really don't want to use aluminum at all when making soap because it will eat thru the pans and utensils over time and will mix with the soap when the lye is working. There is also hot process soap which is great for those who like to have it sooner. All soap has glycerin in it if you make it, pure glycerin soap is when you take the cooking further and well it is much more difficult to make. Liquid soap to me is easier than pure glycerin soap. Hope this helps.
Adele
I'm really gonna try this one. I've been gearing up to make liquid laundry soap and I've been wanting to make bar soap so your post comes at a wonderful time :-)
I am also a soaper - nice job! If you want your soaps to have a smoother consistency you can increase your water percentage to 41%. There's even some really handy calculation tables online to help you try new and different soap combinations, as well as botanicals, colours, fragrances, the list is endless.
Enjoy!
Adele, I've been looking for directions on how to make liquid soap. Do you have a source you can recommend?
I only have the one crockpot. The castile soap is cured in there and is very mild.
I have not been able to get lye at the store for several years now. Buying it instead over the internet like Adele57 mentioned.
What state do you live in that still sells lye in the store?
I'm in Wisconsin just outside Milwaukee. It was on the shelf with the drain cleaners at Menards for me.
Careful with the Red Devil now also since they added something to it so that it was able to be sold in the stores. It is not pure sodium hydroxide.
Adele
I learned how to make it at the Handcrafted Soapmaker Convention in Vermont a few years ago. I can post the recipe I have if you want me too. It follows some of the techniques of Catherine Failor but not all of them. Also instead of cellulose( a non natural fake cellulose that is very expensive) I use Borax dissolved in water to make my own boric acid for a thickener. It is not really thick like gel but it does thicken it enough for my customers and for me.
The Handcrafted Soapmakers guild's website might have the instructions on it also, not sure since I haven't checked recently. Will hunt up my recipe if you want me to post it.
Adele
Adele, definately post that recipe. I love this post and believe I have an extra pot to use just for soap - Yipee! =)
I second the request for the recipe, Adele. I took a look at the Handcrafted Soap website -- lots of great information but no recipes (at least, I didn't find any).
Okay, I will get typing then since it is a lengthy recipe with instructions. It is not a crock pot recipe, but is cooked in a pot ( I use an enamel pot like I use for canning). This pot also needs to be able to go into the oven, because this recipe calls for this. I will probably get it uploaded by tomorrow, I hope. I will get it though, have no fear.
Adele
The recipe is 3 pages long in Word. How does the blog owner wish me to do this? /i can email her/him a copy or I can post it here in the comments, their choice but since it is not my blog (still haven't gotten one started) I don't want to infringe on their blog and post a book.
Adele
Adele, if it cannot post here, email to me and I will post on my blog - email tribalgrl AT gmail DOT com
It's not my blog really...I just write here :) But I was going to suggest Annette's solution as well. Then we can follow the link from here.
Thanks for sharing Adele!
Adele forwarded the directions and I posted them here (http://the-wardhouse.blogspot.com/2010/01/liquid-soap-recipe.html).
Good luck ladies! I'll post how the process goes as soon as I have some underway.
I tried this method as my first attempt at soap making and it is in the mold about an hour now and oil is coming to the surface. What did I do wrong?
Heading to Goodwill this week for an extra Crock Pot! I've wanted to try soap and this is the excuse I've needed!
I was able to find another crock insert for my crock for 50c at the thrift store. My other craft-only tools were 25c-$1 each. I read that the crock pot method is best for those of us that make lye from scratch because concentration won't have to be as precise.
Anonymous - I would love to be able to make my own lye. We heat with wood so there is plenty of ash just lying around (pun intended?). Looks like I am off to google to check out lye making. =)
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