Sally Hornsey runs Plush Folly, a leading cosmetics training company specialising in a range ofcosmetic-making workshops, home study courses and kits. Awarded with Registered CPD Presenterstatus,Sallywritesanddeliverstheworkshopsandoverseesthehomestudyprogrammes.Shehastaughtmanystudentshow todesigna rangeofbarand liquidsoaps for theirownuseandhasgiven themtheskillsandknowledgetheyneedtoestablishaflourishingbusiness.PlushFollyproductshavebeensoldinFrance,GermanyandLuxembourg, andhavegraced the shelvesofmany shops, includingHarrodsandFortnum&Mason,aswellasappearingat theChelseaFlowerShow.SallyisalsotheauthorofMakeYourOwnPerfumeandMakeYourOwnSkinCareProducts.

AlsobySallyHornsey

MakeYourOwnPerfumeHowtocreateyourownfragrancestosuitmood,characterandlifestyle

MakeYourOwnSkinCareProductsHowtocreatearangeofnourishingandhydratingskincareproducts

Constable&RobinsonLtd55–56RussellSquareLondonWC1B4HP

www.constablerobinson.com

FirstpublishedintheUKbyHowtoBooks,animprintofConstable&Robinson,2014

Copyright©SallyHornsey2014

TherightofSallyHornseytobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeenassertedbyherinaccordancewiththeCopyright,Designs&PatentsAct1988.Allrightsreserved.Thisbookissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftradeorotherwise,belent,re-sold,hiredoutorotherwisecirculatedinanyformofbindingorcoverotherthanthatinwhichitispublishedandwithoutasimilarconditionincludingthisconditionbeingimposedonthesubsequentpurchaser.

Thematerialcontainedinthisbookissetoutingoodfaithforgeneralguidanceandnoliabilitycanbeacceptedforlossorexpenseincurredasaresultofrelyinginparticularcircumstancesonstatementsmadeinthebook.Thosewithallergies,orpregnantwomen,shouldtakeparticularcarewhenhandlingsomeoftheingredientsusedinsoapmakingand,ifindoubtshould,consultaqualifiedmedicalpractitioner.

AcopyoftheBritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary

ISBN:978-1-90897-423-5(paperback)ISBN:978-1-84528-562-3(ebook)

13579108642

PrintedandboundintheEU

Thisbookisdedicatedtotheboysinmyhousehold

–Nick,HarryandJonah,thebestsoaptestersever!

Contents

AcknowledgementsIntroduction

1MakingtraditionalbarsofsoapEquipmentneededtomaketraditionalsoapChoosingyoursoapmakingingredientsSafetyadviceforhandlinglyeFragrancingyoursoapColouringyoursoapSoapmakingmethodsSpecialeffectsusingcolourUsingbotanicals,fruitandvegetablesinyoursoapSubstitutingthewaterinyourlyeMakingmilksoapsMakingbeerandwinesoapsMakinghoneysoapsAddingsalttoyoursoapsAddingsilktoyoursoapsSuperfattingyoursoapDiscountingthewaterinyoursoap

2MakingliquidsoapEquipmentneededformakingliquidsoapSafetyadviceforhandlingliquidsoapingredientsHowtomakeliquidsoapRecipesforliquidsoap

3MakingcreamsoapEquipmentneededformakingcreamsoapSafetyadviceforhandlingcreamsoapingredients

HowtomakecreamsoapRecipesforcreamsoap

4Craftingbarsofsoapusingmelt-and-poursoapbaseSafetywhenhandlingmelt-and-poursoapbaseDifferenttypesofmelt-and-poursoapbaseEquipmentneededformakingmelt-and-poursoapsPreparingyourmelt-and-poursoapbaseforuseFragrancingyourmelt-and-poursoapbaseColouringthemelt-and-poursoapbaseAddingclaysandpowderstoyoursoapbaseRecipesformelt-and-poursoapbaseSpecialeffectswithmelt-and-poursoapMakingyourownmelt-and-poursoapbasefromscratch

5UsingsurfactantsWhataresurfactants?FormulatingwithsurfactantsSurfactantrecipesMakingnon-lyemelt-and-poursoapfromscratch

ResourcesIndex

Acknowledgements

Agiant thankyou toeveryonewhohelpedmewithvariousaspectsof thisbook.Tomy lovely teamatPlush Folly, who protectedme from the phone, emails and visitors during the bookwriting and soapmakingsessions:youareallmassivelyappreciated.Yournexttaskistohelpmeuseupallthissoap...

ThephotographsinthisbookhavebeenalabourofloveandIthankTomWellerandChloeStrikeforsnappingawaywhilstImadesoap.ThebiggestthanksofallgotoLizziRoche,exPlushFolly,whospenthours and hours with me, taking thousands of photos so that we could pick and choose the mostappropriateonesforthebook.Lizzi,youareastar!

Handmadesoapscanbebeautifultolookat,aswellasbeneficialtotheskin

Introduction

Welcometotheworldofsoapmaking!Ifyouhavenevermadesoapbefore,youareinforarealtreatandI’m certain it won’t take long before your soap making becomes a passion and addiction, even anobsession.

HowtoMakeYourOwnSoap coversa rangeofdifferent soap types. Ihave includedhardbarsofsoapandliquidsoaps,barscraftedfrompre-madebasesandbarsmadefromscratch,includingmakingyourownmelt-and-pourbase.Thebookalsocoversmakingliquidandcreamsoapusinglye,aswellasmakingliquidsoapfromsurfactants.

Itwon’ttakelongforyoutodiscoverthatthebiggestsectioninthebookistheoneonmakinghardbarsof‘lye’soap,sinceitisherethatyoucanexperimentbeyondyourwildestimaginationonceyougetthehangofmakingthesoap.Therearesomanydifferent ingredients thatyoucanincludeinyoursoap,someofthemquitesurprising.

Wehaveexperienceofsoapsthatincluderainwater,seawater,champagne,doublecream,cowdung,renderedfatfromroadkill,stingingnettles,silkfibres,Halloweencarvedpumpkinleftovers,andeven(forgivemehere)excessfatfromliposuction.

Thisbookcoverstechniquesandmethodstomakeanassortmentofsoapsandguidesyouthroughhowtocreateyourownversionsofbothhardbarandliquidsoaps.I’vetriedtokeeptherecipesizessmallsothatyoudon’tstartbuildingtoomuchofasoapmountain,butI’mcertainyou’llhaveplentyoffriendsandfamilywillingtotakeexcesssoapoffyourhands.Alltherecipescanbedoubledandmultipliedupwardswhenyou’rereadytomakeinlargequantitiesasthedemandforyoursoapgrows.

Nomatter what style of soap you are making, you will be dealing with hot liquids and possiblycaustic ingredients too. Do take heed when handling these and make sure you follow all the safetyprecautionsoutlinedinthisbookandontheingredientpackaging.

Enjoy your soap making adventure, have fun experimenting with the huge choice of ingredientsavailableandrelishhowvery,verylovelyyoursoapsandskinfeelwhenbathing.

CHAPTERONE

Makingtraditionalbarsofsoap

Traditional soap is generally considered tobe ‘proper’ soap.Rather thanbeing created froma ready-madesoapbase,suchasthemelt-and-pourglycerinesoapbase, this typeofsoapismadefromscratchusingsodiumhydroxide(alsoknownascausticsoda),waterandfats.

Traditionalsoapismadebycombiningasodiumhydroxideandwatersolution(alsoknownas lye)with fats (naturaloils,buttersandwaxes).Thecombinationof threebasic ingredients–water, sodiumhydroxideandfat–causesachemicalprocesscalledsaponification,whichresultsinthecreationofhardbarsofnourishing,lather-rich,moisturisingsoap.

Thereisnolyeleftinthefinalsoapprovidedithasbeenmadecorrectly.

Beautifulhandmadesoaps

EquipmentneededtomaketraditionalsoapSoapmakingusessimilarequipmenttocookingandwhilstyoumaywanttouseyoureverydaysaucepans

andutensils,Istronglyadvisebuyingasetthatyoukeepexclusivelyforsoapmaking.Youcanmakesoaponanytypeofhob–gas,electric,inductionoraga–inastainlesssteelsaucepan.Theequipmentyouwillneedincludes:

SaucepanIfyouplan tomakesoapon thehob thenyouwillneedaheatproofcontainer,suchasasaucepan.Thesaucepanmustbemadeofstainlesssteeltoavoidanyunwantedreactionwiththelye.

SpoonsYouwillneedacollectionofstainlesssteelteaspoons,dessertspoonsandservingspoonsforstirringanddispensingingredients.

Basicequipmentneededformakingsoap

SpatulaUsea longhandled spatula for scraping any soap residue from the sidesof thepan and jugs.Siliconespatulasareparticularlyflexibleandcanwithstandtheheatofthesoapmixture.

JugsandbowlsYouwillneedaheatproof jugorbowl inwhich tomixandrestyour lyesolution.Whilst thesecanbemadeofthickplastic,theywilldeteriorateaftermanymonthsofsoapmakingsoheatproofglassisbetter.

Digitalscales

Asetofdigitalscalesisessentialforaccuratemeasuringofyouringredients.Neverguesstheweightastherecipecangowrongandthesoapcanbepotentiallydangerousifthemeasurementsarenotprecise.

AhandheldstickblenderThisissuchausefulpieceofequipment–everysoapmakershouldhaveoneinhisorhertoolbox!Whilstitispossibletomakesoapwithoutahandheldstickblender,itwillsavehoursofstirringifyouuseone.

Moulds(withorwithoutmouldlinerandsomethingtofixthelinerinplace)Onceyoursoapisreadyitwillneedtobepouredintoyourchosenmoulds.Somemouldsmayrequireliningtomakeiteasiertoremovethefinishedsoap,inwhichcaseyoumayneedpegsortapetoholdthelinerinplace.

OldtowelsandblanketsIfyouareusingthecold-processmethod,yoursoapwillneedtobeinsulatedduringthefirst24hours.Todosoeffectively,coveryoursoapwithlayersofblanketsortowels.

ProtectiveclothingAlthoughyoudon’tneedfulloveralls,attheveryleastyouwillneedsafetyglasses,protectiveglovesandanapron.Thesewillprotectyourskin,eyesandclothingfromanyunwantedcausticsplashes.

Kitchenpapertowels,clothsandhotwaterSoapmakingcanbeverymessy!Keeparollofkitchenpaper towelsorcloths tohandtowipeupanyspillages.

SundryequipmentDependingonthemethodyouchoosetomakeyoursoap,youmayalsoneedaslowcooker(alsoknownasacrock-pot)oranovenproofcontainerwithlid.

SUITABLEMOULDSFORSOAPMAKINGSincetraditionalsoapismadeinbars,youwillneedamouldinwhichtosetyoursoap.Thismaybealargemould,inwhichcaseyoursoapwillneedtobecutintosmallerbars,oryoumaywishtopouryoursoapintoindividualmoulds.

Whetheryouwishtouseapurpose-madesoapmouldorahouseholditemthatdoublesupasasoapmould,therearemany,manyshapesandsizestochoosefrom.

USINGAPURPOSE-MADESOAPMOULDManysoapmaking ingredient supplierswillhavea rangeof soapmouldsavailable.Beforeyouspendyourmoney,thinkaboutwhatsizeandshapeofsoapbaryouwishtomakeandwhetheryouwanttodoanyspecialistcolouringtechniques.Somemouldsandshapesarefarmoresuitablethanothersdependingonwhatyouaretryingtoachieve.

LoaforlogmouldsAloafmouldproducesalongblockofsoap,whichcanthenbecutintoindividualsoapbarsizedslices.

Trayorslabmoulds(withorwithoutinserts)

Atraymouldissimilartoaloafmouldinthatitproducesalargeslabofsoap.

Individualbarmoulds–shapedorplainIndividualmoulds,ortraysofindividualmoulds,areespeciallyusefulifyouwanttohaveshapedsoap.

Themouldscomeinawidevarietyofshapes–fromflowers,food,animals,cherubsandlettersofthealphabettomouldswithembossedmessages,whichthenappearembeddedinoronyoursoapbars.

Wooden,log-stylesoapmouldwithasiliconeliner

Anassortmentofsoapmoulds

USINGHOUSEHOLDITEMSASSOAPMOULDSIt isat thispoint that Imustapologise toyoubecause fromthismomenton,youwillalwaysbeon thelookout for everyday items that can double up as soap moulds. The shop assistants in my localsupermarkethavelearnttoignoremewhenIsquealwithdelightonfindinganemptydoublecreamcartonholderonthedairyshelvestouseinmysoapmakingandmyfriendsneverevenquestionnowwhenIasktokeepaboxorcartonthattheyareabouttothrowawayorrecycle.

Forgiveyourselfthemould-searchingobsessionandjustfocusonthemoneyyouwillbesaving!

JuiceormilkcartonsRinse juiceandmilkcartons to remove tracesof liquid.The topof thecartonneeds tobecutaway tomakeiteasiertopourinthesoapmixture.

MushroomcartonsIknowit’smoreenvironmentallyfriendlytopackyourmushroomsinpaperbagsbutsomesupermarketsselltheirverylargemushrooms(suitableforstuffing)inlong,plasticcartons.Whenwashed,thesemakethemostperfectlogmould.

ShoeboxesAshoeboxisanidealmouldforaslabofsoap.Pleasemakesureyoulineitfirstwithawaterproofliningsuchasclingflmtopreventthesoapmixturefromseepingintothecardboard.

PlasticicecreamtubsorlunchboxesAnyformofplasticboxwilldoubleupasasoapmould.IwasdelightedwhenmychildrengrewoutoftheirschoollunchboxesasIcouldthenusetheseassoapmoulds.

CupcakeormuffincasesPapercupcakeandmuffincasesareidealforholdingindividualsoaps.Youmayneedtoplacetheseinacupcakebakingtintosupportthesidesofthecases.

DrainpipeWhatbetterwayofmakingaroundsoapthanusingadrainpipe?AnylocalDIYstorewillselldrainpipesandtheymaywellcutthemintoshorter,moremanageablelengthsforyou.

Whateveritemyoudecidetouseasamould,alwayspouronetestsoapbeforepouringawholebatch–justincasethemouldleaks,reactsbadlytothehotsoapmixture,orgenerallybehavesinawaythatyouweren’texpecting.

LININGYOURSOAPMOULDSPersuadingyoursoaptopopoutofthemouldisataskinitself.TheonlymouldsthatIcanguaranteethesoapswillbeeasytogetoutofarethesiliconemoulds.Liningyourmouldwillmakeitmucheasiertoremovethesoapbut,dependingonthetypeofmouldlineryouuse,itmaynotproducesoapwithsuper-smoothsides.

Mouldscanbelinedwithparchmentpaper,greaseproof(baking)paper,freezerpaper,waxedpaper,clingfilm(alsoknownassaranorplasticwrap)orpolythene.Ifusingparchment,greaseproof,freezerorwaxed paper, line your mould as you would line a cake tin, holding the paper in place with a littlemaskingtape.Whenusingclingfilmorpolythene,cuttheliningmaterialsothatitoverhangsthemould.Securethelininginplacewithmaskingtapeorbyusingpegs.Youmaybewonderingifyoucangreaseyourmouldinasimilarwaytogreasingabreadtin.Alas,whilstthismayworkwellforbreadorpies,itwon’tdothesameforsoapssincetheoilyingredientusedtogreasethemouldistreatedinthesamewayas theoil inyoursoapmixtureandwillbeconverted intosoap.Wehavealso tried to lineourmouldswithaliquidsiliconesuchascyclomethiconebuthavehadnosuccesshereeither.

REMOVINGSOAPFROMTHEMOULDSIfyouhavelinedyourmould,removingsoapfromthemouldshouldbeveryeasy.Notethatthesoapmaystillbealittlecausticatthisstagesoyoumaywishtowearprotectivegloveswhenremovingthesoapfromthemould.Simplyturnthemouldupsidedownoveraflat,cleanworksurfaceandthesoapshouldjustreleaseandgentlyfallfromthemould.Carefullypeelthelinerawayfromthesoapanddiscardtheusedlining.

Ifyoursoap is inasiliconemould,place themouldoveracleanworksurfaceandpeel themouldawayfromthesoap.Thesiliconemouldcanbewashedinhotsoapywaterorinadishwasherthenusedagain.

Ifyouhavenotlinedyourmouldyouwillfinditmoredifficulttoremovethesoap.Bangingitontotheworksurfaceandtryingtopulloutthesidesofthemouldmayhelp,aswillpushingdownonthemouldwiththeheelofyourhandorthumbs,asiftryingtoreleaseicecubesfromatray.

Iknowsoaperswhoputtheirsoapinthefreezerforafewhourstoshrinkthesoapalittle.ApparentlythesoapcanthenbeeasedorpushedoutofthemouldsbutIhaven’thadmuchsuccesswiththismethod

fortraditionalsoap,althoughitworksatreatformelt-and-poursoapthatgetsstuckinthemould.Ifthesoapisalittlemorestubbornandrefusestobudge,youmayhavetoexercisepatience.Asthe

soapcures,ithardensupandshrinksalittleasitdriesout.Soapthatrefusestocomeoutofthemouldondayonemaywellbebetterbehavedbyweekfourandslipoutofitsmouldeasily.

Removingsoapfromatraymould

ChoosingyoursoapmakingingredientsYoucanuseaslittleasthreeingredientstomakesoap–water,sodiumhydroxideandafat.Whilstyouhaveachoiceoffats,thereisnosubstituteforsodiumhydroxideifyouwishtomake‘real’soapasthiscausesthechemicalreactionthateventuallyconvertsthefatsintosoap.

Soapiseasytoremovefromasiliconemould

SOAPMAKINGINGREDIENTS–SODIUMANDPOTASSIUMHYDROXIDEAuthentic, natural soap, both hard bar and liquid soap, is made from the chemical reaction of lyecombinedwithfats.Thelyeismadefromwater(orwatercombinedwithotherliquids)andanalkali.Forhardbarsofsoapthealkaliissodiumhydroxide,forliquidsoapsthealkaliispotassiumhydroxide.

Prepareyouringredientsbeforemakingyourlye.

SafetyadviceforhandlinglyeSodium and potassium hydroxides are corrosive and potentially dangerous if not handled correctly.Whilstthismayputmanypotentialsoapmakersoff,theprocessofmakingsoapneednotbedangerousifappropriatecareistaken.

I liken themethod ofmaking up lye towatching a 12-year-old child pour boilingwater from akettleintoacup.Whilstyoumightbenervous,youknowthatnoharmshouldcometothechildiftheentireprocessisdoneproperlyandwithduecareandattention.

USINGSODIUMHYDROXIDESodiumhydroxideisusedforcreatinghardbarsofsoap.Itiswhiteandusuallyfoundintinygranules–ratherlikeverylargegrainsofsalt.

The chemical symbol for sodium hydroxide is NaOH (Na is sodium, OH is hydroxide). Sodiumhydroxideisalsoknownascausticsodaaswellasbeingreferredtobysoapmakersaslye.

Sodiumhydroxidemixedwithwatertocreatealyesolution

USINGPOTASSIUMHYDROXIDEPotassiumhydroxide isusedforcreating liquidsoap. It isusually found inhardflakeform.Flakesareslightlyoff-whiteandsoundlikeshardsofbrokenporcelainwhenshaken.

ThechemicalsymbolforpotassiumhydroxideisKOH(Kispotassium,OHishydroxide).Potassiumhydroxideisalsoknownascausticpotashaswellasbeingreferredtoaslye.

HANDLINGTHESODIUMANDPOTASSIUMHYDROXIDESOnno account shouldyou touch the sodiumhydroxidegrains or potassiumhydroxide flakeswith yourbarehands.Alwayswearsafetygloveswhenhandlingtheseingredients.

Whenmixingthesodiumorpotassiumhydroxideandwatertocreateyourlyesolution,youwillfindthatthetemperatureofthesolutionincreasesasyoustir.Asitheatsup,itwillreachatemperaturethatcauses it toevaporateasasteamandcreateairbornefumes.Thesefumesareunpleasant tobreathe,socreatingyourlyesolutionshouldalwaysbedoneinawell-ventilatedroom–makesurethatthefumesarebeingblownawayfromratherthantowardsyou.

HOWTOTREATLYESPLASHESIfyouaccidentallysplashlyesolutiononyourself,rinsetheaffectedskinundercoldrunningwaterforatleast 10minutes. If your skin feels tingly, stings, burns, has blisters or concerns you in anyway, seekpromptmedicaladvice.

SAFETYEQUIPMENTREQUIREDWHENMIXINGSODIUMORPOTASSIUMLYEItisabsolutelyessentialthatyouwearprotectivegloveswhenhandlinglye.Householdrubbergloves

willsuffice,butifyouprefersomethingthinnerandyetstillasprotective,nitrileglovescanbeworn.Nitrileglovesaremoreresistanttochemicalsplashesthanrubbergloves.

Makesurethatyourarmsarecoveredwhendealingwithlye.Asasensibleprecaution,wearshoes,notsandalstopreventanysplasheslandingonyourbarefeet.

Since the lyemay splashwe strongly advise that youwear a pair of safety glasses. These aredesignedsothatyoucanwearthemoveryournormalspectacles,ifnecessary.

Topreventthelyesplashingonyourclothing,wearaprotectiveapron.Ifyoufeelthatthefumesmaybeunpleasantforyou,wearaprotectivemasktopreventbreathing

theminandmakesurethatyoualwaysworkinawell-ventilatedroom.As well as my recommendations, read and follow the safety guidelines on the sodium and

potassiumhydroxidecontainers.Soapmakingisnotdangerousifyouhandlethesodium,potassiumandotherlye-associatedingredientscorrectlyandsensibly.

Alwayswearprotectivegloveswhenhandlingthelyeingredients

STORINGSODIUMANDPOTASSIUMHYDROXIDEWhennotinuse,keepunusedhydroxidesintheiroriginalcontainers.Storecontainerssomewheredryandcool,preferablyatroomtemperature.Makesurethelidissecurelyfastenedandkeepcontainersoutofreachofchildrenandpets.Ifstoredcorrectly,theyhaveashelflifeofatleastfiveyears.

Label the containers correctly so that the contents can easily be identified as hazardous.Neverstorethesodiumorpotassiumhydroxidesinanunmarkedcontainer.

CLEANINGSPILLEDSODIUMORPOTASSIUMHYDROXIDEIfyouspillsodiumorpotassiumhydroxidegranulesorflakes,useanashpanandbrushtosweepupthespillage(besuretowearsafetygloves).Disposeofminorspillagesinthesinkandruncoldwatertodilutethehydroxideandflushitaway.Aregularplasticdustpancanalsobefineasitwillonlymeltifthesolutioniswet,inwhichcasewipeupwithdisposableclothswhilewearingsafetygloves.Ifthespillageislarge,consultyourlocalauthorityaboutthebestwaytodisposeofthewaste.

Dorememberthatsodiumhydroxideissoldasadraincleaner,sodisposingofitviathesinkandthedrainneedn’tbeasharmfultotheenvironmentasyoumaythink.

Ifyouhavespiltthecausticlyesolutionusethickkitchenpapertowelstosoakupthesolution.Besuretowearrubberglovessothatyourhandsdonotcomeintodirectcontactwiththesolution.Placethepapertowelsinapolythenebag, tiethebagandthendoublebagitbyplacinginyetanotherbag

beforeputtingitinthebin.Spray the area where the lye solution was spilled with vinegar as the acidic content helps to

neutralise thealkaline in the lye.Leave for fiveminutes thenwash theareawithwarmsoapywateruntilyouaresurethereisnolyeresidueremaining.

SUPPLIERSOFSODIUMANDPOTASSIUMHYDROXIDEThehydroxidesareavailablefromspecialistonlinecosmeticingredientsuppliersandyouwillfindalistofthesesuppliersatthebackofthisbook.

Since these ingredients are hazardous, they cannot be sent by Royal Mail post and will requiretransportationbyspecialistcouriercompanies.

Sodiumhydroxide can alsobe sourced fromhardware stores since it is also sold as caustic soda,whichisacommondraincleaningingredient.OutletssuchasHomebase,B&QandWilkinsonintheUKmaystockit.Justmakesurethatthecontainerlistsitaspure,oratleast97percent,sodiumhydroxideratherthanincludingitaspartofablendofingredients.

HOWTOCREATEALYESOLUTIONBeforeyoumakeupyoursodiumorpotassiumlyesolution re-read thesafetyprecautionsandhandlingadviceonthesideofthecontainer.Ensureyouarewearingthecorrectprotectiveclothing,suchassafetyglasses,gloves,anapronandaprotectivemask(optional).

Followingtherecipecarefully,weighthecoldwaterinaglassjugbigenoughtoholdatleasttwicetheamountofwaterneededfortherecipe.Placethejugtoonesidesothatitdoesn’taccidentallycomeintocontactwiththehydroxidebeforeyouareready.

Measureoutthesodiumhydroxide(ifmakinghardbarsofsoap)orpotassiumhydroxide(forliquidsoap). If making cream soap you will need both sodium and potassium hydroxides. Weigh thehydroxide(s)intoaclean,drybowl.Thebowlcanbemadeofglassorplastic.

Add the measured sodium or potassium hydroxides to the water and stir gently to encourage thehydroxide todissolve.Neveraddthewater to thehydroxide,alwaysaddthehydroxide to thewater tostartoffasaverydilutedmixturethatgetsstronger.Addingthewatertothehydroxidewouldstartwithavery strongmixture that gets diluted – the first few droplets ofwaterwouldmake this too strong forregularhandling.

Lyesolutionmixedandreadyforuse

Thelyesolutionwillbehotandletoffunpleasantfumes

Useastainlesssteel,long-handledspoontostirthemixturetoavoidyourhandsgettingtoonearthemixture.

Potassiumhydroxidemakesawhooshingsoundratherlikeasteamtrainwhenitstartstodissolve.Ifyoustirquietly,youshouldbeabletohearit.

Keep stirring the lyemixture until you can no longer feel any undissolved particles of sodium or

potassiumhydroxide.Thisshouldtakelessthantwominutes.As the sodium or potassium hydroxide dissolves, the lye solution will become hotter, since the

hydroxidesareexothermic(themixturewillproduceandletoffheat).Oncehot, itwillstart toreleaseunpleasantsteamyfumes,soalwayscarryoutthelyemakinginawell-ventilatedroom.

Set the lye solution aside somewhere whilst you get on with preparing your other soap makingingredients.Pleasemakesurethatwhilstitiscooling,youleaveitsomewheresafelyoutofthereachofchildrenandpets.

SOAPINGREDIENTS–WATERThereisalittlechoicewhenitcomestoselectingyourwater.Sincethewaterwillbeaddedtosodiumhydroxide to create your lye solution, there is little point in using any specialist water, such as rose,frankincenseorgeraniumhydrolats,asanyactivepropertieswillbedestroyedbythecausticelementofthesodiumhydroxide.

MostrecipeswilltellyoutousespringordistilledwateraspartofyourlyesolutionandIencourageyoutofollowthisadvice.Springwatercanbeeasilypurchasedatsupermarketsanddistilledwatermaybe found in the car accessories sectionof larger supermarketsor pharmacists. It is used to topup carbatteriesortoreducethescalebuiltupinkettles.

However,ifspringordistilledwaterisnotavailable,tapwaterwillsuffice.Dependingonwhereyoulive,yourwatermaybehardorsoft,andthiscanhaveasmallimpactonthe

latheringquality of bars of soap. I live on theLondon/Surreyborders andprettymuch alwaysuse tapwaterformysoapmakingandhavenevernoticedanyadverseeffectonthequalityofmyproducts.Ifyouhaveamethodoffilteringandpurifyingrainwater,thiscanalsobeusedaspartofyoursoapmaking,ascan seawater, althoughyoumayneed tocarefully selectoils toensure thatyour soapsare still able toproducelather.

Havefunexperimentingwithreplacingsomeof thewaterwithmilks, fruit juicesandother liquids.Refertothesectiononsubstitutingthewaterinyourlye(page86)tounderstandhowtodothis.

Coconutandcastoroilswillcreateagoodlather

Basicfats,oilsandbuttersneededtomakesoap

SOAPINGREDIENTS–FATSTraditionalsoapwasmadebyourveryresourcefulancestors,whowouldhaverendereddownthebonesandcarcassesofchickens,pigs,cowsandotheranimalsandusedtheresultingfataspartof theirsoapmaking.Nowadayswearespoiltforchoice,withawonderfulselectionofluxuriousandexoticoilsand

butters,allofwhichcanbeusedinsoapmaking.Eachoil,butterorwaxbringsslightlydifferentpropertiestoyoursoap.Someoils,suchascoconut,

will bring a quick, rich lather,whilst shea butter is richlymoisturising and castor oil creates a fluffylatheraswellasmoisturising.Designingyoursoapbychoosingdifferentoilsandbuttersiseasyonceyougraspsomesimplerules.

FattyacidsYoucanusethefattyacidchartintheliquidsoapsection(page137)tohelpyoudecidewhichoilstouse,althoughsomeofthecommentsandbenefitsrefertohowtheywillhelpliquidsoapinawaywhichmaynotberelevanttohardbarsofsoap–forexample,thecoconutoilgivesclaritytoliquidsoapbuthasnoimpactontheclarityofhardbarsofsoapastheywillalwaysbeopaque.Beeswaxhelpstohardenbarsofsoapbutisunsuitableforuseinliquidsoap.

Ifyouwishtouseanoilorbutternotincludedinthischart,usetheinternetasaresearchtooltofindoutwhat fatty acid content, iodine andSAP value individual oils have. The SAP value represents theamount of sodiumor potassiumhydroxide inmilligrams required to saponify 1 g of oil or butter.Thesupplier’swebsiteswilloftenincludethisinformation,butifnot,checktheMSDS(MaterialSafetyDataSheet*overleaf)orcertificateofanalysisdatasheetsforabreakdownoftheoilandbuttercomponents.Theseshouldbereadilyavailablefrombulkcosmeticingredientsuppliers.

IodinevaluesThe lower the iodine value, the harder your bar of soapwill be, so oils such as coconut, palm, palmkernel,cocoabutterandsheabutterwillproduceharderbarsthancastor,sweetalmondandavocadooils.Oilswithiodinevaluesofover75tendtomakeasoftsoap,soteamtheseupwithaloweriodinevaluesoaporincludebeeswaxinyourrecipetomakeafirmersoap.

PROPERTIESOFOILS,BUTTERSANDWAXESINSOAPThroughout this book I havehighlighted anyparticular benefits that the oilwill give your soap, but intermsofusingthesoapasaskincareproduct,sinceitisonlyonyourskinforamatterofsecondsbeforebeingrinsedoff,itisunlikelythatanymajorbenefitwillbeacquiredotherthanyourskinwillfeelclean,soft,hydratedandlovely.Therealbeautyofthesoapisinthefeelofthesensuous,rich,creamylatherasyou bathe, the beautiful aroma thatwafts around your bath or shower awakening your senses, and thewonderful post-washing skin feel. If you plan to design your own soap, rather than follow an existingrecipe, start byusing the informationbelow todecidewhichproperties, and thereforewhichoils, youwouldliketouse.

Fattyacidcontentofoils

CleansingfattyacidsOilsthatarerichinlauricandmyristicacidaregoodcleansingbars.Thesoapmoleculeshavetheabilitytoattracttheoilstothe‘dirty’skinandholdontothemsothattheyclingtothesoapandarerinsedawaydownthedrain.Unfortunatelytheyalsoremovepreciousskinoilssotheycanbedryingifusedinlargeproportionsinyoursoap.

*Note: The Material Safety Data Sheet is a technical document containing all sorts of information,includinghowtostore,handleandclearupanyspilledingredient,whethertheingredientissoluble,whatformitisin,colour,textureandflashpointandsoon.

ConditioningfattyacidsSomeoilswillleavealittleoilyresidueontheskinandhelptomoisturiseandsoftenskinafterthesoaphasbeenrinsedaway.Chooseoilsrichinlinoleic, linolenic,oleicandricinoleicfattyacidsforasoft,moisturisedfeelingafterwashing.Oilswithalinolenicfattyacidcontentaremildandverysuitableforsensitiveskins.Theseoilsareespeciallybeneficialinhandsoaps.

Soapmakingingredients,equipmentandmouldsetoutreadytomakesoap

FluffylatherfattyacidsOils that are rich in lauric, myristic and ricinoleic fatty acids are quick to produce a quickly frothy,bubblylather.Whilstthelathersoonappears,itisthinandwilldissipatefairlyquickly,too.

Stable,creamylatherfattyacidsFor a rich, creamy, dense lather that lasts a long time, choose oils with a high palmitic, stearic orricinoleiccontent.

HardsoapfattyacidsIfyouareusingoilswithahighiodinevaluethenyoucancounteractthepotentialsoftnessofthebarbyincludinganoilrichinlauric,myristic,palmiticorstearicfattyacids.

Oils,buttersandwaxes Propertiesandapproximatefattyacid%andiodinecontent SAPvalue

Almondoil

Linoleic18Oleic73Palmitic7Stearic2Iodinevalue100Agoodall-roundoilthatisausefuladditiontoallsoaps.Itisnaturallyhighinoleicacidtohelpgivealovelysoftskinfeel

0.137

Linoleic35

Arganoil

Oleic49Palmitic10Stearic6Iodinevalue99Alovelyconditioningoilbutduetoitscost,Irecommendthatyousaveyourarganoilanduseitasanadditionalsuperfattingoilratherthanasubstantialingredient

0.134

Avocadooil

Linoleic10Oleic62Myristic15Palmitic12Stearic1Iodinevalue90Goodforsensitiveskins.Ultra-moisturisingasitcontainsunsaponifiableswhichremainasoilratherthanconverttosoap

0.132

Beeswax Beeswaxcanbeusedinsoapsatupto5percentoftheweightofyouroils.Itmayacceleratetrace(page38) 0.067

Castoroil

Linoleic3Oleic7Palmitic2Ricinoleic87Stearic1Iodinevalue87Amustifyouwantarichandquick-foamingsoap.Castoroilactsasahumectant,helpingtokeeptheskinhydratedafterwashing

0.127

Cherrykerneloil

Linoleic41Oleic40Palmitic7Stearic2Iodinevalue126Richinlinoleicandoleicacids,cherrykerneloilproducesaconditioningbar.Itneedstobeblendedwithoilsthatcanhelptohardenitup;onitsown,itwillproducequiteasoftbar

0.138

Cocoabutter

Linoleic2Oleic28Palmitic34Stearic35Iodinevalue38Whilsttheiodinevalueislow,ifyoumake100percentcocoabuttersoap,itwillbepronetobecomingbrittleandcracking.Keepthecocoabuttervaluetolessthan20percentofyouroiltotal

0.136

Coconutoil(semisolid)

Lauric54Linoleic2Myristic23Oleic8Palmitic8Stearic5Iodinevalue8Upto35percentcoconutoilinyoursoapsmakesamoisturisingbar.Anymorethanthatanditcanbecomedrying,courtesyofthehighlauricacidcontent.Coconutoilproducesahardbarwitharichlather

0.180

Crambeseedoil(Abyssinianseedoil)

Linoleic10Oleic18Palmitic3Stearic1Iodinevalue96Crambeseedoilhasauniquestructure,makingitveryresistanttooxidisation.Teamwithoilsthatmaydeteriorateyoursoap(suchassunflowerandsafflower)toprolongfreshness

Linoleic68Oleic21

Grapeseedoil

Palmitic8Stearic3Iodinevalue130Grapeseedoilconditionsandsoftenstheskinasitcontainsdecentlevelsoflinoleicandoleicacids.Itproducesasoftsoap,soblendwithoilsthatcanmakeaharderbar

0.129

Hazelnutoil

Linoleic9Oleic83Palmitic6Stearic2Iodinevalue97Conditioning;bepreparedforsoapswithahighhazelnutcontenttotakelongertoreachtrace(thepointatwhichtheoilsandlyereactwitheachotherandstarttoconverttheingredientsintosoap–seepage38)

0.136

Jojobaoil

Linoleic6Myristic1Oleic25Palmitic4Stearic45Iodinevalue83Jojobaoilisaliquidwaxandlikebeeswax,speedsuptrace.Itproducesarich,denselather,butisnotaparticularlymoisturisingbaronitsown.Usewithotherconditioningoilsorasanadditionalsuperfattingoil

0.068

Lard

Linoleic6Myristic1Oleic48Palmitic32Stearic13Iodinevalue43Lardsoapgivesalong-lasting,stablelatherwithgoodcleansingproperties.Sincelardismadeupofanimalfats,itisnotsuitableforvegetarians.However,itischeapandeasytogetholdofifyouwanttomakeyourownsoapanddon’thaveaccesstomoreluxuriousoils

0.138

Mangobutter

Linoleic9Oleic40Palmitic12Stearic45Iodinevalue60Mangobutterhelpstohardenupsoapwhilstbringingconditioning,moisturisingpropertiestoit.Irecommendthatyouincludeitat15percentofyouroils

0.135

Oliveoil

Linoleic10Linolenic1Oleic74Palmitic11Stearic4Iodinevalue86Virginoliveoilwilldo,butwetendtogofortheroughandready‘pomace’oilvariety.Oliveoilhasahigholeiccontentandthereforemakesanexcellentskinconditioningsoap.Soapsmadewitholiveoilaremildbutdonotusuallyhaveanabundanceoflather

0.134

Palmoil

Linoleic11Myristic14Oleic40Palmitic30Stearic4Iodinevalue50Palmoilproducesalovely,hard,waxybarandbehaveswellinsoaps.Itwillbringyoursoapmixturetotracefairlyquickly

0.141

Lauric46Oleic18Palmitic8

Palmkerneloil Stearic1Palmkerneloilmakesaveryhardbarwithalovely,fluffylather.Usedatlessthan35percent,palmoilismoisturising,butitcanbedryingathighervolumes

0.155

Peachkerneloil

Linoleic20Linolenic1Oleic70Palmitic7Stearic2Iodinevalue115Particularlygoodforsensitiveskin,peachkernelproducesamildsoapwithasmallamountofcreamylather

0.136

Ricebranoil

Linoleic38Oleic48Palmitic11Stearic2Iodinevalue112Ricebranproducesalovelyconditioningsoapthatcanleaveyourskinfeelingsoftandmoisturised.Itdoesn’tcreateaquickorlong-lastinglather,soblendwithotheroilsrichinpalmiticorstearicacids

0.129

Rosehipoil

Linoleic50Linolenic30Oleic13Palmitic3Stearic2Iodinevalue177Thegentle,healingpropertiesofrosehiparelostifyouuseittobulkoutyoursoaps,sosavethisoiltouseasanadditionalsuperfattingoil

0.133

Saffloweroil

Linoleic65Oleic30Palmitic4Stearic1Iodinevalue101HighvolumesofsafflowerwillslowdownbothtraceandcuringtimessoIrecommendthatyouuseincombinationwithotheroils,especiallythosethatwillmakeyoursoaphardenfaster

0.135

Sheabutter

Linoleic7Oleic53Palmitic7Stearic43Iodinevalue62Sheabuttermoisturisesandnourishestheskin.Itproducesanultra-creamy,moisturisingbar,butbeinghighinunsaponifiables,lessthan100percentwillconvertintosoap

0.128

Sunfloweroil

Linoleic70Linolenic1Oleic19Palmitic6Stearic4Iodinevalue127Sunfloweroilcandeteriorateinyoursoapfasterthanotheroils,sokeeptheproportionsdownandblendwithotheroilsthathaveahighvitaminEcontent,suchasavocado,wheatgermorarganoil

0.134

Wheatgermoil

Linoleic62Oleic18Palmitic18Stearic2Iodinevalue130RichinantioxidantvitaminE,wheatgermcanbeusedinsoapstokeepanyshortershelf-lifeoilsfresherandpreventthesoapfromdeteriorating

0.131

Usethistabletohelpyoutodevisecombinationsofyourown.Ifyouwantasoapwithaquick,fluffyandlong-lastinglathertomoisturiseyourskin,considermakingasoapwithcoconut,castorandavocadooilswithanaddeddollopofsheabutter.Butyouwillalsoneedtotakenoteofthecolumntitled‘SAPvalue’.Whenmakingsoap,ittakesadefinedquantityofsodiumhydroxidetoconvertthefatsintosoap.Toomuchsodiumhydroxidewillmakeyoursoapsharshandstingyourskin(orworse)whenyouwashyourself.Incontrast, too little sodium hydroxide makes your soaps oily and soft. The SAP value of a fatty acidindicateshowmuchSodiumhydroxideyouwillneed,sothatatleast95percentoftheoils,buttersandwaxesareconvertedintosoap.

Itispossibletocalculatehowmuchsodiumhydroxidetousedependingonyourparticularblendofoils, but for those of us not entirely comfortablewith performing the calculations ourselves, there areplentyoftoolsavailableontheinternettodothemathsforus.

CALCULATINGHOWMUCHSODIUMHYDROXIDETOUSEINYOURSOAP

Unlessyouaregiftedwiththeabilitytoperformmathematicalfunctions,Isuggestthatyouuseacalculatorto follow my example below. Remember, there are soap calculators on the internet that have beenespeciallydesigned toworkall thisout foryouand in reality, it isunlikely thatyouwill everdo thismanually.However, I do thinkyou shouldunderstandwhy the calculationsneedbedone andhowyoucoulddosomanuallyshouldyoueverbestranded,abouttomakeyoursoap,butwithoutinternetaccess.

The purpose of the exercise is towork out howmuch sodiumhydroxide youneed to convert yourchosen fats into soap. Ihavedecided touseavocado, coconut, castoroil and sheabutter asdescribedearlier.Ascoconutcanbealittledrying,I’veincludedthisoilinasmallerquantitythanthecastorandavocadooils.SheabuttertendstobemoreexpensivethantheoilssoI’veincludedonlyasmallamountasI’monabudget.

TherecipeIhavedesignedformy‘moisturisingwithquick,fluffyandlong-lastinglathersoap’isasfollows:250gcastoroil;200gavocadooil;100gcoconutoil;50gsheabutter.That’s600goils intotal.

TheSAPvalueforeachoilrepresentstheamountofsodiumhydroxideyouwillrequirepergramofingredientinordertoconvertthatparticularingredientintosoap.Forexample,ifIhave100gofavocadooilwhoseSAPvalueis0.132thenIwouldmultiply0.132by100(grams)inordertogaugehowmuchsodiumhydroxideisneededtoconvertthe100gavocadooilintosoap.Formyrecipe,thecalculationswouldbeasfollows:

Ingredient SAPvalue Mathsformula Sodiumhydroxidequant ityrequired

250gcastoroil 0.127 250x0.127=31.75 31.75

200gavocadooil 0.132 200x0.132=26.4 26.4

100gcoconutoil 0.180 100x0.180=18 18.00

50gsheabutter 0.128 50x0.128=6.4 6.4

TOTAL 82.55

ThereforeIcandeterminefrommycalculationsthatIrequire82.55gofsodiumhydroxidetoconvertmychosenoilsandsheabutter intosoap.Ifyourscalesdonotmeasureinsuchsmall increments,roundingyoursodiumhydroxidedownto82.5g(oreven82g)isacceptableinthecircumstances.

AseachfathasitsownSAPvalue,youcannotfiddleaboutwitharecipeandswaponeoilorbutterforanotherwithoutcheckingthatthequantityofsodiumhydroxideisstillsufficienttoconverttheoilstosoap.FailuretorunitthroughaSAPcalculatormayresultinaproductthatistooharshforyourskinortoooilyandsofttobeconsideredsoap.

USINGASOAPCALCULATOR

Therearemanysoapcalculatorsavailableontheinternet,allofwhichperformthesamefunctionbutwitha different interface. If you prefer to use an Excel spreadsheet, you can download your own soapcalculatorfromthePlushFollywebsite.Thecalculatorwillalsocalculateyour liquidsoapandcreamsoap recipes too. If youprefer to enteryour recipedetails directlyonto an internet site, the followingsoapcalculatorsmaybehelpful:www.plushfolly.comwww.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.phpwww.soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcwp.aspwww.brambleberry.com/pages/Lye-Calculator.aspxwww.cranberrylane.com/calculator.htm

CALCULATINGHOWMUCHWATERTOUSEINYOURSOAP

ThelastremainingcalculationistoworkouthowmuchwaterIneedtomixwithmysodiumhydroxide.Actuallythisbitisn’tnearlyasimportantasthesodiumhydroxidecalculationandifyouareabitoverorslightlyunder,itwon’tmatter.Seethesectionondiscountingthewaterinyoursoapforanexplanationastowhythisdoesn’tmatter(page131).Theruleofthumbthatweprefertouseisthat theweightof thewatershouldbe37.5percentofthetotalweightofyouroils.Myoilsweigh600gintotalsoIneedtoworkout37.5percentof600g.Todoso,Idividetheweightofmyoilsby100(toget1percent)andthenmultiplytheanswerby37.5(toget37.5percent,whichisthevalueoftheweightofmywater).Thecalculationwouldlooklikethis:600/100=66x37.5=225.FormyrecipeIwouldthereforerequire225gwater.

Thatwasn’t toobad,was it?But if youwould ratherbemaking soap thandoingmaths then forgeteverythingyouhavejustreadinthissectionanduseoneoftheonlinesoapcalculatorstodoallthatforyou.Allyouneedtodoisentertheweightoftheoilsyouareusingandthecalculatorwilltellyouhowmuchsodiumhydroxideandhowmuchwateryouneedtouse.

Don’t be too concerned if the soap calculator you use tells you a slightly differentweight for thewater:yoursoapwillstillturnoutfine.Similarly,ifyourcalculatoristellingyouaslightlylowerweightof sodium hydroxide to use, that’s probably fine too as long as it is only a small difference. Yourcalculatormaybesetwithasuperfattingdefault,whichcanchangethesodiumhydroxidequantitybyupto5percent.Seethesectionsonwaterdiscountandsuperfattingformoreinformation(page130–1).

FragrancingyoursoapHavingselected theoilsandbuttersyouwant touse inyour soapandhavingcalculated theamountofsodiumhydroxideandwater,youwillnowneedtomakeadecisiononthearomayouwishtoscentyoursoapwith.

Bothessentialoilsandcosmeticgradefragranceoilscanbeusedtoaddascenttoyoursoap.Ifyou

wishtocreateablendyoucancombinetwoormoreessentialoils,twoormorefragranceoilsandevencombineessentialoilswithfragranceoils.Whateversmellyouenjoyblending,youcanprobablyincludeitinyoursoap.Donotethatsomefragranceoilsmaynotbehaveasexpectedandcancauseyoursoaptothickenveryquickly.

The aroma of light and refreshing citrus essential oils, such as lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit,bergamotandmandarin,will fadefar faster thanricheraromas,suchaspatchouliandvetiver.Youcanbuyextra-strengthcitrusessentialoils,knownas5-foldor10-fold,whichwillgiveyoursoapsanextracitrus burst.These are only suitable for soaps, since they are five or ten times stronger in aroma thanregularessentialoils.

Herbaceousaromas,suchasrosemary,basil,eucalyptus,peppermintandlemongrass,holdtheirscentwellinsoap.

Aselectionofessentialoilstofragrancehandmadesoap

THEDIFFERENCEBETWEENESSENTIALOILSANDFRAGRANCEOILS

Essential oils areoils extracted frompart of a plant.Different parts of theplantmayyield adifferentaromaandallaromaticpartsoftheplantareusedtomakeessentialoils.Essentialoilscanbeobtainedfromseeds,bark,petals,fruitpeel,leaves,twigs,resins,berries,bulbsandroots,andareextractedmostoftenbysteamdistillation,butmayalsobepressed,orextractedwithasolvent.Essentialoilsarenaturaloilsandareverypotent.

Fragranceoils aremanmadeoils.Theycancontain components fromanessentialoil blendedwithsyntheticaromas,ormaybemadeupentirelyofsyntheticcompounds.ThemanufactureofcosmeticgradefragranceoilsintheEUisgovernedbyabodycalledIFRA(InternationalFragranceAssociation).Inthe

EU countries any fragrance oil that is sold as safe for use in cosmetics has to be IFRA approved.EssentialoilsdonotcomeunderthewatchfuleyeofIFRAandcanbeusedsafelyincosmetics,providedyoukeeptotherecommendedusagerates.

USINGFRAGRANCEOILSINYOURSOAP

Fragranceoilscontainablendofcompounds thatcanworkbeautifully inyoursoapormaycause it toseize.Seizingiswhenyoursoapmixturegoesfrombeingarunnybatter-likeliquidtoaverythickmixturethatisdifficulttostirandevenhardertogetintothemould.Seizedsoapisstillsafetousebutitmaynotbeveryattractive.

Ifyourfragranceoilsupplierisunabletotellyouwhetherornottheoilwillworkinyoursoap,youwillhavetotestityourself.Takeapproximately100gofthesoapbatterandadd2gfragranceoiltoit.Ifyoucanstirthescentedbatterwithoutitbecomingtoothick,thenitisunlikelythefragranceoilwillhaveanadverseeffectonyourlargerbatches.If,however,thesmallersoapquantityhasthickenedupandhasalmostbecomesolid,thenitisbesttochooseadifferentfragranceoilforyoursoap.

REDUCINGTHECHANCESOFSOAPSEIZING

Ifyouwishtouseafragranceoilthatyouknowwillcauseyoursoaptoseize,thereareafewtechniquesyoucantrythatmightreducethespeedatwhichthesoapwillseize,hopefullygivingyouplentyoftimetogetitintothemouldbeforeitstartstoharden.

Firstly,makesurethatyourlyeandoilsarecoolerthan35°C/95°Fbeforecombiningthemandmixingtoalighttrace(stillrunny).Addingthefragranceoilstoacoolersoapbattermayslowdowntheseizing.

Alternatively, reserve some liquid oil, such as olive oil, from the soap recipe and blend yourfragranceoilintothereservedoil.Forevery10gfragranceoil,use30greservedoil.Bringyourmixturetoalighttraceandthenaddthefragranceoilandtheoliveoilblendsandstirthoroughlyintothesoapybatter.

Andfinallyyoucouldtryaddingthefragranceoiltothemeltedwarmedsoapoilsbeforecombiningthemwiththelye.

Withanyofthetechniquessuggestedabove,Irecommendyouworkquicklyjustincasethesoapstartstoseizeanyway.

HOWTOCALCULATEHOWMUCHFRAGRANCEORESSENTIALOILTOUSEINYOURSOAP

Youmaybesurprisedathowmuchfragranceoressentialoilisrequiredinordertogiveyoursoapbarsagood,strong,long-lastingscent.Wefragranceoursoapat2percent,whichinitiallygivesagoodaromabutfadesalittlefromtheoutsideedgesofthebarasthesoapages.Oncethesoapisusedinthebathorshower,thescentisreactivatedandbecomesmoreapparent.

Forthosewishingtohaveastronger-smellingsoap,it ispossibletoscentupto5percent,butthismay be too strong for some noses – andmore importantly, too strong for sensitive skins. In order tocalculate thepercentage,youwill have to addup the totalweightof all the ingredients inyour recipeexcludingthesodiumhydroxide.Onceyouhavecalculatedtheweight,divideitby100toget1percentandmultiplytheresultby2(toget2percent)orupto5(toget5percent).Usingour‘moisturisingwithquick, fluffy and long-lasting lather soap’ recipe the essential oil calculation would be performed asfollows:

250gcastoroil200gavocadooil100gcoconutoil50gsheabutter225gwater82gsodiumhydroxideTOTAL(excludingthesodiumhydroxide)is825g

Thefragranceoressentialoilsareusuallyaddedatthelighttracestage

Nowdivide825gby100=8.25gsothevalueof1percentis8.25g.IfIwishtofragranceat2percent,Iwillneedtomultiply8.25gby2(8.25x2=16.5)soIwouldrequire16.25goffragrenceoil.IfIwishtofragranceat5percent,Imustmultiplythe8.25gby5(8.25x5=41.25)soIwouldrequire41.25goffragranceoressentialoil.NowyoucanunderstandwhyIsaid thatyoumightbesurprisedathowmuchyouneedtouse.Iwouldsuggest thatyoustartwith2percentanddecidewhether this isstrongenoughoncethesoaphashadachancetomature.

ColouringyoursoapYoursoapwillpickup itsnaturalcolour fromthedifferentoilsyouuseand this is likely tobeapalebeige to ivory shade. However, if you have used an orange unrefined palm oil, or a green unrefined

avocadooilthenyoursoapbarswillhaveanorangeorgreentingetothem.Therearemanynatural ingredients thatyoucanadd togiveyoursoapacolourand therearesome

manmadecoloursthatyoucanusetoo.Beawarethatyoursoapwillbealkaliandanalkalienvironmentcancausesomesurprisingcolourchanges,soyoumaynotachievethecolouryouexpect.

Somecoloursarenotstableinlyesoapandmaychangetoasurprisinghue

NATURALCOLOURINGINGREDIENTS

Naturalcolouringingredientsthatyoucanuseinyoursoapsincludethefollowing:

Ingredient Colourinf inalbar Howtoincludeinyoursoaps

Alkanetroot PinkishpurpleInfusepiecesofrootincarrieroil(suchasoliveoil)andusethefilteredpinkcarrieroilaspartofyoursoapmakingoils,oraddpowderedalkanetrovoottoyourtracedsoap

Annattoseeds Yellowishorange Infuseseedsincarrieroilandusethefilteredcarrieroilaspartofyoursoapmakingoils

Carrots Paletogoldenorange Infusegratedcarrotincarrieroilandusethefilteredcarrieroilaspartofyoursoapmakingoilsorsubstitutesomeofthewaterwithinfusedcarrotwater

Cinnamon Pinkishbrown Addcinnamonpowdertotracedsoapmixture.Warning:thismaybeirritatingtosensitiveskin

Cocoapowderorplainchocolate Brown Addcocoapowderormeltedchocolatetoyourtracedsoapmixture

Coffee BrownAddinstantcoffeegranulesdissolvedinalittlehotwatertoyourtracedmixtureoraddwetgroundcoffeeorts(thewastematteraftermakinggroundorpercolatedcoffee)toyourtracedsoapmixture.Thegroundcoffeemakesanexfoliatingbar

CosmeticclaysGreen,pink,red,yellow–therearemanydifferentcolouredclaysavailable

Mixwithalittlewaterandaddtotracedsoapmixture

Madderroot Pinkishred Infuserootincarrieroilandusethefilteredcarrieroilaspartofyoursoapmakingoilsoraddpowderedmadderattrace

Paprika Reddishbrown Addpaprikapowdertotracedsoapmixture.Warning:thismaybeirritatingtosensitiveskin

Spinachpowder Olivegreen Addpowderedspinachpowdertotracedsoapmixture

Spirulinapowder Turquoisegreen Addspirulinapowdertotracedsoapmixture

Turmeric Goldtoyellow Addturmerictotracedsoapmixture.Warning:thismaybeirritatingtosensitiveskin

Dobepreparedforthecoloursacquiredusingdriedherbsandspicesinyoursoapstofadeovertime.Setacoupleofrandombarsasideforatleastsixmonths,checkingonthestrengthandstabilityofthecolourduringthistime.Certaincoloursfadequickly,otherslessso.

Oliveoilinfusedwithalkanaetrootwilladdapurplishshadetothesoap

USINGCOSMETICGRADECOLOURS

Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofcosmeticcolourthatcansuccessfullybeusedinyoursoaps.

Typeof colour Comments

Dyes

Dyesareusuallywater-solubleandthepowdervarietywillhappilydisperseinyourtracedsoapmixture.Liquiddyesarealreadydissolvedinwater,alcohol,oilsorglycerine.Thecommonliquidcolourspurchasedformelt-and-poursoapmakingarenotstableincoldprocessedsoapsandmaywellmorphintoadifferentcolour–havefunexperimenting!

Pigments(ultramarinesandoxides)Pigmentsarepowderedcolourthatdisperseseitherinwateroroil.Mostlystableincoldprocessedsoaps,theywillnotchangecolouralthoughtheymayfadeovertime.Toensureasmoothcolourblockratherthanspeckles,blendthepowderswithalittlewarmwateroroilbeforeaddingtoyourlightlytracedsoapmixture.

LakesLakesarepigmentsanddyesthathavebeenbondedontoasubstratesuchassodium,potassium,aluminahydrate,zirconiumorcalciumstrontium,whichmakesitinsoluble.Ifacolourisinsolubleitwillnotdissolveinwaterorbleedintoothercoloursbutstillgivestheappearanceofacolouredsoap.

MicaMicasarebeautifulmetalliccoloursusedtoprovideashimmer,sheenandshine.Theyshimmerbeautifullyintransparentmelt-and-poursoaps,butwilllosetheirsheeninopaquecoldprocesssoaps,althoughtheyretaintheircolour.Addmicastolightlytracedsoapmixture.

HOWMUCHCOLOURTOUSE

Howmuchcolouryouadddependsonwhetheryouwishtocolourthewholeblockofsoapthatyouaremaking,orjustpartofitandifyouwantatintofcolourorquiteastrongeffect.

Eachcolourhasadifferentstrength.Usingoneteaspoonofliquidbluewouldgiveyouafarstrongercolourthanoneteaspoonofultramarine.Isuggestthatyoustartwithasmallamountofcolour,mixitintothesoapwellandaddmorecolourifnecessaryuntilyouhavereachedthedesiredshade.

Neveraddtoomuchcolourasthismayresultincolouredflannels,towelsandtheneedtocleanyourbath,basinorshowerafteruse.Thebubblesandfoamshouldalwaysremainwhite.

Assomecolourscanbeunpredictableinyoursoap,considertestingasmallamountofmixturefirst(seeopposite)toavoidthefinishedresultcomingoutdifferentlyfromhowyouexpectedit.

Oxidecoloursaddmutedearthtonestoyoursoaps

TESTINGYOURCOLOURS

Inordertodeterminethecolour’sstabilityinanalkalienvironment,performasimpletestbeforeusingitforthefirsttime.

Mixasmallamountofsoaptotestthecolourreliability

TESTINGTHEIMPACTOFTHELYEONYOURCOLOUR

Makeupasmallamountoflyesolution(5gsodiumhydroxideto18gwater),ensuringthatyouadheretoallthesafetyprecautions.Oncethelyesolutioniscool,addasmallamountofthecolouryouwishtotest.Addeitherafewdropsofliquidcolouroraslurryofpowderedcolourblendedinwateroroiltothelye;mixthelyeandcolourtogetherwell.

Leavethecolouredmixturesomewheresafeforupto24hourstoseewhat,ifany,colourchangestakeplace.

TESTINGTHECOLOUROFTHEFINALSOAPMIXTURE

Themostthroughanddecisivetesttoseeifacolourwillworkwellinyoursoapistotakeasmallamountof the soap mixture out of the saucepan once you have reached light trace (still runny) and added afragranceoressentialoil.

Stirasmallamountofyourchosencolourintothesoapmixture–preferablyblendedinoilorwaterfirst–andsetthesampleasidefor24hours.Noteanycolourchangesthattakeplace.

WHATHAPPENSIFACOLOURISN’TSTABLE?

Thealkaliintraditionalsoapsmaycauseunexpectedcolourchanges.IremembermyfirstexperienceofthishappeningwaswhenIdecidedtomakesome‘Lavender’sBlueDillyDilly’soap,buthadrunoutofmypreferredbluecolouring:ultramarineblue.InsteadIdecidedtousetheliquidbluecolouringthatIuseinmelt-and-poursoapsandbathfizz,alsoknownasCI42090liquidbluecolouring.

As I stirred the blue into the traced soapmixture it quickly changed fromblue to a shade of grey,whichwasn’twhatIwanted.Icarriedonasusualandpouredthesoapintothemould,covereditwithlayersoftowelsandblanketsandleftitfor24hours.

Youcan imaginemysurprise thenextdaywhenI took thesoapoutof themould. Insteadofhavinggrey(orblue)soap,Ihadbeautifulpinksoap!Werenamedthesoap‘Lavender’sPinkDillyDilly’andfromthatpointonalwaysmadeitwiththeliquidblue.Therecipeisincludedlaterinthissection(page42)ifyouwishtotryitforyourself.

But thatwasagood luck storyandwecan’tpromise thatyou’llbeexcitedby thecolourchangingresults each time.Manyof thebrightly colourednatural ingredients, suchasbeetrootpowderorgrapeskin powder, will turn a disappointing shade of brown, whilst manganese violet fades to brown andprussianblueisaninstantbrown.

Pouringpurplecolourintothesaucepan

Differentcoloursandcoloureffectsinsoap

SoapmakingmethodsSonowthatyouhaveanideaofwhatoils,butters,coloursandfragrancesyouwouldliketousetomakeyoursoap,andwhatmouldsyouaregoingtousetosetyoursoapin,younowneedtodiscoverhowtomakethesoapitself.

There are several methods of making bars of traditional soap and there are advantages anddisadvantagestoeachofthesedifferenttechniques,asdetailedbelow.

COLDPROCESSSOAPMAKING

Althoughthisiscalled‘cold’processtheremaybesomerequirementforheat.Theheatisneededtomeltanysolidfats,suchassheabutter,palmoilandbeeswax,beforetheycanbecombinedwiththesodiumhydroxideandwatersolution(lye).The lyesolution itselfwillbehot,since it isexothermicandheatsspontaneously–thisisanaturalreactionthatoccurswhenmixingwaterandsodiumhydroxide.

Whilstthismightbeaquickmethodofmakingsoap,thesoapthenneedstorestforuptofourweeksbeforeitcanbeused.Althoughsafetouseasearlyastwoweeks, itwillbeonthesoftsideandmorepronetogoingsquishywhenused.Coldprocesssoapisoftenreferredtoas‘CP’soap.

NOHEATMETHOD

Thisisthequickestandeasiestsoapmakingmethodofall,butisonlysuitableonceyouareconfidentinhandlingthelye.Itcanonlybecarriedoutifyouareusingliquidoraverysoftoilsuchascoconutoil.Withthismethod,theliquidandsoftoilsareplacedinaheatproofcontainerandthenaturallyhotlyeispouredoverthetopofthem.Themixturecanthenbecontinuedascoldprocesssoaporheatedusingoneof the hot process methods below. In the hotter summer months, many of the harder oils soften upnaturally,makingtheno-heatsoapmakingprocessevensimpler.

HOTPROCESSSOAPMAKING

Thehotprocesssoapmakingmethodrequiresheatingthecoldprocesssoapmixtureinapanoverheatuntil the soap is cooked. This ismore time consuming but the soap is ready to use as soon as it hashardenedup(usuallytwoorthreedaysafterthedateofmanufacture).Hotprocesssoapisoftenreferredtoas‘HP’soap.

MAKINGSOAPINASLOWCOOKER(CROCK-POT)

Thetechniqueformakingsoapinaslowcookerisverysimilartothehotprocesssoapmakingmethod,but very little intervention by you is required. This is ideal for thosewho don’twish to hang aroundstirringtheirsoapmixtureasitcooks.Thecookedsoapmixtureistransferredtomouldsandthesoapisreadyforuseassoonasithashardenedup.

Soapmadeinthiswayisoftenreferredtoas‘CPHP’,whichstandsforcrock-pothotprocesssoap.

Youcanmakehardbarsandliquidsoapinaslowcooker(crock-pot)

MAKINGSOAPINANOVEN

The technique formaking soap in anoven isvery similar to the slowcooker (crock-pot) soapmakingmethod,andagain,verylittleinterventionisrequired.Inthiscase,thetracedsoapisplacedinalarge,ovenproof,liddedpotandleftinawarmovenwhilstitcooks.Again,thecookedsoapmixtureisplacedinmouldsandthesoapisreadyforuseassoonasithashardenedup.

Soapmadeinthiswayisoftenreferredtoas‘OPHP’or‘HPOP’,whichstandsforovenprocesshotprocessorhotprocessovenprocesssoap.

Method Advantages Disadvantages

Coldprocess

Thisisaveryquickmethodofpreparingyoursoap

Itiseasytoknowwhenthesoapisreadytobepouredintothemould

Thesoapisstillrunnywhenpouredsoitiseasytoperformfancycolouringtechniques

Ittakesfourweeksorsoforthesoaptobereadyforuse

Yourfragrancemaynotbeasstrongasyouwish,sincesomeofthearomaislostduetotheheatthesoapreachesduringthegelphase

Noheat

Thisisthefastestmethodofpreparingyoursoap

Itiseasytoknowwhenthesoapisreadytobepouredintothemould

Thesoapisstillrunnywhenpouredsoitiseasytoperformfancycolouringtechniques

Whilstdealingwithcoldoils,youwillbehandlinghotlye,whichisthelyeatitsmostdangerous

Hotprocess

Thesoapisreadytouseverysoonaftermakingit

Yourfragrancemayholdupbetterinthefinishedsoap,sinceithasbeenaddedwhenthesoapishot,butcoolingdown

Coloursthatareunstableinanalkalienvironmentfarebetterinhotsoaprecipes,sincethecolourcanbeaddedafterthe

Thesoaptakesaboutanhourlongertomakethanthecoldprocessmethod

Regularstirringisrequired

Thismethodisnotassimplefornovicesoapmakerssinceitisn’talwayseasytogaugewhenthesoapisreadytotransfertomoulds

Thesoapismuchthickerwhenpouringsofancycolouringtechniquesaremoredifficult.Thesecanbemadeeasierbyaddingalittleextrahotwatertothecookedsoaptomakeitrunnier

Youwillneedtoworkveryfasttogetthesoapintothemouldsonce

soaphascookedandisnolongeralkaline ready,sothatitdoesn’tsetinthepanitself

Thesoapwillbeveryhotwhenyouareplacingitinthemoulds

Slowcooker(crock-pot)

Thesoapisreadytouseverysoonaftermakingit

Littleeffortisrequiredoncethesoapmixturehastraced

Thismethodisnotassimplefornovicesoapmakerssinceitisn’talwayseasytogaugewhenthesoapisreadytotransfertothemoulds

Ovenprocess

ThesoapisreadytouseverysoonaftermakingitLittleeffortisrequiredoncethesoapmixturehastraced

Thismethodisnotassimplefornovicesoapmakerssinceitisn’talwayseasytogaugewhenthesoapisreadytotransfertothemoulds

BasicsoaprecipesIf you’re not quite ready to formulate your own recipes, then I have included several recipes that arerelativelystraightforwardtostartyouoff.

Eachoftherecipesyieldsapproximately600gofsoapmixture:enoughforsix100gbarsoralarge600gblockofsoap.Ifyoudon’thavethefragranceoressentialoilswehavesuggested,pleasefeelfreetosubstitutewithyourpreferredscentblendoronefromtheblendssectionincludedinthisbook(page24). For each recipe follow the steps below, which use the cold processmethod. See the individualrecipenotesforanyspecialinstructions.

MAKINGSOAPUSINGTHECOLDPROCESSMETHOD

Thereare teneasystages formakingcoldprocesssoap. Iestimate that itwill takeaboutanhour fromweighing the ingredients to covering your soap in towels unless you plan to do any fancy swirling orcolouringtechniques,inwhichcasesetasideafurther15–20minutestocarryoutthecolouringpartofthesoap.

Step1Getallyour equipment, ingredients, safetywear and sundries ready.Lineyourmould ifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Step2Weighoutthewaterrequiredforthelyesolution.Placethewaterjugtoonesidewhilstyouweighyoursodiumhydroxide.

Step3Weigh your sodium hydroxide, making sure that you adhere to all the safety instructions given in thesectionabouthandlingsodiumhydroxide(page9).

Step4Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothewaterandstiruntilthereisnogrittyfeelingatthebottomofthejug,asthisindicatesthatallthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.

Step5Weightheoils,buttersandwaxesandtransfertoasaucepan.Placeontheheatuntilthesolidoils,buttersandwaxeshavemelted.Donotincludetheessentialorfragranceoilsinthissaucepanyet.

Step5:Weighedoilsandbuttersreadytoaddtothesaucepanformelting

Step6Wearingyoursafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentiontothesafehandlingofthelye,pouraverysmallamountof lye into themeltedoils. If there isnoreaction,suchas theoils trying to fizzandreacttothelye,carryoncarefullypouringthelyeintothemeltedoils.

Step6:Addinglyetothemeltedoils

Step7Stirtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace(stillrunny).Whilstyoucandothistaskbyhand,youwillfinditmuchquickertoperformusingahandheldstickblender.Blitzthesoapmixturewiththeblender until it reaches trace. This will probably take about two or three minutes depending on thetemperatureof theoils, theambient temperatureandwhetherornotyouhaveoils thatmayspeeduporslowdownreachingthetracestage.

Traceiswhenthesoapmixturelooksratherlikeapancakebatterorcustard.Whenyoudrizzlealittleofthesoapbatterbackintothemixtureitwillbrieflysitonthesurfacebeforesinkingintotherestofthebatterorwhenyoucanseeashapeleftbytheblenderwhenyouliftitout.Lighttraceiswhenyourbatterisstillrunny,mediumtraceisslightlythickersoapbatterandheavytraceisverythicksoapmixturethatwilldollopratherthanpoursmoothlywhenyoutipitout.

Step7:Astickblenderwillsaveyouthetimeandtroubleofmixingbyhand

Step8Unless specified in the individual recipes add the essential or fragrance oil to the lightly traced soapbatterandstirwell.Stirrightdowntothebottomofthesaucepan,sothatfragranceoressentialoilsarethoroughlyincorporatedintoallthesoapmixture.

Ifyouareaddingcolourorotheradditivestoyoursoap,itislikelythattheywillbeaddedatthisstep.Stirwellaftereachaddition.

Alighttraceiswhereyoucanseeashapeleftinthesoapfromthebladesofthestickblender

Step9Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.

Step9:Pouringsoapintothemould

Step10Ifthemoulddoesnothavealid,coverwithachoppingboardorpieceofcardboardtopreventthetowelsfallingintothesoap.Thencoverthecoveredmouldwithalayerofoldtowels.Themorethemerrierasit’simportantthatthesoapiskeptinsulatedforthenext24hours.

There,that’sit–allyouneedtodonowisclearup,washupandwait!

Step10:Coveryoursoapwithlayersoftowelsorblanketsforthefirst24hours

SOAPRECIPESUSINGTHECOLDPROCESSMETHOD

Coldprocesssoapsarequickandeasytomakeonceyougetusedtomakingandhandlingthelyeandoils.Thesoaptakesafewweekstohardenupbeforetheycanbeused,butthewaitisworthitsincetheresult

isskin-softening,moisturising,luxuriousbarsofsoapthatyou’lllove.

SlumberbarTheslumberbarisagentlesoapwithdeliciousaromasoflavenderandylangylang,bothknownfortheirability to lullyou intoastateof relaxation.Use thissoapforyourpre-bedtimebath.Tossahandfulofrosepetalsintoyourbathtoojustforthesheerbeautyandopulence.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS150goliveoil•100gsweetalmondoil•100gcoconutoil

50gavocadooil•50gmangobutter

SOAPSCENT3glavenderessentialoil•11gylangylangessentialoil

METHODFollowtheteneasycoldprocesssoapmakingsteps(pages37–8).

Slumberbar

MeekandmildThissoapismildandgentle,courtesyoftheoilshighinlinolenicacid,especiallyrosehip.Tomaximisethe properties of the rosehip oil, it is added after light trace and with the essential oils, so don’taccidentallyaddittothesaucepanwiththeotheroils.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•62gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS220goliveoil•150gpeachkerneloil•40gcoconutoil40gpalmoil•20grosehipoil(addwiththeessentialoils)

SOAPSCENT10gchamomileessentialoil•2glavenderessentialoil

METHODFollow steps 1–7 of the cold process soap making steps (pages 37–8), making sure that you do notincludetherosehipoilwiththeotheroils.Onceyouhavereachedalighttrace,addtherosehipoilwhenyouaddthechamomileandlavenderessentialoilsandcontinuewithsteps9and10.

Meekandmildsoap,courtesyofrosehipandotheroilshighinlinolenicacid

SkinsosoftThesheabutterandkukuinutoilmakethisafabulousskinsofteningsoap.Thebeeswaxwillhardenthebarupasotherwiseittendstobeinitiallyonthesoftsideandmaytakelongertosolidify.Beeswaxwillhelptobringyoursoaptotracefairlyquickly,soyoumaynotneedtouseyourhandheldstickblenderforaslongasusual.Ilovetodecoratethisonewitharosebudortwo.

LYESOLUTION148gwater(insteadofmakingyourlyewith168gwater,use148gwater;theother20gwillbeusedto

makeamilkysolution,below)56gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS130goliveoil•100gcastoroil•100gkukuinutoil

100gsheabutter•20gbeeswax

SOAPSCENT6glavenderessentialoil•6grosegeraniumessentialoil

ADDITIONS15gmilkpowdermixedwith20gwater(thatyoukeptbackwhenmakingthelye).Ifyouwarmthewater

first,themilkpowderwilldissolvemoreeasily.

METHODFollowsteps1–7ofthecoldprocesssoapmakingsteps(pages37–8)untilyouhavereachedlighttrace.Addthemilkysolutionwiththelavenderandrosegeraniumessentialoilsandcontinuetosteps9and10.

Skinsosoftsoap

Lavender’spinkdillydillyThis is the soap that went from blue to grey to pink (page 32), so don’t be surprised when it startschangingcolourinfrontofyou!Itwon’tbefullypinkuntilyouremoveitfromthemouldafter24hours.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS220goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•80gpalmoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12glavenderessentialoil

COLOURAfewdropsofblueliquidcolouringCI42090

METHODFollowthe10easycoldprocesssoapmakingsteps (page37–8) to recreate thissoap, remembering toaddafewdropsofbluecolouringafteryouhaveaddedthelavenderessentialoil.Onceyouhavestirredtheliquidbluecolouringintothesoap,itshouldstarttochangetoashadeofgreywhilstyoucontinuetosteps9and10.

Lavender’spinkdillydillysoap

CitrushitThisisanupliftingandrefreshingaroma.Ifyoudon’thave5-or10-foldlemon(extrastrength),makeablendoflemon,lemongrassandmaychangessentialoils,asthecitrussmellwilllastlongerthanifyouhadusedlemonessentialoilonitsown.

LYESOLUTION158gwater(insteadofmakingyourlyewith168gwater,makeitwith158gwater;theremaining10gwillbeusedtomakeaslurrywiththeyellowoxide,asthiscausestheyellowcolourtodispersemore

evenly)62gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•100gsweetalmondoil•100gcoconutoil

50gcastoroil

SOAPSCENT4glemonessentialoil•4glemongrassessentialoil

4gmaychangessentialoil

COLOUR1gyellowoxide

(mixedwiththe10gwaterthatyoukeptbackwhenmakingthelye)

METHODFollowsteps1–7ofthecoldprocesssoapmakingsteps(pages37–8)untilyouhavereachedlighttrace.Addtheyellowoxidesolutionwiththelemonyessentialoilsandcontinuetosteps9and10.

Citrushitsoap

Baristaexfoliatingbars

BaristaexfoliatingbarThisisoneofmyfavouritesoaps!Savetheleftovercoffeegroundsfromyourcafetière,astheyareidealforuseinsoap.Theywillgiveanaturalbrowncolourandmakeyoursoapanexfoliatingbar,sincethegroundswillgohard.

Ifyouarefeelingadventurous,splityoursoapmixtureintotwohalvesandaddthecoffeegroundstoonehalfandthemilkpowdertotheother.Thisallowsyoutohaveabarofsoapthatishalfexfoliatingandhalfcreamy,acolouringtechniqueknownaslayering.

LYESOLUTION148gwater(insteadofmakingyourlyewith168gwater,makeitwith148gwater;theother20gwillbe

usedtomakeamilkysolutionwiththemilkpowder,below)65gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•150gcoconutoil•50gpalmoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12gcoffeefragranceoil

ADDITIONS15gmilkpowdermixedwiththe20gwaterthatyoukeptbackwhenmakingthelye(warmthewaterfirsttomakethemilkpowderdispersemoreeasily)20gfreshlygroundcoffee(orleftovercoffeegrounds)

METHODFollowsteps1–7ofthecoldprocesssoapmakingsteps(pages37–8)untilyouhavereachedlighttrace.Addthecoffeefragranceoilandstirwell.

Splitthemixtureintotwohalvesbyleavingonehalfinthesaucepanandpouringtheotherintoajug.Youdon’tneedtobeexact;guessinghowmuchishalfwillworkfineforthisrecipe.

Add themilk solution to one half andmixwell.Add the coffee grounds to the other half of the soapmixture andmixwell.Pour the coffeegroundshalf into themouldand spread the soapmixturewithaspatulatofillthemouldevenly.Slowlypourthecreamyhalfoverthedarkercoffeegroundshalf,beingcarefulnottodislodgethedarkercoffeelayertoomuch.

Coverthemouldwithaboard,thentowelsorblanketsasusual.

CherrydominosoapMmm,thecherryjamaromafoolsmeintothinkingI’mstirringupsomethingedible!WhenIdroppedthedotsontothesoapitremindedmeofmymother’sjammakingandtestingthejamforthesettingstage.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•100gcherrykerneloil•100gcoconutoil

50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12gcherryfragranceoil

COLOUR0.5gautumnredmica

METHODFollowsteps1–7ofthecoldprocesssoapmakingsteps(pages37–8)untilyouhavereachedlighttrace.Addthecherryfragranceoilandstiragain.Removeonetablespoonofthesoap,addtheautumnredmicatoitandstiragain.

Pourtheuncolouredsoapintothemouldsandthendropfourorfivedotsofredsoapmixtureontothetopofeachbar.Insulateandleavefor24hours.

Cherrydominosoap

MAKINGSOAPUSINGTHEHOTPROCESSMETHOD

Whilstmakingsoapusingthehotprocessmethodcanbealittletricky,thesoapisreadytouseassoonasithashardened–thiscouldbeaslittleastwodays–makingitapopularchoiceforimpatientsoapers.Itis a techniquedefinitelyworth perfecting if youdon’twant towait the 4–6weekperiod that the coldprocesssoapmakingusuallytakes.

The soap ishotter andharderwhen itgoes into themould soyoudoneed tobeprepared toworkcarefullyandquickly.Yourspoonsandsaucepanwillbemucheasiertocleanthantheyarefromthecoldprocessmethod,sincethistimetheresiduewillbesoapyratherthangreasy.

Thereareafewmorestagestomakinghotprocesssoapthanforthecoldprocessmethod.Iestimatethatitwilltakeaboutoneandahalftotwohoursfromweighingtheingredientstopouringyoursoapintothemould.

If you have a slow cooker (crock-pot) you don’t have to stir your soap as often, since the heat isdistributedmoreevenlythroughoutthesoapmixturesoreducingtheriskofitburning.

Thefirstpartofyourhotprocesssoapmakingistomakeupabatchofsoapjustasyouwouldwhenmakingcoldprocesssoap.Ihaverepeatedthesteps1–7heretohelpyou.

Step1Getallyour equipment, ingredients, safetywear and sundries ready.Lineyourmould ifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Step2Weighthewaterrequiredforthelyesolution.Placethewaterjugtoonesidewhilstyouweighthesodiumhydroxide.

Step3Weighthesodiumhydroxidemakingsurethatyouadheretoallthesafetyinstructionsgiveninthesection

abouthandlingsodiumhydroxide(page9).

Step4Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothewaterandstiruntilthereisnogrittyfeelingatthebottomofthejugasthismeansthatallthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.

Step5Weightheoils,buttersandwaxesandtransfertoasaucepanorslowcooker(crock-pot).Placeontheheatuntilthesolidoils,buttersandwaxeshavemelted.Donotincludetheessentialorfragranceoilsyet.

Step6Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentiontothesafehandlingofthelye,pouraverysmallamountoflyeintothemeltedoils.Ifthereisnoreaction,suchastheoilstryingtofizzandreacttothelye,carryoncarefullypouringthelyeintothemeltedoils.

Step7Stirtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.Whilstyoucandothistaskbyhand,youwillfind itmuch quicker to performusing a handheld stick blender.Blitz the soapmixture until it reachestrace.Thiswillprobably takeabout twoor threeminutesdependingon the temperatureof theoils, theambienttemperatureandwhetherornotyouhaveoilsthatmayspeeduporslowdownreachingthetracestage.

Step8Hobmethod:placethetracedsoapinthesaucepanbackontothehobandcookoveralowheat,stirringevery10minutesorso.Ifyouhavealidforthesaucepan,putitonthepanwhilstthesoapiscooking.Slowcooker(crock-pot)method:placethelidontheslowcookerandleavetheheatsettingonmediumorlow.

Step9Hobmethod:keeptheheatlowanddonotallowthesoaptoovercook.Beawarethatthesoapmixturemaytrapair,causingittoriseupinsidethesaucepan.Whenstirring,dowatchoutforthesoapmixturetopuffupas itmayvolcanooutof the saucepan.The soapwillgo throughaphase referred toas ‘applesauce’sinceitlooksverysimilartopuréedstewedapples.Slowcooker(crock-pot)method:keepaneyeonthesoapmixtureandstirevery20minutes.

Whengoinginforthestir,placethespooncarefullyinthesaucepanincaseitreleasesanytrappedair.Alwaysrememberthatthissoapmixtureishotandcaustic,sowearprotectiveglovesatalltimeswhenstirring.

After20minutesorsoyoumaynotice that theedgesof themixturestart to turna little transparent.This is the soap gelling, which is what your cold process soap does itself when under towels andblankets.Stirthetransparentpartsofthesoapbackintothemainsoapmixture.Besuretoscrapedownanysoapthatisrestingontheinsidewallsofthesaucepanorslowcooker(crockpot).Keepstirringthesoapthoroughlyandregularly.Whenyouarenotstirring,prepareanyothersoapmakingingredientsyouneed,suchasweighingout,yourfragranceoressentialoil.Ifyouplantocolouryoursoap,youcanaddthe colour at this stage and allow it to blend into the soap each time you stir it.Once the soap lookstranslucentandalittlelikeaglossyVaseline,themixtureisready.

Step9:Hotprocesssoapstartingthegelphase

Step9:Hotprocesssoapreachingtheapplesaucephase

Step10Tomakesurethesoapmixtureisready,testalittletoensurethatithasreachedthecorrectconsistency.

Takea littleof the soapmixture (abouthalf a teaspoonwill do) andplace it onaplateor saucer.Leaveittocoolslightlyandthentouchitwithyourpointingfinger,havingremovedyourglovesfirst.Rollthesoapmixturebetweenfingerandthumb;ifitfeelsgreasyoryoucanseeanoilytrail, thesoapisn’treadyyetsocontinuecookingandstirringforanother5–10minutes.

Ifthesoapmixturefeelscreamy,paste-likeandratherlikesoapwhenrolledbetweenfingerandthumbthenitisslightlymorethandone!Removeitfromtheheat.You’llsoongetusedtobeingabletospotthesignsofyoursoapbeingready–andtheworstthatcanhappenisthatitbecomesverythickandlesseasytopour,andwillnothaveasmoothsurface.

Step11

Add your fragrance and if you are planning to use any colour do so now, if you haven’t already. Stirquicklyand thoroughly toensure that thecolourandsmellareevenlydistributed into thesoapmixture.Workquicklyasthesoapwillstart tohardenupandit’sbest toget it intothemouldwhilstasfluidaspossible.Ifitgetstoohardorthick,addalittleadditionalhotwatertothesoapmixturetomakeitslightlyeasiertohandleandpourintothemould.

Step12Spoon, pour or dollop the soap mixture into your mould, pressing down to release any trapped airbubbles.Whenallthesoapmixtureisin,bangthemoulddownontheworksurfacetoremovetrappedairandtoleveloffthetop.

If the surface of the soap looks a little rugged, coverwith a piece of polythene or cling film andsmoothitoutbystrokingit.

Step12:Pouringthick,hotprocesssoapintothemould

Step13Leavethesoaptohardeninthemould.Thereisnoneedtoinsulateitduringthistime.Oncethesoapishardenoughtoretainitsownshape,removefromthemould.Youcaneither leavethesoapasawholeblockorcutitintoslicesbeforeleavingitatroomtemperaturetohardenup,whichshouldonlytakeafewdays.

Assoonasitishard,thesoapisreadyforuse.

SOAPRECIPESUSINGTHEHOTPROCESSMETHODWhenyouhavesuccessfullymadesoapusingthecoldprocessmethod,dotrytomakesoapusingthehotprocessmethod. I remember the first time Imadehotprocesssoap– it is simpleonceyouknowwhatyou’redoingandunlessIwanttofiddleaboutdoingsomefancycolouringtechniques,thisisthemethodIprefertouse.

SmoothandluscioussoapTheadditionoftonkabeanfragranceoilmakesthissoapsmellfabulous.Tonkabeanismid-waybetweenachocolateandavanillasmellandslowlychangesthesoapfromivorytobeige.Itisbeautifulinlooksandaroma.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•60gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•50gcoconutoil•100gcastoroil

100gsweetalmondoil

SOAPSCENT12gtonkabeanfragranceoil

METHODFollowthehotprocesssoapmakingsteps1–11(pages47–9)andaddthetonkabeanfragranceoil.Stirwellandquicklygetyoursoapintothemould.

Smoothandluscioussoap

Cooling,conditioningsoapTheadditionofpeppermintessentialoilmakesthissoapsmellupliftingwhilsthavingacooling,tinglingeffectonthebody.Itisdefinitelyaninvigoratingsoap–perfectforyourearlymorningablutions.Alltheoilshavelinoleicandoleicacids,asdoesthecocoabutter,sothissoapwillbeespeciallyconditioning,leavingyourskinfeelingsilkysoft.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•57gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS130goliveoil•80gcastoroil•80gavocadooil

80ggrapeseedoil•80gcocoabutter

SOAPSCENT12gpeppermintessentialoil

COLOUR1gblueultramarinemixedwith10gwater

METHODWhilstwaitingforthesoaptocook,mixtheultramarineinto10gwateruntilthewaterhasturnedblueandtheultramarinehasdissolvedfully.

Follow steps 1–9 of the hot process soapmakingmethod (pages 47–9) and add the ultramarine blueliquidtothesoapmixturewhilstitcooks.Stirwell.

Continue to step 11 and add the peppermint essential oil. Stirwell andquickly get your soap into themould.

Cooling,conditioningsoap

HerbalhavenTheherbaceousaromafromtheessentialoilsisstimulating,yetcomforting.Theoilschosenwillcreateabig, richly latheredbar that leaves the skin feeling soft andmoisturised, courtesyof theverygenerousdollopofsheabutter.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•61gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS50goliveoil•50gpalmoil•100gcoconutoil

100gcastoroil•150gsheabutter

COLOUR2ggreenclaymixedwith10goliveoil

SOAPSCENT6grosemaryessentialoil•3glavenderessentialoil2gclarysageessentialoil•1gbasilessentialoil

METHODWhilstwaitingforthesoaptocook,mixthegreenclayinto10goliveoil(thisisinadditiontotheoliveoilusedaspartofthemainsoaprecipe).Followsteps1–9ofthehotprocesssoapmakingmethod(pages47–9)andaddgreenoxideoliveoiltothesoapmixturewhilstitcooks.Stirwell.

Continuetostep11andaddtheessentialoils.Stirwellandquicklygetyoursoapintothemould.

DirtymudandmangobutterbarIalwayssmileattheironyofwashingmyselfwithabarofsoapcontainingmud.I’veexperimentedwithallsortsofaromasthatIthinkarefittingwiththemudandmangobutterandthistimeIsuggestthatyouusemostlymango,butwithadashoflime.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•90gpalmoil•60gmangobutter

SOAPSCENT9gmangofragranceoil•3glimeessentialoil

ADDITION3gDeadSeamud(mixedwith10gwater)

METHODWhilstwaitingforthesoaptocook,mixtheDeadSeamudinto10gwater(thisisinadditiontothewaterusedtomakethelye).Followsteps1–11ofthehotprocesssoapmakingmethod(pages47–9)andaddthemangoandlimeblend.Stirwell.PourhalfyoursoapmixtureintothemouldandaddtheDeadSeamudslurrytotheremainingsoapmixtureinthesaucepan.Stirwellandpouralayerofmudsoapontopoftheuncolouredsoapalreadyinthemould.

Dirtymudandmangobutterbars

PeachyglowThere’slotsofpeachinthissoap!Ihaveselectedpeachkerneloil,peachfragranceoiland,ifyoucangetthem, crushed peach kernels to use as the mild exfoliating ingredient. If you can’t get crushed peachkernels,substitutestrawberryorpoppyseeds.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100goliveoil•100gcoconutoil

200gpeachkerneloil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12gpeachfragranceoil

ADDITIONS1gcrushedpeachkernels•20ghotwater

METHODFollowthehotprocesssoapmakingsteps1–11(pages47–9)andaddthepeachfragranceoil.Workingquickly, place half the soap in the mould. Add the crushed peach kernels and 20 g hot water to theremainingsoapmixtureandstirwell.Pourtheseededsoapintothemouldontopofthenon-seededsoap.

Peachyglowsoap

RosyhuesoapThecostofroseessentialoilcanmakeitprohibitiveforuseinsoapunlessyouhaveanunlimitedbudget.Many floral fragrance oils are notorious for seizing (where themixture suddenly goes very thick andbecomesalmostunmanageableduetothecomponentsofthefragranceoils–seepage25)andtheroseweuseisespeciallypronetothis,soIhaveincludedrosegeraniumforitsbeautifulfloralaroma.You’llbepleasedtoknowthatitbehavesextremelywellinsoaps.

ToteamupwiththebeautifularomaIhaveincludedsomeofmyfavouriteoils.Thisisdefinitelyoneofmyfavouritesoaps.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•61gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gavocadooil•80gcoconutoil•160goliveoil

50gpalmoil•50gsheabutter•10garganoil

SOAPSCENT12grosegeraniumessentialoil(blendedwithanother10garganoil)

COLOUR2gpinkmica(orinfuseyouroliveoilwithalkanetrootforatleastthreeweekspriortomakingthesoap.

Thiswillmaketheoliveoilpinkandeliminatestheneedforanyadditionalcolour).

METHODFollowthehotprocesssoapmakingsteps1–11(pages47–8)andaddtherosegeraniumoilblendedwith10garganoilandthepinkmica,ifusing.

Stirwellandquicklygetyoursoapintothemould.Ifyouhavetimebeforethesoaphardensup,blobalittlepinksoapontopanddragateaspoonhandlethroughittocreateaswirledeffect.

Rosyhuesoap

SpecialeffectsusingcolourAsmuchasyoumaychoosetomakesoapforitsbeautifulpost-washingskinfeelorlovelyaroma,neverunderestimatetheimportanceofitsappearanceeither.We’vehadmanyarequesttonotonlymakesoapsin the colour scheme of shower rooms and bathrooms, but also to createmarbled, stripy and swirledsoaps invariouscolours too.Weevenhada request tomatcha footballkit!Therearemanycolouringeffectsthatyoucanbeautifyyoursoapwithandifyouarecreative,hereisyourchancetomakesoapthatreallystandsout.

Sincemanyof the techniques requireyou toplayaroundwithcolouredsoapbatter,youmustmakesure thatyouchooseessential and fragranceoils thatdonot try toaccelerate trace.Oneof thekeys tosuccessfulcolouringistokeepyoursoapveryrunnyforaslongaspossible,soIwoulddefinitelyonlyattempt the specialist colouring techniques with cold process soap. It’s not advisable to discount thewater or stick blend to anything other than a very runny trace: you need themaximum amount of timepossibletopourthedifferentcolours.

Soapdecoratedusingthefeatheringtechnique(page59)

COLOURINGTECHNIQUE–LAYERINGYOURSOAP

Layeringyoursoap into twoor threedifferent stripes isoneof thesimplestcolouring techniques.Thistechniquecanbecarriedoutwithalighttomediumtracesoit’sagoodonetoadoptifyoursoapmixturestartstothickenup.

Splittherunnysoapbatterintotwoorthreeportionsandmakeeachoneadifferentcolour.

Cream,purpleandpalepink

Pouringthesecondlayerofsoap

Pour the first layer and bang your mould down onto the work surface to remove any trapped airbubbles and to smooth out the surface of the soap.You need to pour the second layer as carefully aspossibletoavoiddislodgingthefirstlayerandblurringthelinebetweenthetwo.Thismaybeeasierifyoupourthesoapontoaspatulaandallowittodrizzleoffthespatulaontothefirstlayer.Onceyouhavepouredthesecondlayer,repeatwiththethirdcolour.Onceallyourlayersarepoured,coverandinsulateyoursoapasusual(seepage38).

Itispossibletohaveaperfectlystraightedgewherethetwocoloursmeet,butthiswillinvolvetwo

stages.Makeyoursoapasabovebutafteryouhavepouredthefirstcolouredlayer,coverwithtowelstoinsulateitandleavetorestfor24hours.After24hoursthesoapwillbehard,sopouringanewbatchwillmeanthatthesecondlayersitscomfortablyontopofthefirstwithoutblendingormergingthelayers.

Greenandbeigelayeredsoap

COLOURINGTECHNIQUE–CHUNKINGYOURSOAP

Chunkingisanothereasycolouringtechniqueandaveryusefulmethodofusingupoddbitsofcolouredsoap!Ifyoudon’thaveanyoddbitsofsoaptohand,thechunkingtechniquewillneedtobecarriedoutoverafewdays.

Ifyoudon’thaveoddbitsofsoap,makeupasmall,200gblockofscented,highlycolouredsoap.Cover,insulateandleaveitfor24hours.After24hoursremovefromthemouldandcutintosmall,1cmsquaresorchunksandsettooneside.Ifyoudohaveapproximately200gofoddbitsofsoap,cuttheseinto1cmchunksandsettooneside.

Youwillneedamouldthatcanholdatleast800gofsoap.Makeupa600gbatchofsoap,bringittolighttraceandaddthefragrance.Stirthesoapmixturewell.Ifyouplantocolourthisouterlayer,chooseashadethatissignificantlydifferentfromthecolourofthechunkssotheycontrastbeautifully.

Place thechunks inyour soapbatter andgiveaquick stir tomake sure theyareevenlydistributedthroughoutthemixture.Pourintoyourmouldandbangthemouldontotheworksurfacetodislodgeanybubbles.Coverandinsulateasusualbeforecuttingintoslicesonceitisready.

Cuttingthechunkedsoaploaf

COLOURINGTECHNIQUE–FEATHERINGYOURSOAP

Thefeathering techniquecanbeapplied to the topofyoursoap tomakebars looka little likea rathertastycreamslice.Exactlythesametechniqueisusedbypatissiers.

This techniquewill require thatyoursoapbatter ison therunnyside,sobring toavery light traceonly.Add the fragrance and stirwell.Remove 30–60 g of the soap base and place in a jug.Add thecolouringtothemixtureinthejugandstirwell(ifitstartstothickenup,addalittlehotwatertomakeitrunnyagain).

Removeanother30–60guncolouredsoapandplaceinadifferentjug.Addadifferentcolourtothisjugandmix.

Pour the largerbatchofscentedsoapintoyourmouldandbangthemouldonto theworksurface tosmooththetopandremoveanyairbubbles.

Pour the first coloured soap in the jugonto the soap in themouldbydrizzling thin stripesof soaplengthwaysacrossthetopofthesoap.Ifyoucanpourfromaheightitwillhelpthecolouredsoaptosinkintothemainsoapalittleratherthanjustsitontop.

Repeatusingthesecondcolourtocreatealternatestripes.When you have thin stripes of soap on top of themain soap, stop pouring and set any remaining

coloured soap aside as this isn’t needed now.You can pour it into a differentmould tomake a solidcoloursoap.

Insertthetipofametalskewer,woodenchopstickorotherthinutensilintotheedgeofthesoapabout2cmalongthefirststripethatyoupoured.Carefullybutsteadilypulltheskeweracrossthestripestotheotheredgeof thesoap(thecolouredstripesshouldflowtowards thepullandcreateafeathered look).Removetheskewerandgiveitawipe.Repeatthepullingacrossthestripesbutthistimestartattheothersideofthesoapandworkintheoppositedirection.

Thefirstcolouredstripeforthefeatheringtechnique

Thesecondcolouredstripeforthefeatheringtechnique

Pullingthestripestocreatethefeatheredeffect

Repeat the pulling of the skewer from side to side until the whole of the top of your soap has afeatheredpatternacrossit.

Onceyou’vemasteredtheartoffeathering,experimentbyfeatheringthreeormoredifferentcolouredstripes. You can create wonderful spider’s web patterns by pouring soap into thin circles and thenfeatheringbydraggingyourskewerorcocktailstickfromthemiddleoutwards.

Circlesinsteadofstripesareequallyeffective

COLOURINGTECHNIQUE–SWIRLINGYOURSOAP

Analternativetofeatheringthesurfaceofyoursoapistoswirlthesurfaceinstead.Repeattheexerciseforfeathering,butinsteadofpullingyourskewerfromsidetoside,drawsmallcirclesinthestripesanddragthecolouredstripesindifferentdirections.Becarefulnottodragtoomanytimesincasethecoloursstarttomergeintooneandyoulosethedelicatepatterns.

Swirledsoapcanlookbreathtakinglybeautiful,especiallyiftheswirlscontinueintothesoapratherthan justsiton the top.Therearevariousmethodsofachieving thisand,withexperience,soapmakerstendtodeveloptheirownpreferredmethod.

Whenswirlingthecoloursinyoursoap,bepreparedforafewsurprisesasswirlingdoesn’talwaysgo toplan.Pleasedon’tworry if itdoesn’tworkoutexactlyasyou intended– theresultswillstillbebeautiful.

Goldenswirledsoap

In-potswirlThe‘in-pot’swirlisprobablytheeasiestmethodofswirling.IntheexamplehereIshalldescribehowtodoanin-potswirlwiththreedifferentcolouredportionsofsoapandoneuncolouredportion,butyoucanswirlwithasmanydifferentcoloursasyouwish.

Ifyourmouldneedslining,prepareitandplacetooneside.Nowprepareyourcolours.Placethefirstcolourthatyouhavechosentouseinasmallcontainer.Ifyouareusingapowderedcolour,Irecommendthatyouaddalittlewateroroiltoitsothatitbecomesaliquidcolour.

Purpleandgreenswirledinthesaucepan

Repeatplacingyourtwootherliquidcoloursindifferentsmallcontainers.Bringyoursoap toavery light traceandadd the fragrances (makesureyouchoose fragrances that

won’tacceleratetrace,seepage25).Stirthesoapmixturewell.Whenyouhavemadesurethatthefragranceoressentialoilsarethoroughlyincorporatedintothesoap

mixture,pouraboutaquarterofitintothesmallcontainercontainingthecolourandstirwell.Repeat until you have three small containers of different coloured soap and a quarter of the soap

mixtureuncolouredandstillinthesaucepan.Youwillneedtoworkfairlyquicklybeforethesoaptriestothickenup.

Takethesmallcontainerholdingthefirstcolouranddrizzlethecolourbackintothesaucepan.Pourfromaheightasthiswillhelpthecolouredsoaptofallintotheuncolouredsoapmixtureratherthanjustsit on the surface.Drizzle thin stripes of soap in lines back and forth over the uncoloured soap in thesaucepan.

Whenyouhaveusedupthefirstcolouredsoap,repeattheexercisebypouringthecolouredsoapinthesecondsmallcontainerbackintothesaucepan.Drizzlesoapinstripesacrosstheothersoapsinthepan.

Repeatwiththethirdsmallcontaineruntilallyoursoapisbackinthesaucepan.Donotstirthesoapinthesaucepanatanystageofthecolouringprocess.

Nowcarefullypourthestripycolouredsoapinthesaucepanintothemould.Someofthesoapcolourswillmergetogetherwhilstotherswillstayasstripes–nomatterhowitendsup,itwilllookamazing!

Coverandinsulatefor24hoursasusualbeforecuttingintostripesandadmiringyourwork.

Pouringtheswirledcolours

In-mouldswirlThe‘in-mould’swirlissimilartothein-potswirlbutthistimeallthepouringandswirlingisdoneinthemouldandnot thesaucepan.Aswith the in-pot swirl,prepare twoor threecolouredportionsof soap,leavingoneportionuncoloured.Againyoucanswirlwithasmanydifferentcoloursasyouwish.

If your mould needs lining, prepare it and place to one side. Prepare your colours in the smallcontainerssothattheyarereadytobestirredintotheportioned-offsoapmixture.

Bringyoursoaptoavery,verylighttraceandaddthefragrance.Pourthefirstportionofsoaptobecolouredintoalittlecontainerandblendinthecoloursothatisitevenlydistributedthroughout.

Repeatuntilyouhavedifferentcolouredsoapinlittlecontainersreadytopourintothemould.Pouradrizzleofthefirstcolouredsoapintoyourmould,makingsurethatyouhaveastriperunningfromoneendofthemouldtotheother.Themixtureshouldremaininstripesandnotcovertheentirebase.

Takethejugwiththesecondcolourandpouranotherdrizzleofsoaprunningnexttothefirstsoapthatyoupoured.

Repeatusingthethirdcolouredsoapandthentheuncolouredsoap.Onceyouhavedrizzledallfourquartersofsoap(threecolouredandoneuncoloured),repeattheexerciseagain,pouringadrizzleofthefirstcolourontopofthesoapalreadyinthemould.

Repeatwithallthecolourstimeandagainuntilyouhavenosoapmixtureleft.Coverand insulate for24hoursasusualbeforecutting theblockof soap intoattractive individual

slices.

Preparingthedifferentcolouredsoapmixtures

Coat-hangerswirlThetechniquecalledthecoat-hangerswirlisanextensionofthein-mouldswirl.Awirecoathangerisallthat is needed as your swirling tool. You will be using one of the triangular corners and inserting ittemporarilyintoyourmould,somakesureitactuallyfitsintothemouldbeforeyoustarttopourthesoap.Ifnecessary,bendorsquashittomakeitthinner.

Usingthein-potswirlinstructions(page62),pourlayersofcolouredsoapintothemould.Onceallthesoapisinside,carefullyinsertthetriangularcornerofthecoathangerintothesoapatoneendofthemould, so that it is touching thebottomof themould,beingcarefulnot todislodge the liner ifyouareusingone.

Swirlsandcoloursrunningthroughoutthesoap

Beautifullyswirledsoapmadeusingthecoat-hangerswirlmethod

Slowlybringthecoathangeruptowardsthesurfaceofthesoap,movingitafewcentimetresalongthesoapasyouliftit.Whenyouhavealmostreachedthetopofthesoap,movethecoathangerdownintothesoapagain,movingacoupleofcentimetresalongthesoapasyoupushitbackdown.Whenyoureachthebottom of the soap again your coat hanger should be further along the soap, havingmoved in awavethroughoutthefullheightofthesoap.

Repeatthewavemovementfromtoptobottomthroughoutthesoapuntilyoureachtheotherendofthemould.Carefullyremovethecoathangerfromthesoapandwipeitclean.

Coverandinsulateyoursoapfor24hoursbeforecuttingitintoslices.

Note:thistechniquecanalsobecarriedoutusingachopstickorlongteaspoonhandleinsteadofacoathangeralthoughIthinkthefinaleffectofhavingusedthecoathangerismorevisuallypleasing.

FauxfunnelswirlThe faux funnel swirl is so called because it is based on amethod thatwas originally carried out bypouringyoursoapintoafunnelcarefullyplacedabovethemould.Thenewmethodhasdoneawaywithusingafunnel.Itgivesasimilareffect,butisquickerandlessmessy.Splityourvery,verylightlytracedfragrancedsoapbatchintothreeorfoursmallerbatchesandaddcolourtoeachone(youcanleaveoneportionuncolouredifyouwish).Itisimportantthatyoursoapisrunnyandeasytopour,soworkquickly.Ifitstartstothickenup,continuingwiththefauxfunnelswirlwillnotbeeasyandyoumayevenhavetostartagain.

Pourabouttwotablespoonsofyourfirstcolourintothemiddleofthemould.Itwillsittherecreatingalittlepuddleofsoap.

Nowtakeyoursecondcolourandpourapproximatelytwotablespoonsofthisdirectlyintothemiddleoftheothercolouredsoappuddle.Asyoupour,itwilldisplacetheoriginalsoappuddle,movingitouttowardstheedgeofthemould.

Takeyourthirdcolourandpourasimilarsmallamountdirectlyintothecentreofthesecondcolourthatyoupoured,allowingthesoaptobedisplacedasbefore.

Soapsmadeusingthefauxfunnelswirltechnique

Continue pouring a little of each colour directly into the centre of the previously poured puddle,allowingthesoaptograduallyfillupthemould.Repeatuntilyouhavenosoapmixtureleft.

Coverandinsulatefor24hoursbeforecuttingintoamazinglyimpressiveslices.

Randomlypouredfauxfunnelswirls

FauxfunnelswirlIIAslightvariationonthefauxfunnelswirlbutjustaseasy.

Prepareyourvery,verylightlytracedfragrancedsoap,splitintoportionsandcoloureachone.Thistime,ratherthanpouringapuddleofsoapintothecentreofthemould,pourasmallpuddleatoneendofthemouldandanotheridenticallycolouredpuddleattheotherend.

You will now have two coloured puddles in your soap mould. Take the second colour and pouranotherlittlepuddleofthiscolouredsoapintoeachofthepuddlesalreadyplacedinthemould.Repeatuntilyouhavepouredacoupleofpuddlesofeachofthecolouredsoapmixture.

Takeyourfirstcolouredsoapandpouranothertwopuddlesatdifferentlocationsinyoursoapmouldandbuildonthesepuddlesasbeforeuntilyouhavepouredtwolayersofcolouredpuddles.

Again,takeyourfirstcolouredsoapandpouranothertwopuddleselsewhereinthesoapmould.Bynow your soap will be looking a little psychedelic with swirls and puddles all over the place (buthopefullyonlyinthemould!).Continuepouringandbuildinguprandomsoappuddlesuntilthemixturehasbeenusedup.

Coverandinsulatethesoapfor24hoursbeforecuttingintokaleidoscopic-lookingslices.

Swirlsinthestrawberrysoap

Aselectionofbotanicalstouseintraditionalsoap

Usingbotanicals,fruitandvegetablesinyoursoapFreshanddriedbotanicals,fruitandvegetablescanallbeusedinyourcoldprocesssoapsinanumberofdifferentways.

BOTANICALDECORATIONSINSOAP

Themostobviousmethodistoincludedriedpetalsorleavesinyoursoaporasdecorationsscatteredontopof the soap justbeforeyouplace itunderblankets and towels for24hours.Whilst thesecan lookhugelyattractiveinitially,mostbotanicalswillbrownovertimeandmakethesoaplooklessappealing.

Rosebudsandclovesinsertedintosoapcanlookveryprettyandmayenhancethearomaofsoap.Butthesesoapsaren’tpracticaltouseastherosebudsandcloveswillneedtoberemovedbeforeuse,leavinglittlebrownmarksinthesoapattheinsertionpoint.Ihavefoundthatyoucanhelpreducethebrowningbypouring a thin layer ofmelted cocoa butter onto the surface of the soapwhen you remove it from itsblanketsafterthefirst24hours.

Let thecocoabutter set softlyand insert the rosebudsorotherplantmaterial into thecocoabutter.Leaveforafewhourssothatthecocoabuttersetshardbeforeslicingthesoap.

Rosebudscanlookverypretty,butaren’talwayspractical

Poppyseeds, rosehips,cranberryseeds, raspberryseeds,oats (as inoatmeal–yes,porridgeoats!)canallbeusedinoronyoursoapstoo.Poppyseedskeeptheirgreycolouringwhilstporridgeoatswillretaintheirbeigetobrowncolour.Theotherseedsmentionedwillturnfromlightbrowntoadarkershadeofbrown.

Infusingnettlesandalkanetroot

BOTANICALINFUSIONSINSOAP

Anothermethodofincludingthepropertiesofthebotanicalssuchasdriedrosepetals,nettles,calendula(marigold)petals,rosemary,mintandotherherbsinyoursoapistoinfusetheplantmaterialinoliveoilandstoreinaliddedbottleorjarforafewweeksatroomtemperature.

Filterouttheplantmaterialandusetheoliveoilaspartofyoursoapbase.Itisunlikelythatmuch,ifany,aroma from theplantmaterialwillbe included inyour soap,but someof itspropertieswillhavebeentransferredintotheoilandthereforeintoyoursoap.

Layeredsoapmadewithmangoandlycheegreenteabags

FRUITANDHERBALTEASINSOAP

Teassuchasgreentea,rosehip,rooibos,fruit,chamomileandlemongrasscanalsobeusedinyoursoaps.Theirnaturalpropertieswillalsobetransferredtothesoap.Removethetealeavesfromtheteabagsandscattertealeavesintoorontoyoursoap,orusethecoldteaaspartofyourlyesolution.

FRUITANDVEGETABLEPURÉES

Aninterestingandappealingmethodofincludingbotanicals,fruitsandvegetablesinyoursoapistopuréetheplantmaterialwithalittlewaterandincludeaspartofthesoap.Pleasenotethatthisismorelikelytobesuccessfulwithcoldprocessorno-heatsoaps.

Fruit and vegetables that you might consider using include strawberries, figs, mangos, avocados,cucumber,carrots,bananas,pumpkin,sweetpotatoes,lettuce,peaches,oranges,kiwifruits…butthelistisnotlimitedtothesefruitandvegetablesonly.Havefunexperimenting!

Donotethatanyfruitwithpips,suchasstrawberriesandkiwifruit,willmakeanexfoliatingbar.Youmaywishtosievethepuréetoremovethepipsbeforeuse.

Driedfruitcanbeusedaswell.Forthebestresults,soakinwaterovernighttorehydrateandplumpthefruitup.Drainthewateroffanduseitasyourlyewater.

Icannotvouchforthefinalcolourofthesoap–andmanyofthefruitandvegetablesmentionedabovewillturnyoursoapbrown.Wealwaysusedtocolourourstrawberrysoapred–brownstrawberrysoapjustdoesn’tlooktempting!

There is a general myth that putting herbs, vegetables and fruit into your soap will require apreservative.Thisisnot trueasthesaponificationprocesswillkilloffany‘nasties’ thatyoumayhave

inadvertently introducedwith these additions. It is good practice, however towash any fresh fruit (orsimilar) inababysterilisingsolutionsuchasMiltonprior touse (ifyouplan topeel it,washing isn’tstrictlynecessary).

Peeledandchoppedcucumber,readytobepuréed

CALCULATINGHOWMUCHFRUITANDVEGETABLESTOUSEINYOURSOAP

Beforestartingyourfruitorvegetablesoapmakingsessionyouwillneedtoworkouthowmuchpuréetoadd.Myruleofthumbistousebetween5and10percentofthetotalweightofthebasesoapingredients,excludingtheweightofthesodiumhydroxide.Soifyouroils,butters,waxesandwatercometoaweightof600g,youwouldneedbetween30and60gofpurée.Thiscalculationisperformedbytakingthetotalweightofyoursoapanddividingitby100toget1percent.Multiplythevalueof1percentby5togettheminimumamountofpuréeweightandby10togetthemaximumamountofpuréeweight.

600/100=6(so6gisthevalueof1percent)6x5=30(so30gistheminimumamountofpuréetouse)6x10=60(so60gisthemaximumamountofpuréetouse)

PREPARINGYOURFRUITPURÉE

Washthefruitinasterilisingsolutionunlessyouplantopeelit,inwhichcasewashingisn’tnecessary.Drain toremoveanyexcessmoisture.Place thefruit ina liquidiserandaddanequalamountofwater,takenfromthewateryouplantouseforthelye.

Wash thevegetables ina sterilisingsolutionorpeel them instead. If the fruitorvegetables are toohardtopurée,cookthemuntiltheyaresoftenough.Nowmakeapuréebyputtingthemintoaliquidiserwithanequalweightofwaterremovedfromthewateryouhavesetasidetomakethelyewith.Pulverisethe fruit and thewater together until youhave a smooth purée,making sure that there are no lumps ofunpuréedfruitleft.Strainthroughasievetoremoveanypipsunlessyouintendtomakeanexfoliatingbar,inwhichcasekeepthepipsin.

Choppedcucumberpuréedintheliquidiser

PREPARINGYOURVEGETABLEPURÉE

Washthevegetablesinasterilisingsolutionorpeeltheminstead.Iftheyaretoohardorfibroustopuréewhenraw,boiluntil theyaresoftenough.Nowmakeapuréebyputting themintoa liquidiserwithanequalweightofwatertakenfromthewateryouhavesetasidetomakethelyewith.Pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpuréewithnotraceofanylumps.Ifyouwishtousethevegetablesraw(thecolourwillbemoreintense),grateintoverythinshredsandplaceinaliquidiserwithanequalamountofwaterreservedtomakethelye.Pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothliquidwithnotracesofunpuréedshreddedvegetables.

It isvery important tonote thatyour lyesolutionwillbemadewith lesswater thanusualsince thepurée contains some of thewater youwould normally include in the lye and the fruit and vegetablesthemselvescontainanaturalelementofwater.

Soapsmadewithbotanicals,fruitandvegetablepuréeswillhaveashelflifeofatleast18monthsanddonotrequireapreservative.

FRUITANDVEGETABLESOAPRECIPES

In the recipes that follow I have included the purées using 5 per cent of the total weight of the soapingredients.Thisgivessufficientinterestandappeal,butitwon’taddanaturalfruityorvegetablearomatothesoaps.Ihavepickedfragranceoressentialoilsthatblendnicelywiththepurées,butofcourseyoucansubstitutetheseforyourownpreferredaromablends.

Refertothedetailedcoldprocesssoapmakinginstructionsinthesoapmakingmethodssection(page37–8)andcarryoutsteps1–6butincludemakingthepuréeaswell.Ihaveincludedanoverviewofthestepsforeachrecipetohelpyou.

USINGDRIEDFRUITINSOAPS

Whilsttherecipesusefreshfruitandvegetables,youcanreplacethefreshfruitwithdriedfruit.Soakinwaterforatleastsixhoursor,betterstill,overnight.Drainthefruitandpulverisewithalittlewaterinaliquidisertocreateamanageablepurée.Continuemakingyoursoapasyouwouldifyouwereusingfreshfruit.Ifyouwish,youcanusethediscardedsoakingwaterasthewaterinyourlyesolution.

PeachyperfectionEvenmorepeachesinthissoapthanPeachyglow(page54)!Peachkerneloil,peachfragranceandpurepeachpurée…

PEACHPURÉE30gpeachflesh,choppedintosmallpieces•30gwater

LYESOLUTION138gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•200gpeachkerneloil

50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12gpeachfragranceoil

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplaceittooneside.

Placeyourpeachpiecesand30gwaterinaliquidiserandpulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpurée.Setaside.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 138 g water and 63 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewheresafelyoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weigh the oils and sheabutter andplace in a saucepan.Set the panon a lowheat until the butter hasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemeltedbutterandoilsmixture.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

Addthepeachpuréeandblitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedlighttraceandyoucanseea lineofsoapmixturesittingonthesurfacewhenyoudrizzle thesoapmixtureontothesoapin thesaucepan.

Addthepeachfragranceoilandstiragain.

Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.Coverthemouldwithalid,achoppingboardorpieceofcardboardtopreventthetowelsfromfallingintothesoap.

Placealayerofoldtowelsoverthecoveredmouldandleavefor24hoursbeforeremovingthesoapfromthemould.

Peachyperfectionsoap

CoolasacucumberCucumbertendstomakethelyegoslightlybrown,soIhaveaddedalittleliquidgreenCPsoapcolouringtomakeitlookmoreauthentic.Ialsosuggestthatyouincludeasmallamountofcucumberpeelcutintotinypiecestogiveaspeckledeffect.

Sincecucumberhasahighnaturalwatercontent,Ihaven’taddedasmuchwatertothepurée.

CUCUMBERPURÉE30gcucumber,choppedintosmallpieces5gcucumberpeel,cutintothinslivers

20gwater

LYESOLUTION148gwater•65gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILS200goliveoil•150gcoconutoil•100gpalmoil

COLOUR1teaspoongreenCPsoapcolour

SOAPSCENT12gcucumberfragranceoil

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Placethecucumberpieces(butnottheextrapeel)and20gwaterinaliquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpurée.Addthecucumberpeelsliversandsetthecucumberpuréeaside.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up the lye solution using 148 g water and 65 g sodiumhydroxide.Set aside somewhere out of reachof children andpets.Weigh the oils andput them into asaucepan,thensetthepanonalowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemeltedoilsmixture.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

AddthecucumberpuréeandthegreenCPsoapcolour.Blitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedlighttrace.Addthepiecesofcucumberpeelandstirwell.

Addthecucumberfragranceoilandstiragain.

Cucumberpuréebeingmixedintothelyesolution

Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtopreventthetowelsfromfallingintothesoap.

Cover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leave for24hoursbefore removing the soapfromthemould.

Coolasacucumbersoap

StrawberrysmoothieThenaturalcolourofthestrawberrysoapisamilkycoffeeshadesoyouwilldefinitelywanttoaddredtogiveitmorestrawberryappeal.Ihavechosentoswirlthissoapand,ifyoulookclosely,youwillseeIhaveleftinafewstrawberryseeds.

STRAWBERRYPURÉE30gstrawberries,huskandstalksremoved•30gwater

LYESOLUTION138gwater•61gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•150gcoconutoil•50gbeeswax•50gsheabutter

COLOUR2teapoonsredCPsoapcolour

SOAPSCENT12gstrawberryfragranceoil

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Place thestrawberriesand30gwater intoa liquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhavea smoothpurée.Passthroughasievetoremovetheseeds;ifyouprefer,youmaykeepsomeseedsforamildlyexfoliatingsoap.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 138 g water and 61 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewhereoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weightheoilsandsheabutterandputthemintoasaucepan.Setthepanonalowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemixtureofmeltedbutterandoils.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

Addthestrawberrypurée.Blitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedlighttrace.

Addthestrawberryfragranceoilandstiragain.RemovealittleofthesoapmixtureandaddtheredCPsoapcolourtothis.

Pourtheuncolouredsoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmouldandswirlintheredmixture.Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtopreventthetowelsfromfallingintothesoap.

Cover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leave for24hoursbefore removing the soapfromthemould.

Strawberrysmoothiesoap

SweetpotatomashsoapWelovesweetpotatosokeepingsomeasidetouseinsoapisthegreatestchallengehere!Thebeautifulorangecolourfromthevegetabletransfersintothesoap,turningitaglorioussoftamber.Unrefinedpalmoil(availableatlargesupermarkets)furtherenhancesthenaturalorangecolour.

Choosing a fragrance that keeps the sweet potato theme going was difficult. You can get parsnipessentialoilbutitishorriblyexpensive(itsmellslovelyincaseyouwerewondering).Nexttimeyouarecookingparsnips,breakarawparsnipinhalfandtakeabigsniff.Inhalethearoma–it’swonderful!

IntheendIwentforessentialoilsofsweetorangeandcarrotseed,whichblendwellandsustaintherootvegetable,orangeandsweetpotatofragrances.

SWEETPOTATOPURÉE30gpeeledsweetpotato,choppedintosmallpieces(boilthesweetpotatountilitisjustturningsoft)

20gwater

LYESOLUTION148gwater•61gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS250goliveoil•50gcoconutoil•100gunrefinedpalmoil

50gcocoabutter

SOAPSCENT9gsweetorangeessentialoil•3gcarrotseedessentialoil

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Placethesweetpotatopiecesand20gwaterintoaliquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpurée.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 148 g water and 61 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewhereoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weightheoilsandcocoabutterandputthemintoasaucepan.Setthepanonalowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemixtureofmeltedbutterandoils.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

Addthesweetpotatopuréeandblitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedlighttraceandyoucanseealineofsoapmixturesittingonthesurfacewhenyoudrizzlethesoapmixtureontothesoapinthesaucepan.

Addthesweetorangeandcarrotseedessentialoilsandstiragain.

Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtoprevent thetowelsfromfallinginto thesoap.Nowcover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leavefor24hoursbeforeremovingthesoapfromthemould.

Sweetpotatomashsoap

Bananaandmangobutterbars

BANANAPURÉE30gbanana,mashed•30gwater

LYESOLUTION138gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gcoconutoil•150goliveoil•100gsweetalmondoil

100gmangobutter

SOAPSCENT6gmangofragranceoil•6gbananafragranceoil

COLOUR0.5gautumnredmica

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Placeyourmashedbananaand30gwaterintoaliquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpurée.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 138 g water and 63 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewhereoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weigh the oils and mango butter and put them into a saucepan. Place the pan over a low heat untileverythinghasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemixtureofmeltedbutterandoils.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

Addthebananapuréeandblitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedlighttrace.

Addthemangoandbananafragranceoilsandstiragain.

Removeonethirdofthesoapmixtureandaddthemicatothisportion;stirwell.

Pouralittleoftheuncolouredsoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.Addalittleoftheredmicaportion.Repeat,addingpatchesofuncolouredthenredmicasoapuntilyouhaveusedupallthesoapmixture.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtoprevent thetowelsfromfallinginto thesoap.Nowcover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leavefor24hoursbeforeremovingthesoapfromthemould.

Bananaandmangobutterbars

CarrotandorangebarIcan’trecallhowmanytimesI’veaccidentallycalledthiscarrotandorangesoupratherthansoap!I’veuseddriedorangeslicestodecoratethesoap,withbothcarrottissueoilandgratedcarrotstoboostthecarrotcontent.

CARROTPURÉE30ggratedcarrot•30gwater

LYESOLUTION138gwater•62gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILS150goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•50gpalmoil•100gricebranoil

50gcarrottissueoil

SOAPSCENT12gorangeessentialoil

ADDITIONDriedorangeslices

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Place30ggratedcarrotwith30gwaterintoaliquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpulp.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 138 g water and 62 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewhereoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weightheoilsandputthemintoasaucepan.Setthepanoveralowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemeltedoilsmixture.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

Addthecarrotpuréeandblitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedalighttrace.

Addtheorangeessentialoilandmixwell.

Pour the soapmixture into thepreparedmouldandsmoothdown thesurface.Carefullyplaceslicesofdriedorangeontop.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtoprevent thetowelsfromfallinginto thesoap.Nowcover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leavefor24hoursbeforeremovingthesoapfromthemould.

Carrotandorangebars

PassthesaladIgrowlettucesbutIcan’teatthemasquicklyasIgrowthem,sothisisafabuloussummersoapthathelpsmeuseuptheglutfromthegarden.Youmightconsideraddingcucumberortomatopuréetoo–orboth–butI’veonlyincludedthelettucepuréeinthisparticularrecipe.

LETTUCEPURÉE30gshreddedlettuce•30gwater

LYESOLUTION138gwater•63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILS220goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•80gpalmoil•50gsesameseedoil

COLOUR½teaspoongreenCPsoapcolour

SOAPSCENT6gcucumberfragranceoil•6glemonverbenaessentialoil

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Placetheshreddedlettucewith30gwaterinaliquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpurée.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 138 g water and 63 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewhereoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weightheoilsandputthemintoasaucepan(thereisnoneedtoheattheseoils).

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintotheoilsmixture.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.AddthegreenCPsoapcolouring.

Addthelettucepuréeandblitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedalighttrace.

Addthecucumberfragranceoilandlemonverbenaessentialoiltothesoapmixtureandstirwell.

Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtoprevent thetowelsfromfallinginto thesoap.Nowcover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leavefor24hoursbeforeremovingthesoapfromthemould.

Passthesaladsoap

PumpkinpiesoapTheperfectpost-Halloweensoapwhenyouhavepumpkinseedsandpumpkinfleshleftoverfromyourlanterns.Ifyoucan’tfindpumpkinseedoil,useoliveoilinstead.TheybothhavethesameSAPvaluesotherecipewon’tneedadjustingifyousimplyswaponefortheother.Ifyoucan’tfindafreshpumpkin,usetinnedpumpkininstead.

PUMPKINPURÉE(BOILUNTILITISJUSTTURNINGSOFT)30gpumpkinflesh,cutintosmallcubes•30gwater

LYESOLUTION138gwater•64gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS250gpumpkinseedoil•150gcoconutoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT6gpumpkinfragranceoil•4gbloodorangeessentialoil

2ggingeressentialoil

ADDITIONSCleanedandbakedpumpkinseeds(washtheseedstoremovepulpresidueandlayoutonanonstick

bakingtray.Bakeinapreheatedovenat200°C/400°F/Gas6for10–15minutes)

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Placethepumpkincubesand30gwaterinaliquidiser;pulveriseuntilyouhaveasmoothpurée.

Wearing safety equipment (page 10), make up your lye solution using 138 g water and 63 g sodiumhydroxide.Setasidesomewhereoutofreachofchildrenandpets.

Weigh theoilsandbutterandput them ina saucepan.Set thepanovera lowheatuntil everythinghasmelted.

Wearingsafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentionto thesafehandlingof the lye(page9),pourthelyeintothemixtureofbutterandoils.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoils,butterandlyetogether.

Addthepumpkinpuréeandblitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedalighttrace.

Addthefragranceoilandessentialoilstothesoapmixtureandstirwell.

Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.Sprinkleahandfulofpumpkinseedsontothesurfaceofyoursoap.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardtoprevent thetowelsfromfallinginto thesoap.Nowcover thecoveredmouldwitha layerofold towelsand leavefor24hoursbeforeremovingfromthemould.

Pumpkinpiesoap

SubstitutingthewaterinyourlyeOnceyou’vemasteredtheartofmakingsoapyouwillstarttobecomecreativeorevenobsessedaboutwhatelseyoucanincludeinyoursoaps.Whatbetterwayofstretchingtheimaginationthanbysubstitutinglyewaterforadifferenttypeofliquidinstead?

Therearemany liquids thatyoucanuseasanalternative towater.Thechoice includes fruit juice,milk (cow’s, goat’s, buttermilk, coconut and breast milk), beer, wine, tea and coffee, but if you findsomethingelseyou’dliketouseitisprobablyperfectlypossibletoincludeitusingoneofthemethodsdescribedhere.

Because the liquidswill be includedwith the sodiumhydroxide aspart ofyour lye solution, extracarefulattentionshouldbepaidtothehandlingandcreationofthelye,asthelyemaybehotterandmore

activethanusual.

MakingmilksoapsYoucanincludepowderedmilksinyoursoapsoryoucanaddthemilkinliquidform.Addingpowderedmilkiseasierandsinceitisaddedatlighttrace,thelyeismadeupwithsodiumhydroxideandwaterasusual.

Usingliquidmilkinsoapsisagreatwayofusingupexcessmilk,though.Ifyouwishtoaddmilkinitsliquidformthenyouwillbeaddingittothesodiumhydroxideaspartofyourlyemixture.Thelyemaygethotterthanusualandscaldthemilk.Ifyou’veeversmeltburntmilkthenyouwillknowthatthisisn’taparticularlyattractivearoma.Thearomawon’ttranslatethroughtothefinalbarsofsoap,butitwilllingerinyourworkareawhilstyoumakethesoapsoopenawindowortwo.Also,ifthemilkscalds,itturnsthelyesolutionashadeofanythingbetweenbrightorangetobrown,whichwillhaveanimpactonthefinalsoap.

Cow’smilksoap

Youcanhelptokeepthelyecoolerbyplacingwaterandicecubesinthesinkandstandingyourlyejuginthecoldwater.Mypreferenceforavoidingoverheatedlyeistofreezethemilkbeforeusingittomakethelye.Pleasenotethatwedon’tadvisesuperfattingyourmilksoaps(page129)sincethemilkhasanaturalfatcontent itself.Addingexcessoilsontopof themilkmaymakeyoursoapsgreasyandwillreducethelatheringcapability.Milksoapswillhaveashelflifeofatleast18months.

FREEZINGYOURMILK

Tofreezeyourmilk,youwillneedsetsof ice-cubetraysorsmallsealablefreezerbags.Withice-cubetrays,simplypourthemilkintothecompartmentsandplaceinthefreezeruntilneeded.

Ifyouareusingsmallsealablefreezerbagsyouwillfinditeasiertoplaceabaginacupandfoldthetopofthebagovertheedgesofthecuptoholditinplace.Pourthemilkintothebag,squeezeasmuchairoutofthebagaspossibleandsealit.Popitintothefreezertofreeze.

Frozenmilkcanremainfreshinthefreezerforuptoninemonths.

Frozencubesofgoats’milkfromanice-cubetray

TOGEL,ORNOTTOGEL?

Duringthe24-hourinsulationperiod,soapscontainingmilkcangetveryhot,muchhotterthantheusualtemperatures reached during the gel stage. Thismay not be a problem, but in some cases gelling canoverheatyoursoap,causingthemilktoburnandthisinturncausesthesoaptogobrown,andpossiblyspoil.Ifoundoneblockofsoaphadactedlikeboilingmilkandhadactuallyrisenupandoutofthesoapmould.Ratherthanbeautifulsoap,Ihadabigmesstoclearup!

Toreducethechancesofthishappeningitmaybebetternottoinsulateyoursoapatall,buttosimplyleaveitcoveredwithalidsomewhereoutofthewayfor24hours.Thereisachancethatthesoapwillattempttogel,butwillnotbesuccessfulatgellingallthewaythrough.

Ifasoaphasstartedtogel,butnotcompletedthegellingprocesstotheveryedgesofthesoap(gellingalwaysstartsinthecentreofthesoap,whereitisatitswarmest),youmayfindthattheinnergelledparthasadarkerringtotheoutsideedgesoftheungelledsoap.Theoutsideedgesmayalsobealittlecrumblyandfallapartwhenyoutrytoslicethesoap.Thesoapisstillperfectlyokaytouse,itjustwon’thavethesmoothsidesyouwerehopingfor.

REFRIGERATINGYOURSOAP

Anothertipistoputyoursoapintothefridgeforthefirst24hours.Thecooltemperatureswillpreventthesoapfromgellingatall.Itneedn’tonlybemilksoaps,anycoldprocesssoapcanbekeptinthefridgeforthefirst24hours.

Therearevariousadvantagesanddisadvantagestoplacingyoursoapinthefridge,listedherebelow.

Advantages Disadvantages

Milksoapsarelesslikelytoburn Soapswilltakelongertofirmupandthenormalcuringprocessislikelytobemorelikesixweeksratherthanfourweeks

Milksoapswillretaintheirpalecolour Soapsmaybealittlesofterthanusual

Anyfragranceoressentialoilwillholditsaromabetterandforlongerwhenthesoapisbroughtbacktoroomtemperature

Youmayhavedifficultygettingyoursoapoutofthemouldinitiallyasthesoapwillbealittlemoist.Leaveitinthemoulduntilithashardenedupandisthereforemoreeasilyremoved

Softly,softlyskinmonkeysoapMilkistheperfectskinsoftenerandithelpstomakeaverycreamybar.Here,wearemakingthisrecipeevenmoresumptuousbyaddingalittledoublecream.

Domakeyourlyesolutionupoverthesink,sothatanysplashesorspillagesfromtheover-activelyecanbequicklyandeasilycleanedup.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatwearingyourprotectiveglovesandmaskareamust(page10).Ifyouarenotusingfrozenmilk,standyourlyejuginasinkofcoldwaterandicecubesandkeepthemilkinthefridgeuntilyouneedtouseit.

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS300goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•50gsheabutter

LYESOLUTION168gsemi-skimmedorfull-fatmilk,chilledorfrozen•64gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPSCENT12gtonkabeanfragranceoil

ADDITION2tablespoonsdoublecream(pouringconsistency)

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Weightheoilsandbutterandputthemintoasaucepan.Setthepanoveralowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.Oncemelted,removefromtheheatandleavesomewheretocoolalittle(actually,thecoolerthebetterbutyoudon’twantthesheabuttertostartsetting).

Weighthesodiumhydroxideandplacesafelytoonesideoutofthereachofothers.

Removethemilkfromthefridgeorfreezerandplaceinajug.Placethejuginthesink.

Slowlypourthesodiumhydroxideintothemilk.Stirtomakesurethesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.Donotbesurprisedifthereisanammonia-likearomacomingfromthemilkorifthelyechangescolour.

Pourthelyeintothecooled,meltedoilsandbutter.Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoils,butterandlyetogether.

Blitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedalighttrace.Addthetonkabeanfragranceoilanddoublecream.Stirtoensuretheyarethoroughlymixedintothesoapmixture.

Pourthesoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardandplacethesoapinthefridgeforatleast24hours.

While the soap is hardening up, leave it in the mould and at room temperature. There is no need toinsulateitatthistime.

Oncethesoapisfirmenoughtoremovefromthemould(twotothreeweekslater),chopitintoslices.Youmayfindthataswellasbeingsofter,thissoapisalittleoilierthannormal,sowipeawayanyoilyresidueandleavethesoapalittlelongerthanusualtohardenup.

Leavethesoaptocureatroomtemperatureforatleastsixweeksbeforeusingit.Milksoapsaresofterandrequirealongercuringtimetohardenup(mostcoldprocesssoapswillhardennicelyinfourweeks).Ifyouusethemwhentheyarestillonthesoftside,theywillgomushy.

Pouringdoublecreamintothesoapatthelighttracestage

Goats’milkwithlemongrassI strongly recommend thatyouuseonly frozengoats’milk tomakeupyour lye to limit theheatingandpotentialforscalding.Lemongrassblendsbeautifullywiththegoats’milkaroma.

SOAPOILS50gavocadooil•250goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•50gpalmoil

LYESOLUTION168gfrozengoats’milk•65gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPSCENT12glemongrassessentialoil

COLOURGreenCPcolouring

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Weigh theoils andplace them in a saucepan.Set thepanover a lowheatuntil everythinghasmelted.Oncemelted,removefromtheheatandleavesomewheretocoolalittle.

Weighthesodiumhydroxideandplacesafelytoonesideoutofthereachofothers.

Removeyourweighedgoats’milkfromthefreezerandplaceinajug.Placethejuginthesink.

Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the goats’ milk. Stir to make sure the sodium hydroxide hasdissolved.Do not be surprised if there is an ammonia-like aroma coming from themilk or if the lyechangescolour.

Pourthelyeintothecooled,meltedoils.Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.

Blitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhavereachedalighttrace.Addthelemongrassessentialoilandstiruntilithasbeenthoroughlyincorporatedintothesoapmixture.

Pour half of the soapmixture into themould.Bang themould onto yourwork surface firmly, once ortwice,toremoveanytrappedairbubblesandtosmoothoutthesurfaceofthesoap.

AddthegreenCPcolouringtotheremainingsoapandstirtoblendittoasmoothmixture.Carefullypourthisontopofthesoapinthemould.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardandplacethesoapinthefridgeforatleast24hours.Oncethesoapisfirmenoughtoremovefromthemould,chopintoslices.Thismaytaketwoorthreeweeksaftermakingthesoap.Aswithallmilk-basedsoaps,leavethesoaptocureatroomtemperatureforatleastsixweeksbeforeusingit.

Goats’milkwithlemongrass

TropicalcoconutInthissoapIhaveselectedcoconutoil,coconutmilkandcoconutfragranceoilblendedwithlime.Enjoyatotallytropical,full-oncoconutwash!

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200gcoconutoil•200goliveoil•50gsheabutter

LYESOLUTION168gfrozencoconutmilk•69gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPSCENT6gcoconutfragranceoil•6glimeessentialoil

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Weightheoilsandbutterandplacethemintoasaucepan.Setthepanoveralowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.Oncemelted,removefromtheheatandleavesomewheretocoolalittle.

Weighthesodiumhydroxideandplacesafelytoonesideoutofthereachofothers.

Removetheweighedcoconutmilkfromthefreezerandplaceinajug.Placethejuginthesink.

Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the coconutmilk. Stir tomake sure the sodium hydroxide hasdissolved.

Pour the lye into themelted cooled oils and butter. Stir briefly with a spoon tomix the oils and lyetogether.

Blitzwithahandheldstickblenderuntilyouhave reacheda light trace.Add thecoconut fragranceoilwiththelimeessentialoilandstiruntilthoroughlyincorporatedintothesoapmixture.

Pourthesoapmixtureintothemould.Bangthemouldontoyourworksurfacetoremoveanytrappedairbubblesandtosmoothoutthesurfaceofthesoap.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardandplacethesoapinthefridgeforatleast24hours.

Oncethesoapisfirmenoughtoremovefromthemould,chopintoslices.Thismaytakeuptwoorthreeweeksaftermaking thesoap.Leave thesoapforat leastsixweeks tocureat roomtemperaturebeforeusingit.

Tropicalcoconutsoap

Rabi’ssandalwoodandbuttermilksoapThis recipe was very kindly shared with us by Rabi, one of our lovely students in Nigeria. It usessandalwoodandbuttermilkpowders,whichmakethesoapfeelsoftonyourskinandtheysmellgorgeous!Forgiveme,Rabi–Ichangedthesmellalittle,andhaveincludedsandalwoodamyrisessentialoil,asitismoreaffordable.

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS90gsweetalmondoil•100gfractionatedcoconutoil

300goliveoil•10gsheabutter

LYESOLUTION187gwater•77gsodiumhydroxide

ADDITIONS30gbuttermilkpowder•15gsandalwoodpowder

SOAPSCENT10gsandalwoodamyrisessentialoil•2ghowoodessentialoil

METHODLineyourmouldandplaceittooneside.

Makeupyourlyeinthesamewayastheotherrecipesinthissectionandleaveitsomewheresafetocoolalittle.

Weightheoilsandbutterandplacetheminasaucepan.Setthepanoveralowheatuntileverythinghasmelted.Oncemelted,removefromtheheatandaddthelyesolution.

Bringyoursoapmixturetoalighttrace.Addthebuttermilkpowderandessentialoilsandstirwell.

Taketwotablespoonsofthemixtureoutandplaceitinasmalljugorbowl.Addthesandalwoodpowdertothisandstirwell.

Pourtheuncolouredsoapmixtureintothemouldanddrizzlethesandalwoodpowdercolouredmixtureontoptocreateaswirledpattern.

Insulateandleavefor24hoursbeforeslicing.

Rabi’ssandalwoodandbuttermilksoap

MakingbeerandwinesoapsHopscanhaveasoothingandanti-inflammatoryeffectontheskin,sowhatbetterwaytoapplythemthaninabarofbeersoap?

Beforeyouembarkonyoursoapmakingadventurepleasenotethatitisimperativethatyouuseonlyflat,non-fizzybeerandwine.Itisalsoimportanttoremovethealcoholbycookingitoffbeforeyouuseitinyoursoap.Fizzydrinksandalcoholwillcausethelyetoreactandmakethesoapseizeandbecometoothicktomanageeffectively.

Anyred,white,roséorsparklingwinewilldo.Beerssuchasrealale,beer,lagerandbièreblondecanallbeusedprovidedtheyarenolongergassy.Youcansubstituteallorpartofthelyewaterwithflatbeerorwine.

Bepreparedtoworkfast.Eventhoughyouwillhavecookedthealcoholoutofthebeersandwines,thereisstillachancethatitmayaccelerateandturnsolidfarmorequicklythanyouwereintending.

HOWTOPREPAREYOURBEERFORUSEINSOAP

Inalargestainlesssteelsaucepan,slowlybringthebeertoagentleboilandleavetoboilforatleasttwominutes.Reducetheheatandsimmerforafurtherfiveminutesbeforeremovingfromtheheat.

Whenthebeerhascooled,pourintoasmallercontainerandplaceitinthefridgeuntilchilled.Onlynowwillthebeerbesuitableforuseinsoap.Thealcoholwillhavebeenremovedduringthe

cookingprocessandtheentirecookingandcoolingprocessencouragesthebeertogoflat.The flat beer will remain good to use in soap for at least two weeks if you keep it in a lidded

containerinthefridge.Beersoapswillhaveashelflifeofatleasttwoyears.

Usingbeertomakethelye

ESSENTIALANDFRAGRANCEOILSTOUSEINBEERSOAPS

Yoursoapwillhaveanaturalstalebeeraroma,whichmaynotbewhatyouwereexpectingandIshouldthinkprobablynotwhatyouwerehopingforeither!Selectessentialorfragranceoilsthatblendwellwiththesmellofbeertogiveamorepleasingaroma.

Whilstitispurelydowntopersonalpreference,thereareafewcertainoilsthatwehavefoundworkparticularlywell.

ESSENTIALOILSINBEERSOAPS

Whilstcitrusoilsdon’tholdtheiraromatoowellintraditionalsoaps,theblendofbeer,barley,wheat,hops and citrus works well and it is definitely worth trying. Lime (think along the lines ofMexicancervezabeerthatisservedwithawedgeoflimepushedintotheneckofthebottle),orange,mandarinandlemonaremyparticularfavourites.

Essentialoilswithaspicyedgeblendnicelywiththesmellofbeer,barleyandhops.Aniseed(whichremindsmeof a liquorice-type root beer), ginger (as in ginger beer), cloves and a little cinnamon allworkwell.EventhoughI’mnotahugefanofchamomile,ithasagrassy,hay-likethreadthatblendswellwiththesoapyhopsmell.

Woodyessentialoilsarealwaysasafebet,especiallyasitishighlylikelythatyourbeersoapswillappeal to men and men are easily drawn to the woody aromas. Try patchouli and vetiver or amyrisessentialoils.

There are an abundance of fragrance oils thatwill enhance the aromaof your beer soaps, such ashoney, oakmoss, vanilla, chocolate and even some of the fruity fragrances like strawberry, raspberry,blackcurrantandcherry.Failingthat,youcanactuallygetfragranceoilsthatsmellofbeer,barleyorhops.TheGuinnesssoapoverleafcouldbemadeevenmoreauthenticwiththeinclusionofGuinnessfragranceoil.

Chooseessentialoilsthatwillworkwiththenaturalaromaofthebeer

BEERSOAPRECIPES

Thebeersoapscouldeasilybecreatedusingthehotprocessorslowcooker(crock-pot)methods,buttokeep things simple, we’re using the cold processmethod. Feel free to choosewhichevermethod youprefer.

Beforestartingtomakethesesoaps,preparethebeerbyboiling,simmeringandcoolingit.Thiswillhavetobedoneatleastadayaheadofmakingyoursoap.Thenaturalcolourofyoursoapswillbebrown,whichcoincidentallyisprettymuchthesamecolourasmostbeerssononeedtoaddcolourunlessyouwanta colouredeffect.That said, sinceGuinness isblackwecoloured that soapblackwitha creamycolouredhead.

HANDLINGBEERLYE

Pleasemake sure that you adhere to all the safety guidelines andwear your safety glasses and gloves(page10)whenworkingwithbeer.Lyemadewithbeerratherthanwatercanbehavelikeabeast!Placeyourlyejuginanemptysinksothatifthereisanyunwantedactivityorlyevolcano,youarewellplacedtoflushanyspillagedownthesink.

MAKINGSTRONGWATERLYEWITHABEERTOPUP

Ifyouareconcernedaboutmixingsodiumhydroxidewiththebeerthenmakeastrong,waterversionofthe lye first. To do this,make up your lye using sodium hydroxide and 100 gwater and stir until thesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.Nowtopup the lyewith68gcold, flatbeer tomake168g liquid intotal.

SOAPRECIPESUSINGBEER

Apart from the ideas given here, any of the soap recipes in this book can be converted to beer soapssimplybysubstitutingallorsomeofthelyewaterwithcool,flatbeer.Havefunexperimentingtoperfectyourownversions.

Please see themoredetaileddescriptionofmakingcoldprocess soap in the soapmakingmethodssection(pages37–8)asIhaveonlyincludedanabridgedversionhere.

MyGuinness,mygoodness!Lovelydark,rich,iconicGuinnessmakesabeautifulsoap.Guinnessbeerissodarkthatitappearsalmostblackinitsglass,butsportsagloriouscreamcolouredhead.Here,ourGuinnesssoaptriestoemulatetheblackandcreamcolourscheme.

LYESOLUTION168gflat,coldGuinness(oruseacombinationofGuinnessandwater,provideditweighs168gintotal)

•62gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS50gcastoroil•235goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•50gcocoabutter

SOAPSCENT6ganiseedessentialoil•3gchamomileessentialoil

3gcoffeefragranceoil

COLOURS5gtitaniumdioxide(mixedwith10goliveoilforaslurry)5gblackoxide(mixedwith10goliveoiltocreateaslurry)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Weighthecold,flatGuinnessandsodiumhydroxide.PlaceyourweighedGuinnessinajugandstandthejuginthesink.Ifyouprefertousethestrongwaterlyewithabeertopup,seetheinstructionsatthetopofthispage.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothecold,flatGuinness, thenstiruntil thesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.Donotworryifthecolourandthearomaofthelyeareunpleasantatthisstage.Setyourlyejugasidesomewheresafe.

Weighthesoapoilsandbutterandput intoastainlesssteelsaucepan.Setovera lowheatuntilmeltedtogether.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pourasmallamountof thelyeintothemeltedoils tomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnoreaction,pourtherestoftheGuinnesslyeintothemeltedoils.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Addtheessentialandfragranceoilsandstir tomakesurethat thesehavebeenthoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Pouronethirdofthescentedsoapmixtureintoajugand–workingfairlyquickly–addthewhitetitaniumslurryandmixwell.

Again,workingquickly,addtheblackoxideslurrytothesoapinthesaucepanandmixwell.

Pourthedarkerportionofthesoapintothepreparedmould.Bangthemouldontoaworksurfacetoknockoutanyairbubblesand tosmooth thesurfaceof thesoap.Carefullypour thepalerportionof thesoapmixtureontopofthedarkerportionbeingcarefulnottodislodgethesmoothsurfaceofthedarksoap.Youmayfinditeasiertofirstpourthesoapontoaspatulaheldjustaboutthedarkerportion.

Pleasenote:ifyourmouldisupsidedownandthereforethefirstportionofsoappouredinbecomesthetopofyoursoap,youwillhavetopourtheotherwayround.Ifthisisthecase,pourthelightercolouredsoapinfirstandthenpourthedarkersoapontop.

Cover themouldand insulatefor thenext24hours(seestep10onpage38)beforeremoving thesoapfromthemouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

MyGuinness,mygoodness!soap

RealalenutbutterbarHazelnutoilandhazelnutfragranceoilgivethissoapanuttyaromathatteamswellwiththebeer.Ihavechosentousecold,flatLondonPridebyFuller’sBrewery,butyoucouldeasilyreplaceitwithanotherrealale–perhapsonelocaltowhereyoulive?

LYESOLUTION168gflat,coldLondonPride(oruseacombinationofLondonPride/waterprovideditweighs168gin

total)•58gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200ghazelnutoil•150goliveoil•100gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12ghazelnutfragranceoil

COLOUR2gblackoxide(combinewith5gwatertomakeaslurry)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

WeightheLondonPridebeerandsodiumhydroxide.Placeyourweighedbeerinajugandstandthejuginthesink. Ifyouprefer touse the strongwater lyewithabeer topup,please see the instructionsat thebeginningofthebeerrecipes(page98)andthencontinueweighingtheoils.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothebeerandstiruntilithasdissolved.Donotworryifthecolourandthearomaofthebeerlyeareunpleasantatthisstage.Setyourlyejugasidesomewheresafe.

Weightheoilsandbutterandputthemintoastainlesssteelsaucepan.Placeoveralowheatuntilthesolidoilsandbutterhavemelted.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pourasmallamountof thelyeintothemeltedoils tomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnoreaction,pourtherestoftherealalelyeintothemeltedoils.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Addthehazelnutfragranceoilandstirtomakesurethatitisthoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Remove approximately 6 tablespoons of the soap and put into a small container.Add the black oxideslurryandmixwell.

Pourtheuncolouredsoapintothepreparedmould.Bangthemouldontoaworksurfacetoknockoutanyair bubbles and to smooth the surface of the soap. Drizzle the black oxide slurry onto the soap andcarefullycreateapatternbyswirlingordraggingusingthetipofateaspoonhandle.

Cover themouldand insulatefor thenext24hours(seestep10onpage38)beforeremoving thesoapfromthemouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

Realalenutbutterbar

IPAbarsforJakeBuggFirst,Ifellinlovewiththesong,thenIfellinlovewithsinger-songwriterJakeBugg.IfyouhavenoideawhatI’mtalkingabout,googletheGreeneKingIPAadvert!Itconjuresupafeel-good,friendly,typicallyEnglish pub and has the lovely, gravelly-voiced Jake Bugg singing a gentle country song throughout.WhilstIdon’ttendtodrinkIPA,IdidrushoutandbuyJakeBugg’sCD,whichIcanhighlyrecommend.EventhoughIdoubthewilleverreadthisbook,letalonemakehisownsoap,thisrecipeisdedicatedtohimasathankyou.

LYESOLUTION168gcold,flatIPA(oruseacombinationofIPAandwaterprovideditweighs168gintotal)•63g

sodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS150goliveoil•100gcoconutoil•50gpalmoil

100gricebranoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT6gpatchouliessentialoil•3gvetiveressentialoil

3gmandarinessentialoilmixedtogetherwith15garganoil(somethingspecialforyou,Jake!)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Weighyourcold,flatIPAandsodiumhydroxide.Placeyourweighedbeerinajugandstandthejuginthesink. If you prefer to use the strong water lye with a beer top up, please see the instructions at thebeginningofthebeerrecipes(page98)andthencontinuefromweighingtheoils.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothebeerandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved(donotworry if the colour and the aromaof the beer lye are unpleasant at this stage). Set your lye jug asidesomewheresafe.

Weigh theoilsandbutterandput intoastainlesssteelsaucepan.Placeovera lowheatuntil theyhavemeltedtogether.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pour a small amount of lye into the melted oils and butter to make sure there is no adverse fizzingreaction.If thereisareaction,waituntil theoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnot,pourtherestoftheIPAlyeintothemixtureofmeltedoilsandbutter.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Add the essential oils blended in argan oil and stir to make sure that they have been thoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Pourthesoapintothepreparedmould.Bangthemouldontoaworksurfacetoknockoutanyairbubblesandtosmooththesurfaceofthesoap.

Coverthemouldandinsulateforthenext24hours(page38)beforeremovingthesoapfromthemouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

IPAbarsinspiredbyanddedicatedtoJakeBugg

MuchasgraciascervezasoapAlightersoapmadewithlagerratherthanbeerand,intrueMexicanstyle,I’veaddedatwistoflime.

LYESOLUTION168gcold,flatlager

(oruseacombinationoflagerandwaterprovideditweighs168gintotal)62gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gsweetalmondoil•100gapricotkerneloil

100gavocadooil•100gcoconutoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12glimeessentialoil

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Weighyourcold,flatlagerandsodiumhydroxide.Placeyourweighedlagerinajugandstandthejuginthesink. Ifyouprefer touse thestrongwater lyewitha lager topup,pleasesee the instructionsat thebeginningofthebeerrecipes(page98)andthencontinuefromweighingtheoilsandbutter.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothelagerandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved(donotworry if the colour and thearomaof the lager lye areunpleasant at this stage).Setyour lye jugasidesomewheresafe.

Weightheoilsandbutterandputthemintoastainlesssteelsaucepan.Placeoveralowheatuntilmeltedtogether.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pourasmallamountoflyeintothemeltedoilstomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnoreaction,pourtherestofthelagerlyeintothemeltedoils.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Addthelimeessentialoilandstirtomakesurethatthishasbeenthoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Cover themould and insulate for the next 24 hours (see page 38) before removing the soap from the

mouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

Muchasgraciascervezasoap

HOWTOPREPAREYOURWINEFORUSEINSOAP

Redandwhitewinearenotnaturallyfizzy,sowhilstitisimportanttoremovethealcohol,thereisnofizzto remove.However, ifyouplan tousechampagneorsparklingwines inyoursoap thensadly the fizzmustgo.

Foralltypesofwine,slowlybringtoagentleboilandleavetoboilforatleasttwominutes.Reducetheheatandsimmerforafurtherfiveminutestoremovealltracesofalcoholbeforeremovingitfromtheheat.

Whenthewinehascooled,pouritintoasmallercontainerandplaceinthefridgeuntilitischilled.Only nowwill thewine be suitable for use in soap. The alcoholwill have been removed during thecookingprocessandtheentirecookingandcoolingprocessencouragesanyfizztogoflat.

Ifyoudonotfirstcookthealcoholoutoftheredandwhitewine,whenyouincludetheseinyoursoap,thealcoholcontentwillcausethesoaptoseizeandgoverythickextremelyquickly.Thismaybetoothickeventoblendinyourfragranceandessentialoils.

Theflatwineswillremaingoodtouseinsoapforat leasttwoweeksifyoukeeptheminaliddedcontainerinthefridge.Winesoapshaveashelflifeofatleasttwoyears.

ESSENTIALANDFRAGRANCEOILSTOUSEINWINESOAPS

Inthiscaseyoursoapwillhaveanaturalwine-in-lyearomathatisn’tatallagreeable.Youwilldefinitelywant toaddfragranceoressentialoils tomask thenaturalaroma.Choosing thearomas touse ismadeeasyforyou.Whenreadinganydescriptionofwineyouwillfindthatmanyofthewordsusedtodescribeitwillmatchessentialorfragranceoilsthatyouhopefullyalreadyhaveinyourcollection.Forexample,thewordsusedtodescribemanylight,drywhitewinesincludeapple,apricot,citrus,peach,spiceandfloral,whilstsomechardonnaysaredescribedusingwordssuchasbutter,popcorn,vanillaandhoney.IseeonthelabelofmysauvignonblancthatIshouldbeabletodetecttheflavoursofcitrusnotes(lemon,limeandgrapefruit),summerfruit(peach,nectarine,apricot,papaya),freshcutgrass,sweetpeas,smokeandgooseberry.Redwinesaretypicallyheavyandyou’llneedaselectionofmorerobustfragranceandessentialoils,suchascherries,berries,vanilla,chocolate,raisins,oak,liquorice,plumandtobacco.

Thereyousee–allyouneedisGoogleandafriendlywinemerchantandyou’lleasilybeabletofindoutwhatkindoffragranceandessentialoilyoucanusetoenhanceyourwinesoaps.Butifindoubt,usegrapefragranceoil.

COLOURINGWINESOAPS

Thebeersoapsturnashadeofbrown,whichismorethansuitableasbeersthemselvesaremostlybrown.Red,whiteandchampagnesoapswillalsoturnashadeofbrownwhichislessbecoming.Tocounteractthenaturalbrownyouwillneedcoloursthatcanbringthesoapbacktosomethingmoreinkeepingwiththenaturalwinecolour.

Forredwine,abordeauxorautumnredcolouredmicaworkswell.Redoxideisalittletoo‘brick-dust’incolourandthereforeunsuitableasashadeofwine.

ForwhitewinesoapsIsuggestthatyouuseagreenoxideormicasuchasmermaidorseagreenortheliquidCPcolour.Whilstwhitewineisusuallypalegolden,thegrapesaregreenasarethebottlessotheoveralleffect,evenwiththetingeofbrown,willveertowardsgreen.

Itisnotsosimpleforchampagnesoapsastryingtogetapalegoldencolourwhenthesoapnaturallyturns a shade of brown is very difficult. I suggest that you stickwith the drinking theme and perhapsinclude your champagne as part of a ‘Bucks Fizz’ soap and colour and fragrance it orange, or a ‘KirRoyal’,makingthesoapdarkerredandincludingblackcurrantasthefragrance.There’sawholerangeofchampagnecocktailsandIsuggestyouusethemasinspirationforyourchampagnesoaps.

Usinggreenoxidetocolourawhitewinesoapmixture

HANDLINGWINELYE

Pleasemake sure that you adhere to all the safety guidelines andwear your safety glasses and gloves(page10).Likebeersoaps,lyemadewithwineratherthanwatercanbequitevolatile.Placeyourlyejuginanemptysinksothatifthereisalyevolcano,youarewellplacedtoflushthespillagedownthesink.

MAKINGSTRONGWATERLYEWITHAWINETOP-UP

Ifyouareconcernedaboutmixingsodiumhydroxidewithwinethenpleasemakeastrong,waterversionofthelyefirst.Todothis,makeupyourlyeusingsodiumhydroxideand100gwater;stiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.Nowtopupthelyewith68gcooked,cooledwinetomake168gliquidintotal.

Apartfromtheideasgivenhere,anyofthesoaprecipesinthisbookcanbeconvertedtowinesoapssimply by substituting all or some of the lye water with cooked, cooled wine. Please see the moredetaileddescriptionofmakingcoldprocesssoapfoundinthesoapmakingmethodssection(pages37–8)asIhaveonlyincludedanabridgedversionhere.

SOAPRECIPESUSINGWINE

Althoughtheserecipesmakethewinesoapsusingthecoldprocessmethod,youcouldchoosetousethehotprocessorslowcooker(crock-pot)methodinstead.

Beforestartingtomakeanyofthewinesoaps,prepareyourwinebyboiling,simmeringandcoolingit.Thiswillneedtobedoneatleastonedayaheadofyoursoapmakingsession.

MerlotmangomaniaIt’s not often thatwehave anymerlot left over tomake soap so forme, themost difficult part of thisrecipe is finding a bottle that I’m happy to part with. Don’t use an expensive wine since cheap andcheerful varieties will produce just as good soap. Save the pricier bottles for drinking rather thansoaping!

LYESOLUTION168gcooked,cooledmerlotredwine

(oruseacombinationofwineandwaterprovideditweighs168gintotal)63gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gcoconutoil•250goliveoil•100gmangobutter

SOAPSCENT9gmangofragranceoil•3gplumfragranceoil

COLOUR1–2teaspoonsbordeauxredmica(mixwith10gwatertocreateaslurry)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Measurethecooked,cooledwineandsodiumhydroxide.Placeyourwineinajugandstanditinthesink.Ifyouprefertousethestrongwaterlyewithamerlottopup,pleaseseetheinstructionsatthebeginningofthewinerecipes(page107)andthencontinuefromweighingtheoilsandbutter.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothemerlotandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved(donotworryifthecolourandthearomaofthewinelyeareunpleasantatthisstage).Setyourlyejugasidesomewheresafe.

Weightheoilsandbutterandputtheminastainlesssteelsaucepan.Placeoveralowheatuntilmeltedtogether.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pourasmallamountoflyeintothemeltedoilstomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifthereisnoreaction,pourtherestofthewinelyeintothemeltedoils.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Addthemangoandplumfragranceoilsandstirtomakesurethatthishasbeenthoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Addthebordeauxredoxideslurrytoyoursoapandmixwell.

Pourthesoapintothepreparedmould.Bangthemouldontotheworksurfacetoknockoutanyairbubblesandtosmooththesurfaceofthesoap.

Cover themould and insulate for the next 24 hours (see page 38) before removing the soap from themouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

Merlotmangomaniasoap

BlackberryandelderflowerwinesoapHedgerowsoapsarealwayspopularandalthoughthisonehasnoactualbotanicalsinit,itremainsafirmfavourite.

LYESOLUTION168gcooked,cooledredwine

(oruseacombinationofwineandwaterprovideditweighs168gintotal)58gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS200goliveoil•100gpalmoil•100gricebranoil•50gcocoabutter

SOAPSCENT6gblackberryfragranceoil•3gplumfragranceoil

3gelderflowerfragranceoil

COLOURS1–2teaspoonsautumnredmica(mixwith10gwatertocreateaslurry)

½teaspoonpurplemica(mixwith5gwaterforaslurry)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Weigh the cooked, cooled redwine and sodiumhydroxide.Placeyourweighed redwine in a jug andstandthejuginthesink.Ifyouprefertousethestrongwaterlyewitharedwinetopup,pleaseseetheinstructionsatthebeginningofthewinerecipes(page98)andthencontinuefromweighingtheoilsandbutter.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintotheredwineandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved(donotworryifthecolourandthearomaofthewinelyeareunpleasantatthisstage).Setyourlyejugasidesomewheresafe.

Weigh the oils and butter and put into a stainless steel saucepan. Place over a low heat until meltedtogether.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pourasmallamountoflyeintothemeltedoilstomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnoreaction,pourtherest

ofthewinelyeintothemeltedoils.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Add the blackberry, plum and elderflower fragrance oils; stir to make sure that they are thoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Pouronethirdofthesoapmixtureintothemould.

Addtheautumnredslurrytotheremainingsoapmixtureandstirwell.Pourhalfofthemixtureontotheuncolouredmixtureinthesoapmould.

Addthepurplemicaslurrytothefinalthirdleftinthesaucepanandstirwell.Carefullypourthislayerontotheothertwolayersinthemould.

Cover themouldand insulate for thenext24hours (seepage38)before removingfromthemouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

Blackberryandelderflowerwinesoap

ProseccoandgooseberrycrushIfyouchooseanaromathatispredominatelygreen,noonewilleverquestionyourproseccosoapbeinggreen rather than golden.The gooseberry fragrance oil is tart and crisp and the perfect aroma for thissoap.Ifyoucan’tfindgooseberryfragranceoil,agoodsubstituteisgreenapplefragranceoilmixedwithalittlelemonessentialoil.

LYESOLUTION168gcooked,cooledprosecco

(oruseacombinationofproseccoandwaterprovideditweighs168gintotal)65gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILS150goliveoil•150gcoconutoil•150gsweetalmondoil

SOAPSCENT12ggooseberryfragranceoil

COLOUR1teaspoonmermaidgreenmica(mixwith5gwatertocreateaslurry)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Weighyourcooked,cooledproseccoandsodiumhydroxide.Placetheweighedwineinajugandstandthe jug in the sink. If you prefer to use the strongwater lyewith awhitewine top up, please see theinstructionsatthebeginningofthewinerecipes(page98)andthencontinuefromweighingtheoils.

Carefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothewineandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved(donotworry if the colour and the aromaof thewine lye areunpleasant at this stage).Set your lye jug asidesomewheresafe.

Weigh the oils and put into a stainless steel saucepan. Place over a low heat until melted together.Removethesaucepanfromtheheat.

Pourasmallamountoflyeintothemeltedoilstomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnoreaction,pourtherestofthewinelyeintothemeltedoils.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Addthegooseberryfragranceoilandstirtomakesurethatithasbeenthoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Removeaboutonethirdofthesoapmixtureandcolouritwiththegreenmicaslurry.

Pour half the uncoloured soap into the mould. Bang the mould onto the work surface to remove anytrappedairbubbles.

Pourthegreensoapovertheuncolouredsoapandthenpourtheremaininguncolouredsoapontopofthegreenlayer.

Cover themouldand insulate for thenext24hours (seepage38)beforeremovingfromthemouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

Proseccoandgooseberrycrushsoap

Post-partybluesThe first champagne soap I evermadewasafter apost-partyclearupwhennot-quite-emptybottlesofchampagnehadbeenleftoutovernight.Thefizzhadnaturallydisappearedandwhilsttheflatchampagnewasn’tworthdrinking,Isimplycouldnotbringmyselftothrowitaway.So,ofcourse,Iuseditinsoap!

Whilstchampagneisn’tblue,Ihaveputalittleblueintothesoapjusttoemphasisethemorning-after-the-night-before‘blue’post-partymood.

LYESOLUTION165gcooked,cooled,flatchampagne(oruseacombinationofflatchampagneandwaterprovidedit

weighs165gintotal)54gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gcastoroil•50gjojobaoil•200goliveoil

50gricebranoil•50grosehipoil

SOAPSCENT12grosegeraniumessentialoil

COLOUR2teaspoonsblueultramarine(mixwith25gwatertocreateaslurry)

METHODPrepareyourequipmentandmould.

Weigh your cooked, cooled, flat champagne and sodium hydroxide. Place the champagne in a jug andstandthejuginthesink.Ifyouprefertousethestrongwaterlyewithaflatchampagnetopup,pleaseseetheinstructionsatthebeginningofthewinerecipes(page98)andthencontinuefromweighingtheoils.

Carefully tip the sodium hydroxide into the champagne wine and stir until the sodium hydroxide hasdissolved(donotworryifthecolourandthearomaofthechampagnelyeareunpleasantatthisstage).Setyourlyejugasidesomewheresafe.

Weightheoilsandputintoastainlesssteelsaucepanorlargeplasticcontainer.Sincetheseareallliquidoilsthereisnoneedtoheatthem.

Pourthechampagnelyeintotheoilsandstir.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Add the rosegeraniumessentialoil andstir tomakesure that ithasbeen thoroughly incorporated intoyoursoap.

Pourathirdofthesoapmixtureintoajug.Addoneteaspoonoftheblueultramarineslurryandmixwell.Pourthebluesoapmixtureintoamould.Bangthemouldontotheworksurfacetoremoveanytrappedairbubblesandtosmooththetopofthesoap.

Pouranotherthirdof thesoapmixtureintoajug.Addtwoteaspoonsoftheblueultramarineslurryandmixwell.Pourthisslightlydarkerbluesoapmixtureintothemouldontopofthelighterbluelayer.Gentlytapthemouldontotheworksurfacetoremoveanytrappedairbubblesandtosmooththetopofthesoap.

Add the last three teaspoons of the blue ultramarine slurry into the last third of the uncoloured soapmixtureandstirwell.Gentlypourthedarkestbluesoapmixtureintothemouldontopoftheother twobluelayers.Tapthemouldontheworksurfacetoremoveanytrappedairbubblesandtosmooththetopofthesoap.

Cover themould and insulate for the next 24 hours (see page 38) before removing the soap from themouldandleavingtocureatroomtemperature.

Post-partybluessoap

SummerlemonadecupsoapLast,butbynomeansleast,asI’msureyouwillbecreatingsimilarsoaprecipes,wefinishouralcoholsection with a typically English summer drink. Pimm’s is an alcoholic summer cordial that requiresdilutingwithlemonadeortonicwater.Usuallythedrinkisservedwithpiecesofcucumber,strawberryandappleandasprigofmint.IrosetothechallengesetbymylovelyfriendRuthandcameupwithasoapversionofthisrefreshingdrink.Ifyoucan’tgetholdofPimm’s,youcouldreplaceitwithgin.Thisrecipecombinesmelt-and-pour soapwithcoldprocess soap, since Ihaveembedded little strawberry-shaped and scented red melt-and-pour soaps into the cold process soap. It works best if you useindividualmouldsratherthantheloaftype.

BeforemakingthisrecipeyoumustmakesurethatallthealcoholhasbeencookedoutofthePimm’s(orgin)justasforwine(page106)andthatthefizzhasbeenremovedfromthelemonade.Itispossiblejusttoleavethelemonadetogoflat,butasyouneedtocookthePimm’sanyway,youmightaswellcookthelemonadeatthesametime.Thiswilldefinitelyremoveanyfizz.

FORTHESTRAWBERRYMELT-AND-POURSOAPS100gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

Afewdropsofredliquidcolouring•2gstrawberryfragranceoil

LYESOLUTION30gPimm’s•138glemonade•62gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS80gcoconutoil•70gpalmoil•250goliveoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT10gcucumberfragranceoil•2gspearmint(gardenmint)essentialoil

METHODMelttheclearmelt-and-poursoapbase(page170)andaddtheredcolouringandstrawberryfragranceoil. Stirwell andpour into small, strawberry shapedmoulds – an ice-cube traywith little strawberryshaped cavities is perfect. Leave to set before removing from the mould. Place the little strawberryshapedsoapsinthefreezer.

Prepareyourequipmentandmouldforthebodyofthesoap.

Weighyourcooked,cooledPimm’sandlemonademixtureandsodiumhydroxide.PlacethePimm’sandlemonadeinajugandstanditinthesink.

CarefullytipthesodiumhydroxideintothePimm’sandlemonadeandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved(donotworryifthecolourandthearomaofthePimm’slyeareunpleasantatthisstage).Setyourlyejugasidesomewheresafe.

Weightheoilsandbutterandputthemintoastainlesssteelsaucepan.Placeoveralowheatuntilmeltedtogether.Removethesaucepanfromtheheatandleavetocoolforfiveminutes.

Pourasmallamountoflyeintothemeltedoilstomakesurethereisnoadversefizzingreaction.Ifthereisareaction,waituntiltheoilsandlyehavecooledslightlybeforecontinuing.Ifnoreaction,pourtherestofthePimm’sandlemonadelyeintothemeltedoilsandbutter.

Usingahandheldstickblender,mixtheoilsandlyetogetheruntiltheyformalighttrace.

Addthecucumberandmintoilblendandstirtomakesurethatthishasbeenthoroughlyincorporatedintoyoursoap.

Pourthesoapintotheindividualsoapmoulds.

RemovethestrawberrysoapsfromthefreezerandcarefullyinsertthemintothePimm’ssoapsothattheyarelyingontopofeachbar.YouwillhavefarmoresuccessindoingthisifthePimm’ssoaphasstartedtosetalittle.

Popthemouldsintothefridgefor24hours.Oncethesoapsareoutofthefridgeandremovedfromthemoulds,theywillneedtobeleftfortheusualfourweekstocureatroomtemperature.

Summerlemonadecupsoap

MakinghoneysoapsHoneyissuchapopularingredientinsoap.Dependingonthesoapmakingstageatwhichyouincludethehoney,youmaynotrequireanyadditionalaroma,sinceitcanimpartagloriouscaramelhoneyfragranceofitsown.

Honeycanbeaddedinthelyeorattraceandwillbehavealittledifferentlyaccordingtowhenitisadded.Addinghoneytothelyewillcauseittoburnandturnthelyesolutionbrown.Burnthoneytakesonthearomaofcaramel,whichgivesyoursoapabeautifulandnaturalscent,butitwillalsodiscolourthesoap.

IfyouwanttokeepthesoapaspaleaspossiblethenIsuggestthatyouaddthehoneyattrace.Becausethe honey is not then cooked by the lye, its aroma is kept to a minimum, allowing you to use otherfragranceoressentialoilstoscentyoursoap.

Eachoftherecipesdescribedherewillworkequallywellwhetheryouaddyourhoneytothelyeortothetracedsoapmixturesodofeelfreetoswitchmethodstowhicheveryouprefer.

Youcanchoosetoleavethesoapsomewhereatroomtemperatureforthefirst24hours.Coverwithonlyonelayeroftowelssincethesoapwillbecomenaturallyhotterthanusualduetothehoneycontent.Youmaychoosetoputthesoapinthefridgeinsteadofleavingitunderatowel.

Honeyalsoworkswellinahotprocesssoap(seepages47–9).

SOAPRECIPESUSINGHONEY

Honeycaneasilybeincludedinyoursoapsandwilladdextramoisturisingandskin-softeningproperties.Itwillimpartasubtlehoneyed-caramelaromawhichcanbetoppedupbytheadditionofhoneyfragranceoilorothersweetfragrances.

Honeycanaddcolour,aromaandskinsoftnesstoyoursoap

Addinghoneytoyourlyeproducesadarkcaramelfragrance

HoneybeebarI’veincludedbothhoneyandbeeswaxinthissoap.Thebeeswaxwillhelptomakethefinalresultahardbarbutcanalsoacceleratetrace,sodon’thangaroundonceyouhavereachedtrace–justget thesoapintothemouldassoonasyoucan!Ihaven’tincludedanyadditionalaromaasthenaturalhoneylyegivesasubtlesweetaroma.

Youwillalsoneedasheetofbubblewraptoplaceontopofthesoapduringthefirst24hours.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•60gsodiumhydroxide•30ghoney

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gcoconutoil•265goliveoil•35gbeeswax•50gsheabutter

METHODLineyourmouldifnecessaryandplacetooneside.

Wearingsafetyequipment (page10),makeupyour lye solutionusing thewater and sodiumhydroxide.Add thehoneyand stir again.The lyewillgo throughvariouscoloursoforange tobrownand start tosmelloftreacle-likecaramel.Setthissafelyasidesomewhereoutoftheway.

Weightheoils,beeswaxandsheabutterandputthemintoasaucepan.Placethepanoveralowheatuntilthebutterhasmelted.

Wearingyoursafetygogglesandglovesandpayingcarefulattentiontothesafehandlingofthehoneylye(page9),pourthehoneylyeintothemeltedbutter,beeswaxandoilsmixture.

Stirbrieflywithaspoontomixtheoilsandlyetogether.Blitzwithastickblenderuntilyouhavereachedtrace.

Pourthesoapmixture(ordollopit,ifithasstartedtoturnverythick)intoyourpreparedmould.

Placealayerofbubblewrapontothesoapwiththeprotrudingbubblesfacingdown.Smooththisontothesoap.Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardaorpieceofcardboardandthencoverwithonelayeroftowelandleavefor24hours.

Removethesoapfromthemouldwhenitishardenough.Carefullypeelbackthebubblewrapanddiscardit.Thebubblewrapindentsshouldgivethesoapasimilarappearancetohoneycomb.

Coveringyourhoneysoapwithalayerofbubblewrapgivesahoneycombeffect

Honeybeebars

HoneyandoatssoapMysonalwaysusedtocallthis‘flapjacksoap’sinceitnotonlylookedlikeanoatybarbuthadthearomaofsomethingyoumightliketoeat.Butnomatterhowtemptedyouare,don’teatit–itwilltastevile!Iknow,mysontoldme.

As theoatswillmakeanexfoliatingbar,youcouldchoose toadd themtohalf thesoapso that theotherhalfcanremainsmoothandperfectfor thoseareaswhereyoudon’tneedtoexfoliate!This is themethoddescribedinthisrecipe.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•60gsodiumhydroxide•30ghoney

SOAPOILS50gcoconutoil•50gwheatgermoil•100gsweetalmondoil

100goliveoil•100gricebranoil•50gpalmoil

ADDITION30goats

METHODMakeandbringthesoapmixturetotraceasfortheHoneybeebar(page120).

Pourhalfthesoapmixtureintoajugandsetaside.Addtheoatstotheremainingsoapinthesaucepanandstirwell.Pourtheoatysoapmixtureintothemould.

Nowpourtheremainingsoapmixtureinthejugontotheoatylayerbeingcarefulnottodislodgetheoatylayertoomuch.

Coverthemouldwithalid,choppingboardorapieceofcardboardandcoverwithalayeroftowelandleavefor24hours.

Removethesoapfromthemouldwhenitishardenoughandsliceintobars.

Melt-and-poursoapwithaddedhoneyandoats

MilkandhoneyThisisoneofmyfavouritesoaps.Theinclusionofthearganoilmakesitmyguiltypleasure,butoh,myskinfeelsclean,softandsilkyaftershowering!WehaveourownbeessoIuseourownhoney.I’vetriedtopersuademyhusbandtoletmehaveagoattoo,buthe’sdrawnthelineatthatonesoIhadtobuyinmygoats’milk.

LYESOLUTION68gwater•61gsodiumhydroxide•30ghoney•100gfrozengoats’milk

SOAPOILS100gcastoroil•150goliveoil•100gwheatgermoil

100gcoconutoil

SOAPSCENT12gvanillabourbonfragranceoil

ADDITION15garganoil

METHODStandyourlyejuginthesink.Makeupthelyeasusualwiththewater,sodiumhydroxideandhoney.Addthefrozengoats’milkandstiruntilthesodiumhydroxidehasdissolved.

Placetheoilsinasaucepanandheatuntilmelted.Removefromtheheatandfetchthelye.

Carefullypourthelyeintothesoapmixtureandstirgently.Thenblitzwithahandheldblenderuntilyouhavereachedalighttrace.

Addthevanillabourbonfragranceoilandarganoilandstiruntil thoroughlyincorporatedintothesoapmixture.

Coverthesoapmouldwithapieceofcardboardorlidandplaceinthefridgefor24hours.Removefromthefridgebutleaveinthemoulduntilthesoapishardenoughtoremoveeasily.Cutintoslicesbutdonotusethesoapuntilitisatleastsixweeksold.

Milkandhoneysoap

AddingsalttoyoursoapsAddingsalttosoapwillmakethebarharder.Whilstsaltmaybeaddedtothelyesolution,itcanalsobeaddedtothetracedsoapmixtureorscatteredontopofthesoap,makingitanexfoliatingbar.Mostsalttypes canbeused, including sea salt, table salt,Epsomsalts andHimalayan salts. I haven’t hadmuchsuccessusingDeadSeasaltasIfounditmadethesoapoverlycrumblyinparts.

PinkandgoldsaltbarsHere,IhaveusedHimalayanpinksalttoaddcolouraswellastexture.Thesaltisaddedoncethesoaphasbeenpouredintothemouldsandwillsitontopofthesoap,makingthisanexfoliatingbar.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•68gsodiumhydroxide

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS100gcoconutoil•50gpalmoil•250goliveoil•50gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12gfrankincenseessentialoil

COLOUR1ggoldmica

ADDITION50gHimalayansalt

METHODMakeupyourlyeasusualwiththewaterandsodiumhydroxide(page11).Leavetoonesidewhilstyoupreparetheoilsandbutter.

Place theoilsandbutter inasaucepanandheatuntileverythinghasmelted.Removefromtheheatandcarefullyaddthelye.

Bringthesoaptoalighttracethenaddthefrankincenseessentialoil.

Removeonethirdof thesoapmixtureandplaceit inaseparate jug.Addthegoldmicatothisandstirwell.

Pourhalftheuncolouredsoapmixtureintoyourpreparedmould.Carefullypourthegoldmicalayerontopof theuncolouredlayer.Pour theremaininguncolouredsoapmixtureon topof thegoldmica layer.SprinkletheHimalayansaltontopofthesoapmixture.

Coverthesoapmouldwithapieceofcardboardorlidandinsulatewithtowelsorblankets(page38).

Removethetowelsandblanketsafter24hours.Oncethesoapishard,cut it intoslices,sprinklinganywaywardsaltbackontothesoapbars.Thesoapisreadytouseinfourweeks.

Pinkandgoldsaltbars

AddingsilktoyoursoapsTheadditionofsilktoyoursoapswillmakethesoapcreamy,silkyandabsolutelygorgeous!Silkcanbefoundinfibre,liquidorpowderformat,buteasilythemostcost-effectiveformisthesilkfibres.

Whateverformofsilkyouchoosetouse,addittothelye.Thepowderandliquidsilksdissolveintothelyestraightaway,butsilkfibrestakeawhiletodissolve.IoftenmakethislyethedaybeforeIneedit,allowingplentyoftimeforthesilkfibrestodisperse.

SilkyskintreatThe inclusion of silk and arganoilmakes this one very special soap.Tussah silk fibres are humanelyharvestedfromthecocoonsofwildsilkmoths.Theyaddalovelysilkfeeltoyoursoapandtoyourskinafterusingit.

LYESOLUTION168gwater•62gsodiumhydroxide•2gtussahsilkfibres

SOAPOILSANDBUTTERS50garganoil•50gcastoroil•100gcoconutoil100goliveoil•50gpalmoil•100gsheabutter

SOAPSCENT12gcorianderessentialoil

METHODMakeupyourlyewiththewaterandsodiumhydroxideasusual(page11).Addthesilkfibresandleavetodissolve(thismaytakeseveralhours).

Place theoilsandbutter inasaucepanandheatuntileverythinghasmelted.Removefromtheheatandcarefullyaddthesilkylye.

Bringthesoaptoalighttracethenaddthecorianderessentialoil.

Pour the soap into yourmould, coverwith a piece of cardboard or a lid and insulate (page 38)withtowelsorblankets.

Removefromthetowelsandblanketsafter24hoursandleavethesoaptocureatroomtemperatureforfourweeks.

Addingtussahsilkfibrestothelye

SuperfattingyoursoapThebarsoapsyoumakearelikelytobecreamy,moisturisingandwonderfullyrichinlather,makingthematreattouse.Itispossibletomakethemevencreamierandmoremoisturising,thoughbyaddingexcessoilstothesoapmixture.Thisprocedureiscalledsuperfattingyoursoap.

Itisimportantnottoaddtoomuchexcessoilasthiswillhaveanimpactonthelatheringcapabilitiesofyoursoap.Youshouldn’tuseoilstosuperfatliquidsoapsasthemixturewillseparateout(seeChapterTwo).Useafattydispersantinstead,suchassulphonatedcastoroilorpolysorbate.

HOWTOSUPERFATYOURSOAPS

Superfattingyoursoapscanbedoneinoneoftwoways.Thefirstmethodistoletthesoapsaponificationcalculatorsdothehardworkforyou,thesecondmethodistodotheveryeasymathsyourself.Whilstyoumightbebreathingasighofreliefandthinkingthatlettingthecalculatordotheworkforyouistheeasiestway to do this, it isn’t necessarily the best option for those of us who like to have control over thesuperfattingoil.Thisisbecausethesoapcalculatorwillreducetheamountofsodiumhydroxiderequiredratherthanincreasetheamountofoil.

This means that the unsaponified, excess oils ‘floating around invisibly’ in your soaps will be amixtureofyourbaseoilsratherthanoneparticular,carefullyselectedoil.

Ifyoursoaprecipeusescoconutoil,oliveoil,palmoilandsweetalmondoilandyousuperfatusingthesoapcalculatormethod,whathappensisthatthecalculationreducesthequantityofsodiumhydroxidesonotalltheoilsareconvertedintosoap,only95percentofthemare.Thisisperfectlyacceptableandyoursoapwillbenoticeablycreamierandevenmoremoisturisingthanifyouhaven’tsuperfatted.

However,ifyousuperfatusingthemanualcalculationmethod,youcanthenchoosetoaddaspecialextraoiltoyoursoapatthetracestageanditisthisoilthatwillfloataroundinvisibly.Argan,jojobaandother luxuryandexpensiveoilsaregoodexamplesofoils thatyouwouldwant tosuperfatwith in thiswayasthisguaranteesthatitistheseoilsthataregoingtobetheadditionalemollientoilsinyoursoap.

MANUALLYCALCULATINGHOWMUCHOILTOSUPERFATWITH

Youcansuccessfullysuperfatwithanadditional5percentoftheothersoapoilsyouareusing.Anymorethanthatandyoursoapbecomesgreasyandwillnotproducemuchlather.

The recipes in this book use 450 g oils so themaximum amount youwould consider adding as asuperfattingoilis22.5g.

Thisiscalculatedbyworkingoutthevalueof1percentandthenmultiplyingthatvaluebyfivetoget5percent.Thecalculationforoursoapsisthereforeasfollows:450g/100=4.5gTherefore4.5gis1percentofoursoaprecipe.Hence:4.5gx5=22.5gTherefore22.5gisthemaximumadditionaloilwecanincludeinoursoapasasuperfattingoil.

Itisacceptabletoincludelessthan22.5gsuperfattingoilbutdonotaddmore.ThisoilisaddedatlighttraceandIalwaysadditatthesametimeasIaddmyfragranceoressentialoils.

ExamplesofrecipeswhereIhavesuccessfullysuperfattedinthiswayincludeRosyhuesoapandtheMilkandhoneysoaprecipes(pages55and124–25).

Adding5percentexcessoiltosuperfatthesoapmixture

USINGTHESOAPCALCULATORTOCALCULATESUPERFATTING

All the soap calculators on the internet are formatted differently so youmayneed to hunt aroundyourpreferredcalculatorpagetofindthesuperfattingfield.Onceyoufindtherelevantareayouwillneedtoenteryourrequiredsuperfattingpercentageintothefieldanditislikelythatthisfieldwillacceptvaluesfrom0throughto5.Ifyouwanttosuperfatatthefull5percentthenenter‘5’intothisfield.Ifyoudonotwishtosuperfatatall,orwishtoperformthecalculationyourselfthenenter‘0’inthisfield.

Ifyouplantocalculatethesuperfattingoilyourselfusingthemanualmethodyoumustmakesurethatthevalue in thesoapcalculator field isset to ‘0’otherwiseyouwillover-superfatandyoursoapwilldefinitelybetoogreasy.

The soap calculation method will not increase the oils, but will decrease the amount of sodiumhydroxiderequired.Theresultisthesameinthattherewillbeexcessoilsinyoursoap.

DiscountingthewaterinyoursoapReducingtheamountofwaterinyoursoapisnottechnicallyasuperfattingmethod,butIthoughtitbesttoincludeit in thissection. Ifyoureferback to thesectiononcalculatinghowmuchwater touse inyoursoap (page 23), you will see that most soap recipes calculate the amount of water to use as beingapproximately37.5percentoftheweightofoils.

Mostoftherecipesinthisbookuse450goilsandthereforeuseapproximately168gwater(orwatersubstitute),whichis37.5percentoftheweightoftheoils.Infact,theamountofwateryouuseinyoursoapscanvaryenormously.Somesoaprecipesuseless,othersmoreandonesoapcalculatorsuggestsarangeof112g–169gforour450goilrecipe.Sodoesitreallymatter?Theanswerisyesandno!Yes,inthatthe37.5percentoftheoilsvalueistheidealamountrequiredtodissolvethelyetoenableittoreactwith theoils, converting them into the fatty acids andglycerols required to create abeautifulblockofsoap,butalsono,becauseyoucanputinlesswaterifyouwishandstillconverttheoilsintosoap.Thereis,however,alimittohowlittlewateryoucanuse,sincethewaterisneededtodissolvethelye.Ifyoudon’thaveenough,thelyecan’tdissolveandtheremaybesectionsofundissolvedsodiumhydroxideinyoursoap.

Thebenefitofaddinglesswateristhatyoursoapwillreachathicktracefairlyquickly.Thisisveryusefulifyouwishtolayerit,astheindividuallayersarelesslikelytorunintoeachother.Discountingthewaterwillalsohardenthesoapupfaster,inturnmakingthecuringtimequicker.

Thedisadvantagesofaddinglesswaterarethatthesoapismorepronetoseizinganditmayhardenupbeforeyouhavetimetopouritneatlyintothemould.Pleasebeawarethatyourlyesolutionwillbemoreconcentratedandthereforestrongerthanusualsinceyouhaveusedlesswater.Alwayswearyoursafetyprotectivegear(page10)whenhandlinglye,regardlessofthestrengthofthesolution.

Hot process soaps shouldnot bewater-discounted as they tend to err on the side of dry. In fact, Isometimesaddalittlemorehotwatertomysoapsduringtheircookingphasetomakeupforanywaterlostthroughevaporation.

Thissoaphastracedtoathickermixtureduetoreducingthevolumeofwaterinthelye

HOWTODISCOUNTTHEWATERINYOURSOAP

Firstlypleasedon’tdiscountthewaterifyouareusingmilksorpuréesinyoursoap.Also,don’trushintothis, for it is a method used by experienced soap makers and it is wise to only try it once you feelcomfortablemakingsoapwiththeregularamountofliquid.

The lowest amount of water I suggest you go to is 25 per cent of the weight of the oils. This iscalculatedbydividingtheweightoftheoilsby100andthenmultiplyingitby25.Forourbatchesofsoapmadewith450goil,thecalculationwouldlookasfollows:450g/100x37.5=168g.Therefore168gistheamountofwaterneededat37percent.

The lowest percentage I recommend is 25 per cent. To calculate howmuchwater this equates to,divide450gby100butthistimemultiplytheresultby25.Theformulawouldlooklikethis:450g/100x25=112.5g.Therefore112.5gistheamountofwaterneededat25percent.

Theamountofwaterrequiredfora450goilbatchwouldthereforerangefrom112.5gto168g.Youcanexperimentbyreducingthewater,butstartwithalittlereductionratherthanreducingittothefull25percentsothatyoulearnhowwaterdiscountschangethebehaviourofyoursoap.

Arangeofhandmadeliquidsoaps

CHAPTERTWO

Makingliquidsoap

Liquidsoaphasgainedinpopularityoverthelastdecadeand,bottleforbar,itnowoutsellsothertypesofsoap.

Theprocessofmakingliquidsoapismoretimeconsumingthanmakinghardbarsofsoap,butcanbemadetime-economicalsincemakingalargequantityrequireslittlemoreeffortthanmakingafewbottles.Liquid soap is a veryversatile product and canbemodified easily to becomehand soap, bodywash,bubblebathandsoon,byaddingaselectionofappropriateadditional ingredients.Whilst itcantakeawhileforyourliquidsoaptobe‘cooked’,itiscertainlyworththewait.Alasliquidsoap,inmyopinion,willnever lookasbeautifulandwholesomeashardbarsofsoapandmuchof thevisualappealof thefinalproductwillbedowntothepackaging,notjusttheproductitself.

Theliquidsoapinthissectionismadefromscratchusingpotassiumhydroxide.Itisalsopossibletomakeliquidsoapproductsfromsurfactants–pleaserefertothechapteronusingsurfactantsifyoupreferthat method of soap making (page 197). Your finished liquid soap will not contain any potassiumhydroxideas itwillhavebeen transformed,with theoilsand fats, into lovely liquidsoap.Without thepotassiumhydroxide, theoils andwaterwould separate, leavingyouwith agreasy, inexplicable,non-foamingmess!

EquipmentneededformakingliquidsoapVerylittlespecialistequipmentisrequiredtomakeliquidsoap.ThemethodIhaveincludedinthisbookrequirestheuseofaslowcooker(crock-pot).Itisperfectlyfeasibletomakeliquidsoapinasaucepan,butthereisagreaterriskofthesoappasteburningunlessyouarepreparedtostiritfrequentlytoensurethesoapiscookedevenly.

USINGADOUBLEBOILERFORLIQUIDSOAP

Usingadoubleboilerwillhelpreducethechancesofthesoapburning.Tomakeadoubleboiler,youwillneedaverylargesaucepanandanothersaucepanthatfitssnugglyinsidethebigsaucepan.Addwatertotheouterbigsaucepanandheatthisup.Insertthesmallersaucepanintothebigsaucepanmakingsurethatnowaterfromtheouterpangetsintothesmallerpan.Allyourcookingisthencarriedoutinthesmallersaucepan.

Bothpanswillneedalidandyouwillneedtocheckthewaterlevelsinthebiggerpanfrequentlytomakesureithasn’tboileddry.

USINGASLOWCOOKER(CROCK-POT)FORLIQUIDSOAP

If you don’t already own a slow cooker that you arewilling to dedicate to your soapmaking,may Isuggestthatwhenmakingapurchaseyouchoosealargeonethathasatleasttwoheatsettings.Bylarge,Imeanthatyoushouldpurchaseonewiththecapacitytoholdatleast5litres,sinceonceyoustartusingthesoapandgiving it to friendsand family,you’ll find thatbigbatchesbecome thenormandyouwillbefrustratedifyourslowcookercan’tmanagebulkmaking.

JugsandbowlsYou will need an assortment of jugs and bowls. These can be used when weighing the water andpotassiumhydroxide,mixingthelyeandweighingthedilutedliquidsoap.Heatproofglassorplasticjugsthatcanholdupto2litresaresuitable.

SpoonsandspatulasYouwillneedlargestainlesssteelspoonsformixingthelye,soappasteanddilutedliquidsoap.Investina flexible spatula so that you can scrape the soapy residue from the sides of your slowcooker pot orsaucepan.

ScalesYouwillneedasetofaccuratedigitalscalesformeasuringingredients.

HandheldstickblenderThisisrequiredtobringyouroilsandlyemixturetothethicktracestage.

Digitalscaleshelpyoutobemoreaccuratewhenweighingoutyouringredients

ProtectiveclothingAspreviously,youwillneedsafetyglasses,gloves,anapronandpossiblyaprotectivefacemask.Ifyouhavelonghair,youwillneedtotieitback.

LiddedcontainersorziplockbagsUsethesetostoreexcesssoappaste.Thesoappastewillremainfreshforatleast18monthsifstoredinanairtightcontainer.

BottlesYouwillneedanassortmentofbottlestoputyourfinishedproductin.

Pouringliquidsoapintoabottle

SafetyadviceforhandlingliquidsoapingredientsLiquidsoapismadeinasimilarwaytohotprocesshardbarsofsoap.Thesamesafetyrulesapplysopleasereadthelyesafetysection(pages9and10)beforestartingtomakeliquidsoaps.

Authentic,naturalhardbarand liquid soap ismade from thechemical reactionof lyecombinedwithfats.Thelyeismadefromwater(orwatercombinedwithotherliquids)andanalkali.Forhardbarsofsoap,thealkaliissodiumhydroxide;forliquidsoaps,thealkaliispotassiumhydroxide.

Please see the section on handling lye safely for full instructions on how to make up your lyesolution(pages9–12).

LIQUIDSOAPINGREDIENTS

Liquidsoapisamixtureofoilsand/orbuttersandpotassiumlye.Thereareonlyafewingredientsthatyouabsolutelyneedtoincludeinyourrecipestoachieveoutstandingresults.Thesecomprisepotassiumhydroxide,waterandoilsorbutterssuchascoconutoil,oliveoil,almondoil,sheabutterandsuchlike.

Othersoapmakingingredientscanbeincluded,suchasfragrances,colours,superfattingingredientsandspecialistadditives,dependingonwhatliquidsoapproductyouaremaking.

LIQUIDSOAPINGREDIENTS–WATERS

Duringyourliquidsoapmakingyouwilladdwaterattwodifferentstages.Thefirststageismakingupthelyesolutionandforthisyoucanuseregulartapwaterifyouwish.Ifyouliveinanareathathasveryhardor soft tapwater thenyoumaywant toconsiderdeionised,distilledor springwater instead.The

secondstageofaddingwateriswhenyoudiluteyourthicksoappaste.Again,youcanusetapwaterbutwe prefer to use spring or distilled water. You can substitute all or part of the dilution water withspecialistwaterssuchasfloralwaters,includingroseorlavenderwater,oraloevera.Seetheindividualrecipesforideasandsuggestions.

LIQUIDSOAPINGREDIENTS–OILSANDBUTTERS

Any oil or butter that youwould consider using in handmade cosmetic products can be used tomakeliquidsoap.Eachoilorbutterbringsdifferentpropertiestotheliquidsoapandwillhaveanimpactontheskinfeel,latheringabilityandtheappearanceandcolourofthesoapitself.

Oilsandbuttersaremadeupofdifferentfattyacidsthataffectthecharacteristicandqualityofyourliquidsoap. ‘Hard’oils, suchascoconutandpalmkerneloilsor sheabutter, tend tohavehighstearicfatty acid content since it is the occurrence of stearic acid that keeps these oils solid at ambienttemperatures.Theseoilsmayalsocontainotherfattyacidssuchaspalmiticandlauricacids,allofwhichwillhaveanimpactonyourfinalliquidsoapproduct.

‘Soft’oils,suchasalmond,olive,peachkernelandcastor,areusuallyliquidatambienttemperatures.Theytoomaycontainstearic,palmiticandlauricfattyacidsbutinmuchsmallerquantitiesthantheirmoresolid, oily counterparts. Soft oils are more likely to contain larger proportions of oleic, linoleic andlinolenicfattyacids.Thefattyacidcontentwillhelptodeterminehowtheliquidsoapfeelsonyourskin,aswellashowclear,foaming,moisturisingandviscousitis.

FATTYACIDCONTENTOFOILS

Use the following chart to help you decidewhich oils and butters you should use in your liquid soapproduct.Forexample,ifyouwishtohavearichlymoisturisingliquidsoapthathasalong-lastinglather,thenoilswithpalmiticandricinoleicacidswillbebeneficial.Oilsrichinthesefattyacidsincludecastoroil(ricinoleic)andcocoabutter,olive,palm,peachkernel,ricebran,rosehipandwheatgermoils.Theseoilswillnotnecessarilycreateaclearliquidsoap.Ifyouwantamostlyclearsoap,chooseoilsthathavewater-solublefattyacidssuchascoconutorpalm(lauricandmyristicacids)andavocado(myristicacid).However,thesefattyacidscanbealittledryingontheskin,soyouwouldalsoneedtoincludeoilsthatcontainmoisturising fatty acids such as linoleic acid (whichmay be prone to rancidity) or oleic acid(whichdoesn’tlatherparticularlywell).

Basicingredientsrequiredforliquidsoapmaking

Fat tyacid Foundintheseoils Characterist icinliquidsoap

Lauricacid Coconut,palmkernel

Antibacterial,antifungalproperties

Helpstocreateaquick,fluffy,foamylather

Water-solublesohelpsproduceaclearsoap

Highlauricacidcontentcancauseskindryness

LinoleicacidBorage,eveningprimrose,flaxseed,grape-seed,hemp,rosehip,safflower,sesameseed,sunflower,walnut,wheatgerm

Fabuloussilkyskinmoisturisationandconditioningproperties

Anti-inflammatoryproperties

Oilshighinlinoleicacidtendtohaveashorterfreshnessandarepronetorancidity

Linolenicacid Borage,eveningprimrose,hempseed,flaxseed,kukuinutSkinmoisturising

Mildandthereforeverysuitableforsensitiveskintypes

Myristicacid Avocado,coconut,palmkernel

Createsafluffylather

Goodcleansingproperties

Maycauseskindryness

Water-solublesohelpsproduceaclearsoap

Contributestosoapviscosity

Oleicacid Almond,apricotkernel,avocado,hazelnut,olive,peachkernel,sheabutter

RichlymoisturisingandconditioningGoodskinfeel

Littlelatheringability

Palmiticacid Cocoabutter,olive,palm,peachkernel,ricebran,rosehip,wheatgerm

Produceslong-lasting,stablelather

Goodskinmoisturisingability

Canmakesoapcloudy

Ricinoleicacid Castor

Rich,stable,fluffylatherGreatskinmoisturisation

About80–90percentofcastoroilismadeupofricinoleicfattyacidsoitisworthyofaspecialmention.Youdon’tneedmuchcastoroiltomakeadifferenceinthelatheringandmoisturisingcapabilitiesofyourliquidsoap

Stearicacid Cocoabutter,coconut,jojoba,palm,sheabutterRich,stablelatherImprovesviscosityofsoapCanmakesoapcloudy

LIQUIDSOAPINGREDIENTS–ADDITIONS

Therearemanyingredientsthatcanbeaddedtoyourliquidsoapproducttoenhancethewayitfeelsonyourskin,howitsmells,thecolour,howlongitlasts,toaddviscosityandsoon.Sinceliquidsoapisarinse-offproduct,itshouldbenotedthattheeffectsofingredientsincludedtotreattheskininanywayareunlikelytobetotallysuccessful,giventhattheliquidsoapproductisonlyonyourskinforashorttimebeforebeingwashedoff.Activeingredientsofthisnaturewillthereforebemoreeffectiveifincludedinaleave-onproduct.

Use this chart to decide what additions you can add to your liquid soap product to change itscharacteristics.

Ingredient Funct ion Comments

Essentialorfragranceoil Addsanaroma

Essentialoilswillalsobringactivepropertiestoyourliquidsoap,butsincethesoapisincontactwiththeskinforaveryshorttimebeforeitisrinsedaway,weconsideressentialoilstobeaddedfortheirwonderfularomaonly.Essentialandfragranceoilsshouldbeaddedatamaximumof2percent

Someessentialoilscontainsensitisersandshouldbekepttolessthan1percent.Oilsinthiscategoryincludeteatree,clove,gingerandcinnamon.Ifindoubt,pleaseseekadvicefromaqualifiedtoxicologistoraromatherapist

Someessentialandfragranceoilsmaycauseyourliquidsoapproducttobecomecloudyevenifyoucarefullyselectoilsthathelpgiveclaritytoyoursoap

Addtothedilutedsoap

Glycerine Addsglideandimproveslather

Glycerinewillimprovethelatheringcapabilityofyourliquidsoap

Addupto50percenttomakeabubblebath

Glycerinecanbeaddedtothesoappasteortothedilutedsoap

Cyclomethicone Addsasilkyfeel Addupto5percenttothedilutedsoap

Oatorsilkprotein Addsasilkyfeel(silk)andskinsoftness(oat)

Addupto5percenttodilutedsoap

Silkproteinisavailableinbothpowderandliquidform

Dissolvepowderedsilkproteininalittlewaterbeforeaddingittothedilutedsoap

Polyquaternium-7 Anti-static,skinconditioningAnyoftheamphoteric‘quats’(acosmeticingredientthatconditionsskinandhair)willhelptoreducestatic,aswellasofferingskin-conditioningproperties

Addbetween0.5–1percent

D-panthenol Soothing,healing,anti-inflammatory,protective

D-panthenol,alsoknownasvitaminB5,canhelpdry,sensitiveskinandgivesyourliquidsoapasuperiorskinfeel

D-panthenolalsohelpsaddviscositytoliquidsoap

Addduringthedilutingphaseatupto5percent

Polysorbate,sulphonatedcastoroil, sucragel Superfatting

Theseoilsarewater-solubleandwilldisperseinthedilutedliquidsoap.Theyareusedtoaddanextramoisturisingboosttoyourliquidsoap,butneedtobemixedwelltoensurethattheydon’tseparate

Addthesuperfattingingredientatarateofupto5percentofyourdilutedsoap

Gum Thickener

Gettingliquidsoaptothickencanbequiteachallenge.Mostcosmeticgumscanbeusedtocreateagelthatcanthenbeaddedtochangetheviscosityofliquidsoap.Youcanaddthegumdirectlytoyourdilutedliquidsoap,butitwilltakeafewhourstodissolveandthicken

Gumssuchasxanthan,tara,guar,carrageenan,Arabicandcellulosecanallbeused.Eachofthesegumshasslightlydifferentthickeningcapabilitiessoyouwillneedtoexperimenttofindwhichoneyouprefertoworkwith.Startwith1percentand

thenworkupordownfromthere

Salt Thickener

Commontablesalt,seasaltandDeadSeasaltwillallthickenyourliquidsoapbuttheymayalsoturnthesoapcloudy

Doexperimentassomeessentialorfragranceoilswillcausethesalttosplittheliquidsoapratherthanthickenit

Colour Addscolour

Adroportwoofliquidcolourwilldisperseveryeffectivelyindilutedliquidsoap.Alittlegoesalongway,sodousesparingly.Duetothenaturalcolouroftheoils,theliquidsoapislikelytohaveanaturallygoldencolour.Youwillneedtotakethisintoaccountwhenaddingadifferentcolourtotheliquidsoap.Ifyouaddadropofblue,itwillmixwiththegoldandgiveyouagreenishtint

Water-solublepowdercoloursmaybeusedtoo.Mixwithalittlewaterbeforeaddingthemtoyourdilutedliquidsoap

Micacanbeused,buttheslightalkalinatureofthesoapcanfadesomemicas

Preservative Extendsshelflife

Thelyewillkilloffanylurkingmicrobesduringthepastemakingstage.Sincethisthengetsdilutedwithadditionalwater,theshelflifeisshortened

Naturalliquidsoapwillhaveashelflifeofaboutsixmonths

Addingpreservativeextendstheshelflifeto18months(dependingonthepreservativeandpercentageyouuse)

HowtomakeliquidsoapLiquidsoapwilltakeuptoeighthoursfromstarttofinishalthoughthisdependsontheoilsyouuse,thevolumeofsoapyouaremakingandhowmuchtimeyouarepreparedtodedicatetostirringandfussingoveryoursoap.Therearevarioustimeandlaboursavingtechniqueswhichyoucanadoptasyoudevelopyoursoapmaking.Althoughyoucanmakeliquidsoapinalargesaucepan,thereismoreriskofitburningunlessitisstirredregularly.Irecommendyouuseaslowcooker(crock-pot)asyouneedattendtoitonlyoccasionally.

Beforeembarkingonyourliquidsoapmaking,readthroughthelyehandlinginstructions(pages9and10)andtheliquidsoaprecipeyouaregoingtofollowandmakesureyouhaveeverythingtohandbeforeyoustart.

MAKINGLIQUIDSOAP

Step1Weigh theoils and/orbutters andplace them in the slowcooker (crock-pot).Turnon the slowcooker(stock-pot)tomeltthem.

Step2Wearing safety clothing (page 10), make your lye by adding the carefully measured out potassiumhydroxide to the weighed water in a well-ventilated room. Stir until the potassium hydroxide hasdissolved.Make sure that you adhere to all the safety instructions as the lyewill be very caustic andextremelyhotatthisstage,andwillbereleasingfumesthatmaymakeyoucough.

Step3Turnyourslowcookertolow,pourthelyeoverthemeltedoilsandstirwellusingaspoon.

Onceyouhavemixedtheoilsandlye,useastickblendertomixfurtheruntilyouhavereachedalighttrace(wherethesoapmixturehasthickenedslightlyandlooksmorelikeabatterthananoilyliquid).Asyouliftthestickblenderoutofthemixture,drizzlethedrippingsoapbatterontopofthesoapmixtureinthepot.Itshouldsitmomentarilyontopofthebatterbeforemergingintothemix.Themixturemaytryto

separateandcurdle,pleasedon’tworry:thisisnormal.Justkeepblendingtobringthemixturetogetheragain.

Ifyouareusedtomakingcoldorhotprocesssoapyouwillfindthatittakeslongerfortheliquidsoapoilsandlyetoreachlighttrace.Tosaveburningoutyourstickblender,blendforafewminutesatatime,letthemixture(andblender)restforafewminutesandthenblendagain.

Onceyouhavereachedlighttrace,youwillneedtomixwiththestickblenderuntilyouhavereacheda heavy trace. Be prepared for this to take at least half an hour of intermittent blending and resting,although the exact timings depend on the type of oils, temperature and volume of themixture, and thepower of your stick blender. You needn’t blend for the full time – in fact, please don’t or you willdefinitelyburnouttheblender’smotor!Blendonandoffuntilthicktracehasbeenreached.

Liquidsoapcooking

Step4Place the lidon the slowcooker andcook for twohoursor so, stirring the soapmixture every20–30minutes.Useaspatulatoscrapedownanyofthesoapmixturethatrisesupthesidesoftheslowcookerpot.

Step5When the liquid soap is ‘cooked’ and ready it will be smooth and glossy and similar to Vaseline inappearancealthoughnotincolour.Itwillprobablybeagoldentoambercolour,butthisdependsontheoilsthatyouhaveused.Makesurethatyouhavethoroughlymixedinalltheliquidsoapmixture–rightdowntothepartslurkingatthebottomofthepotandthesoapresiduethathasclimbedupthesidesofit.

Thecookingofyourliquidsoapwilltakeuptothreehoursdependingonthesizeofthebatchandthetypeofoilsyouhaveused.

Step5:Liquidsoapreachingtheglossystage

Liquidsoapcookedtoapaste

Step6Ifyouareunsurewhetheryourliquidsoapiscookedandready,placeaheapedteaspoon(approximately10g)ofliquidsoapmixturein25gofveryhotspringwaterandstiruntilithasmostlydissolved.Ifthewaterisverycloudy,theliquidsoapneedsmorecookingbutifitisonlyalittlecloudyorismostlyclear,thesoapisreadyfordiluting.

Thecookedsoapmixtureisnowreferredtoasthe‘soappaste’.Beforeitcanbeusedonthebody,itwillneeddiluting.

Liquidsoappastereadytodilute

Step7Dilutingyour liquid soappaste takes time,patienceandabitof strength to stir the thickpaste.Beforegoingahead,youhaveadecisiontomake.Doyouwanttomakeallofyourpasteintoliquidsoapatthispoint,ordoyouwishtosavesomepastetouseatalaterdate?Ifyoudecidetosavesomepaste,removeaportionof thepasteandpopit intoapot(donotput the lidonthepotuntil thepastehascompletelycooled).Thepastecanalsobestoredinapolytheneziplockbag,butdonotputitintothebaguntilitiscool.

The paste can be stored somewhere cool or in a fridge for at least 12 months.Whether you aredilutingafreshpasteordilutingapastethathasbeenstoredforafewmonths,thesamerulesfordilutingsoappasteapply.Youwillneed toknow theweightof thesoappasteyouwish todilute. Ifyour soappasteisstillhotandintheslowcooker(crock-pot)thentheeasiestwayofdoingthisistoweighanemptyjugandmakeanoteof theweight.Carefully spoon thehot soappaste into the jugandweigh it again.Calculatetheweightofthesoappastebytakingthefulljugweightandsubtractingtheemptyjugweight–theresultistheweightofthesoappaste.

Soappastethathasbeenstoredforafewmonths

DILUTINGYOURSOAPPASTE

Theamountofwateryouneedtodiluteyoursoappasteverymuchdependsontheoilsyouusedtomakethesoappaste.Water-solublefattyacidssuchaslauricandmyristicacidfoundincoconutorpalm(lauricandmyristicacids)andavocado(myristicacid)willrequirelesswatertodilutethanasoappastemadewithoilshighinstearicorpalmiticacid,suchassheabutterorricebranoil.

Ialwaysrecommendstartingwithlesswaterthanyouthinkyouneedsinceyoucanalwaysaddmorelater–ifyouaddmorewaterthanyouactuallyneed,youwillneedtothickenyourliquidsoapandthisisnotsoeasy.

Startbyaddingequalweightsofhotspringwater tosoappaste.Pour thehotspringwaterover thesoappasteandgiveitastir.Whenyoustiryouwillsimplybeshiftingthesoappastearoundinthewaterandnotdissolvingit,sopleasedon’tbesurprisedwhennothingseemstochangeinthepot!Dissolvingthesoappastetakestime.Iusuallydothisstageintheevening–Iheatthewaterandpasteuptonot-quite-boilingtemperatureandthenturntheslowcooker(crock-pot)offandgotobed.WhenIcomedowninthemorning, my diluted liquid soap paste awaits me. Never be tempted to leave the slow cooker onovernight.

Dilutingthesoappaste

Step8Yoursoappastewillnowbedissolvedandyouwillhaveapotfullofunscentedliquidsoap.Dependingonhowmuchwateryouadded,youmayfindmuchofthesoaphasdissolvedbutthereisathickskinontopofit.Ifthisisthecase,peelbacktheskinandcarefullypourofftheliquidsoapintoajug.

Theskinisundilutedsoappaste,whichcanbedissolvedbyaddingmorewater.Weightheskinandaddequalamountsofnot-quite-boilingspringwater.Bringthemixturetosimmeringpointandthenturntheheatoffandleaveitforafewhours.

Step9TestthepHvalueofyoursoaptomakesurethatitismildenoughtogoontheskin.YouareaimingforapHvalueofaround6–9(lowerisbetter).UsepHpapers,apHmeter(availablefromspecialistonlinelabsuppliers)orphenolphthaleintotestthepH(overleaf).

Dilutedsoapreadytocolour,fragranceandbottle

pHpaperswillgoashadeofgreenwhenthesoapisattherightlevel

HOWTOPERFORMAPHENOLPHTHALEINTEST

Forme,thisisalwaysafavouritetestasitcanproducethemostbeautifulfuchsiapink!However,pinkisn’t the colour youwant on this occasion. You need the liquid soap to be clear to pale pink, whichindicatesaneutralor‘skinfriendly’pHreading.

Dilutetwodropsofphenolphthaleinin250mlwaterandstirwell.Placealittleofyoursoapmixtureinabeakerandadd30mlofthedilutedphenolphthaleinmixture.Ifitturnsbrightpink,thesoapisalittletooalkali;ifclearorpalepink,yourmixtureisfine.

Alternatively,andintheabsenceofphenolphthalein,dipapHpaper(ormeter)intotheliquidsoaptorecorditspHvalue.Ifthesoappaperturnsashadeofgreen,thenthepHshouldbefinebutifitisblue,thesoapwillneedneutralising(seebelow).

NEUTRALISINGYOURLIQUIDSOAP

IfyouneedtobringthepHvaluedownalittle,addapproximately15–20gofpHadjustersolutiontoyourliquidsoapmixture.TomakeapHadjustersolution,mix14gcitricacidwith56gboiledwater–thisisataratioofonepartcitricacidtofourpartswater.Notethatthismayturnyoursoapalittlecloudyandcauseittoappeartemporarilycurdled.Stirandthenleavethesoapaloneforawhiletoletitsettle.

Step10Youmaywish toadjust theconsistencyof thediluted soap if it is too thin.Hot liquid soapmixture isnaturallymoreviscousthanacoldliquidsoapmixturesoyoushouldwaituntilthemixtureiscoldbeforedecidingwhetherornottothicken.Anyadditionalingredientthatyouadd,suchasglycerine,oatprotein,essentialorfragranceoil,mayhaveanimpactontheviscositysoaddthesebeforethickening.

Step11:Xanthangelwillthickenyourliquidsoaps

THICKENINGYOURLIQUIDSOAP

Ifyourliquidsoapmixtureistoorunny,youcanthickenitbyusingalittlegumsuchasxanthan,tara,guarorgumArabic.

Step11

Inasmallbowl,combinehalfateaspoon(2g)gumto50goftherunnyliquidsoapbaseandstirwelltoensuretherearenolumpsofgumremaining.Addalittleofthismixturebackintotherunnyliquidsoapmixtureandstirwell.Ifnecessary,addmoreofthegummixtureuntilyouhavethedesiredconsistency.

Notethatsomegumsaremorerobustthanothersandyoumayneedtoaddalittlemoreoralittlelessdependingonwhichgumyouuse.

Dependingon theoilsyouhaveusedyoumayfind it justaseasy to thickenyourmixturewithsalt.Add2percentoftheliquidsoapweightinsaltandstirwell.Keepaddingsaltuntilyouhavereachedtheconsistencyyourequire.Dobewarnedthatifyouaddtoomuchsalt,itcancausethemixturetothinupagainsoaddthesaltalittleatatime,stirringbetweenadditions.

Step11:Addtablesalttothickenyourliquidsoaps

Step12OnceyouhaveachievedthecorrectpHvalueandthecorrectconsistency,youcansplit theliquidsoapinto smaller quantities and add colour and up to 2 per cent essential or fragrance oils, plus any otheradditionssuchasd-panthenol,colour,glycerineorpolysorbatebeforeplacingitinsuitablecontainers.

Whilst the soapcanbeusedstraightaway, itmaybea littleharshandhavea slight ‘bite’.Leavingyoursoaptorestforfourweekswillhelptomakeitmilder.Thisrestingperiodiscalled‘sequestering’andduring thisperiod theclarityof the soapmaybe improved, although thisdoesdependon theoils,buttersandfragranceyouused.

Oilswithahighpalmiticandstearicacidcontent,suchassheabutter,cocoabutter,jojobaandpalmoil,willmakeyoursoapcloudy.

The shelf life of your liquid soap is sixmonths. If youwish to keep it for longer, you can add apreservative.

Step12:Beautifulliquidsoap!

RECIPESFORLIQUIDSOAP

TheserecipestakeyouasfarascreatingthesoappastealthoughIhavealsoincludedadditionsthatyouwillneedtoincludeaspartofthedilutionstage.Eashrecipewillyieldapproximately1litreliquidsoap.

Refertothemoredetailedstagesearlierinthissection(pages140–145)forafulldescriptionofthestepsnecessarytomakeyourliquidsoappaste.

Makesurethatyouadheretoallthesafetyguidelinesandwearprotectiveclothingwhenmakingandhandlingyourlye(page10).Thereisnoneedtosterilisebottlesbutifyouwish,youcanswillthemoutwith a diluted sterilisation solution such as those used for sterilising babies’ bottles. Soap bottles areusuallyplastic,sotheywon’tnecessarilywithstandusingtheheatmethodofsterilisation.

GentleskinliquidsoapIhaveusedoils rich inoleicacidhere tohelp tomoisturiseandcondition theskin.Since thesearen’tparticularlygoodatcreatingarichlather,Ihaveaddedadditionalglycerinetoboostthebubbles.

POTASSIUMLYESOLUTION56gpotassiumhydroxide•112gwater

LIQUIDSOAPOILS50gsheabutter•150gsweetalmondoil•100goliveoil

LIQUIDSOAPSCENT2percentlavenderessentialoil

ADDITIONSUpto10percentglycerine•Blueliquidcolouring

METHODPreparethepotassiumlyesolution(page11).

Meltthesheabutter,thenremovethepanfromtheheatorturnofftheslowcooker(crock-pot).Addtheotherliquidoils.

Slowlyandcarefullypourthelyesolutionintothesaucepanorslowcooker.Stirthelyeandoilmixturewelltoensurethatalltheliquidsarethoroughlycombined.Thenstirwithastickblenderfortwominutesbeforeleavingthemixturetorestfortwomoreminutes.Afterfiveminutes,stiragainwithastickblenderfortwominutesthenleavetorest.

Continuethisprocess(stirfortwominutes,restforfiveminutes)untiltheliquidsoapmixturereachesaheavytrace.

Putthemixturebackontheheat,orturntheslowcookeron.Cookonalowheatsetting,stirringevery10minutes or so for the first hour. The liquid soap will migrate from a thick trace in appearance to atranslucentapplesauce-typemixture.Itwillbecomethickerandmoredifficulttostir,butcontinuestirringevery20minutesorsotoensurethatallthenoticeableoilsaremixedintotheliquidsoapmixture.Cooktheliquidsoapuntilitissmoothandglossy,andsimilartoVaselineinappearance.

Ifyouwishtosetasidesomeofthesoappastetouselater(page142),youcandothatnow.Weightheremainingsoappasteandaddapproximatelyanequalamountofhotwatertoit.Bringtoagentleboilandthenturntheheatoffandleavethesoaptodissolve.

Oncetheliquidsoapmixturehasfullydissolvedintothewater,testthepHofthemixture(page144)andadjustifnecessary.

Thickenyourliquidsoap,ifnecessaryusingthegumorsaltmethod,oracombinationofthetwo(page145).

Addlavenderessentialoil,glycerineandcolouring;stirwellbeforepouringintobottles.

Gentleskinliquidsoap

Splash!bodywashAcombinationofmyristic,oleicandpalmiticacidsintheseoilsproducesamoisturising,cleansingsoapwithlong-lastingbubbles.Theozonicaromaofthesaltyseadogfragranceoilandthetinglingfreshnessofthepeppermintessentialoilgivethisbodywashafresh,clean,energisingaroma.

POTASSIUMLYESOLUTION44gpotassiumhydroxide•112gwater

LIQUIDSOAPOILS100gricebranoil•100goliveoil•100gcoconutoil

LIQUIDSOAPSCENT1.5percentsaltyseadogfragranceoil0.5percentpeppermintessentialoil

ADDITIONSUpto5percentglycerine•Greenliquidcolouring

METHODFollow the instructions for the previous recipe, Gentle skin liquid soap, referring to the liquid soapmakingsteps(pages140–145)formoredetail.

Foamerbottlesareausefulalternativetothickeningyourliquidsoaps

BeautifulbodywashAnabundanceofoilswithhighstearic,riconoleicandpalmiticacidshelptomakethisbodywashverymoisturising.Ihavesuggestedaddingalittlesulphonatedcastoroilwiththedilutiontogiveasuperfatted,moisturisingboost.

POTASSIUMLYESOLUTION50gpotassiumhydroxide•112gwater

LIQUIDSOAPOILS100gcastoroil•50gjojobaoil•50gricebranoil

50gwheatgermoil•50gcocoabutter

LIQUIDSOAPSCENT2percentrosefragranceoil

ADDITIONS5percentsulphonatedcastoroil•Pinkliquidcolouring

METHODFollow the instructions for theGentle skin liquid soap recipe (page146), referring to the liquid soapmakingsteps(pages140–145)formoredetail.Addthesulphonatedcastoroilwiththedilutionwater.

Beautifulbodywashliquidsoap

SanitymoisturisinghandwashWithoilscarefullyselectedfortheirmoisturisingcapabilitiesandgentlefoaming,thishandwashhasanextra moisturising twist with the addition of polysorbate 80. Tea tree oil has natural antibacterialproperties,asdooilshighinlauricacid(coconutoil).

POTASSIUMLYESOLUTION59gpotassiumhydroxide•112gwater

LIQUIDSOAPOILS50gcocoabutter•50gsheabutter•50gavocadooil

50gcoconutoil•100goliveoil

LIQUIDSOAPSCENT1percentteatreeessentialoil•1percentlemonessentialoil

ADDITION5percentpolysorbate80

METHODFollow the instructions for theGentle skin liquid soap recipe (page146), referring to the liquid soapmakingsteps(pages140–145)formoredetail.Addthepolysorbate80withthedilutionwater.

Sanitymoisturisinghandwash

SoftandgentleskindewMild, gentle, skin softening and completely gorgeous, this liquid soap is suitable for sensitive skins,courtesyof the linolenicacid found inkukuinutoiland thed-panthenol. I’vealso includeda littleoatprotein,whichisverysoothing.

POTASSIUMLYESOLUTION56gpotassiumhydroxide•112gwater

LIQUIDSOAPOILS50gcocoabutter•100gsunfloweroil•100gkukuinutoil

50gcastoroil

LIQUIDSOAPSCENT1percentamberfragranceoil•0.5percentpatchouliessentialoil

0.5percentvanillafragranceoil

ADDITIONS5percentoatprotein•5percentd-panthenol

METHODFollow the instructions for theGentle skin liquid soap recipe (page146), referring to the liquid soapmaking steps (pages 140–145) formore detail. Add the oat protein and d-panthenolwith the dilutionwater.

Liquidsoapsreadyforuse

DESIGNINGYOUROWNLIQUIDSOAP

Thereareplentyofsoapcalculatorsontheinternettohelpyoutodesignyourownliquidsoapproducts.Onceyouhavedecidedwhichoilsyouwouldliketousetomakeyourliquidsoap,enterthequantity

oftheoilsintoasoapcalculatoranditwillworkoutjusthowmuchpotassiumhydroxideandwateryouwillneedinordertomakeupthesoappaste.

Always run your recipe through a liquid soap calculator such as the one found on the PlushFollywebsitewww.plushfolly.comoroneoftheotherslistedhere:www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspxwww.summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soapswww.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php

CHAPTERTHREE

Makingcreamsoap

Cream soap is mild, beautiful, ultra-moisturising and well worth the effort! It is much thicker andcreamierthanliquidsoap,butsofterthanhardbarsofsoap.It’salsoafunsoaptouseasitfloatsonthesurfaceofthebathandfeelsverysensuousandluxuriouswhenrubbedontotheskin.

Creamsoapalsomakesagoodshavingsoap,especiallyifitcontainsrhassoul(anaturalmineralclayfromMorocco)orcosmeticclay tohelpgive it ‘slip’.Though it’snotaswellknownas liquidorbarsoaps,Ithoughtitworthincludingarecipeortwoforcreamsoapasitissolovelytouse.

Theprocess isvery similar tomaking liquid soap,but it isquickerandeasier.Creamsoapusesacombinationofsodiumandpotassiumhydroxidesinthelyesolutionataratioofapproximatelyfivepartspotassiumhydroxidetoonepartsodiumhydroxide.

Whippedcreamsoap

EquipmentneededformakingcreamsoapTheequipmentrequiredtomakecreamsoapisidenticaltotheliquidsoapequipment(page133)butyouwillneedahandheldelectricwhiskinadditiontothestickblender.Thestickblenderisrequiredtobringthemixture to a trace and the handheld whisk will make the final soapmixture froth up and becomecreamy.

Inadditiontothelyeandtheregularoilsusedinliquidandhardbarsofsoap,creamsoaprequires

twootheringredients:glycerineandstearicacid.Stearicacid isa fattyacidfound inanumberofoils,mainlycoconutorothersemi-solidoils. It is

usedtothickencosmeticsandtohardencandles,allowingthemtoburnforlonger.Inaddition,itgivesthecream soap viscosity, texture and an almost opalescent shimmer. Stearic acid has a very highmeltingpointsoittakesalongtimetomelt.

Ahandheldelectricwhiskwillgiveaddedlightnesstoyoursoaps

Glycerine is a by-product of soap making, so your cream soap will be naturally glycerine-rich.Addingmoreglycerinewillmake itevenmore foamy,aswellas soft,moisturisingandgentleonyourskin. The combination of lye, oils, stearic acid and glycerine results in a creamy, thick, semi-soft,moisturising,foamingsoap.

Stearicacidwilltakethelongesttomeltoftheoilsandbutters

SafetyadviceforhandlingcreamsoapingredientsCreamsoapismadeinasimilarwaytoliquidsoap,butusessodiumhydroxideaswellaspotassiumhydroxide. The same safety rules apply so please read the lye safety section (pages 9–12) beforestartingtomakecreamsoaps.

HowtomakecreamsoapCreamsoapwilltakeapproximatelythreehourstomakefromstarttofinishalthoughyouwillneedtosettimeasideforittorestandrot.

Step1Weigh andmelt the oils and butters, including the stearic acid, in a slow cooker (crock-pot) or largesaucepan. Please note that stearic acid takes much longer to melt than the other oils and butters (15minutesasopposedto5minutesorsoforoilsandbutters).

Step2Makeyourlyebyaddingthesodiumandpotassiumhydroxidestowaterandstiruntilthehydroxideshavedissolved(bothcanbeaddedtothesamewater).Besuretoadheretoallthesafetyinstructionsasthelyewillbeverycausticatthisstageandwillbereleasingfumesthatmaymakeyoucough.

Step3Removethemeltedoils,buttersandstearicacidfromtheheatandaddglycerinetothemixture.

Step4Add the lye to themeltedoilsmixture and stirusinga stickblender.Themixturewill immediatelygolumpyandgloopyandlookveryodd–itwilllookasthoughthestearicacidhasseparatedfromtheoilsbutdon’tworry,thisisperfectnatural.Blitzingwiththehandheldstickblenderorstirringbrisklywithastainlesssteelorsiliconespoonwillbringitbackintotheoilsmixture.

Keepstirringonandoffuntilthemixtureissmoothandisavery,verythickplastic-lookingpaste.Youmayfind thatyourstickblenderbecomesveryhotsoalternatebetweenstirringwithaspoonandstickblending,restingforafewminutesinbetween,toavoidoverheating.Scrapedownanymixturestucktothesidesofthepot.

Step4:Lumpy,gloopycreamsoapmixture–thisisquitenormal!

Step5Placethesmooth,verythicksoapmixturebackontotheheatandcookoveramediumheatfor15minutes.Alwayskeepalidonthemixturewhenitisbeingcookedandkeepaneyeonitincaseittriestoseparate.Ifitdoesseparate,bringitbacktogetherwiththestickblender.

Step6Reduce theheat andcook fora furtheroneandahalf to twohours.Stir every30minutes, takingcarewheninsertingthespoonincasethemixturepuffsup.Ifitdoes,stirwithalong-handledspoon,allowinganytrappedairtoescape.Replacethelidandcontinuecooking.Youmayfinditeasiertochopintothespongysoapmixturewithyourspoonwhenitbecomestoothicktostir.

Step6:Creamsoappasteisverythick

Step7OncethemixturehasatranslucentglossyappearanceratherlikeVaseline,itisready.CarryoutapHtestusingpHstripes,apHmeterorphenolphthalein.Referto‘Howtoperformaphenolphthaleintest’(page144)formoredetails.Ifthecreamsoapisstillalittleonthealkaliside,cookitforlongeruntilyouhaveapHofabout7.

Step8Yourcreamsoap isnowvery thickandwill requiredilutinga little.Weigh thecreamsoapmixture togaugehowmuchwateryouneedtoadd.Thereisnoruleastohowmuchwatertousesinceitdependsontheconsistencyyourequire.Startbyaddingone-quarterofthecreamsoap’sweightinwater(forexample,ifyourcreamsoapweighs600g,add150ghotwater).Ifyouwishtosupercreamyoursoap,addupto5percentofthesoapweightinmeltedstearicacidand/orglycerine.Warmthesethroughfirstbeforeaddingto the cream soap. To give your cream soap a shelf life of 18 months or so, add your preferredpreservativeatthisstagetoo.Theshelflifeofthesoapisfourmonthswithoutapreservativeandupto18monthswithapreservative.

Placethecreamsoap,supercreamingingredientsandhotwaterinalargebowlorsaucepananduseahandheld electricwhisk towhisk the soap andwater together.Keepwhisking until you have a frothy,creamyconsistency.Ifthemixtureistoostiff,addalittlemorehotwatertoloosenitupandthenwhisksomemore.Don’tover-whiskit,sincethesoapwillthenbecomeverylightfroth.Thebubblesinthefrothwilldissipateafterawhile,leavingyouwithathinsoapyproduct.

Step8:Creamsoapreadytobediluted

Step8:Whiskingcreamsoapwilladdvolumeandlightness

Step9Put thewhisked creamed soap into a lidded container and leave to rest for three or fourweeks. Thisrestingphaseisknownas‘rotting’.Duringtherottingstagethesoapwillbecomemilderandmoreglossy,withapearlysheen.

Step10:Thewhitecreamsoapcanbecolouredsubtlyorwithbrightandboldcolours

Step10Whentherottingphaseiscomplete,removesomeofthesoapmixturetoaseparatebowlandaddalittlecolourandupto2percentessentialorfragranceoil.

Youcanalsoaddother functional ingredients suchas rhassoulorclay tocreatea shavingsoap,orsugarorsalttomakeanexfoliatingsoap.

RECIPESFORCREAMSOAP

Therecipesgivenonthefollowingpageswillyieldapproximately2litrescreamysoapproduct,althoughyoumayfindyouhavealotmoreorlessdependingonhowaeratedthecreamsoapbecomeswhenyouwhiskit.

Refertothemoredetailedstagesearlierinthissectionforafulldescriptionofthestepsyouneedtomakeyourcreamsoap.Makesurethatyouadheretoallthesafetyguidelinesandwearprotectiveclothingwhenmakingandhandlingyourlye(pages9–12).

Ihaven’tincludedapreservativeinmyrecipes,butifyouwishtoaddone,pleasedosowhenaddingyoursupercreamingingredientsanddilutingyoursoap.Eachpreservativehasdifferentusagerates–somerequire0.2percentandothersupto1.5percent,justfollowthemanufacturer’sadvice.

Ifyouplantosellyourcreamsoapthenapreservativeisagoodideatogiveitanextendedshelflife.

DESIGNINGYOUROWNCREAMSOAPRECIPES

Manyofthesoapcalculatorspreviouslymentionedinthisbookwillcalculatehardbarsandliquidsoapbut not cream soap. The best calculator to do this for you is the advanced soap calculator atwww.summerbeemeadow.com.Whendesigningyourowncreamsoaprecipes,youwillneedtoknowtheformulafortheamountofstearicacidandglycerineyoushouldinclude.

Thestearicacidisaddedatapproximatelytwicetheweightofoils.Intherecipesgiven,Ihaveused140goils.IfImultiply140by2,thisequals280.ThereforeIneedtoincludeapproximately280gstearicacid,althoughalittlemoreoralittlelessisfinetoo.

Theglycerine is addedat approximatelyone thirdof theweightof theoils and stearic acid addedtogether.Using thecalculationabove,myoilsweigh140gand thestearicacidweighs280g. If I addthemtogether,theytotal420g.Tofindtheweightofglycerine,Ineedtodivide420gby3,whichequals140g.ThereforeforeachofmyrecipesIneedapproximately140gglycerine,butalittlelessoralittlemorewillbefine.

Softly,softly,floatingfunsoapThiswasafavouriteinourhouseholdwhenthechildrenwereyoungersincetheylovedfloatingthesoapontopofthebathwater.Strawberrywasvotedthebest!

LYESOLUTION14gsodiumhydroxide•70gpotassiumhydroxide•370gwater

CREAMSOAPOILS,STEARICACIDANDGLYCERINE25gsweetalmondoil•50goliveoil•40gcoconutoil25gsheabutter•275gstearicacid•140gglycerine

DILUTIONApproximately200gwarmwater

SUPERCREAMINGREDIENTS20gstearicacid•51gglycerine

COLOURINGRedliquidcolour

SCENT20gstrawberryfragranceoil

METHODRefertothecreammakingstepsearlierinthissection(pages154–157)forfurtherdetails.

Inasaucepan,melttheoilsandsheabutterwiththestearicacid.

Makeupyourlyebyaddingthesodiumandpotassiumhydroxidestowaterandstiruntilthehydroxideshavedissolved.Besuretoadheretoallthesafetyinstructions(pages9–12).

Removethemeltedoilsandstearicacidfromtheheatandaddtheglycerine.

Add the lye to themelted oilsmixture and stir using a stick blender.Alternate between stick blender,spoonandrestinguntilthecreamsoaphasreachedathick,smoothtrace.

Placethethickcreamsoapmixturebackontotheheatandcookoveramediumheatfor15minutes.

Reduce the heat and cook for one and a half hours or until themixture takes on a translucent, glossyappearance.

TestthepH(page144)tomakesurethatthecreamsoapiscooked.

Addapproximately200gwarmwatertoyourcreamsoapmixture.Meltthesupercreamstearicacid;addthisandthesupercreamglycerinetothecreamsoapmixture.Ifyouwishtoaddpreservative,dosonow.

Usingahandheldelectricwhisk,mixtheingredientstogetheruntilyouhaveacreamysoap.Putthesoapintoaliddedcontainerandleavetorestforthreetofourweeks.

Putthenow-softenedcreamsoapintoalargebowlandaddafewdropsofredliquidcolouringwiththestrawberryfragranceoilandmix.Placeyourcreamsoapinanindividualliddedcontainer.

PottinguptheSoftly,softlyfloatingfunsoap

PurityshavingsoapRichand luxurious,creamysoapmakes theperfect shavingsoap. Ihaveaddeda little rhassoul,whichwillgiveagoodslipwhendraggingtherazoracrosstheskin.I’vealsoincludedaloeveraaspartofthedilutiontosootheandcoolanyovershavenpatches.

LYESOLUTION59gpotassiumhydroxide•12gsodiumhydroxide•310gwater

CREAMSOAPOILS,STEARICACIDANDGLYCERINE25gcoconutoil•25gcastoroil•25gsheabutter20gjojobaoil•225gstearicacid•120gglycerine

DILUTIONApproximately100gwarmwater•100galoevera

SUPERCREAMINGREDIENTS18gstearicacid•45gglycerine

SCENT10glavenderessentialoil•2gvetiveressentialoil

SOAPADDITION20grhassoul

METHODFollowthe instructionsfor theSoftly,softly floatingfunsoaprecipe(page158)andrefer to thecreamsoapmaking steps (pages 154–157) formore detail. Add the aloe verawith the dilution (this can beaddedcold).Addtherhassoulatthesametimeasyouaddtheessentialoils.

ButterbodycreamsoapCream soap is luxurious and creamyon its own, but I have addedboth shea and cocoabutters to thisrecipetomakeitevenmoresuperb.Thistimehalfthedilutionwaterhasbeensubstitutedwithrosewaterbutyoucanuseanotherfloralwaterifyouwish.

LYESOLUTION65gpotassiumhydroxide•13gsodiumhydroxide•346gwater

CREAMSOAPOILS,STEARICACIDANDGLYCERINE20gsheabutter•20gcocoabutter•40gricebranoil

40goliveoil•20gcoconutoil•250gstearicacid•125gglycerine

DILUTIONApproximately100gwarmwater•100grosefloralwater

SUPERCREAMINGREDIENTS19gstearicacid•48gglycerine

SCENT10grosefragranceoil•10grosegeraniumessentialoil

COLOURPinkliquidcolouring

METHODFollowthe instructionsfor theSoftly,softly floatingfunsoap(page158) recipeandrefer to thecreamsoapmaking steps formoredetail (pages154–157).Add the rosewaterwith thedilution (this canbeaddedcold).

SilkybodyscrubThisissodeliciousandwhatbetterwaytospendyourtimeintheshowerthanwashingandexfoliatingatthesametime?I’veaddedalittlecyclomethiconetogivethecreamsoapextraglideandasilkyfeel,butyoucanreplacethiswithwaterifyoudon’thaveany.BothcyclomethiconeandbamboopowdercanbeobtainedfromPlushFolly(seeResourcesatthebackofthisbook),aswellasothercosmeticingredientsuppliers.

Thisrecipealsomakesafabulousexfoliatingsoapfordirtyhands–thebamboopowderhelpstorubawayanystubborndirt.

LYESOLUTION59gpotassiumhydroxide•12gsodiumhydroxide•304gwater

CREAMSOAPOILS,STEARICACIDANDGLYCERINE50gpeachkerneloil•40gmangobutter•50gavocadooil

225gstearicacid•125gglycerine

DILUTIONApproximately175gwarmwater•25gcyclomethicone

SUPERCREAMINGREDIENTS18gstearicacid•45gglycerine

SCENT5gbergamotessentialoil•5gmandarinessentialoil5gjuniperessentialoil•5gpatchouliessentialoil

COLOURAfewdropsofliquidblue

ADDITION40gbamboopowder

METHODFollowthe instructionsfor theSoftly,softly floatingfunsoaprecipe(page158)andrefer to thecreamsoapmakingsteps(pages154–157)formoredetail.Addthecyclomethiconewiththedilution(thiscanbe

addedcold).At the same timeasyouadd theessentialoils, add thebamboopowderandmica. Ifyouwantamorerobust,exfoliatingproduct,doubletheamountofbamboopowder.

Silkybodyscrubcreamsoap

Melt-and-poursoapwithlemongrassembeds

CHAPTERFOUR

Craftingbarsofsoapusingmelt-and-poursoapbase

Forthosewhoprefernottostarttheirsoapmakingexperienceusingsodiumandpotassiumhydroxides,Ihave includeda sectiononmakingmelt-and-pour soaps.Thesearemade fromabase thatyoucanbuyready-made.Thesoapbaserequiresmeltingsothatyoucanaddcolourandfragrancebeforepouringitintomouldstoset–henceitsname.

If youhave an artistic streak, craftingwithmelt-and-pour soap can reallyget those creative juicesflowing!Whilstmanysoaptraditionalistsprefertousethe100percentnaturallyesoapmakingmethods,melt-and-poursoapbasesenableyoutoplayaroundwithcolours,micasandglitters,bending,twisting,curlingandembeddingobjectsintoorontoyoursoaps.Thevisualeffectscanbequitestunning.IntheUK,there are two main manufacturers of soap bases. These are Leeds-based Stephensons, who make theCrystalrangeandKays(basedinRamsbottom,Lancashire),whoproducearangecalledClaranol.

Ifyouwishtohaveagoatmakingyourownmelt-and-poursoapbase,Ihaveincludedinstructionsattheendofthissection(page194).

SAFETYWHENHANDLINGMELT-AND-POURSOAPBASE

Unlike traditional lye soaps, melt-and-pour soap bases do not contain any ingredients that may beconsideredhazardous.However,sincethesoapbasewillneedtobeheatedinorderforittomelt,youwillbehandlingitatatemperatureofapproximately70°C(158°F)andallduecareshouldbetakennottoburnyourself.

WHATISMELT-AND-POURSOAPBASE?

Soaphastraditionallybeenmadeusingacombinationoflye,waterandablendoffats,oilsandbutters.However,theuseoflye–apotentiallyhazardousingredient–detersmanywould-besoapmakers.Withmelt-and-poursoapbases,theprocessingofthelyeandoilshasalreadybeencarriedoutforyousothatthesoapbaseissafetohandle.Extraingredientshavebeenaddedtothebasestoensuretheyhavealongshelflife,feelsilkyandmoisturisingontheskin,remainhardevenwhenwet,createagoodfoam,cleantheskinandsoon.

Melt-and-pour soap base is a manufactured base made up of a number of different ingredientsdesignedtoproduceahardbarthatlathersupquicklyandeasilywhilstfeelinggentleandkindontheskin–anditwashestoo!Itcontainsglycerine,whichisahumectant.Ahumectantwilldrawmoisturefromthe

air and lock it onto the skin’s surface, helping it to remainhydrated for longer.Melt-and-pour soap isoftenknownas‘glycerinesoap’duetoitshighglycerinecontent.

SHELFLIFEOFMELT-AND-POURSOAPS

Finishedmelt-and-poursoapswillhaveashelflifeofatleasttwoyearsalthoughthecolourandfragrancemayfadealittleasthesoapages.

Differenttypesofmelt-and-poursoapbaseThereareseveraldifferenttypesofsoapbaseavailable.Thebasicandmostfrequentlyusedsoapbasesincludeopaqueandclear soapbases (often referred toas ‘white’and ‘transparent’bases).Clear soapbasescanbecolouredandfragrancedandwillmostlyretaintheirclarity.Someessentialorfragranceoilsmaymakethesoapbaseslightlycloudy,asmaytheadditionofanyextraoils.

Theopaquesoapbaseisthesameastheclearsoapbase,butwiththeadditionoftitaniumdioxide,anaturalwhitecolouringusedextensivelyincosmetics.Thissoapbasecanalsobecoloured,butthewhitebasecolourmustbetakenintoconsideration.Forexample,addingaredcolouringwillinitiallymakethesoapgopink.

Whitemelt-and-poursoapbase

TheingredientsforboththeStephensons’andKays’soapbasesareverysimilar.TheClaranolclearsoapbaseingredients(Kays)arelistedasfollows:

Aqua•Propyleneglycol•Sodiumstearate•Sodiumlaurethsulphate•GlycerineSucrose•SodiumCocoate•Sodiumxylenesulphonate•SodiumlaurylsulphateStearicacid•TetrasodiumEDTA•

Tetrasodiumetidronate

TheStephensons’clearsoapbaseingredientsarelistedasfollows:

Aqua•Glycerin•SodiumStearate•PropyleneGlycol•SorbitolSodiumLaurate•SodiumLaurethSulfate•SodiumLaurylSulfateSodiumChloride•StearicAcid•LauricAcid•PentasodiumPentetate

TetrasodiumEtidronate

In addition to these basic bases, there are soap bases that aremadewith organic oils or that containmostlynaturalingredients,abasethatisSLS(sodiumlaurylsulphate)free,abasethatdoesn’t‘sweat’,abaseofferingbetterclarity,abasethatwillallowthesuspensionofglitterandotherparticles,abasethatmakesaparticularlygoodshavingsoap,abasesuitableforuseasasolidshampoo,andbaseswiththeadditionofgoats’milk,oliveoil,honey,sheabutter,aloeveraorotherbeneficialcosmeticingredients.

Rather thanuse a basewith added ingredients, it is possible to addyourown ingredients, such asoliveoil,jojobaoil,aloevera,andsoontothemeltedsoapbase.However,donotaddmorethan5percentof the soapbaseweight as the soapwill become toowet, stickyor soft.Pleasenote: soapswithaddedoils,buttersandotheringredientsarelikelytobealittlecloudy.

Therecipesinthissectioncanbemadeusingwhicheversoapbaseyouprefer,butyouwillneedtochooseappropriateclearoropaquebasesifyouwishtodosomeofthespecialeffects.

Regardlessofwhichsoapbaseyouchoose,themethodofmelting,colouring,fragrancingandcraftingyoursoapwillbethesame.

Equipmentneededformakingmelt-and-poursoapsNospecialistequipmentisnecessaryandquitepossibly,youalreadyhaveeverythingyouneed,althoughit is worth collecting a dedicated soap-making toolkit rather than using your kitchen equipment. Theequipmentyouwillneedincludes:

•Heatproofjug(s)orsaucepans(plasticonesarefineforuseinthemicrowave)•Bigsaucepans(ifplanningtomeltyoursoapbaseonthehob)•Stainlesssteelspoonsforstirring•Asetofdigitalscalestoweighthesoapbase•Mouldsofvarioussizes

MOULDSSUITABLEFORMELT-AND-POURSOAPS

Whilsttherearesomefabulousandfunkyshapedmouldsavailable,youcansaveyourselfsomemoneybyusingallsortsofhouseholditemsassoapmoulds.Besuretoreservethemforsoapmakingonceused,though.Irememberwalkingaroundourlocalsupermarketeyeingupallsortsofpacketsoffood,tryingtoworkoutwhethertheemptycontainerscouldbeusedasasoapmould.Thestaffintherehavesincegotused to me asking if I can take the empty trays that hold the double cream cartons in place, as theindividualcavitiesmakewonderfulmoulds.

Allsortsofspecialistorhouseholditemscanbeusedformouldingmelt-and-poursoaps

Ice-cubetraysIhaveahugeselectionofnoveltyice-cubetraysthatenablemetomaketinysoapsinallsortsofshapes–shells, starfish, fish, ducks, shoes, handbags, stars, hearts, pieces of jigsaw, smiley faces and more.Rubber,siliconeorrigidplasticoneswilldo,buttheflexiblesiliconetraysaretheeasiesttouse.

ChocolatemouldsChocolatemouldsmakegreatguestsoapsandsmallsoapstoembedinlargerbars.Thesecanbefoundonlineandinspecialistcookeryshops.

YoghourtpotsMakesureyourpotiscleananddrybeforeusingit.Also,becarefulnottopourthesoapinwhileitistoohotincaseitmeltsthepot.

BlisterpacksAblisterpackisthepre-formedtransparentplasticpackagingoftenattachedtoapieceofcardboardusedtopackagesmallconsumableitemssuchascomputeraccessoriesandsmalltoys.Ifyouareluckyenough,you can remove the itemwithout breaking theblister pack.And if you are even luckier, itwill be theperfectshapeforsoap!

SiliconebreadandcakemouldsSiliconemouldsintendedforbreadorcakesmakeideallargesoapmoulds.Youcancutyoursetsoapintoslicesasyouwouldacakeoraloafofbread.Whilstmetalcakeorbreadtinsmaybeused,theywillneedtobelinedwithclingfilmorsimilartomakeiteasiertoremovethesoapfromthemould.

FoodcontainersEmpty,washed-outanddriedjuicecartons,crisptubes,ice-creamtubsandsimilarareallperfectforuseasasoapmould.Ifthecontainerismadeofplasticyouwillbeabletoreuseit,butifitiscardboard(likethecrisp tube) then itwillbea single-usemould, as it is likely thatyouwillneed tocutandpeel themouldawayfromthesoap.MychildrenneverseemtomindwhenIaskthemtoeatcrispssothatIcanhaveseveralmouldsavailable!

Preparingyourmelt-and-poursoapbaseforuseThe soap basewill need to be cut into small chunks tomake it quick tomelt, so reducing the risk ofburning.Cutthesoapupandplaceitinapan(ifmeltingonthehob)orputitinaheatproofjugandmeltinamicrowaveusing30-secondburstsofhighheat.

Removefromtheheatandstirwelltoensureallthechunksofsoapbasearemelted.Itispossibletooverheat andburn your soap base so never leave it unattendedor heat it for a prolonged time at hightemperatures.Notonlyisthisdangerous,youwillhavetostartalloveragainasthebasewillbebrownandsmellofburntsoap.

The soapbase canbe remelted– evenwhen it hasbeen coloured and fragranced.Thismeans thatthereisverylittlewastage.

Cuttingthetransparentmelt-and-poursoapbasereadyformelting

Fragrancingyourmelt-and-poursoapbaseYoucanusebothessentialandfragranceoilsinyourmelt-and-poursoapbase.Botharereliableandwillnotcauseanyadversereactioninyoursoap,althoughsomeoilsmaycausealittlediscolouration.

Essentialandfragranceoilsaretypicallyaddedat2percent,althoughsincethesoapholdsitsaromaverywell,youmayfindthat1percentisplenty.Seethesectiononcalculatingpercentages(page26) toworkouthowmuchfragranceyoushouldadd.

Ifyouaddtheoilswhenthesoapisstillveryhotyouwilllosesomeofthearoma’spotency.Waituntilthesoapiscoolingalittlebeforeyouaddtheoil,butnotsocoolthatitisstartingtosolidify.

Driporpour theessentialor fragranceoil into themelted soapbaseand stirwell.Donot stir toowildly or youwill create bubbles thatwill remainwhen you pour yourmelted soap into themoulds.Alwaysaddthefragranceoressentialoilsbeforeaddingthecolour.Eachessentialorfragranceoilhasitsownslightcolour tinge,whichwillhaveaneffecton thecolouryouchoose foryoursoap.Adding thecolourafterthefragranceoressentialoilstakesintoaccounttheoilcolourtinge.

Meltingtheclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

Colouringthemelt-and-poursoapbaseTherearemanydifferent formatsofcoloured ingredients thatyoucanuse toadda tint toyourfinishedsoap.Belowisabriefguidetotheseoptions.

Addingfragranceoiltoyourclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

LIQUIDCOLOURS

Similartofoodcolouring,liquidcosmeticcoloursareveryintense.Alittlegoesalongway,sodonotbetemptedtoaddtoomuch.Startwithadroportwoandstirwelltoincorporatethecolourintothesoap.Addalittlemore,dropbydrop,untilyouhaveobtainedtherequiredshade.

WATER-SOLUBLEPOWDEREDCOLOURS

Whenusingpowderedcoloursyoumayfinditeasiertomixthepowderinalittlewarmwateroroilfirst.Thishelpstobreakdownanddispersethecolourandpreventsspecklesofundispersedcolourappearinginyourfinishedsoap.Ifyourpowderedcolourisoil-soluble,blenditwithalittleoilbeforeaddingittothe soapbase tohelpprevent specklesof colouroccurring.Withwater-solublepowderedcoloursmixwithalittlewaterbeforeaddingtothesoapbase.

Todeterminewhetheryourpowderiswateroroil-soluble,placeabout50mlwaterintoaglassandsprinkle a little powdered colour on top. Stir well. If the powder dissolves into thewater, then it iswater-soluble;ifthepowderparticlessuspendorsinktothebottomthenitisnotwater-solubleandmaybeoil-soluble.Repeattheexerciseusingoilinsteadofwatertodouble-checkthatthecolouredparticlesdisperseevenlyinoil.

Addingliquidcolourtothemeltedmelt-and-poursoapbase

USINGMICA

Micawilladdashimmeringeffecttoyoursoapandcanlookbeautiful.Itworksfarbetterintransparentsoapthantheopaquesoapbase,althoughitwillmakethesoapcloudy.Ifusedinopaquesoapbase,thesoapwillbecolouredbutwon’tshowthebeautifulmetallicshimmeringeffectasmuch.

COLOURDEPTH

Themorecolouryouadd,thedarkeryoursoapswillbecome,butdobecarefulnottoaddsomuchthatyourflannelsandtowelsstainfromanyun-rinsedsoapyresidue.

Addingcolourtothewhitesoapbasewillgiveyouapastelshadewhilstaddingcolourtotheclearsoapbasegivesastrongershade.Youcanmix theclearandwhitesoapbases together togetdifferentdepthsofcolourshades.Forexample,ifyoucombine400gclearsoapbasewith50gwhitesoapbase,theuncolouredsoapwilllookasthoughyouhaveusedonlywhitesoapbase.However,whenyouaddadroportwoofcolour, thefinishedresultwillbemuchstrongerinthecombinedsoapbasesthaninthewhitesoapbase.

Goldmicahasaddedasubtle,butbeautifulshimmertothiswhitesoap

POURINGYOURMELT-AND-POURSOAP

Whenthesoapbasehasmeltedandyouhaveaddedyourfragranceandcolour,itisreadytobepouredintomoulds.Pourgentlytoavoidhavingbubblestrappedinsideorrestingonyourfinishedbarsofsoap.

If you do find you have bubbles on the surface, sprayingwith a gentlemist of surgical spirits orrubbingalcoholontothesoapimmediatelyafteryouhavepoureditwillhelptoremovethebubbles.

Leavethesoapsomewherecooltoset.Settingtakesapproximatelytwohoursdependingonwhetheryouhavemadeindividualbarsorarepouringablockofsoaptocutlater.Settingtimescanbespeededup(dependingontheheatofsoapandsizeofmould)byplacingyoursoapinthefridgeorfreezer.

REMOVINGYOURMELT-AND-POURSOAPFROMYOURMOULDS

To take your soap out of amould, turn themould upside down and push the base as if pushing out astubbornicecube.Ifyourmouldismadeofsilicone,youcanliterallyjustpeelthesiliconeawayfromthesoaptoreleaseit.

Ifsoaprefusestobedislodgedfromthemould,pressdownhardonthebackof themouldwiththeheelofyourhand.Ifitstillrefusestobudge,putthesoapandmouldinthefreezerfor15minutesorso–thiscausesthesoaptoshrinkatinyamountanditshouldpopoutmoreeasily.

As soonas theyareoutof themoulds,your soaps are ready foruse.Youdonotneed touse themstraightawayastheywillstillbeokaytouseforatleast18monthsafterproduction.

Sincethesoapbasehasahighglycerinecontentitwilldrawmoisturefromtheair.Ifleftexposedtothe air, itmay start to form a layer of beads ofmoisture. This is known as the soap ‘sweating’. Themoisturedoesnothaveanadverseeffectonthequality,benefitsoruseofthesoap,butwillmakeitwetandslippery.Wetdropletscanbewipedoffwithacleantissue.Oncewrappedorstored inanairtightcontainer,changesintheairtemperaturewillnotmakethesoapsweat.OneofthesoapbasesmentionedearlierwhenItalkaboutthedifferenttypesofmelt-and-poursoap(pages166–7)isa‘low-sweat’soapbase,whicheliminatestheproblemofhavingtowrapsoapstopreventsweating.

ADDINGBOTANICALSTOYOURSOAPBASE

Botanicals,suchasdriedherbsandpetals,canbeaddedtoyoursoaptomakeitattractiveandinteresting.Note thatover time,mostherbsandpetalswillgradually turnbrown,whichcanpotentiallymakeyoursoaplessattractivethanyouplanned!Soapscontainingbotanicalsshouldnotbeusedonthefaceasthebotanicalsmaybeslightlyabrasive.

Toaddherbsandpetals,firstmelt,colourandfragranceyoursoapbaseasusual.Youwillneedto

addthebotanicalswhenthesoapbaseisliquid,butnottoohot.Carefullysprinkleinyourchosenplantmaterialandstirgentlytodispersethepetalsorherbsevenlythroughoutthesoap.

Donotbetemptedtoaddtoomuch–youaretryingtocreateaprettybarofsoapratherthanabarofsoapthatwillmeanyouhavetocleanthebathorshowerafterusingit!Weusuallyaddbetweenhalfandoneteaspoonofbotanicalper100gsoapbase,butlessisgoodtoo.

Transparentpinksoapwithrosepetals

Carefullypouryoursoapmixture into themoulds. If thesoapbase is toohotwhenyoupour it, thebotanicalswillnotbesuspendedinthemeltedsoapmixtureandwillsinktothebottomofyourmould.Unlessyouparticularlywantedthemevenlydistributedthroughoutthesoap,thismightnomatterandwillquitepossiblylookmoreattractive(goon,convinceyourself!).However,topreventthebotanicalsfromsinking,leavethesoapmixturetocoolalittle(butnottothepointwhereitistryingtoset)beforepouringitintothemoulds.

The‘suspending’soapbasewillhelptosuspendthebotanicalsevenlythroughoutthesoapratherthanallowthemtosink.

AddingclaysandpowderstoyoursoapbaseColouredclaysandpowderscanbeadded toyoursoapnotonly togivecolour,but togiveadditional

benefit toyourskintoo.Althoughsoapisarinse-offproductandnot indirectcontactwiththeskinforlong,certainbenefitscanbederivedfromincludingskin-enhancingmineralsinyoursoaps.

Irecommendmixingtheclaysorpowderswithalittlewarmwaterinitially.Thiswillhelptoensurethattheyblendintothesoapbasewithoutcreatingunwantedlumpsorspeckles.Simplymixateaspoonorsoofthepowderwithacoupleofteaspoonsofwarmwaterandstirtocreateaslurry.Addtheslurrytoyourmeltedsoapbaseandstirwell.Note:usingwarmwaterratherthancoldwillhelptokeepthesoapmixtureliquidwhilstyoustir.

Ingredient Benef it (apart f romaddingcolour)

Clayssuchaskaolinclay,bentoniteclayandFuller’sEarth Addsslipandglidetoyoursoaps–especiallyusefulifyouarecreatingashavingsoap

MudssuchasDeadSeamud Richinmineralsanddeepcleansing

Mineralashessuchasrhassoulorpumice Addsslip(rhassoul)andcanbegentlyexfoliating(pumice),aswellasintroducingnutrientstotheskin

Powderedseaweedssuchaskelporbladderwrack Kelpandotherseaweedisrichinskinstrengtheningminerals

Dairypowderssuchasgoats’milk,buttermilkoryoghourtpowder Skinsofteningandhelpsgivethesoapacreamyfeel

RECIPESFORMELT-AND-POURSOAPBASE

Ifyouarecraftyandenjoybeingcreative,you’llhavesomuchfundesigningandcreatingyourownsoaps.Therecipesonthefollowingpagesincludearangeofideastogetyoustarted.

OrangemarmaladesoapSocalledbecausesomeoneonceaskedmeifIhadmadethissoapusingmarmalade–itdoesn’tcontainmarmaladebutlooksasifitmight!

INGREDIENTS300gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

6gsweetorangeessentialoil1–2dropsorangeliquidcolour

Afewcalendula(marigold)petals

METHODMelttheclearsoapbase, leavetocoolalittlebeforeaddingthesweetorangeessentialoilandorangecolouring.Stirwellandscatterafewcalendulapetalsintothemeltedsoapbase.Stirgentlytodispersethepetalsevenlythroughoutthesoap.

Carefullypourintothree100gsoapmoulds,makingsurethatthecalendulapetalsremainsuspendedinthesoap.Leavetoset.

Orangemarmaladesoap

Gardener’sscrubbysoapOne of our most popular soaps, this has been sold at the Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton CourtFlowerShowwithmassesofrepeatordersreceived.Duetotheexfoliatingpropertiesofthepumiceandseeds,thissoapwillhelptoremoveanystubborndirtafterahardsessiongardening.Italsocontains5percentjojobaoiltosoftenandmoisturisehands.

INGREDIENTS300gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase

6ghempfragranceoil•1dropgreenliquidcolour10gjojobaoil•5gpumice•Afewstrawberryseeds

METHODMeltthesoapbase,leavetocoolalittlebeforeaddingthehempfragranceoilandgreencolouring.Stirwell.Pourthejojobaoilintoaseparatepotandstirinthepumicepowder,stirringwelltocreateaslurry.Addthisslurrytothemeltedsoapbaseandscatterafewstrawberryseedsinaswell.

Stirgentlytodispersetheseedsandpumiceevenlythroughoutthesoap.Carefullypourthemixtureintothree100gsoapmoulds,makingsurethattheseedsremainsuspendedinthesoap.Leavetoset.

Gardener’sscrubbysoap

MidasbutterbarThegoldmicaaddsashimmerofgold,whilstthebuttermilkgivesskinsofteningproperties.Teamedwiththedeliciousaromaofvanillabourbon,Idefyyounottowanttomakeandusethissoapoverandoveragain!

Thevanillincontentofthevanillabourbonfragranceoilwillslowlyaddabeigetinttoyoursoapanditwillturnalittledarkerovertime.Goldmicawillcontinuetogiveasubtleshimmerregardlessofthestageofbeige.

INGREDIENTS300gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase6gvanillabourbonfragranceoil

1gsoftgoldmica5gbuttermilkpowder

METHODMelttheclearsoapbase,addthevanillabourbonfragranceoilandstirwell.Inaseparatepot,addthegoldmicaandthebuttermilkpowdertooneteaspoonhotwater;stirtocreateaslurry.

Addthegoldenbuttermilkslurrytothemeltedvanillasoapbaseandstirwell.Pourintothemouldsandleavetoset.

Midasbutterbars

Specialeffectswithmelt-and-poursoapOne of the enormous benefits of using melt-and-pour soap is the absolutely stunning effects you cancreate.Youcantwist,layer,bendandshapesoap,coatitinmicaandglitterandembeditintransparentsoap,embedobjects,evenprintontoricepaperandembedmessagesinyoursoap.Melt-and-poursoapistheperfectmediumforallkindsofsurprises!

LAYERINGDIFFERENTCOLOUREDMELT-AND-POURSOAP

Layeringdifferentcoloursofmelt-and-poursoapisverysimpleandlooksextremelyattractive.Allyouneedisamould,twodifferentcolouredsoapbasesandsomeisopropylalcohol.

Pouryourfirstcoloured,fragrancedlayerintothemouldandgiveitasquirtwithisopropylalcoholtoremoveanysurfacebubbles.Leaveittoset.Ifyouareinahurry,youcanpourthesecondlayerwithoutthe first layer setting,butyouwillgetbetter results ifyou leave it to sethard.Carefullyprod the firstlayerwithacleanfingertomakesurethatitisn’tstillsoftandmelted.Ifityieldsslightlytothetouchbutfeelssolid,thenitisreadyforthesecondlayer.Alternativelyleaveforanhourorsountilithasdefinitelysethard.Beforepouringthesecondsoapbase,givethefirstlayeranothersquirtwithisopropylalcoholtoencourageadhesionbetweenthetwolayers.Makesurethatthesecondbaseisnothotenoughtomeltthefirstlayerbycheckingwithacleanfingerasabove,thencarefullypourontothefirstlayer.Leavetoset.

Layeringsoapinthiswayneedn’tbelimitedtotwolayers–Ihaveseenbeautiful‘rainbow’colouredsoapwith seven different colour layers. Justmake sure that you squirt with isopropyl alcohol beforepouringinanewlayerandthatthepouringsoapisn’thotenoughtomeltthepreviousone.

Pinkandburgundylayersoap

LiquoricelayersoapBlack soap can be verymessy and youmust be careful not to add toomuch black in case any soapyresiduediscoloursyour towels. It is theperfect colour forourgloriousaniseedessentialoil andwhatbetterwaytouseit,butinastripysoap!Thestrawberryfragranceoilinthepinkpartofthesoapremindsmeofthesmellofsweet,strawberryliquoricelacesfrommychildhood.

INGREDIENTS50gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

250gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase¼–½teaspoonblackmica•2ganiseedessentialoil

4gstrawberryfragranceoil•3or4dropsredliquidcolour

METHODMeltboththesoapbasesinseparatecontainers.

Toasmallheatproofjugorbowl,addatinyamountofhotwatertotheblackmicaandswillitaroundtocreate amostly black,watery solution. Pour the clear soap base onto this blackmixture and then addabout5gopaquesoapbasetotheclearsoapbase–thispreventstheblackpartofyoursoapfrombeingtransparent.Don’taddanymorethan10goryouwillcreateagreycolourratherthanblack.Ifitlooksalittlegrey, addmoreblackmica toa littlehotwaterandblend into the soapmixture.Add theaniseedessentialoilandstirwell.

Add the strawberry fragrance oil to the opaquemelt-and-pour base and stirwell.Remove about 50 gopaquestrawberrysoapbaseandplaceinalittleheatproofjugorbowl.Setthistooneside.

Addtheredliquidcolourtotheremainingopaquestrawberrysoapbasetoturnitpinkandstirwell.Nowthatyouhaveyoursoapbasescolouredandfragranced,youarereadyforthefirstpour.Thesoapbaseswillsetintheheatproofjugsbeforeyouarereadytopourallthelayers.Tore-meltsimplypopthejuginto amicrowave on low ormedium for aminute or two before you need to pour it. Note: althoughmicrowavingonhighwillalsowork,thereisariskofburningifitisleftintoolong.

Choosewhichcolouryouwouldliketostartwith(remember, ifyoursoapmouldissuchthatyoupouryoursoapupsidedown, thiswillbecomethe top layerofsoap).Poura thin layerof thissoap into themouldandspritzwithisopropylalcohol.Leaveittoset.

Whenthefirstlayerishardenoughtoholdtheweightofyoursecondlayer,spritzagainandthencarefullypourinthesecondlayer.Spritzthesecondlayerwithisopropylalcohol.

Continuebuildingyourlayeredsoap,spritzingeachlayeronceyouhavepoureditandagainbeforeyou

addanotherlayerontopofit.Leavethelayeredsoapstoset.

Liquoricelayersoap

EMBEDDINGITEMSINSOAP

Smallobjectssuchasnoveltyrubbers,itemsofjewelleryandbeadscanallbeplacedinasoapmouldandcarefullycoveredinclearsoapbase,embeddingthemsafelyuntilyouwashenoughtimestoreleasethem from their soapy prison. I always fancied making the world’s most expensive bar of soap byembedding a very expensive diamond ring – I just didn’t have themoney for the diamond in the firstplace!

Do remember that these soaps are not suitable for small children as the objectmay be a chokinghazard.

Embedding objects is easy. Using the instructions already described in this section, make up asufficientquantityoflightlycolouredandfragrancedclearsoapbase.Don’taddtoomuchcolour–youwanttobeabletoseetheembeddedobjectthroughthesoap.

Pourathinlayerofthissoapbaseintoyourmould.Carefullyplaceyournoveltyobjectontothebase,makingsurethatyouhaveittherightwayup.Rememberthatsomemouldsresultinthesoapbeingmadeupsidedownsothatthebottomofthemouldbecomesthetopofthesoap–ifthisisthetypeofmouldyouare using, your embedded object needs to be placed face down in themould. Spray a quick squirt ofisopropylalcohol(orrubbingalcohol)ontothethinsoaplayertohelpthenextlayerthatyouareabouttopouradherewell.

Soapyseashellsandstarfishembeds

Whenthefirst,thinlayerhasformedaskinandhasstartedtoset,verycarefullypourmoreoftheclearsoapbaseoverthesoaplayerandembeddedobjectsothatthemouldisfilledtothetop.Makesurethatthesecondsoapbaseisnothotenoughtomeltthefirstlayerofsoap–thisisallaquestionoflookandfeel,andexperience.

Theembeddedobjectmaymoveorfloattothetopofthesoap.Topreventthishappening,holditinplacewithacocktailstickorsimilar.Leavethecocktailstickinthesoapuntilyouaresurethatthesettingprocess has started.After a fewminutes, carefully remove the cocktail stick by giving it a little twistwhilstgentlypullingitoutofthesoap.

EMBEDDINGSOAPINSOAP

Ratherthanembednoveltyobjects,youcanalsomakeyourownsoapyembedstoplaceinsoap.Tomaketinysoapshapes,youwillneedanoveltyice-cubetray,chocolatemouldsorsimilar.

MakingsoapembedsMakeupabatchofopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase(page170).Addyourchosencolourandfragrancethenpour into ice-cubetraysorchocolatemoulds.Whenthesoapsareset, removetheshapesfromthemouldsandplaceinthefridgeorfreezertochilluntilcold(about15minutes).IfIdon’tneedtheshapesstraightaway,Iwillleavethemchillingfordays.

Meanwhile,meltandlightlycolourandfragranceyourtransparentsoapbase(page170).Pourathinlayerofslightlycooled,butstillmoltensoapintothemoulds.Spritzwithisopropylalcoholtoensurethesoapyembedwillsticktotheotherlayers.Leavethesoaptoset(about15minutes).Removeyourembedshapesfromthemould in thefridgeorfreezerandcarefully layoneoneachof the thin layersofsoap,beingcareful toplace themtherightwayup.Spritz theembedshapeswith isopropylalcoholandverycarefullypourtheremainingsoapoverthetop,beingcarefulnottodislodgetheembedasyoupour.Youmaywishtoholdtheminplacewithacocktailstick(page181).Oncethesoaphasset,carefullyremovethecocktailstickbeforeremovingthesoapfromthemoulds.

Strawberrysoapembeds

StrawberrysoapFor this recipe you will also need a strawberry shaped mould. I have used an ice-cube tray withstrawberryshapedcavities.

INGREDIENTS60gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase•5gstrawberryfragranceoil

4or5dropsredliquidcolouring•200gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

METHODMelttheopaquesoapbasethenleavetocoolalittlebeforeadding1gstrawberryfragranceoilandtheredliquidcolouring.Stirwell.Pourthered,strawberry-scentedsoapintothestrawberryshapedmouldsand leave toset (about15minutes).When thestrawberryshapeshaveset, removefromthemouldandpopthemintothefridge.

Melt theclearsoapbaseandadd theremaining4gstrawberryfragranceoil, stirringwell.Poura thinlayerintoyoursoapmouldsandleavetoset.

Useacocktailsticktopreventtheembedfromfloatinginthesoap

Removethestrawberryshapesfromthefridgeandgiveeachoneasquirtwithisopropylalcohol.Placeastrawberryshapeonthethin,clearlayerofsetsoapbase(youmayneedtoinsertacocktailstickintothebaseofthestrawberryshapetoholdituprightandtopreventitfromfallingontoitsside).Carefullypourtheclear,strawberry-scentedsoapbaseoverthestrawberryshape.Filltothetopofthemould,immersingthestrawberryshapeintransparentsoap.Carefullytwistandremovethecocktailstickwhenthesoaphasstartedtoset.Leavethesoapstosetcompletely(about15minutes)beforeremovingthemfromthemould.

Strawberrysoap

MAKINGSOAPTWISTSANDSPIRALS

There is something very therapeutic about bending and shaping soap. I love twisting soap aroundmychopsticks or fingers to produce coils, twirls and swirls. The final soaps can be beautiful, althoughsomewhatunpredictable!

Inordertocreatebendsandtwistsyouneedtostartoffwithasheetofrecentlypouredsoapthatisstillonthesoftside.Aplastictray,lunchboxorclean1-litreice-creamcartonmaketheperfectmouldforyoursheetofsoap.

Tomakeasheetofsoap,melt,fragranceandcolouryoursoapbaseasusual(page170)andthenpoura1cm layerof soapbase intoyourchosenmould.Leaveuntil set,butonly just set.Carefully liftonecornerofthesoapfromthemouldandthenpeelawaytheentiresheetofsoap.Placethesoapsheetonachoppingboardandcutathinslitherfromoneedge.

Cuttingstripstomakesoapcurls

Wrapthesoapstripsaroundyourfingertocreateasoapcurl

Bluesoapswirlsreadytobeembeddedinsoap

Takethethinslitherofsoapandwrapitaroundachopstick,apencil,penorevenyourfingersothatitbendsintoacoilshape.Carefullyremovethecoilandplacetooneside.Repeatwiththeremainingsoapsheetuntilyouhaveapileofcoiledsoap.

Aswellascoils,youcancreatebendsbycuttinga stripof soapandbending it intoawriggly ‘S’shape–justletyourcreativeimaginationrunriot!

Peelthincurlsofsoapbyslowlypullingavegetablepeelerdownthelongeredgeofyoursoapsheet.Asyoupeelyouwillproduceathinribbonofcurledsoap,whichcanbeembeddedinsoap.

EMBEDDINGYOURCURLS,TWISTSANDSPIRALS

Beforeplacingyourcurls, twistsandspirals intoyoursoapmould,makesureyouhavesprayeda finemistofisopropylalcoholontoeachshapetosecurethem.

Place the shape in yourmould – either directly onto the base of themould or onto a thin layer ofpreviouslypouredsoap.Carefullypour theouter soap layerover the twists,makingsure that theoutersoaplayeriswarmenoughtopourbutnotsohotastomeltthetwists.Note:theonlywaytocheckthisistopourandthenwatchandseeifitmelts.

Useapotatopeelertoshavethinribbonsofcurledsoap

RosyribbonssoapOneofthemostgirliepinksoapsever!Thepinkcurlsofsoaplooklikebeautifulribbonsembeddedinclearrose-fragrancedsoap.Theclearoutersoapgivesathree-dimensionaleffect,makingthissoapevenmoregorgeous.

INGREDIENTS100gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase•6gtearosefragranceoil

5or6dropspinkliquidcolour•280gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

METHODFirst,makeyourblockofpinksoapbymeltingtheopaquemelt-and-poursoapbaseandadding2gtearosefragranceoiland4or5dropsofpinkcolouring.Stirwellandpourathin1–2cmlayerofsoapintoamould.

Whenthesoapblockhasset,removefromthemould.Usingacleanpotatopeeler,carefullypeelathinlayer of soap down the longest edge of the soap block. Peel slowly to enable the thin soap peel tonaturallycurlrounditself.

Placethesoapribbonsintoyourmould

Carefullypourthemeltedsoapoverthesoapribbons

Repeat thisprocess,peeling the soap into several thin, fragilecurls.Carefullyplace thecurlsonto thebaseofyoursoapmouldandplacethemouldintothefridge.

Tomakethebodyofthesoap,melttheclearsoapbaseandaddtheremainingtearosefragranceoil.Addonedropofpinkcolourtotheclearsoapbaseandstirwell.Whenthesoaphascooledalittle,butisstillpourable, removethemouldwith thecurls in it fromthefridgeandgive thecurlsaspritzof isopropylalcohol.

Carefullypourtheclearsoapbaseoverthecurls,tryingnottodislodgethemasyoupour.Youcanuseacocktailsticktohelpkeeptheminplacebutreally,thewholeeffectisrandom.Leavetosetthenturnthesoapoutofthemoulds.

Rosyribbonssoap

MangoandstrawberryswirlsoapBeautifulbarsofmangoandstrawberrysoapsodeliciousyou’llwishtheywereedible.Butit’snot,sopleasedon’teventrylickingthesoap!Thissoapneedstobemadeintoaloafandcutinslicestogetthefull effect of the swirl. I have suggested 500 g opaque melt-and-pour soap base, but if your mouldcapacity is bigger or smaller than 500 g, adjust the amount of opaque soap base to suit. My recipefragrancesat2percent,hencethe10gmangofragranceoil,whichistherightamounttofragrance500gsoapbase.Don’tforgettoadjustthisamounttoo,ifnecessary.

INGREDIENTS100gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase•2gstrawberryfragranceoil4dropsredliquidcolour•500gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase

10gmangofragranceoil

METHODMelttheclearsoapandadd2gstrawberryfragranceoiland3dropsredliquidcolouring.Stirwellandpoura1cmlayerofthemeltedsoapintoatraymould.

Whenthesoaphas justset, removefromthemouldandbendtheentiresheetofstrawberrysoapintoaswirl. Spritz the strawberry swirlwith isopropyl alcohol and place in your loafmould, trimming anyexcess swirl so that it fits snugly into themould.Place the soapmouldandswirl in the fridge tochill(about15minutes).Melttheopaquesoapbaseandaddanyexcessstrawberryredcurltrimmings.Oncemelted,addthemangofragranceoilandstirwell.

Remove the strawberry soap from the fridgeandwhen theopaquemango soapbase is cool enough topourwithoutmeltingthestrawberryswirl,pourthemangosoapovertheswirluntilitisimmersedinthesoap.Leavetosetbeforechoppingintoslices.Note: thesettingtimedependsonthesizeofmouldandyourpouringtemperature.Asageneralguide,allowtwohoursinsummer,lessinwinter.

Mangoandstrawberryswirlsoap

Blue,bluesoapRoundsoapseemstobeaverypopularshapeandwhilstIlovemakingthisparticularsoap,Ialwaysfindwrappingaroundshapedsoaprathertricky.Thisisoneofthosesoapsthatlooksalmosttoogoodtouse!

INGREDIENTS600gclearmelt-and-poursoapbase

8gsweetpeafragranceoil•6or7dropsblueliquidcolour400gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase

10gwhitemuskfragranceoil

METHODMelt300goftheclearmelt-and-poursoapbase,add6gsweetpeafragranceoiland2or3dropsofbluecolouring.Poura1cmlayerintoatraymould.Whenset(about15minutes),removefromthetrayandbendintoacurlorswirlshape.Leavetosetinthefridge(another15minutes).Meltanother200gclearsoapbase,add4gwhitemuskfragranceoiland1dropbluecolouring.Pouralayerofabout0.5cminheight into the traymould.Whenset (allow15minutes), remove from the trayandbend intoacurlorswirlshape.Leavetosetinthefridge.

Meltthefinal100gclearsoapbasewith100gopaquesoapbase.Add2gsweetpeaand2gwhitemuskfragranceoilswithanotherdroportwoofblueliquidcolouring.Pouralayerofabout0.5cminheightintothetraymould.Whenset,removefromthetrayandbendintoacurlorswirlshape.Leavetosetinthefridge.

Removethethreefragranced,blueswirlsfromthefridgeandgivethemaspritzwithisopropylalcohol.Carefullyplacetheseswirlsintoanempty,washedanddriedcylindricalcardboardtinsuchastheonesused toholdcrisps.Melt the remaining300gopaquemelt-and-pour soapbase.Whenmelted,add4gwhitemuskfragranceoilandadroportwoofliquidbluecolouring.

When thesoap iscoolenough,pour thesoapover theswirls in the tin.Knockor tap the tinontoyourworksurfacetoremoveanytrappedairbubbles.Leavethesoaptoset.

Toremovethesoapfromthetin,youwillneedtofindwheretheoutercardboardwrappermeetsthemetalrimatthetopofthetin.Usingapairofscissors,snipthroughthemetalrimandcarefullycutalongthejoinand into the cardboard. Once you have cut enough that you can hold onto the cardboard, remove thescissorsandpeelawaythetinbytearingdownthejoinandunravellingthetin.

Cutthesoapintoslices.

Blue,bluesoap

GirlsjustwanttohavefunsoapThissoapremindsmeofconfettiandpartystreamers.Itisalsoagreatwayofusingupoddscrapsofsoapasyoucanmeltthescrapsandusethemfortheswirlsandcurlsratherthanstartingwithfreshsoapbase.

INGREDIENTS900gopaquemelt-and-poursoapbase

9gjellybeanfragranceoilAfewdropseachofpinkandblueliquidcolour

9gchampagnefragranceoil

METHODUsing450goftheopaquesoapbaseandthejellybeanfragranceoil,makethreesetsofdifferentcolourswirls–oneblue,onepinkandtheothereitherpurpleoradifferentshadeofpinkorblue.Puttheseinthefridgewhileyoupreparetheouterpartofthesoaploaf.

Pouringthewhitesoapbaseoverthesoapcurls

Melttheremaining450goftheopaquesoapbaseandadd9gchampagnefragranceoil.

Placethecolouredswirlsandcurlsintothesoaploafmouldandspritzwithisopropylalcohol.Makingsurethatthemeltedsoapiscoolenoughtopour,butnotsohotastomelttheswirls,carefullypourthesoapoverthecurlsandswirlsuntiltheyarecovered.Leavethesoaploaftoset(about15minutes)beforecuttingintoslices.

Curlsandswirlsembeddedinwhitesoapbase

EMBEDDINGPHOTOSINSOAP

Personalisedsoapsmakegreatgifts,promotionalmaterialorweddingfavours.Inspiredbyphotographiccakes,where thecake is toppedwithanedible icingpicture,ourgraphic

soapshavegivenushoursofamusement.Theyareverysimpletorecreate–infactthehardestpartoftheentireprocessistrackingdownthespecialpaper!

YouwillneedprintableA4sheetsofediblepaper,suchaswaferpaperorricepaper(availablefromspecialistcakedecorationsuppliers).Toensureyourinkdoesnotrunwhenitgetswet,printusingalaserprinterratherthananinkjetprinter.

Printyourchosendesign,logoorphotographontothewaferorricepapermakingsurethattheprintedoutputisthecorrectsizeforyoursoapmould.Carefullycutroundtheprintedpicture.Placeathinlayerofclearmelt-and-pour soap intoyour soapmould– the results arebest ifyoudonotuseanycolourandavoidusinganessentialorfragranceoilthatmaydiscolourorcloudtheclearsoapbase.

Carefullyplacethephotographontothesoap–makesureyouhaveitfacingtherightwayupordown!Youmaygetabettereffectandmoreofanimpactfromthephotographifyouleaveagapofabouthalfacentimetre at the top of themould. If you are using clear soap base for the whole bar, you can nowcarefullypour therestof thesoapbaseover thephotograph,holdingthephotoinplacewithacocktailsticktopreventitfloatingaround.Thissoapbasecanbescented,ifyouwish.

Onceyourclearsoapbasehasset(about15minutes),giveitaspritzwithisopropylalcoholandthenpourthefinallayerasanopaquelayer(colouredorleftwhite).

ThePlushFollylogoprintedonricepaperandembeddedinsoap

The‘soap’wordinglooks3dimensional

Makingyourownmelt-and-poursoapbasefromscratchOurfriendsatTheSoapKitchen(www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk)haveperfectedarecipeformelt-and-poursoapbaseandhaveverykindlypermittedmetoincludeitinthisbook.AlltheingredientsyouwillneedcanbesourcedfromTheSoapKitchen.

Like the traditional soap recipes, making your own melt-and-pour soap base involves the use ofsodiumhydroxide.Thisingredientisconsideredhazardousunlesshandledcorrectlysopleaserefertothechapteronhandlinglyesafely(pages9–12).Onceyouhavemadethemelt-and-poursoapbaseyoucanstoreit,cutitup,melt,fragrance,colourandshapeitasyouwouldanyshop-boughtmelt-and-poursoapbase.Thesoapmadeinthefollowingreciperesemblestheclearmelt-and-poursoapbase,butyoucanaddtitaniumdioxide,anaturalwhitecolouring,tocreateaversionoftheopaquesoapbase.

Store themelt-and-pour soapbase in an airtight container. If storedproperly, the shelf lifeofyourhandmademelt-and-poursoapbasewillbeatleastthreeyears.

EQUIPMENTNEEDEDFORMAKINGMELT-AND-POURSOAPBASEFROMSCRATCH

Nospecialistequipmentisnecessaryandquitepossiblyyouwillalreadyhaveeverythingyouneed.Key

piecesofequipmentinclude:

•Heatproofjug(s)•Largestainlesssteelsaucepan•Stainlesssteelspoonsforstirring•Asetofdigitalscalestoweightheingredients•Plasticorsiliconecontainerasthesoapmould•Safetyequipment(gogglesandgloves)

Melt-and-poursoapmakingingredientswiththefinishedsoap

HOWTOMAKEMELT-AND-POURSOAPBASE

Tomakewhitemelt-and-poursoapbase,addalittletitaniumdioxidetothemeltedsoapbase.

Prepareyouringredientsinthefollowinggroups.

PHASE1–LYE67.5gcoldtapwater•67.5gsodiumhydroxide

PHASE2–BASEINGREDIENTS422.5gmonopropyleneglycol•162.5gglycerine

443.5gsorbitolsolution(70percent)675gsodiumC14/C16olefinsulphonate

PHASE3–FATTYACIDS

295gstearicacid•137.5gmyristicacid

PHASE4–FINALPHASE22.5gmyristicacid•59gtriethanolamine

METHODPhase1–Makingsureyoupaycarefulattentiontothelyesafetyguidelines(pages9and10),weighthewaterandplaceitinaheatproofjug.Weighthesodiumhydroxideandcarefullytipitintothewater.Stirthelyewelluntilallthegrainypieceshavedissolved.Setaside.

Phase2 –Weigh all thePhase2 ingredients andplace them in a large saucepan.Youwill bemakingnearly2.5kgofsoapbasesothesaucepanmustbelargeenoughtoaccommodateatleast3litres.Heat,stirringconstantly,untilatemperatureof60°C(140°F)isreached.Asugarthermometerwouldbeperfectforcheckingthis.

Phase3 –When the temperaturehas reached60°C (140°F)add thePhase3 ingredientsand stirwell.Increaseto74°C(165°F).

Phase4–Oncethetemperaturehasreached74°C(165°F),slowlyaddthelyesolutionandstirgentlyfortwotothreeminutes(donotstirtoovigorouslyoryouwillcreateafroth).Leaveonthehoboveralowtomediumheat forup to20minutes, stirringevery fouror fiveminutesuntil the soapmixturehas turnedcompletelytransparent.

Placealidonthesaucepanandleaveonalowtomediumheatforonehourwithoutstirring.Youshouldaimtohavethesoapmixtureataconstant74°C(165°F).

Afteronehour,addthefinalbatchofingredientsandstiruntilmelted.Removethesaucepanfromtheheatandcoolslightly.Whenthemixturehascooledto65°C(149°F),pourintomouldsandleavetoset.

When the soap base has cooled and hardened, remove it from themoulds and treat as youwould theregularmelt-and-poursoapbase.

CHAPTERFIVE

Usingsurfactants

Liquid soap products can bemade using premade bases called surfactants.Unlikemelt-and-pour soapbase,thesurfactantsneedtobeaddedtootheringredientsinorderforyoutocreateafinished,useableproduct.Theywillalsoneedpreservinginordertohaveashelflifebeyondaweekorso.

Surfactantsaremadebyprocessingoilsandtheirfattyacidstocreateanundilutedsoapbase.Thisisexactlywhatyouwoulddoifyouweremakingliquidsoap,sincethatmethodinvolvesprocessingtheoilswithpotassiumhydroxidetocreateapaste,whichthenneedsdilutingfurther.Thetechnicalnameforthepasteispotassiumcocoate,potassiumolivate,potassiumcastorateorsimilardependingonthebaseoilsused.

Usingasurfactanttomakeyourliquidsoapscutsoutthelyecreationstage,whichsomepeoplepreferto avoid since they are nervous about handling the potassium hydroxide. You will be starting withingredientssuchassodiumcocoylisethionateandcocoglucosideratherthancreatingtheseyourself.

Whataresurfactants?Thewordsurfactantisshortfor‘surfaceactiveagent’meaningthatasurfactantinteractswiththesurfaceofaliquidtochangeitsproperties.Asurfactanthasahydrophilic(water-loving)headandalipophilic(oil-loving)orhydrophobic (water-hating) tail.All surfactants arepartlywater-soluble andpartlyoil-soluble.Thisallowsoilsandwaters,whichnormallydon’tmixtogether,tocombine.Asurfactantisoftenreferredtoasawettingagent.Thereisawiderangeofsurfactantsavailableandwhilst theyalldothesamejob(clean!),theyhavedifferenttextures(thickliquid,granules,finepowder,etc.).Surfactantsworkthroughaprocessknownas ‘adsorption’,whichmeans that theyaccumulateon thesurfaceofwaterorotherliquid,creatingafilmthatreducessurfacetension.Forexample,soap(whichisalsoasurfactant)isusedtobreakthesurfacetensionofwatersothatitcanpenetratemorefully.Thefoamingactionofsoaphelpswatergetunderdirt,grimeandgreaseonsurfacessuchasyourskin,dishesandclothes,allowingthewater tocarrythedirtaway.Ifyoutry towashyourhandswithoutsoapthehighsurfacetensionofnon-soapywatermakesitverydifficulttoremovedirt.

FormulatingwithsurfactantsWhendesigningyourliquidsoapusingsurfactantsyou’llneedtodecidehowconcentratedyouwanttheliquidsoapproducttobe.Oftenthesurfactantcontentisasmuchas50percentwiththeremaining50percentbeingwateroracombinationofwaterandotheringredientstogivethesoapasmell,preserveandthickenit,addcolourandsoon.Butyoudon’thavetouse50percentanditisperfectlyacceptabletomakealiquidsoapusingonly20–40percentsurfactantswiththerestwaterandotheringredients.

Somesurfactantsareknownfortheirhighlyeffectivecleaningabilitybutthesecanalsobedryingonthe skin. Others are very mild and suitable for sensitive skins, but don’t create much lather. Somesurfactantscreateanabundanceofbubblesbutcancauseskindryness.It’sallamatterofunderstandingwhatdoeswhatandhowtheycanworktogethertocreatetheperfectproductforyou.

Theperfectbubblebathproductdemandsalargeproportionofahighfoamingsurfactant,whilsttheperfectshampoowillhavegoodcleansingproperties,highfoamingproperties,aswellasbeingmildandgentle.Facialcleanserswillneedtobemildandhavelimitedfoamingability.

Consideringtherearewellover100differentsurfactantsavailableonthemarket,tocoverthemallisanotherbookinitselfsoIwilldiscussonlyahandfulhere.ThosethatIhaveselectedareavailablefromcosmeticingredientsupplierswhosecontactdetailscanbefoundonpage207.

Surfactantscanbeusedtocreatequickandeasyfoamingliquidsoapproducts

USINGGLUCOSIDES

Theglucosiderangeofsurfactants isproducedfromrenewablerawmaterials includingcornsugarandcoconutoilfattyacids.Theyarebiodegradable,mildandgentle,withgoodfoamingability.

Therearethreemainsurfactantsintheglucosidefamily.Thesearecocoglucoside,laurylglucosideanddecylglucoside.Thecocoandlaurylglucosidesarethick,clearliquidswhilstthelaurylglucosideisathick,whitestickypaste.Eachoftheseglucosidescanbeusedatupto50percent,meaningtheycanformatleasthalfofyourrecipe.Theglucosidesproduceathinproductthatislikelytoneedthickeningup.

USINGCOCAMIDOPROPYLBETAINE

Cocamidopropylbetaineisamildsurfactantwithfairlygoodfoamingabilities.Ittendstobeusedwithothersurfactantsthathavebetterfoamingabilitiesasitcanmaketheoverallproductalotmilder.

Cocamidopropylbetaineisathin,clearliquidandoftenusedwiththethickersurfactantstomakethemmoremanageable.Itcanformupto40percentofyourfinalliquidsoapproduct.

USINGSODIUMCOCOYLISETHIONATE

Sodiumcocoylisethionateisawhitepowderthatneedstobecarefullydissolvedinwaterbeforeitcanbeappliedtotheskin.Itisverymildandfoamsupwell.Whilstitdoesn’thavedeepcleansingabilities,itmakesaverylovelybodywash.

Sodiumcocoylisethionatewillcreateaverythickproductandneedsonlytobeusedatupto16percent. It is prone to making the product runnier when warm (and thicker, when cold) and can changeviscosityinhotorcoldbathrooms.

SurfactantrecipesMakingaliquidsoapproductwithsurfactantsisrelativelyquickandeasy;it isalsomuchquickerthanmakingliquidsoapfromscratch.Whilstmakingsurfactantproductsmaynotbedifficult, itcanbequitetricky getting the correct thickness since some surfactants remain very fluid until they are cold,whilstothersarevery thick tostartoffwith.Thegoodnews is that ifyour finalproduct is too thick,youcanalwaysadda littlemorewater tomakeitslightlyrunnier.Eachof theserecipesmakes200gof liquidsoap.

Micacanbeusedtoaddcolourandshimmertosurfactantsoaps

THICKENINGYOURLIQUIDSOAP

Ifyourfinalproductistoothin,youcanthickenitupbyaddingupto2percentgum(suchasxanthanorguar)andleavingthegumtodissolveandthicken.Alternatively,youcanaddtablesalt.Startwith5percentsaltandstirwell.Keepaddingalittlemoreuntilyouhavereachedthedesiredthickness.Notethatnotallfragranceandessentialoilsworkwithsaltandmaycausetheliquidsoaptoseparate.

Afteraddingyourthickeningagentitissensibletoleavetheproductforafewhourstoadjusttoitsfinalviscosity.During this time itmaybecomethicker to thepointofbecoming too thickandwill thenrequire a littlewatering down. The ambient temperature, the amount of agitation and stirring plus theformat of the surfactant all have an impact on the final viscosity so don’t be surprised if you have aproductthatworkswellinthewinterbutisalittletoorunnywhenyoumakeitagainduringthesummer.Afoamerpumpisaspecialpumpbottlethatwilldispenseahandfuloffoamratherthanliquidsoap.Ifyouareusing foamerbottles the liquidsoapneeds tobe thin inorder for it tobepumped into the foamingmechanism.

MildandgentlebodywashSomild and gentle that it is suitable for even themost sensitive of skins.That said, I’ve scented thisversionwithacurrentfavouriteofmine:bloodorange.Itmightnotsuiteveryone’sskinortastesofeelfreetosubstituteitwithwhateveraromasuitsyou.

INGREDIENTS40gcocoglucoside•40glaurylglucoside•20gdecylglucoside

2gxanthangum•100ghotspringwater•10gd-panthenol4gbloodorangeessentialoil•2gGFphenPCGpreservative

Apinchofautumnredmicacolour•2–10gtablesalt

METHODWeightheglucosidesandgumintoaheatproofbowlorjug.Pouroverthehotspringwaterandstirwell.

Leavethemixturetocoolalittlebeforeaddingthed-panthenolandstiragain.Thexanthangumtakesawhiletodissolveandwillmakeyourproductlookalittlespecklyuntilthen.Tospeeduptheprocess,youcan use a small whisk ormilk frother to break down the xanthan particles otherwise time and gentlestirringorsquashingwillsuffice.

Add the blood orange essential oil, preservative and a pinch of mica and stir again. Leave to coolcompletelybeforedecidingwhethertheproductrequiresadditionalthickening(addmoregumorupto5percentsalt)orthinning(addalittlehotwater).

Placetheliquidsoapinthebottlewhentheproductiscoolandatthecorrectthickness.Itwillkeepforuptoninemonths.

MildandgentlebodywashandPureopulenceMidasbathingwash

Wake-upshowercreamLivelyandupliftingbergamotandpinkgrapefruitwillcertainlyenergiseandgetyougoingfortheday!

Thisliquidsoapismadewithsodiumcocoylisethionate,whichslowlyturnsfromcleartoopaqueasitcoolsandthickens.Itcanbedifficulttodissolvesodon’tbetemptedtostiruntilyouhaveleftitsittinginhotwaterforatleastfiveminutes.Makesureeverybitofthesodiumcocoylisethionatehasdissolved–youmayfindthiseasierifyouheattheproductupoveragentleheat.

INGREDIENTS20gsodiumcocoylisethionate•140ghotspringwater

22gcocamidopropylbetaine•10gd-panthenol2gbergamotessentialoil•2gpinkgrapefruitessentialoil2gGFphenPCGpreservative•1droppinkliquidcolour

8–10gtablesaltor2gxanthangum,ifnecessary(seebelow)

METHODWeigh the sodiumcocoyl isethionate into aheatproofbowlor jug.Pourover thehot springwater andleavetoseepforatleastfiveminutes.Donotbetemptedtostirduringthistime.

Afterfiveminutesyoucanstirthesodiumcocoylisethionateintothewater.Makesurethateverybitisdissolved.Ifnecessary,warmituptofacilitatethedissolvingprocess.

Oncethesodiumcocoylisethionatehasdissolved,addthecocamidopropylbetaineandd-panthenol;stiragain.

Addthebergamotandpinkgrapefruitessentialoils,preservativeandliquidcolouring;stiragain.Leavetocoolatroomtemperature,preferablyforatleast24hours.

Ifyouarehappywiththethicknessoftheproductafter24hours,placeitinthebottle.Howeverifitisalittleonthethickside,addasmallamountofhotwaterandstiritintotheproduct.Donotbesurprisediftheproductgoesthinagain.Ifitdoes,justleaveforafurther24hourstothickenupbeforetransferringittothebottle.

Ifitisonthethinside,addupto10gsaltorupto2gxanthangum.Stirwellandleaveforafewhourstosettletoitsfinalviscosity.

PureopulenceMidasbathingwashThisrecipecontainsadditionalglycerinetoaddglideandbubblestothesoap.I’vealsoincludedalittlegoldmica just togivea slightgoldcolour. Ifyou like floral smellsbuthaven’t experiencedchampacabefore,you’llwonderhowyou’veevermanagedwithoutit–trulyglorious!

INGREDIENTS20gsodiumcocoylisethionate•100ghotspringwater

50gwarmedaloevera•26gcocoglucoside•10gd-panthenol18gglycerine•4gchampacafragranceoil

2gGFphenPCGpreservative•6–10gtablesalt½teaspoongoldmica

METHODWeigh the sodiumcocoyl isethionate into aheatproofbowlor jug.Pourover thehot springwater andleavetoseepforatleastfiveminutes(donotbetemptedtostirduringthistime).

After five minutes add the warmed aloe vera and stir. Make sure that every bit of sodium cocoylisethionatehasdissolved.Ifnecessary,warmitupandstirtofacilitatethedissolvingprocess.

Oncethesodiumcocoylisethionatehasdissolved,addthecocoglucoside,d-panthenolandglycerine;stiragain.

Addthechampaca(inhaleitsbeautifularomaasyoupour!)andthepreservative;stirwell.Leavetocoolatroomtemperature,preferablyforatleast24hours.

Adjusttheviscositybyaddingsaltandstiragain,givingthemixtureachancetosettle.Whentheproducthasnaturallythickenedup,addthegoldmicaandgentlystiritintothesoap.Transfertoabottle.

Energisepre-partybodywashGeranium,blackpepperandjuniperberrywillcertainlyenergiseandgetyouinapartymood!

INGREDIENTS15gsodiumcocoylisetheionate•140ghotwater

20gcocoglucoside•20gglycerine2gGFphenPCGpreservative•1ggeraniumessentialoil

0.5gblackpepperessentialoil•0.5gjuniperberryessentialoil4–8gsalt

METHODPlace the sodium cocoyl isetheionate in a large saucepan and pour over the hot water. Add the cocoglucosideandglycerinebutdonotstir immediately.Leave toseepfor fiveminutesand thenstir. If thesodiumcocoyl isethionatedoesnotdissolve into thehotwater,placeoveragentleheatandstirgentlyuntilithasfullydissolved.

Offtheheat,addthepreservativeandessentialoilsandstiragain.Add4gsaltandstiragain.Leavetocoolandthickenbeforedecanting(thepreservativemeansitwilllastforuptoayear).

Makingnon-lyemelt-and-poursoapfromscratchAndfinally…Inmyexperimentswithsurfactants Ichallengedmyself tomakeahardbarof soap fromscratch butwithout using sodium hydroxide at all. After several attempts (somewere too soft, othersdidn’tfoamupsufficiently),Imadeabatchofcreamy,moisturising,hard,whitebarsofsoap.Therecipebelowisforonebarofsoaponly.

Sal’screamywhitesoapchallenge

Sal’screamywhitesoapchallenge

INGREDIENTS50gsodiumcocoylisethionate•16gcocoglucoside

10gstearicacid•10gsheabutter7gemulsifyingwax•3gd-panthenol

2gsoftalmondfragranceoil

METHODWeighthesodiumcocoylisethionate,cocoglucoside,stearicacid,sheabutterandemulsifyingwaxintoaheatproofbowlorjug.Heatuntilthestearicacidhasmeltedandthemixturehasbecomequitesoft.Notethatthemixturewon’tbecompletelyfluid,butitmustbesoftandpliablewithoutanysignsofgraininess.

Removefromtheheatandquicklystirinthed-panthenolandfragranceoil(youneedtoworkquicklyasthemixturewillwanttostartsetting).Dollopthesoapintothemouldandbangthemouldontotheworksurfacetosmoothoutthesurfaceandremoveanyairbubbles.IfoundIgotasmootherfinishifIpoppedthesoapintothefridgestraightaway.Assoonasthesoaphascooledandsetharditisreadyforuse.

Resources

Alloftheingredients,packagingandspecialistequipmentneededtomakethedifferentsoapsoutlinedinthis book can be purchased online. Do keep an eye out for many of the ingredients in your localsupermarket,too,aslotsoftheoilsanddecorationsarealsousedincooking.

ESSENTIALOILS

Freshskinwww.freshskin.co.ukTel:07846174876idAromaticswww.idaromatics.co.ukTel:01132424983

INGREDIENTSANDPACKAGING

GracefruitLimitedwww.gracefruit.comTel:01324841353SheaButterCottagewww.sheabuttercottage.co.ukTel:02081444609SoapBasicswww.soapbasics.co.ukTel:01225899286TheSoapKitchenwww.thesoapkitchen.co.ukTel:01805622944SummerNaturalswww.summernaturals.co.uk

MOULDS

DennyCraftMouldswww.dennycraftmoulds.co.ukTel:01262604819TheMouldsShopwww.themouldsshop.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHS

LizziRochePhotographywww.facebook.com/LizziRochePhotographyTomWellerPhotographywww.tomwellerphotography.comTel:07986071970

SPECIALISTHERBS,GUMSANDRESINS

G.Baldwin&Cowww.baldwins.co.ukTel:02077035550TheOrganicHerbTradingCowww.organicherbtrading.comTel:01823401205

TRAININGCOURSES,KITS,INGREDIENTSANDPACKAGING

PlushFollywww.plushfolly.comTel:02030022507

Index

alkali8,27,32,135seealsopotassiumhydroxide;sodiumhydroxide

alkanetroot28,29,55,67almondoil16aniseedessentialoil98,179annattoseeds28arganoil16,55–6,102avocadooil16

banana68,78–9basil24,52beersoap96–105beeswax17bergamot24,162,202blackberry110–11blenders3,134,140–1,153,155bloodorangeessentialoil84,200botanicals66–7,172–3bottles135,146buttermilk86,95,174butters1,13–22,135–6,140,154–5

carrot28,68,80–1carrotseedessentialoil76–7castoroil17chamomile40,67,97champagne106–7,114–15,192cherrykerneloil17,46chocolate28,50,97,106chunking58cinnamon28Claranol165,167clarysage52clays28,173–4clearsoaps166–8,193cocamidopropylbetaine199cocoabutter17cocoapowder28coconut93coconutoil17coffee28,45,98colouringsoapchunking58colourdepth171

colourquantityguidelines30colourstability31–2cosmeticgradecolours30fading29featheredsoaps59–60layeringsoaps56,178–80liquidcolours170liquidsoap139melt-and-poursoaps170–1andmica171,177naturalcolourings27–9pastels171swirls61–5testingcolours31traditionalbars27–32water-solublecolours171winesoaps106–7

coriander128corrosives9cosmeticclays28,173–4crambe(Abyssinian)seedoil18creamsoap153–63designingyourown157diluting156equipmentfor153–4recipes157–63rotting/resting156–7safetyprecautions154soapmakingmethod154–7

cucumber72–3,82–3,116–17curls,soap184–92cyclomethicone6,138,162

dairypowders174dilutingsoaps156discountingwater131doubleboilers134driedfruit69dyes30

elderflower110–11embedding180–93equipment2–3,133–5,153–4,168,194exfoliators45,162–3,176

fats1–2,8,13–22iodinevalues14,16–22MaterialSafetyDataSheet13,14properties14–22

SAPvalue13,16–22seealsobutters;oils;waxes

fattyacids13–22,136–7,153–5,157featheringsoaps56,59–60fragrancebeersoap96essentialoils24–7,97,106,138,170fragranceoils24–7,96–7,106,138,170liquidsoap138melt-and-poursoapbases170traditionalbars24–7winesoap106

frankincense126fruitpurèes67–70,74–5,78–81fruitteas67

gelling48,88geraniumessentialoil204ginger84–5glucosides198–9glycerine138,153–5,157goat’smilk91–2,126,174gooseberry106,112–13grapeseedoil18gums139,145,199–200,207

hazelnut18,100–1,137herbalteas67honeysoaps118–25humectants17,166

iodinevalues14,16–22

jojobaoil18juniperberryessentialoil162,204

lakes(pigments/dyes)30lard19latherquality16lauricacid137.150,167lavender39–42,52,146–7,160layeringsoaps45,56–7,178–80lemonessentialoil43,112,150lemonverbenaessentialoil82–3lemonade116–17lemongrassessentialoil43,91–2lettuce68,82–3lime24,53,93–4,97,104,106linoleicacid14,137linolenicacid14,137

liquidsoap132–52colouring139designingyourown152equipment133–5,140–2fattyacids13fragrance138ingredients8,9,135–40neutralising144pHvalue143–4recipes146–51safetyprecautions135sequestering145shelflife145soapmakingprocess140–5soappaste142–3andsurfactantsxi,133,198–206thickening144–5,199–200

lyexi,1–2,166chemicalreactionwithfats8forcreamsoaps155creation9,11–12handlingbeerlye98–9handlingtraditionallye9–10handlingwinelye108forliquidsoap135,140formelt-and-poursoapbases195safetyprecautions9,10strongwater,withabeertopup98strongwater,withawinetopup107substitutingwaterin86–117testingimpactoncolour31treatingsplashes9seealsopotassiumhydroxide;sodiumhydroxide

madderroot28mandarin102–4,162mango53,78–9,108–9,188–9mangobutter19maychang43melt-and-poursoapbases165–95addingclaysandpowdersto173–4addingyourowningredientsto167botanicalsfor172–3clear166–8colouring170–1definition166embedded180–93equipment168,194

fragrance170glycerinecontent166,172ingredients167layered178–80makingyourown195–6,204–6manufacturers165moulds168–9,172non-lye204–6opaque166,168pouring171–2preparingforuse170recipes175–7safetyprecautions166shelflife166specialeffects178–95typesof166–8

mica30,171,177milksoaps86–95,124,174mineralashes174mint51,116–17,148moulds3,4–7,168–9lining6

muds53,174myristicacid137

neutralisingsoap144210

oats67,122–5,138oils1,13–14forcreamsoap154,155,157fattyacidcontent136–7hard136forliquidsoap135–7,140,145properties14–22soft136andsuperfatting129–30

oleicacid137oliveoil19orangeessentialoil80–1

palmkerneloil20palmoil19palmiticacid137,145D-panthenol139paprika28patchouliessentialoil102,151,162peachfragranceoil70peachkerneloil20,54–5pHadjustersolution144

pHvaluetests143–4,155phenolphthaleintest143–4,155photographs,embedded193pigments30Pimm’ssoap116–17pinkgrapefruitessentialoil202plumfragranceoil108,110polyquaternium-7138polysorbate139potassiumhydroxide(causticpotash)8–12,154–5seealsoSAPvaluepowders173–4preservatives139,145protectiveclothing3,9,135pumpkin84–5

recipesBananaandmangobutterbars78–9Baristaexfoliatingbar45basic37–55Beautifulbodywash149forbeersoaps97,98–105Blackberryandelderflowerwinesoap110–11Blue,bluesoap190–1Butterbodycreamsoap161Carrotandorangebar80–1Cherrydominosoap46Citrushit43containingsurfactants199–206Coolasacucumber72–3Cooling,conditioningsoap51forcreamsoaps157–63Dirtymudandmangobutterbar53Energisepre-partybodywash204–5Gardener’sscrubbysoap176Gentleskinliquidsoap146–7Girlsjustwanttohavefunsoap192Goat’smilkwithlemongrass91–3Herbalheaven52Honeybeebar120–1Honeyandoatssoap122–5forhoneysoaps118–25IPAbarsforJakeBugg102–3Lavender’spinkdillydilly42forliquidsoaps146–51,200–6Liquoricelayersoap179–80Mangoandstrawberryswirlsoap188–9

Meekandmild40formelt-and-poursoaps175–7,179–80,183,186–9,194–5Merlotmangomania108–9Midasbutterbar177Mildandgentlebodywash200Milkandhoney124formilksoaps89–95Muchasgraciascervezasoap104–5MyGuinness,mygoodness!98–9Orangemarmaladesoap175Passthesalad82–3Peachyglowsoap54–5Peachyperfection70–1Pinkandgoldsaltbars127–9Post-partyblues114–15Proseccoandgooseberrycrush112–13Pumpkinpiesoap84–5PureopulenceMidasbathingwash203Purityshavingsoap160Rabi’ssandalwoodandbuttermilk95Realalenutbutterbar100–1Rosyhuesoap55Rosyribbonssoap186–7Sal’screamywhitesoapchallenge204–6forsaltedsoaps126–7Sanitymoisturisinghandwash150Silkybodyscrub162–3Silkyskintreat128Skinsosoft41Slumberbar39Smoothandluscioussoap50Softandgentleskindew151Softly,softlyfloatingfun158–9Softly,softlyskinmonkey89–90Splash!bodywash148Strawberrymelt-and-pour116–17Strawberrysmoothie74–5Strawberrysoap183Summerlemonadecupsoap116–17Sweetpotatomashsoap78–9211HowtoMakeYourOwnSoapTropicalcoconut93–4Wake-upshowercream202forwinesoaps108–17

ricebranoil20ricinoleicacid137

rose149,161,186–7rosegeranium41,55,114–15,161rosehipoil20rosemary52rotting/resting156–7

safetyprecautionsxii,9,10,135,166saffloweroil20–1salt126–7,139sandalwood95SAPvalue13,16–23saponification2,129–30seaweeds,powdered174seizing25–6sequestering145shavingsoap153,160sheabutter21shelflife145,166silksoaps128,138slowcookers3,34–6,133–5,140–2,154soapcalculators23,129–31,152,157soapmakingmethods34–55coldprocesssoapmaking34,36,37–46hotprocesssoapmaking34,36,47–55noheatmethod34,36ovenprocess35,36slowcookermethod3,34–6

soappaste,diluting142–3sodiumhydroxide(causticsoda)1–2,8–12cleaningspills10forcreamsoap154,155creatinglye11–12handling9,10formelt-and-poursoaps194quantitycalculations13,16–23storage10suppliers11

specialeffects56–65,178–95spinachpowder28spiraldesigns184–92spirulinapowder28stearicacid137,145,153–5,157Stephensons165,167sterilization146strawberry74–5,116–17,158–9,179–80,183,188–9sucragel139sulphonatedcastoroil139sunfloweroil21

superfatting129–30surfactants197–206adsorption198cocamidopropylbetaine199definition197–8DIYnon-lyemelt-and-poursoap204–6formulatingwith198–9glucosides198–9recipes199–206sodiumcocoylisethionate199

sweating172sweetorangeessentialoil76–7,175sweetpotato78–9swirldesigns61–5

teatreeessentialoil150thickeningagents139,144–5,199–200titaniumdioxide166,194tonkabean50,89–90traditionalbarsxi,1–131andbotanicals66colouring27–32anddriedfruit69equipment2–3fragrance24–7andfruitpurèes66–71,74–5,78–81ingredients8–24moulds3,4–7seizing25–6soapmakingmethods34–6,37–8specialeffects56–65honeysoaps117–25saltedsoaps126–7silksoaps128substitutinglyewater86–117superfatting129–30vegetablepurèes66–9,72–3,78–85

turmeric28twists,soap184–92

vanilla126,151,177vegetablepurèes66–9,72–3,78–85vetiver24,97,102,160viscosity144–5

water1–2,8,12–13forcreamsoap156discounting130–1forliquidsoap135,142–3

substitutinginlye86–117fortraditionalsoap23–4

waxes1,13,14–22wettingagents197wheatgermoil21whisks,handheldelectric153winesoap96–117

ylangylang39212