Castile and Oats

There are risks in making soap but the rewards outweigh the danger. Once you commit to it, the equipment and utensils you use will be dedicated to soap making and can not be used for food.

Why soap?

There are things we do every single day that we take for granted, like washing. And washing entails the use of soap. There may be a lot of kinds of soap but it all started with a bar of soap.

Have you ever wondered what makes a soap? The combination of oil and fat with an alkali makes soap. It can be a vegetable oil or animal fat (tallow) mixed with soda ash (sodium hydroxide) or potassium hydroxide/potash and the result is soap!

The science behind washing and soap

Through the process called saponification, the fat molecules are changed into alkali salts of the fatty acids. So, when we rub and make a soapy lather, the soap molecules attract the oil and water from our skin and rinsed away together with dirt, bacteria, viruses, dead skin cells, mites and whatever is in the surface layer of the skin.

Basic things you will

 need :

1. Scale
2. Stainless steel pot, preferably a double boiler or heat proof glass (2)
3. Thermometer
4. Measuring equipment and utensils
5. Stainless steel or silicone utensils
6. Hand blender or whisk
7. Soap molds
8. Knife or soap cutting tool
9. Goggle/eye protection
10. Mask
11. Vinegar
12. Gloves
13. Water
14. Vegetable oil
15. Sodium hydroxide
16. Scent or essential oil
17. 90 % rubbing alcohol, wax paper or plastic wrap
18. Scrap paper to line work surface
19. Tape
20. Colorants (optional)
21.  

OLIVE OIL OR

 CASTILE SOAP

We will start with a simple Olive oil and oats soap. The ingredients are minimal, recipe is simple and the soap produced is moisturizing and nourishing though it may not lather as much. This will introduce you to the world of making natural soap in its simplest form.

All you need is :

3 3/4 ounce Extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 ounce water

1/2 ounce lye (sodium hydroxide)

Desired scent

So now that you have gathered the basic necessities in making your first batch of soap, always remember SAFETY FIRST.

STEPS :

1. Prepare your work station. (I line my work space with scrap paper and tape it down). This is for safety reasons in case you spill lye all over and makes easy clean up later. Have vinegar on a spray bottle within reach.
2. Put on your protective gear like goggles and gloves. Other things to consider is wearing a dust mask/gas mask to prevent you from inhaling the gas produced when water mixes with the lye. Plus, a long sleeved shirt to protect your arm from splashes.
3. Weight the extra virgin olive oil, water and lye.
4. Place the extra virgin olive oil in a heat proof glass container or stainless steel pot. Bring slowly to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Place the water in a heat proof glass or stainless steel pot.
6. Sprinkle the lye slowly and carefully into the water. Always, lye into the water. Stir until dissolved. Do this outside your house or a well ventilated area. NOTE : watch where the wind direction and stay clear from it.
7. Check oil and lye solution temperatures.
8. When both are 116 degrees Fahrenheit, pour the lye solution in a thin stream into the oil, making sure you create as little bubbles as possible. If you do, you can spray them with 90% rubbing alcohol. (Make sure your burner is off before you do that as alcohol is flammable).
9. Stir constantly or use an immersion blender until you see “trace“. This stage, the mixture leaves a trail when there are traces of soap mixture on the surface mass when some is taken up on your stirrer and dribbled back in.
10. Reaching the desired trace, you may add scents/essential oils and/or color.
11. Pour into soap molds.
12. Tap to release air bubbles.
13. Some use 90% rubbing alcohol to spray on top layer of the soap to prevent white soap ash. Others use wax paper or plastic wrap to cover
14. Wrap the soap with dedicated towels or blankets to help cook the soap. Let sit for 24 to 48 hours, depending on your climate, room temperature and soap molds.
15. When ready, unmold on a clean surface. If you used a thick, long mold, cut with a knife or soap cutter to desired thickness.
16. Place on rack to dry for 4 weeks.
17. Store in a well ventilated container or warp for presents.

OATS SOAP

Of all the soaps I have made, OATS SOAP is the favorite. This soap is simple, affordable and has a lot of healing properties. When my friends ask for a soap to help with oily skin, nurses with dry hands from constant washing or kids with eczema, psoriasis or skin allergies, soap with oats does wonders. We are going to use plant based oils. Most soap companies use animal fats to keep the costs down so read your soap ingredients. This is also going to be an unscented soap with no synthetic fragrances. These fragrances can be endocrine disruptors, causing migraines and skin disorders. Oats also tend to absorb scents that you need a lot to make the smell noticeable.

Lets get to know

 OATS

Oats originated from England, France, Poland, Germany, and Russia. Oats straw was used to fill mattresses for rheumatism but is now mainly grown as a cereal crop. Internally, it has saponins, alkaloids, sterols, flavonoids, silicic acid, starch, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Externally, the grain is a cleanser and an emollient and oats milk help soothe itchiness and eczema. COMMISSION E relates the relief of itching with the external use of oats from inflammatory and seborrheic skin diseases with silicic acid. Using oats in the from of colloidal oatmeal mixtures, powder, bath soaps and gels helped with skin dryness.

OATS SOAP

 

 A. OIL PHASE

 

10 ounces Olive oil

6 ounces Coconut oil

1 tbsp. Castor oil

B. WATER PHASE

 

6 ounces water

2.25 ounces lye

ADDITIVE :

2 tbsp. ground or whole oats

DIRECTIONS :

Follow safety directions, using protective gear and equipment in case of a lye spill. Make sure your work space is clean and ready. Prepare all needed utensils before you begin making soap. Measure all ingredients before starting.

1. Warm the oil over a heat proof glass container like a bain marie or a stainless steel double boiler.
2. Place the water in a heat proof glass.
3. Add the lye into the water and stir until dissolved.
4. When both oil and water phase reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, pour the lye solution into the oil.
5. Stir or whisk into a trace. Since it is a small amount, your immersion blender might not work.
6. Add the oats slowly, making sure there are no clumps.
7. Pour into desired molds. Cover.
8. Wrap with towels and blankets.
9. Check after 24 hours.
10. Unmold when ready and let dry on a rack to cure for 4 weeks before use.