http://www.millersoap.com/ is helpful for tips and alterations, this is just the simplest recipe I could find.
Soap Recipes
Vegetable Soap
50 Ounces Olive Oil
17 Ounces Coconut Oil
18 Ounces Any All Vegetable Shortening
11.5 Ounces Lye
32 Ounces Soft Water
Temperature-
Lye Water 95-98 degrees
Fats 95-98 degrees
Equipment
2 thermometers
wooden spoons
scale
ceramic, glass, heavy plastic(tupperware or rubbermaid) containers
stainless steel pan
vinegar
plastic gloves
mold - to begin with, use a milk carton (when time to cut bars, just cut the end off and make cuts through the carton, releasing the soap from the cardboard outline. Make the cuts at 1 - 2 inch intervals)
Instructions
The night before you make soap, measure the lye and soft water into a container. The lye water will emit fumes for 30-45 seconds, so turn your head away while stirring. The water temperature will rise to 250 degrees immediately. Stir until lye is completely dissolved. Put in a place where "no one" can get to it. **I put mine in the top of a closed closet.
The day you make soap, heat a pan of water to boiling and place cooled lye water in it. Place thermometer in lye water and heat to specified temperature. Place the fats in a pan and heat to specified temperature.
When the lye water and fats are at the correct temperatures, pour fats into a bowl and pour lye water into fats, stirring constantly for 15-20 minutes. Then stir thoroughly every 10-15 minutes until the soap traces. Bring the spoon up over the liquid soap and drizzle some on top. If the drizzled line stays on top for 1 or more seconds, the soap is ready to pour. This is the time you add dried flowers, herbs, essential oils. Stir until completely mixed.
Pour into liberally greased mold. Cover top of mold and place blanket over the mold. Let sit for 12-24 hours. Check to make sure soap is still soft enough to cut. Cut soap and stack where air can circulate between layers. Place in area that will stay at room temperature. Leave for 3-4 weeks. Remove the white layer of ash on top. Soap is ready to use.
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Soap Tips
Get a good scale to measure. Measuring cups are for liquid and there is a big difference between dry and liquid weights.
Don't use Drano. It has added chemicals. We have Red Devil lye down here.
Always pour lye water into fats, never visa versa
Always have vinegar at your side when making soap - it neutralizes the lye if you happen to spill some on you.
Always use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers to mix and measure and wash thoroughly afterwards. If you use a container more than twice to make soap, don't use it for food again.
Always stir with wooden spoons and ONLY use for soapmaking (the lye has seeped into the spoons.
Good molds - Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers, pyrex containers, pvc pipe, smallest plastic flower pot liners.
Always grease(most books say to use Vaseline, but vegetable shortening works better) liberally. If using a pvc pipe, over grease! Don't use the end piece. A vacuum forms and you can't remove. Cover end with 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap.
If using a pvc pipe - use 3 inch pipe and cut with a cheese cutter or dental floss.
Making soap is very easy. The recipe above only takes 3-4 hours total. Make lye the night before. Reheat by setting lye container into hot water bath.
If you use a recipe that uses tallow, it will take a lot longer to trace. Sometimes up to 18 hours. The coconut oil makes a very lathery soap. The olive oil makes a harder bar that lasts longer.
FYI - The lye will kill most colors. The only thing I find works are candle dyes, tumeric, paprika, cinnamon and cocoa.
Same goes for scents. Peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, clove are among the best.
If you want to add cucumber, carrot, or strawberries do the following:
grate 2-3 cups for the above recipe of the vegetable or fruit. heat with fats for 30 minutes, then follow recipes as directed
Remember
You are working with lye and it is highly caustic. After complete saponification, the lye has chemically changed and is no longer caustic.
A white powder will form on the top of your soap as it dries. Cut or wash off. It is the last remnants of the lye and will irritate the skin.
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To make almond/oatmeal - grind almonds to the finest powder you can; grind oatmeal (not instant) and add to soap. ususally add 1 cup per pound
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Honey Soap - mix 2-3 tbs honey with lemon essential oil and a little oil together. At tracing, add and mix thoroughly before pouring.
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Goats Milk - Reduce your water by 4-6 ounces, then before pouring add room temperature goat's milk.
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Buttermilk/Lavender - Reduce water by 4-6 ounces, then add buttermilk and lavender essential oils at tracing.
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Any other scents - usually infuse your oil with the herb for 7-10 days in the refrigerator, then strain and use as directed in the recipe. I also add essential oil, because the oil will only retain the herbal properties, not the scent.
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Aloe Vera - Again, reduce your water by 2-3 ounces, the replace with aloe vera juice at tracing time.
You can also make carrot soap and cucumber soap. I grate a cup per pound of either or both and heat the oils very slowly(30 minutes) with the grated vegetables in it. The heating cooks the vegetables, so they don't spoil in the soap. The green and orange flecks in the soap look pretty. I add lemon and honey to the carrot and mint and milk to cucumber.
I have been told that Grapefruit Seed Extract(not oil) makes the soap trace faster.
(Thank You GHL)
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