05/19/2024
I HAVENT BOUGHT SOAP FROM THE STORES IN YEARS…. Make your own… Its cheaper, healthier and you know what’s in it. I can make all kinds of soaps, plain and fancy.., I prefer the simple old fashioned soaps! I can spend a few hours in a day and make an entire years worth of soap for my family..
Lye Soap Recipe
all measurements by weight
✅ Lye 3.22 oz. (Found at small hardware stores sold as drain cleaner. Look for “100% lye” on the bottle.)
✅ Distilled Water – 7.92 oz. (Very hard tap water can make your soap slimy, so distilled works best.)
✅ Lard – 24 oz. (Homemade works best)
✅ Essential oil or Soap safe Fragrance oils 1-2 oz. (optional, but make sure it’s skin and soap safe)
Don’t forget to put on your safety goggles and gloves before you mix the lye and water.
Measure the lye and water in separate containers. Pour the lye into the water. (NEVER, EVER POUR THE WATER INTO THE LYE!! It can cause dangerous reactions.)
When you pour the lye into the water, the mixture will get very hot– around 200 degrees. Let it cool to at least 120 degrees, but you can go as low as room temperature. Then, warm your oils so that they are within 10 degrees of your lye water solution, at least 120 degrees but you can go down to room temperature just as long as they are both the lye water and oils are within 10 degrees of each other. (For example, if the lye solution is 115 degrees, oils can be 105-125 degrees.) You can put your lye solution in an ice bath to make it cool down quicker. Otherwise, it will take around 30- 45 minutes to cool down.
When your lye water and oils are at the right temperature, then slowly pour the lye water solution into the oils. Stir just briefly to mix. Then, using your hand blender, blend until it traces, about 2-5 minutes. Trace is when you lift the blender out and you see dots where the soap had dripped from the blender and it stays on top for a second or two before it blends back in. After your lye and oils come to trace, add your essential oil if desired. Stir until mixed and then pour into your mold.
Move your soap into an area that is safe from kids and pets. Then cover it with a towel. If you think your towel will fall into the soap, you can put a box or shoebox on top of it first and then put the towel over it all. Then let it sit for 24 hours. After that, you can remove the soap from your mold and cut it with a big knife.
After you have cut the soap, let it cure for 2-6 weeks and you will have homemade lye soap!
The long loaf is Lemon sugar cake with a splash of gold mica powder to give the yellow tent. Colors will lighten up once dried. The clumpy one is Butter soap (will explain that at another time but it’s AMAZING for the skin) then the rest is just plain lye soap which is what we prefer the most.
Once the SOAP loafs are ready to be removed… you cut them into equal parts and put them somewhere to dry. Keep away from dust and animals. Soap can be used now but best to wait 4-6 weeks to remove any extra water so they can harden up..
Soap shavings can be put away in an air tight container and used for homemade laundry soap which I will show at a later time.
Pure lye soap is also good for athletes feet. Soak your feet and lather in the lye soap and do not rinse off. Put socks on and go to sleep. Wash feet in the morning. Do this for several days and you can see a difference.
Pure lye soap is also good for acne and makeup remover. Great for dry skin!
Why pay for store bought soap that has harmful chemicals in it when you can make your own with just 3 ingredients. It’s pure and lasts longer and completely healthier for your body and clothes.
You can just shave off the bars of soap and use this as a detergent as well and your whites will stay whiter! Use it as a bleach substitute for your white clothes!
