For quite some time now, I've been so anxious to get into the art of Cold Process soap so that I can offer my customers a true "from scratch, nothing but natural" soap line. So I've spent many a month doing research on what various oils have to offer the skin, which ones make a healthy lather, which ones might clean "too" well and dry out the skin, which ones make a hard bar and which are too soft, what ratios of each oil are needed to make a healthy lather that cleans but doesn't dry that smells yummy but it hard enough to last in the shower...whew! And my head was spinning!
But now that I've read and researched, and spent time playing in the kitchen, I'm finally happy with a recipe I've tweaked as my base soap. Once I decided on my base, I was able to get some creative fun going by using different liquids to see what might be the result. Even though my base oils are the basically the same, using different liquids can totally change the outcome, smell, and feel. Some of the liquids I've been playing with are strong chamomile tea, organic lemon tea, flat amber ale, Guiness stout ale, fresh-brewed coffee, apple cider, and wine. All these liquids actually do have skin-loving properties and each one makes its own special type of soap.
So just what is "real" SOAP?
 Notice the dark brown spot in the mold? That is the chemcial reaction of the oils and lye turning all the ingredients into soap. As it "cooks", it heats up, and the brown spot will disappear once the soap cools down. | Soap is actually a combination of animal or vegetable fats and oils that is mixed with a very strong alkaline solution (lye) to cause a chemcial reaction that creates a substance that is a surfactant capable of removing oils and dirt from your skin, clothing, or other surfaces. This chemical reaction is called Saponification. The alkaline solution comes from mixing lye with a liquid. Lye which is also known as sodium hydroxide is very caustic to the skin. Yet, when it reacts with the fats and oils, it turns into soap that is actually very beneficial for the skin! Simply put, each soap molecule has 2 ends: one is attracted to water and the other is attracted to oils and dirt. So when soap is used on your skin, it "grabs" the oil and dirt in your skin and holds onto it until the water rinses it away. Cool huh!? |
| As you can see in the picture to the right, I've got lots of ingredients just waiting to be mixed up into soap! Some of those include various oils: olive, avocado, rice bran, coconut, grapeseed, palm, apricot kernel, and castor. Plus you also need a liquid (tea, beer, milk, coffee, distilled water) and good ol' fashioned lye. |  |
Each oil has a saponification value or SAP that tells how much lye is needed to turn all of that oil into soap. Each oil can be a different value, so careful calculation is needed to make sure enough lye is used but not too much to have any left over...or you might just have irritated skin! I always calculate my ratio to include about 5% extra oils that won't be saponified so that they are left to add moisture and skin-conditioning qualities to the soap. An after-product of making soap is glycerin which I leave in my soap to add skin-softening and moisture-drawing attributes in each bar. Essential oils are added for scent and skin-loving properties, as well as, herbs, coffee grounds, and other additivies to enhance the finished soap. Sometimes I'll add a fragrance oil to enhance the scent of the soap since some scents just don't exist in an essential oil.
Once the soap is taken out of the mold and sliced, it needs to air dry for 4-6 weeks before using. This cure time allows all the lye to react with the oils so that nothing but clean, nourishing soap is left! Below you'll see some examples of the different soaps currently curing and how each one looks different from the others.
Plans are already in the works to expand the line to include milk soaps using goats milk, coconut milk, yogurt, heavy cream...just about any type of "milk". Cleopatra swore by milk soap knowing how beautiful it can help keep your skin! So stay tuned!
Once the soap is taken out of the mold and sliced, it needs to air dry for 4-6 weeks before using. This cure time allows all the lye to react with the oils so that nothing but clean, nourishing soap is left! Below you'll see some examples of the different soaps currently curing and how each one looks different from the others.
Plans are already in the works to expand the line to include milk soaps using goats milk, coconut milk, yogurt, heavy cream...just about any type of "milk". Cleopatra swore by milk soap knowing how beautiful it can help keep your skin! So stay tuned!
 Beer soap made with Yuengling amber ale and a combination of essential oils of grapefruit, orange, litsea cubea, and lime. 100% All Natural. |  Another version of amber beer soap with added essential oils of orange and a bit of peppermint. The added dried orange rind adds a bit of character! ( And helps me tell the 2 amber soaps apart) 100% All Natural. |
 This is the same base soap recipe as the beer but it has added coffee grounds and fresh-brewed coffee as the liquid. The top has a bit of natural white mica added to lighten it a bit for character. Added coffee beans make it pop! 97% All Natural with an added coffee fragrance to enhance the natural coffee scent. |  Calendula Lemongrass soap has my house smelling ohhh so good! I cannot wait to try this in the shower! It has added calendula for mild exfoliation and soothing properties plus lemongrass essential oil to perk up your mood! 100% All Natural ingredients! |
 Gotta have my Southern Sweet Tea! Sweet Virginia Tea Soap is loaded with honey, organic tea, skin-loving oils, and essential oils of orange and lemongrass. Yummy! 100% All Natural |  Gettin' Dirty Gardener's Soap is perfect for those who work with their hands. The different layers include calendula to soothe, coffee grounds for scrubbiness and a caffeine kick to wake up your skin, rose clay for oil absorption and slip, and Lavender buds for texture. Scented with an herbal fragrance of basil, rosemary, thyme and sage, this soap is 97% All Natural. |
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