For whatever reason, I had a hankering to make some soap from scratch! So we invited a few friends over and whipped up a batch! I love it!!! We made a variety of Castile Soap with a touch of honey and lavender and goat's milk....
This is the recipe we used... (from this link http://www.ehow.com/how_5332683_make-soap-crockpot.html) We did use a few drops of lavender as well as the honey and goat's milk, and we left out the oat flour called for in the original recipe... There is also a link to an instructional video at the bottom of the recipe. The amount of soap made will likely keep our family of eight in bar soap for 2 months... we did make a double batch and shared some, so we probably won't find ourselves running out of homemade soap for 3-4 months...
How to Make Soap in a Crockpot
A crockpot is great for making hot process (cooked) soap because it provides slow, even heat and you don't have to worry about scorching. Hot process soap has a rough, rustic texture and cures in a shorter time than uncooked (cold process) soap. Use your crockpot to make Castile soap---a mild, hard, long-lasting soap made without animal fat.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- 32 oz. olive oil
- 3 oz. castor oil
- Safety goggles and rubber gloves
- 4.50 oz. lye (by weight)
- 12 oz. water
- Bowl
- Butter knife
- 1 tsp. essential oil or 3 tbsp. honey, and 3 tbsp. canned goat's milk
- Soap mold
- Freezer paper
- ---
- 1
Turn the crockpot to the high setting and pour in the olive oil and castor oil. - 2
Put on the safety goggles and gloves. In a separate bowl, add the lye to the water---don't do it the other way around or it will foam up or even shoot out of the container and burn you. Sprinkle the lye over the water and stir to dissolve. - 3
Pour the lye and water mixture into the crockpot and stir until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. When you can dribble a little of the mixture on the surface and it rests on top for a few seconds, it's at a consistency known as "trace." Put the lid on the crockpot. - 4
Stir the soap every 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken and foam. When it begins to look like oily mashed potatoes, stick a clean butter knife in it. If the knife comes out coated with a waxy substance, your soap is ready. - 5
Add fragrances or other additives. Add 1 tsp. essential oil, and/or add 3 tbsp. honey mixed with 3 tbsp. canned goat milk. This makes a sweet-smelling, honey-oatmeal soap. Stir well after adding any additional ingredients. - 6
Pour the soap into a mold lined with freezer paper. You can use a purchased soap mold or improvise with an ice cream carton, milk carton, small shoebox or small plastic storage container. Line any of these with freezer paper and pour in the soap. Smooth the top and let sit for 24 hours. - 7
Unmold the soap. Cut into bars or chunks if desired. Let the soap cure, or dry, for several weeks before you use it or wrap it to give as gifts.
Tips & Warnings
- If the soap separates too much, use an immersion blender to mix it up while it's still in the crockpot. This soap has a rustic, rough surface. You can trim the bars with a knife to make them smoother if you like. Make oat flour by grinding 1/4 cup oatmeal in a blender until fine.
- Lye is an extremely caustic substance and must be handled with care. Always mix slowly and pour carefully. Keep lye containers out of reach of children and pets.
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