Sapo, sapone, soap

Since we have had a heat advisory

yesterday and today

I have been staying inside

making soap.

I wanted to start making up

a lot of batches (16 bars per batch),

so I would have some on hand

not just for our own use,

but to sell at Trade Days this fall,

and to give away at Christmas

(great gifts btw)

Each batch has to cure minimum of 6 weeks,

so I better start now.

Handcrafted soap

is something we use every day

around my house.

The photo below shows 2 batches of soap

still in the molds,

prior to cutting into 5 oz. bars.

My DH makes the molds for me.

My kitchen looks like a laboratory

when I make soap.

I have all my different oils, the 100% lye,

the 100% pure essential oils,

the bowls, the spoons, the thermometers,

the scales and everything needed to make

great homemade soap.

A long time ago when my grandmother made soap

it was harsh and not so good for your skin.

Today, the science is so exact

that it is very gentle to your skin,

if done correctly.

By the time my soap has cured for about 6 weeks,

there is no lye remaining,

only rich moiturizing 100 % natural ingredients.

It is not real soap unless you have oils plus lye.

The term saponification

is the name given to the chemical reaction

that occurs when a vegetable oil or animal fat

 is mixed with a strong alkali (lye).

The name saponification literally means "soap making".

The root word, "sapo", is Latin for soap.

The Italian word for soap is sapone.

Soap making as an art has its origins

in ancient Babylon around 2500 - 2800 BC.

The oils  I use vary

 and  are carefully chosen 

for the character they impart

to the final soap.

Coconut oil creates lots of glycerin,

 makes big bubbly lather,

and is very stable.

Olive oil has natural antioxidants

and its soap makes a creamier lather. 

Lard makes a white, stately bar

 that is firm and creates abundant lather.

 Many other oils can be used,

each one for a specific reason. 

I usually add things like herbs,

sometimes ground oats, etc.

The alkali I use is sodium hydroxide or lye,

which is used to make bar soap.

The common term for the alkali became simply "lye",

which curiously is not short for alkali,

but originated in the Anglo-Saxon language.

Soap made in earlier American times

became known as "lye soap".

That term is still derogatory to many 

and denotes a harsh soap that will irritate your skin.

Not so.

In fact, well made, well cured handmade soap

is better in many ways

for your skin,

than any commercial soap.

TIP:

• melt and pour soap is not real soap.
• Sandy Maine is one of the best soap makers ever
• 100% lye (crystals) is used as drain opener, no chemicals please

Yesterday I made jasmine and geranium scented soap

with some additional herbs and things.

The scent is going all through the house!

My DH loved it!

Well, I'm off to make more soap!

and to.....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne