We Wish you a Soapy Christmas

This wonderful book is
overflowing with great ideas

 It’s that time of the year again! No, I’m not talking about college basketball,  jack-o lanterns or even the pumpkin pie right around the corner; I’m talking about the Christmas fairy that’s whispering in all our ears, “ Only six weeks left, what will you get your family? Your boyfriend?” For the millions of Americans whose bank accounts simply aren’t filled with Christmas joy, don’t be upset if you find yourself wanting to squish the Christmas fairy with her peppermint breath and bury her deep in your mothball filled stockings.  

The antidote to holiday gift-giving angst is being prepared, and for those of us on a budget it also means getting creative. That is why my best friend Elle and I decided that this year all the women in our family are getting homemade, organic, made with love (and a little bit of frustration), soap! I whipped out two trusted books “Natural Beauty at Home” by Janice Cox and “Basic Soapmaking”  by Patsy Buck.

Homemade soap recipes  can get pretty expensive once you start adding in various specialty ingredients such as coconut oil, almond oil, or goats milk so we decided to kept it simple and affordable with a three ingredient basic Castile soap recipe containing olive oil, lye, and water. Castile soap originated in the Castile region of Spain and must contain at least 40 percent olive oil, its as very gentle soap and perfect for children or adults with sensitive skin. 

Recipe for basic Castile Soap: (courtesy of Natural Beauty at Home, by Janice Cox)

2 cups olive oil

½ cup lye granules

2 cups cold water

1/2 ounce of the essential oil of your choice (optional).

Heat the olive oil to approximately 80-85 degrees F. Dissolve the lye in the water and cool to about 90-95 degrees F. Pour the lye solution into the oil while stirring steadly, you should not be applying any heat at this time. Stir until a thick honey like texture is obtained, this should take about 10 to 20 minutes (It took us closer to 40). When your soap reaches the desirable thickness feel free to add any additional ingredients such as essential oils, dried herbs, dyes, etc.  Pour the thickened soap mixture into your molds, cover and keep warm for at least 24 hours to allow the bars to harden. When the soap is set, remove from the molds and cut into bars. Allow the soap to age at least 2 weeks in a dry place. Yields approximately 12 2-ounce bars. 

Elle and I decided to each double the recipe and add essential oils, spending a total of $26 each for 48 oz. of soap. We cut our bars big, and ended up with 12 bars each. That comes out to $2.20 a bar, better than the prices of individual bars at organic grocery stores, and it's made with love! We plan on wrapping them in scrap fabric leftover from sewing projects and tying them off with good ol' fashioned twine. 

What we Learned

Olive oil slowly heating

• You can only buy lye from hardware stores and it's sold in the form of drain cleaner. The brands to look for are "Rooto" or "Red Devil" because they are both 100 percent lye.
• Wear rubber gloves! We thought the books were just being " overly cautious" but as soon as the lye touches your hands it really starts to burn. If you're unfortunate enough to have this happen to you, vinegar is the antidote and it soothes the burn quickly.
• Have 2 candy thermometers, one for the oil and one  for the lye. 
• Be prepared to stir! We took turns passing the spatula back and forth while the other one refilled our wine glasses, turned up Gillian Welch's folky singing, or daydreamed about what scents to use next time.

Drain Cleaner in Soap?
If you're anything like us, the idea of rubbing drain cleaner on your skin sounds a little strange, so we dug in and did some research. Lye, (sodium hydroxide),  is a byproduct of hardwood ash that is placed in a rain barrel and mixed with soft water. The reason lye is used as drain cleaner is because when mixed with water it instantly reaches temperatures as high as 200 degrees F and become corrosive. When making soap, the lye is cooled and mixed with fat which results in a non toxic combination.  As you can see from the how-to link below, making your own lye is quite the process and I thank Rooto for allowing us to avoid this messy undertaking!   http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lye

Inspiration

Turmeric acts as a natural dye

Elle and I were on too much of a budget to experiment much with exotic spices or dyes. However if you have the extra spending money you can really get creative! Here are a few ideas..

Dyes

• Cinnamon - adds fragrance and a dark, earthy brown color to soap. It's also a natural deodorant but be careful, it can be scratchy if too much is used.
• Annatto Seed or Turmeric- both add a rich golden yellow color.
• Sea Clays - minerals in rose and green sea clay help remove toxins and impurities from the skin and tighten pores. Use the clay in the color of your choice.

                                                                                                     Skin Conditioners

Our finished product! Lavender Oatmeal Castile soap

• Lemon Oil- helps eliminate bacteria and is a natural deodorant.
• Tea Tree Oil- has antiseptic, anti fungal and antiviral properties. It is also an insect repellent so bring a bar on your next camping trip!
• Wheat Germ- contains vitamin E and is a natural antioxidant. It exfoliates and cleanses the skin when added as a ground powder. 
• Lavender- add ground lavender flowers for a scent that aroma therapists believe reduces anxiety and helps people relax.
• Oatmeal- serves as a mild scrubbing agent that helps exfoliate dry skin. Use traditional rolled oats or plain oatmeal - not the instant flavored kind.

Girls only? Think again! There are many scents that are loved by both men and women including peppermint, spearmint, musk, patchouli, tea tree and sandalwood. 

Elle and I had a great time making soap as presents, not only did we have an unforgettable girls day but we created something lasting that represents our true values of recycling, refurbishing, and re-creating the world around us with a special touch. The best part is we have enough olive oil leftover to make exfoliator next week! Olive oil, salt/or sugar and essential oil placed in an antique glass jar. hmm yes please :) 


At the end of it all the soap gods thanked us with the most beautiful purple sunset I've seen in a long time. 

Sunset on the lake, Gardner, KS