Natural Soap. Melinda Coss
oils.
Measuring spoons
For measuring out ingredients.
Kebab skewers, knitting needles or a fork
For making swirls in your soap.
Plastic spatulas
For scraping the soap out of the bucket.
Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda/lye/NaOH)
Available in the plumbing section of DIY shops. This needs to be at least 95 per cent pure.
Distilled or Spring water
For mixing the lye.
Vinegar
If you splash yourself with lye, this will neutralise it.
Plastic wrap
For covering your freshly made soap.
Sugar thermometers x 2
Most of the recipes in this book use the cold process method and do not require these but traditionally you should measure the temperature of your oils and diluted lye and mix them together only when they reach the same temperature.
For hot processed soap and for liquid soap making you will also need a stainless steel stock pot and a larger pot to stand this in to create a bain marie or double boiler. In addition you will need a heat source hot enough to keep your soap at a rolling boil.
NOTE All pots and utensils that will come in contact with your soap must be made from stainless steel or plastic. Aluminium can react with the lye and flake off into your soap. You can use enamel but only if there are no chips on it. Avoid pots with a non-stick finish.
MOULDS
In theory you can use any wooden, plastic, rubber or cardboard container as a mould for your cold or hot processed soap, as long as it will not leak. If it is inflexible you must line the mould with baking parchment or plastic wrap so you can release your soap easily when it is set.
In practise the speed of the saponification process and the quality of your finished soap can be influenced by the size of your mould – the larger the mould/soap batch the greater the heat generated by the process. Block, tray or loaf moulds will give a more even soap than individual moulds.
If you are making soap as a hobby, silicone baking moulds are brilliant as the soap does not stick to the surface so you do not have to line your mould. You can also use cylindrical crisp containers, flexible food storage containers and even lengths of drainpipe to create curved shaped soaps (these should be greased with coconut oil or cooking spray before use).
If you are planning to sell your soap there are a number of professional moulds available that are sold with cutting devices to make it easy for you to ensure that each soap you make is the same size and weight. These moulds are made either from wood or HDPE (high-density polyethylene) – a heat-resistant plastic that is easy to clean. You can also buy HDPE slab moulds which have plastic strips that divide the soap into equal-sized bars (as does the famous ‘Nizzy’ mould which Australian soap makers swear by).
You should ensure that any mould you use is flexible. Clear rigid plastic shapes are great for melt and pour soaps but cold process soap does tend to get stuck to the bottom and you may end up having to break the mould to get your soap out. Before resorting to this try putting your soap-filled mould into the freezer for half an hour, as this can help to release it.
NOTE The recipes in this book are all designed to fit a 1½ kg (3 lb) mould.
SAFE SOAP
Both bar and liquid soaps are made with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda, lye) which, without careful and sensible handling, can give you a nasty burn. If you take note of the following, all will be well:
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