Amanda McCarthy - Ultimate Guide To Soap Making

Soapmaking Explained

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Introduction

There is nothing quite as satisfying as creating something with your own hands. In today's over-commercialized world, it's easy to forget that once upon a time, we made our own staples: we grew our own grain and milled it into flour; we grew our own corn; we milked our own cows; and we made our own cleaning products.

Today, autoimmune disorders, childhood developmental disorders, and allergies are rising sharply in the industrialized countries but not in the lesser-developed parts of the world. Granted, they have their own worries - but it's striking that the rate of allergy in the industrialized world is 30% (one in three people!) while in the third world, it's virtually unheard-of even though peanuts in the form of peanut milk and peanut butter are among the first foods offered to infants. Some point to an obsession with hygiene, saying that childhood exposure to a combination of animals, plants, and dirt (what we sometimes call "Nature") is needed for a fully mature, fully functioning, and fully stable immune system but people in the third world also practice hygiene. Just try walking into an East Indian or African peasant woman's house with dirty shoes to learn the truth of that! This is why many people are taking a closer, harder look not at cleaning, but at what is in the cleaners.

"That dreaded soap scum!!!" intones an announcer ominously while a woman's eyes flare wide in humiliated horror.

"Those dirty rings!" groans a woman in despair before she ogles the camera with a shake of her head and a rueful smile.

"Kills 99.9% of household viruses and bacteria!" and thousands of little cartoon bugs die dramatically.

Unlike soap made at home, many commercially-produced bars have had the glycerin stripped out, a process that leaves them harsh and drying to the skin. To fix that, moisturizers of lesser quality are put in. The scents and dyes are synthetic - this is great for long-lasting smell and good looks, but not only are many of the fragrances and dyes harmful to humans, but also the word "fragrance" can cover up a lot of sins: something in the batch not quite according to the rules? "Oh, it's a fragrance stabilizer ". Another effect of all these drying agents is itchy skin which can be soothed by... bathing again!

While we don't want our children walking around looking like homeless waifs, we also don't want their tiny bodies and delicate neural systems exposed to an onslaught of toxic, bioaccumulative chemicals. It makes sense, then, to do what we can to return to a more natural way of life and that means spending a few hours every few months to make our own soap: smoothing, softening, nutritive soap that doesn't have any of the 'X-' and 'Z-' loaded ingredients such as butylated hydroxyanisole and triethanolamine. We also have more control over what goes in the soap - teenager with acne? There's a soap for that. New baby in the home? There's a soap for that. Oily skin, dry skin, blotchy skin? Soap, soap, and soap. Shaving? Yep - there's even soap for that, too (after all, it's what we used before the invention of shaving cream in a can!).

Making soap used to involve a lot of trial and error - you want enough lye to convert as much of the fat as possible to soap but you don't want so much lye that the soap ends up harsh and burns the skin (probably how the "kids hate bath time" thing got started - who'd want to take baths if you knew it was going to hurt?). Once the saponification values of various oils were worked out, the end product was vastly improved but the front-end calculations got way more complex. Today, no worries: there are many online calculators that can do all the math for you. Just plug in what it is you want and how much of it and the webpage will obligingly do all the math and spit out a prettily formatted recipe, all ready to go.

One thing has not changed, and that is the intrinsic nature of Sodium Hydroxide. It's still dangerous as all-get-out. Please pay close attention to the " " sections. Go no further until you have memorized everything in them and follow the instructions! If you are prone to getting distracted while cooking dinner (e.g., you're forced to order in pizza because you forgot about the stew thanks to a rousing game of Candy Crush), then call a friend to help you keep on track and prevent what could be dire consequences.

Start with the simpler recipes, such as a Castile-type soap. This will allow you to become familiar with the process and what to expect at the various stages and you'll also begin learning the quirks that are unique to your soap. If a dozen soapmakers use the same recipe, the result will be a dozen variations: everything from the weather that day to the temperature of the room to the speed of the blender to how fast or slow the soap was cooled in the molds has an impact on the final product. That's why your soap will be special and unique - because it's made by you!

Once you've nailed the technique, move on to the more adventurous recipes and the more advanced techniques. If you want to inspire and involve your family, the Cool Projects section has a lot of fun things you can do safely, even with tiny tots!

I hope you find this book of value in introducing you to the fun, fascinating world of alchemical mystery that is soap-making.

Soap Glossary of Terms

• Prepare in an area that is well-ventilated with fresh - not recycled - air, as the vapors released during this process contain lye molecules.
• If preparing large batches, either go outdoors or wear an appropriate respirator mask.
• Ensure running water and a sink are close by in case of emergency - if lye contacts skin, the area needs to be flushed with water for twenty minutes.
• The slightest bit of lye contacting the eyeball can cause blindness - always wear safety glasses or goggles.