Handmade Soap

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    • #261892
      Guest

      I have made soap for years and may be able to help you a little. It is true that you can spend a small fortune on exquisite oils for soapmaking and the results are worthy of aqueen’s castle, but this is not what Grandma did with her soap pot! Basically, soap only requires fat, water, and lye.

      Grandma made a pot of soap in late fall after the hog was slaughtered and in the smokehouse. She used the lard and lye (made by running water through wood ashes from the fire) to produce a pudding-like mix which she poured into wooden boxes or whtaever she had for the purpose.Stirring the pot over an open fire most all day, she produced a year’s supply of soap for her family’s personal hygeine, laundry, and dishwashing needs. It is this basic soap that produces dramatic results on our skin.

      The natural glycerine has not been removed and it is both cleansing and conditioning. My doctor knew that I had sensitive, troublesome skin and when I said that he’d never believe what I had been using on my face, he looked at it and replied, “Sure! Lye soap.”

      Evidently he had seen the happy results before.

      I would suggest that you start online and learn all you can about old-fashioned soap making.There are some videos on YouTube and written instructions with plenty of pictures elsewhere. If you have a living history farm anywhere nearby, call and ask them when they will be having a demonstration. In our area (Appalachian Mountains), these are common and you can learn so much from the people who are demonstrating.

      Learn to recognize the difference between what is necessary and what is just for fun (There is a lot of pleasure for the senses to be had in choosing just the right oils and fragrances for the purpose you have in mind–and you do tend to collect a wide variety of oils and butters and other lucious things to put in your pots). There are hundreds (if not thousands) of recipes around for different kinds of soap–some only requiring shortening and lye and others much more complex. Start simply.

      Enjoy your progress. Be careful! Read the instructions several times before you begin the batch and collect all your ingredients ahead of time.

      If you do decide to myo soap, you’re in for a fun ride! (did i mention to be careful? be careful!) :o)

      blessings!
      bk

    • #448525
      HelenAnn

      I’m trying to find the recipe for making the lye bar soap. I can only find the comments. I’ve even searched in the box above…still no recipe.

      Where are the recipes?

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