On our journey to toxin free, soap was the first thing I wanted to switch out.  Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and we cover it in soap at least daily.  The amount of chemicals and additives that go into many soap brands really defies belief, considering soap’s basic function is just to clean us.    

Making your own soap is a great way to ensure that you know exactly what you are putting on your skin.  A warning though… it can be slightly alarming at first to learn the process of saponification, because of the use of lye (also known as caustic soda).  The use of lye is one way of saponifying oils (turning oils into soap).  Lye is highly caustic in it’s pure form, but during the process of saponification, the lye should become completely removed from the product.  Please do your own research on this process before embarking on your own soap making, to ensure you are comfortable with using lye.

The first four ingredients in this recipe form a very basic recipe for making soap.  You actually don’t even need to cook the soap on a stove top as I’ve done here, but it speeds up the saponification process if you are like me and don’t want to wait months for your soap to be ready.  You can change out the additional ingredients for anything you might like to add really.  Things like coffee grounds, dried herbs, spices, dried flowers, charcoal powder and oats are great additions to add natural textures, aromas and healing properties.  Pure essential oils make a lovely addition, but remember that they are essentially aromatic compounds, so their smell doesn’t linger for long.  I love to add them, but find that the spices and other natural ingredients have an aroma that lasts longer during the storage process for soap.  If you do decide to use essential oils, make sure they are pure and of good quality.   I like to use these

Ingredients:

10oz Olive Oil

20oz Coconut Oil (Melted)

8oz Filtered Water

4.73oz Lye

3oz Desiccated Coconut

2 Tbsps Cinnamon Powder

2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Ground Allspice

30 drops of dóTERRA Essential Oil (Cinnamon, Cassia, Clove are great choices)

 

METHOD:

1. In a large saucepan, weigh and add the coconut oil and the olive oil.
2. Place the correct amount of water in a separate stainless steel basin.
3. Put on your safety gear (ventilation mask, safety glasses, long sleeves and rubber gloves).
4. Carefully pour the correct amount of lye into the water.  Stir with a slotted spoon.  It will heat up quite rapidly.  Once the lye has dissolved it will continue to heat up.  Leave it for 5 minutes to continue rising in temperature.  
5. Carefully pour the lye/water mixture into the saucepan with the coconut oil and olive oil.
6. Use a barmix or electric mixer to blend the mixture until a ‘trace’ forms on the top.  This can take between 10-20 minutes, depending on the quality of your electric mixer.  If any mixture splashes onto your skin, make sure you treat it straight away with vinegar to reverse the chemical burn reaction.
7. Once the trace has formed, transfer saucepan to an element and simmer on low for 60 minutes.  Stir occasionally, and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over.  
8. Remove from the heat, add the desiccated coconut, spices and essential oils.
9. Carefully pour into silicone moulds (I prefer loaf tins)
10. Leave to set for a few hours.
11. Once set, remove from moulds and cut to desired shape and size.
12. Store soap bars for 2-6 weeks until the soap has hardened and is ready to use.