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• Start with your fixed oils, butters or fats. Weigh these out to match the recipe (or your own calculations). Although you will be melting solids together and/or combining them with liquid oils, weigh them each out separately. After you've weighed items your liquids can go right into your blender, solids will need to be melted first. If you are using solid oils, butters or fats, place them in your little pan and put it on the burner (do not turn it on). A note on room temperature oils; if they have been in cold storage (like your refrigerator) set the liquid oils out the night before. This will give them a good amount of time to come to room temperature. • Fragrance oils and/or essential oils can be measured by volume. In your own recipes you can even convert these to measuring spoon amounts. 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce, 1 tablespoon = 1/2 ounce, 1 teaspoon = 1/6 ounce. One thing to remember is that a little goes a long way and this is more of a personal preference. A good rule of thumb is that 2 teaspoons of a fragrance oil is generally plenty, 1 teaspoon of an essential oil is generally plenty. Use your own nose. If the fragrance or essential has a strong smell, use less. I measure these right into the blender. The big exception is with Lemon, Lime and Orange (or any citrus) essential oil. These evaporate fast and you really need to use a lot more in the beginning, about one quarter to one half ounce. • For the most part, all herbs should be powdered. This can be done with a mortar and pestle if you like, however a coffee grinder works much better and faster. You will find that most people do not like the feeling of chunky herb in their soap. There are a few exceptions, such as oatmeal or cornmeal that can be used as exfoliates (made to take off dead skin). Weigh your herb, powder it, then weigh it again. Then dump it in the blender. As with essential or fragrance oils - a little bit of herb goes a long way. They will also change the color of your soap (and often not what you expected). In general 1/4 of an ounce is all you need. If you are working for a color (such as flower petals) make sure you remove all the green parts as they WILL discolor your end result. • I will be talking about using herbs - as decoctions - for soap making a little later. This is the alternative I use for adding herbs without having to powder them - and without having the graining feeling in the soap. Mountain Rose Herbs is the only
supplier I recommend for
herbs, essential oils and bulk ingredients. Because I trust them!  • Finally, measure out 5 ounces of cold water. This will be the same for all recipes you create for Blender Soap, no matter what recipe you use. Leave this in the measuring cup and set it on a heat proof surface. I have the pleasure of having a double sink and I set mine in one side of the sink (the other side is filled with my soap water). NOTE: For soap made in a blender you should always use 13 oz. of oils, fats or butters - and 5 oz. of cold water. This equals about 18 oz. of soap and is the largest amount your blender can handle. If you change the amount of oils used you may need to change the about of water. The ratio that is most typically used is 1 part water for every 3 parts oil (or butter or fats). In our calculations that is 13 divided by 3 equals 4.33 (rounded up to 5). Blender Soap Procedure Step #4: Double check your safety set up and gear, and make sure you have your spoons, molds and everything ready to go. Don't forget to fill the sink (or your bucket) with hot soapy water and set out your Apple Cider Vinegar. I take a moment to make sure that my blender cup is tightly sealed together. It would be a disaster to have the bottom come off in the middle. Again I point out the importance of readying the Blender Soap Safety and Set-Up page. Blender Soap Procedure Step #5: Before I start I set up my soap mold. I first make sure that my mold is on a flat surface. I place down a towel, set the soap mold on the towel and have two stout pieces of cardboard ready (something that fits over the top of the mold), one piece will go under the soap mold and one piece will go on top if it. I also set out a few plastic containers that will make individual bar sized soaps (I use these as testers). Wiping the inside of the soap mold with a little of the oil you are using to make your soap will ease the release of the soap later. If you are going to use a little of the oil inside your mold, ONLY use a very tiny, tiny amount. This is not like greasing a cake pan, with a soap mold it must be so light that it's almost non-existent. I've also read were people use a touch of cooking spray, but I've not tried this.  Blender Soap Procedure Step #6: GET ALL YOUR SAFETY GEAR ON AND SECURE YOUR AREA. Don't forget to lock doors if you need to and take the phone off the hook (if it bothers you to hear it ring, hehe). Securing your area is a very important part of blender soap procedure safety. Blender Soap Procedure Step #7: NOW you can weigh your lye. Weigh it carefully and make sure you do not spill. Remember that there is a heat reaction when lye and water mix. If you should spill BE VERY CAREFUL when cleaning it up and PLEASE make sure you get it all. DO NOT put your face over the
measuring cup.
The fumes can make you very sick. Also, it's a good idea to make sure you are in a well ventilated area. Pour your lye into the water (never pour water onto lye). I have the convenience of having a double sink. I place my measuring cup of water in one sink and fill the other side with my hot soapy water. If you don't have this ability, make sure that the cup is well out of the way and protected from spills. Also, the cup will get hot. It would be a good idea to place it on a heat proof surface. I know I've said this already, but it is worth repeating. When I'm doing shows I have a large pan I put it in. This way if it's bumped it spills in the pan and not on anything else. If you have a small area, or don't have an double sink, you may want to do this as well. It used to be that Red Devil lye (found in most grocery stores by plumbing helpers and cleaning supplies) was perfect for soap making. However, in the USA you CANNOT buy lye in a grocery store any longer. In the supplies section you will find places that you can order (and have shipped) your lye. Are you ready? Pour your lye into the water. The water will become cloudy when you first put the lye in.  Blender Soap Procedure Step #8: It's time to melt your solids so turn on the heat if you are melting oils, butters or fats. Your heat should be low and slow. You do not want to 'cook' these, just melt them to liquid. DO NOT let them boil or even get too hot. A few small lumps (about pea size) are okay. As part of the oil is melting you could pour it off into the blender. This will help the melting process and keep it from getting to hot. When this has melted pour it into your blender (make sure you turn off your stove).  Blender Soap Procedure Step #9: Now you will want to stir your lye water again (if you were just waiting because you used liquid oils it takes about 3 minutes). Make sure you have your rubber gloves on and HOLD the cup down so it is secure as you stir - use your small stainless steal spoon (never use a silver spoon) - and stir it very slowly. You'll note that some of the lye may have clumped at the bottom. You'll need to carefully chop this and blend it into the water. REMEMBER - easy does it! Be careful! Once the water has turned clear you can add it to the other ingredients in the blender. Your water never becomes totally clear. This is what it looks like when it's ready.  POUR IT IN
SLOWLY,
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING, BE CAREFUL. This is
what
the mixture looks like, just after you've poured the water into your
blender.
 Blender Soap Procedure Step #10: Put the measuring cup that had the lye water and the spoon you used to stir it in the hot soapy water. Secure the top on your blender. I place one gloved hand on the top - just for extra safety. Turn your blender on at the lowest - slowest setting. You'll notice a change in color and texture almost immediately. Leave your blender on for 3 minutes then check for trace.
Trace Talk: Trace is when you can drizzle a little soap on top of the batch and it stays there for a few moments. When making Blender Soap - trace happens very fast. And, if you're in a well lit room you'll be able to see this very well. I'd like you to experience trace, before you make soap, so I'm going to ask you to make some gravy. As you cook your gravy, and it thickens, you will eventually be able to drizzle some of the gravy on top and you'll see it there for a few moments. My Grandmother always let me 'write my name' with the gravy. I would scoop some out and try to write my whole name before the first part of it disappeared (*giggle*). Trace, in soap, will look almost exactly like this (minus the lumps and onions). So, go make some gravy - see what trace looks like - then you can make some soap. Blender Soap Procedure Step #10 (continued): In this part of the blender soap procedure you will continue to run your blender for 1 - 2 minutes and then, turn it off and check for trace. As soon as you see trace your soap is ready to pour. After you've done this a bit you will start to get a 'feel' for when the soap is close to ready. I can actually hear a difference in the sound of my blender. But don't worry if you never get that 'feel'. Just check your soap every 1 - 2 minutes and you'll never go wrong.  Blender Soap Procedure Step #11: I begin by pouring a small amount in a tester mold. Then I fill the soap mold cups to within an eighth of an inch from the lip of the mold. Be careful not to over pour as it makes it harder to get the soap out. Once I've filled the mold I fill my tester molds and empty the blender cup of as much soap as I can. The blender cup, plus the top and plastic spoon I used, go right into the hot soapy water. Then I place one piece of the stout cardboard over the mold and one piece under it (for stability) and wrap the towel around it. My soap is now ready to go into its quiet place to rest a day (my testers go there as well). Make sure your place is well protected from children, family and pets.  Blender Soap Procedure Step #12: A very important part of blender soap procedure is the Clean Up. Please don't slack on this step. Leave your safety gear on long enough to clean up your area. Take apart your blender, in the water, and wash each part, wipe off the counters and blender base, wash everything you've used. Some things may need a second washing because of the oils. Don't forget to seal up your vinegar. Check the floor to make sure you didn't spill and shine your sink. NOW, your safety gear can come off and be put away for the next soap making step. It will most likely take you longer to read this then it will to actually make a batch of soap. CONGRATULATIONS!
You've just made soap. But you're not completely done yet. Blender Soap Procedure Step #13: One day later. Put on your safety glasses and rubber gloves, it's time to unwrap your soap. Although you'll need to be careful this part is not as dangerous. Simply take the mold out from under the towel and remove the cardboard. You can look at it, but don't touch and don't try to get it out of the mold. It still needs to sit a bit. Let it sit, in the open air, and check it everyday. As soon as it begins to pull away from the soap mold it is ready to turn out (not ready to use). The pulling away stage usually takes a few days to a week (depending on the oils you used, and the moisture in your air). If you try to release the soap, and it doesn't release easy, leave it sit for another day or so. Don't panic! I've had some recipes sit in the soap mold for up to 2 weeks. It is just the nature of the oils you used and your current weather. Once you turn it out place it on a cookie rack with a piece of paper towel under the soap (turn out your testers as well). NOW the soap needs to sit for another two FULL weeks before you test it. Blender Soap Procedure Step #14: Testing your soap. If you have PH papers this is the best way to test your soap. If not, use your tester and go wash your hands. Everyone has a few tiny cuts on their hands. If you feel a tingling or stingy feeling, the soap needs to sit a few more days. If not, it's ready to use. I've never felt the stingy feeling - when I've waited the full final two weeks. Did you find what you
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Original
Text
Copyright © 2004, by Sandy Marie deFerbrache, Second
Printing 2007, Web Site Adaptation 2009. Original Photographs
Copyright © 2004, by Sandy Marie deFerbrache, New Photographs
2007. All Rights Reserved.
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All information, shared on this web site, is for enjoyment and study only and is NOT meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Only your health care professional is qualified to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Do not risk your health! Just because something is 'natural' does NOT make it safe. Do not, under any circumstance, ingest or use herbs in any form without consulting your Doctor. If you do, you do so at your OWN RISK. |
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