You should pay close attention to the quality of food you put into your body. Equally important are the types of products you use on your skin from day-to-day. Perhaps you haven’t really thought about the kind of soap you use to wipe away dirt and grime, but you should understand what ingredients are in your soap every time you purchase a bar.
Why Do It Yourself?
You’ll most likely find that many kinds of harsh detergents and synthetic fragrances are ingredients in your favorite brands. These chemicals can be linked to skin irritation, allergies and migraines. Even some antibacterials — triclosan is one example provided by the FDA — are considered a possible carcinogen.
You can avoid these health hazards altogether by learning how to make your own soap. Making soap will not only be better for your body, but is a fun way to save you money. It can even become a unique gift you share with your family and friends! Don’t worry: The task isn’t extremely difficult. You’ll need some basic ingredients and some molds to start.
Find the Right Mold
Before setting up all your ingredients for your first homemade soap batch, you’ll need to look into purchasing soap molds to shape your crafty creations. Try using the sites Bramble Berry or Mold Market to find the silicone mold in the shape and style you want.
If you’d rather not spend the extra money, you can be inventive with what you have around your kitchen. Muffin tins are a great substitute for soap molds, or you could use a bread pan to create one large soap bar you cut afterwards. Be sure to spray your tins or pans down with oil before pouring your soap, or line them with muffin liners or parchment paper for easy removal.
Tips Before You Begin
Becoming a creator of your own soap feels a bit like being a mad scientist — from exploring new fragrances from oils and herbs, to experimenting with design and shape, soap-making is a fun and entertaining way to take care your body. You won’t be an expert immediately, and it will take some time to perfect complicated recipes.
Still, if you’re willing to start out small, you’ll soon be on the road to amazing creations. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Make sure your measurements are accurate. Use a kitchen scale in grams or ounces for the best results.
- Use distilled water instead of tap water. You won’t have any unwanted minerals in your mixtures that could interfere with the process.
- Begin simple before trying more complicated recipes.
Castile Soap
A mild, pure soap, Castile soap is a great way to begin your foray into the world of soap-making. The recipe below makes six large bars.
Ingredients:
- 20 ounces olive oil
- 2 ½ ounces palm oil
- 2 ½ ounces coconut oil
- 3 1/3 ounces lye crystals (sodium hydroxide/caustic soda)
- 8 ounces cold water
- 1 ounces of fragrance or essential oil
This particular recipe uses the cold press method and is easy to follow. Feel free to add your own herbs or petals at the end while your soap is setting.
Calendula, Oatmeal and Honey Soap
This soothing soap has oatmeal and honey to gently exfoliate and the calendula to act as an anti-inflammatory. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a long soak in the tub after a long day and makes about 10 bars.
Ingredients:
- 18 ounces white melt-and-mold soap
- 5 tablespoons calendula petals, dried
- 4 tablespoons coarse oatmeal
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 10 drops bergamot, neroli or mandarin essential oil
You’ll be sure to fall in love with the beautiful citrus fragrances and the nourishing honey after making this soap from the full recipe and process.
Drying your own Calendula Petals
If you would like to try your hand at growing your own calendula for soap or other skin-care products, be sure to choose the medicinal variety of the plant Calendula officinalis. You will want to harvest the petal once the flowers have fully opened up and you have morning sun to evaporate any dew.
Place them in a shady place on a drying screen, turning them once or twice a day until they’re as dry as paper. Finally, pull the petals off the flower buds and put them in a glass jar for storage.
Once you’ve created your first few bars of soap, you’ll never want to give the hobby up.
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from Homey Improvements http://homeyimprovements.com/how-to-make-your-own-soap/
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