Soap

Making soap is both easy and necessary. I like to shave with a cut-throat razor and genuine shaving soap turns out to be a boutique price-gouging niche.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Material

Amount

Notes

beeswax

< 8%

hardens soap

canola oil

15-40%

creamy lather

castor oil

< 25% (recommend 2-5%)

more than 10% makes soft/sticky

coconut oil

< 30% (recommend 15%)

large bubbles

grapeseed oil

< 15%

anti-oxidants

olive oil

up to 100% (castille)

creamy lather

sunflower oil

< 20%

Exfoliants

  • bentonite clay (also a lubricant)

  • coffee grinds

  • cornflour

Colors

  • yellow - turmeric

  • orange - paprika (blended in oil)

Shaving Soap Recipe

  • 190g shortening

  • 165g coconut

  • 150g olive

  • 505g

  • 165g distilled water

  • 72.5g sodium hydroxide

  • 15ml essential oil (tea tree)/fragrance

  • bentonite clay

Last bake

  • 10% castor

  • 20% canola

  • 20% coconut

  • 20% sunflower

  • 10% grapeseed

  • 20% olive

Process

  • make the lye: add hydroxide to the water in a steel bowl, stirring with wooden spoon. Monitor temperature with infra-red gauge. Set aside to cool.

  • add oils and saponify: pour in the oils and beat with blender until trace occurs.

  • add fragrances (optional); add fragrances (and other desired additives - ie lavender flowers etc) and stir in.

  • mold and cure; pour into cupcakes and allow to harden out of direct sunlight. Once hard enough; pack away to cure 4-6weeks before use.