Jump to content

The Old Bones Society

  • entries
    18
  • comments
    397
  • views
    2,786

Homemade Soap Recipes and Bath Enhancers


PipsMom

3,544 views

Thought it would be fun to post homemade soap recipes here for those wishing to make their own blends and aromas

Starting  off with a basic cold press recipe. Would actually love to make this one as I have very dry skin

IMG_4619.thumb.JPG.57370acf2fdf73d708f64352b80378df.JPG

32 Comments


Recommended Comments



I've always wanted to try my hand at soap making.  The only problem is I'm terrified of handling lye.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
14 minutes ago, Summerangel said:

What is lye? 

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye, is an essential ingredient in the soap making process. When sodium hydroxide beads or flakes are mixed with a liquid,  a lye solution is created.

This solution, when mixed with fats and oils, will cause a chemical reaction called saponification. The result of saponification is beautiful handmade soap...

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Summerangel

Posted

1 minute ago, Jo-Anne said:

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye, is an essential ingredient in the soap making process. When sodium hydroxide beads or flakes are mixed with a liquid,  a lye solution is created.

This solution, when mixed with fats and oils, will cause a chemical reaction called saponification. The result of saponification is beautiful handmade soap...

Ahhhh thank you. I don't know that. 

Have you made soap before? 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
2 minutes ago, Summerangel said:

Ahhhh thank you. I don't know that. 

Have you made soap before? 

Yes Julia..it is so lovely to make your own..I started making soap with no lye though..

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Summerangel

Posted

Um hum... ordered some 'melt and pour soap base', Oatmeal and shea butter. 

Hopefully I can't go wrong with that! Lol ? 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Summerangel

Posted

My son badgered my daughter into ordering him some candle making equipment because he wanted to make me some candles for Mothering Sunday last year... It was a lovely surprise ?

I love Shea butter too. Hubby likes dove soap so I'm hoping to make some he will like... If not- more for me :roflmao:

  • Like 4
Link to comment
1 hour ago, Summerangel said:

Um hum... ordered some 'melt and pour soap base', Oatmeal and shea butter. 

Hopefully I can't go wrong with that! Lol ? 

You will love it..keep us posted..

  • Like 4
Link to comment


The best soap recipe produces a bar with luscious creamy abundant lather.
It creates a rock hard bar of soap that is long lasting (but not too long lasting!)
A perfect soap formula cleanses without being overly drying, and has just the right amount of skin nourishing oils and additives.
So, what is the secret to the best soap recipe?
Learning your fatty acid profiles, understanding your oil properties, and tweaking a formula to your liking 
If you are looking to increase the size of the bubbles or the amount of lather, try:
* Increasing the percentage of oils that contribute to bubbly lather, like coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and babassu oil
* Decreasing the superfat of the total oils, as too many free oils can cut down on lather
* Using a lather increasing additive like sodium citrate, sodium lactate, sugar, or rosin
* Replacing the water with a lather booster that contains sugars, like beer or wine.
If you are looking to stabilize or sustain lather, try:
* Using castor oil at 5% to 10% of your recipe. (Be forewarned, using more than 15% castor oil tends to make the bar sticky, tacky, and rubbery.)
* Adding or increasing oils that support lather, like almond oil, lard, tallow, cocoa butter, palm oil, shea butter, or sunflower oil.
* Decreasing oils that do not contribute a lot to lather (or hinder it), like olive oil.
If you are looking to increase conditioning in a soap recipe, try:
* Replacing the water with alternative liquids, like goats milk (or other milks), yogurt, or aloe vera juice.
* Increasing the superfat of the total oils, to condition the skin.
* Adding or increasing nourishing oils, like apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, or sunflower oil.
* Adding “luxury oils” at 5% to 10%, like argan oil, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, jojoba oil, meadowfoam oil, pumpkin seed oil, or wheatgerm oil.
If you are looking to increase bar hardness, try:
* Increasing your hard to soft oil ratio, by using a higher percentage of hard oils (oils that are solid at room temperature).
* Adding stearic acid at 0.5% to 1% of the total formula.
* Adding beeswax at 1% to 5% of the total formula.
* Adding sodium lactate at 1% to 3% of the total formula.

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Summerangel

Posted

Freshly made 

i don't think I added enough soap colouring. I wanted a purple look, ended up with a like lilac hue.... I mixed blue and red. 

I used lavender essential oil. 

67d1b6ba33756655e275bf5eb9b181ea.jpg

Sprinkled some lavender in the bottom of a soap mould. But when I poured it in it moved about. All trial and error I guess... 

118089c4a1e388add687a986138fff3d.jpg

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment

:clap:

You should of seen my first soaps in the beginning!!:crazyeyes:

I love these!!..bet you they smell lovely..yeahhh 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Summerangel

Posted

Haha 

I showed my youngest son (he's the only one in the house with me at the moment) otherwise everyone else would of had to have a look !!! Lol ....  he commented they look lovely and smell nice too. 

I then said ,I'm off to go to the toilet to try my soap... he laughed and said can't you just wash your hands and try it... 

I replied, So I could.. But now I've said I need the loo, I had better go!! I left him in stitches... :dribble:

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Summerangel

Posted

Just been back to use my soap agin. Doesn't smell as strong as before. 

I made 4 bars of soap and put around 9 drops of lavender essential oil in. I'm guess that wasn't enough. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Sophie's Haven

Posted

@Summerangel very pretty soap.........I use a lot of essential oils in my cleaning products and most recipes call for 10-15 drops and even that amount does not give me the smell I am looking for.......you will also find over time the smell may get a bit stronger as it sets.

  • Like 4
Link to comment

Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...