Nina’s Basic Lye Soap

 

60% Coconut oil—9.60 oz

40% Extra Virgin Olive Oil—6.40 oz

Purified Water—6.08 oz

Sodium Hydroxide—2.49 oz

The total oil is 1 lb.

To make more than 1 lb oil soap, let’s say 7 lbs. total oil. Then time coconut oil oz above by 112 oz and divide by 16 oz (9.6 oz *112 oz / 16 oz)

Then time the quantity of olive oil above the same way and do the same for each one of the ingredients including water and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide for 7 lbs needed would be 112*2.49oz/16oz=17.43 oz.

Weight the water and live outside or in a ventilated area.

Wear glove and weight the Sodium Hydroxide. Write your measurement down so that you can compare to the recipe used.

Carefully take the lye to the water with a wood spoon. Add the lye to the water.

Stir for two minutes and avoid breathing the fume.

Let it cool.

In the meantime, weight the coconut oil to a pot where the soap would be make in. Invest in 8 quart stainless steel or use icing bucket you can get for free at the baking area.

But if using plastic, melt the oil in a regular pan and pour in the bucket. If using stainless steel, melt the fat in it.

When most of the fat is melted, turn the stove off and let the remaining fat melt.

Weight the olive oil.

Add to the coconut oil that is fully melted. This would decrease the oil temperature.

The lye would have dissolved and cool down a little as well.

Use a plastic spatula wear glove, goggles and gently pour the lye solution in the oil mixture.

Stir while pouring the lye solution in the pot.

Wash the lye solution cup and the lye container in which the lye was measured in as well as the wood spoon used the stir the lye solution.

Stir the soap mixture for few minutes each time and rest a little. Repeat until the soap become thick and leave marques on top each time it is stirred. It leaves a trace at that stage.

Prepare the mold and line it with a parchment paper.

Leave the pot with the plastic spoon in it for some weeks. It would turn to soap and it is easy to clean without clogging the sink with oil.

After few days, cut the soap into bars and lay flat on paper to dry for 3 weeks at least. Store where it can continue to dry.

The soap is great for washing dishes, showing, and remove stain on clothes before washing in the machine.

This soap cost about 16 cents per oz.

We use it to shower, to hand wash dishes, and to wash our hands.

It saves my family from buying different body wash for every body, hand soap and dish soap.

My kids use it my husband use it. I wash my hair and my kids’ hair with it.