Too many chemicals in your shampoo can not only be dangerous for your body and your health, but for the environment by allowing fewer chemicals to seep into the ground, our water sources, and the ocean. Chemicals are not the necessary ingredients for clean hair, but are added to commercial shampoos as foaming agents, scents, stabilizers, and colors. Try RJ’s Shampoo Bar recipe for a natural clean feeling head of hair, you may even find that you eliminate the need for a commercial conditioner with this recipe!
What you need:
8 oz coconut oil
11 oz olive oil
3.7 oz lye
1 tbsp wheat germ
6 oz avocado oil
2 oz castor oil
8 oz water
Directions:
Put the oils in the crock pot, except for the wheat germ, melt them on high, and then add the lye and water. Stir until well blended, and cook lightly. Add wheat germ oil, cook, cool and add your fragrance.
Source: http://ecohomeblog.com/?p=17
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9 comments:
I would like to find out more about soap making, I've been researching this one simple question for about 1 week now... are all ingredients in soap measured with a measuring cup (or other devise) OR are they all measured with a scale? Oils in particular, all say "oz." does this mean fluid ounces or measure it on a scale? Hope to hear something!
To be the most accurate it is better to weigh it on a scale. The best scale is K 7000 and it prices about $50.00.
I must make a correction it is KD-7000 Digital Scale. You can do a search on this particular model and there should be plenty of people selling this product. Although, I cannot recommend any one vendor or site. If I remember correctly, one of the vendors in the side bar sells them. It is either Brambleberry or someone else.
Thanks for the advice! I found a decent scale for 30 dollars, and made the soap per your directions. I had a question though... when the soap traced, I pured it into my mold. Then as I started to clean up with soap and water, I seriously burned my hands... have some scabs still on the top parts of my hands. I think it was the lye. Is this normal? That the lye be active like that during clean up? I haven't used the soap yet, it's been nearly 2 weeks of curing. I will wait a few more weeks, then risk washing my hands with it! Does the lye eventually chill out so to speak? I hope to hear back from you!
It was probably the lye. Lye is very caustic and you should where gloves, long sleeve shirt, goggles, apron and a mask while working with this ingredient. Did you spill any of the lye water on the counter?
I would recommend reading a book by Alicia Gross titled "The Everything Soapmaking Book".
I would go see a doctor about that burn.
Thanks Lori... one more question, so is it normal for "fresh" soap to be like that? Do you think I did something wrong? When it cures in another few weeks, will it be "normal"? Or will it always burn, and is my batch screwed up? What are your thoughts? I have never done this before so I really appreciate it!
When making soap by the cold process method, soap will take 4-6 weeks before it can be completely used. You might hear the term sapnofication which is the reaction between the lye and the oils so that it turns into soap. You have to give me more info. Because there could be alot of reasons why this is happening. You could have put too much lye in comparison to oils to that you did not stir long enough.
I would really recommend reading the book I suggested. It is really helpful. I have to tell you that I have not alot of experience with Cold Process Soapmaking. I am a melt an pour soapmaker myself. But, it take patience and practice to make soap in the CP process, so do not give up.
THANKS! Yes, I will definitely find that book you recommended. I need to find a good book on soap making... Thanks again for everything, you've been great. I'll check the soap out in a few more weeks. By the way, I measured everything very meticulously, the only thing I could figure is that the temperatures of both the oil and lye might have been too low. both were at 95 degrees, but otherwise everything went flawless. We'll see! thanks again, I'll get the book~!
Making CP soap can be tricky. It is really important to make sure that you stir until the soap traces, that is when it is safe to pour. So, maybe you poured too soon. I like Alica's book. Once you read that book, Handicrafted Soaps by Dolores Boone is another good book. It gives good recipes and instructions to follow.
Let me know how it goes.
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