Rebatching Soap Instructions from Soap Making Essentials

There are 4 primary ways to make soap: Cold Process, Hot Process, Melt and Pour and Rebatching. Rebatching soap or hand milling soap is the act of reprocessing a previously made batch of soap. You are probably wondering why anyone would consider making soap by this technique? Well according to Soap Making Essentials, a soapmaker would consider the rebatched process of making soap to use up leftover soap bits, to repair a batch of soap that is short on ingredients or just plain ugly or to economize on expensive essential oils. ie. rose absolute.

In the article Rebatching Soap Instructions from Soap Making Essentials takes you the various ways you can make a bar of soap through the rebatching process. The article discusses two ways that you can rebatch soap - The Crockpot Method and Boil-n-Bag. The author of this article says that the crockpot method is much easier than the standard stove stop process or the oven process. As of the Boil-n-Bag method, the author is great because you don't have to worry about scorching and there is very little clean-up and recommends that you use a small amount of soap scraps.

So if you have rebatched soap by either of the stove top or oven methods and you have not had success, then you may want to try these two new techniques. Or if you are trying this method for this very first time, you may want to either of these. Give it a try and let us know how it went.

SOAP RECIPES: SEED AND SPICE SOAP BALLS

(Makes 16)

These are great soaps to make, firstly because they can be made for cheap and novel gifts, and secondly, even the kids can get involved.

Ingredients:

350 g Lux Soap Flakes
5 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

Place the soap flakes - such as Lux - into a large bowl, adding the water and the oil. Mix these ingredients with a spoon. Know knead the mixture with your hands until it resembles play dough. Divide the soap 'dough' into 16 portions by scooping out a rounded tablespoon of soap mixture for each portion, shaping each portion into a ball.

Place one tablespoon of each of the seeds and spices into 4 separate bowls or saucers. 

Quickly dip a soap ball in a small bowl of cold water then roll it between your hands to evenly wet the surface. Now drop the soap ball into the sesame bowl, dry your hands then spin the bowl around to coat the soap ball evenly with sesame seeds. Roll and press the seed-coated soap ball between your hands to 'fix' the seeds. Working with one seed or spice at a time, repeat this step to coat the remaining soap balls.

These soaps do not need to cure.

Source: http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/soap-recipes.html

How to Make Shea Butter Soap

Shea butter is organic, non toxic and unprocessed, and it can be used in cooking. As a moisturizer it is known to make an adult skin look and feel more resilient, and acts as a natural product rejuvenating, and is completely non-toxic for babies or people with skin conditions, like skin cracks and ulcers, small wounds, dry skin, eczema, dermatitis, and to sooth aching muscles. Because of the way shea butter restructures the skin, you can use it in the bath as your daily soap, to help with stretch marks, and in anti-aging formulas. It is expensive to buy, and can be duplicated at home for less the cost.

Things You'll Need

All-natural Castile (olive oil based) soap
distilled water
2 tbsp all-natural, unprocessed shea butter
1 tbsp finely ground almonds (optional, but a nice addition for a gentle exfoliating soap with a nice scent)
A grater
A double boiler, or a small pot that can be placed inside of a bigger pot
Small plastic food containers for molds
A mixing spoon
A drying rack

Steps

Boil tap water in a double-broiler. Grate your castile soap until you have two full cups.

 Add this to the inner double-boiler, with ½ cup of distilled water.

Melt it over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the soap is completely melted and stringy when you pull up the spoon. Remove it from the heat.

Add the shea butter and almonds, stirring gently until the mixture is well blended. Pour into small plastic food containers and let dry and harden for several hours. They should pop out when completely hard.

Place on the drying rack and allow soap to set for 3 weeks, turning regularly throughout the day to prevent the bars from warping.

Simply wrap the shea butter soaps in plastic wrap to preserve them, or use them in your next bath.

Tips

For a faster melting time, use your microwave.

A double boiler would be preferable to avoid loss of its natural consistency

Warnings

If you are allergic to latex, you will want to do a small patch test before you slather shea butter all over.





Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Shea-Butter-Soap

Peaches and Cream Soap Recipe

Ingredients:
1 (4 ounce) bar castile soap (unfragranced baby soap works well)
1/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
1/8 teaspoon peach fragrance oil
1 drop orange food coloring (optional)

Directions:
Shred the soap and set aside. Heat the water in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in the shredded soap until it forms a sticky mass. Remove the pan from the heat and add the powdered milk, sweet almond oil, peach fragrance oil and food coloring, if desired. Stir until well blended. Spoon the soap into mold and set for 4 hours or until hardened.


Source: http://www.pureandnaturalsoaps.com/recipe-peaches-cream-soap.html

Rosemary Mint Shampoo Rebatch Soap

Ingredients:

2 lbs Plain soap shreds (because they melt quicker)

6 tbs of distilled water

30 ml olive oil

2 tbs castor oil

1 tsp crushed peppermint leaves

6 drops rosemary eo

8 drops peppermint eo

2 ml vitamin e

pre-lined wood mold or desired mold.

Directions: 

If using plastic molds make sure to pretreat with light coating of plain cooking spray.

I have two methods my fav is oven and the second is the microwave.

Oven Method

I preheat my oven @200 degrees because it doesn't go any lower. When I have time I add the water to shreds and allow to soak for one day. No time for soaking no problem just add right before the cook. I use a pyrex dish and cover with aluminum foil. Every half an hour I check the soap and stir gently. Over stirring after you add water will create bubbles. I usually allow this to cook for one hour sometimes hour and half because in the oven method, it becomes very mushy like when you add too much liquid to mash pot. Fifteen minutes before its ready to come out, I heat up my olive oil slightly on super low. Take off the heat and add in the other ingredients. Stir thoroughly to incorporate everything. Preheating your oils allows you to further stir the soap without it becoming hard too quick and therefore allowing you to add color is desired. But no color in this recipe. Now, add everything to your soap mush and mix well. Pour into your mold, I use a wood mold with a pre-prepared lining of freezer paper. Gently bang the sides of your mold to make sure to get rid of air pockets cause you don't want holes in your soap LOL. I have a top so I put a sheet of wax paper for cooking on top then I place the wood piece on top and press down hard. Wait 24 hours for your soap to harden and dry enough to be removed from your mold and place on your baking rack to dry for three weeks. If you don't want to wait put your soap into the freezer and leave there for a few hours and it will harden up.

Microwave Method

I microwave for 1min at a time on high and I measure out everything before I start cause once the soap is ready it won't wait no matter how much hot oil you add in my own experience of course. Also this recipe is for soap no more than month old. Older soap I add 1/4 cup of distilled water.

Source: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2468

Rebatching and Making Handmilled Soap

For those of you that don't like the thought of handling lye, here's some wonderful homemade soap recipes using the rebatch method. If you do not know how to make rebatch (handmilled) soaps, please go to http://www.lyciall.com/handmilled_soap.htm for information about Rebatching Made Fun an informational manual that covers the rebatch method in easy to understand instructions.

Basic Rebatch Base

20 oz grated soap flakes
2 oz water
1 Vitamin E Capsule (optional)

The basic rebatch base recipe is what you'll use for all the recipes included with this booklet.

Melt your basic recipe in your crock-pot then add the ingredients for your desired recipe once your base has melted completely. The recipes make 5 bars of soap, measuring approximately 4 ounces per bar. If you'd like to make more than five bars, you can double up the recipes just ensure that your crock-pot or double boiler is large enough to hold all your ingredients.

Some of the recipes call for other liquids instead of water. Just substitute these liquids when you start melting your basic base.

Milk-N-Honey

This recipe calls for 2 oz milk instead of water.
1 tbsp honey

Fresh Herbal Soap

1/4 tsp basil (calming)
Pinch of ginger (toner)
Pinch of sage (clarifying)
Few drops of your favorite herbal scent (optional)

Goat Milk-N-Oats

2 oz goat milk (Can mix powdered form with distilled water)
4 tbsp plain oatmeal
Few drops of your favorite scent (optional)

Source: http://www.lyciall.com/handmilled_soap.htm

Handmilled Soap Making

Lightening Skin at Home with an Easy to Make Organic Soap
By Naweko San-Joyz January 24, 2008

There was a time in history when almost everyone crafted their own soap. The Earth is coming full circle and once again soap making has made itself a welcomed and rewarding past-time. But a few things have changed in the past 200 years of soap making.

For one, you can custom tailor soaps to your specific beauty needs while adding herbal elements to make the end-product more therapeutic. Moreover, milling soaps does not take all day or even months as it did with our predecessors. Now you can combine the healing and beautifying powers of soap into an organic skin lightener with just a few hours of work. Here’s how:

Short-cut soap milling

A major time saver in the world of soap making is using premade, all natural soap bars. Soap making from scratch can get messy and greasy. You can spare yourself, and your kitchen, such untidiness by buying an organic, creamy soap bar from your local health or drug store.

Ingredients
1 bar of organic soap (3.5 to 4 ounce bar)
1 navel orange
2 tablespoons of safflower or almond oil
4 tablespoons of filtered water
2 drops of lemongrass essential oil
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
½ teaspoon of cinnamon

Utensils
Spoon
Large, microwave-safe bowl
Plastic wrap
Freezer-safe and flexible plastic cup
Cheese grater
Paper towels

Creating a Skin Lightening Soap

Prep work
Shredding

Shred the bar of soap into a bowl, using the cheese grater. Next, into the same bowl, with the cheese grater, shred the orange peel. Grate the orange until you reach the white-yellowish area of its peel.

Soap molds

To prepare the molds, dip a paper towel into the vegetable oil and coat the cup with the oiled towel.

Melting the soap

In the bowl used above, to the shredded soap and orange peels, add the water and safflower (or almond) oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the microwave on high for 30-45 seconds.

Note: Watch the soap as it melts because it could bubble over into the microwave. If the soap has not completely melting after 45 seconds, place it in the microwave for another 30 seconds.
Mixing the soap
Once the soap has melted, remove it from the microwave and take off the plastic wrap.

Add the cinnamon and lemongrass essential oil to the melted soap and stir the mixture with a spoon for one to two minutes.

Molding the soap

Option 1: Cup moldAfter you have mixed the soap, pour it into the cup. Use the spoon to pack the soap in and remove large air bubbles.

Option 2: Hand-moldedAlternately, you can just scoop the soap with your hands and mold the soap into balls or patties.

Hardening the soap

Now, top the cup of soap with plastic wrap to save it from possible freezer odors. If you made soap patties, just wrap them in plastic wrap.

Place the soap in the freezer for 1-2 hours to let it harden, then remove the bars.

Once the soap is hard, slide it out of the cup. You can slice the cup-molded soap bar into smaller pieces using a knife.

You can store the soap in wax paper or plastic wrap.

The results

Let the soaps set at room temperature for one day before using. Then, enjoy cleansing your skin with a unique, organic skin lightening soap. The elements in the orange peel and safflower oil help promote the skin brightening effects of this soap.

Source: http://www.noixia.com/blog/?p=590