Citrus Soap, my recipe


I have been wandering with soap's creation. It is a nice way of being disciplined and organise my thoughts.

I have been "Pinteresting" a lot looking for different ways of making soaps, recipes that have healing properties.

I was supposed to make a Castile soap cold process but when I was measuring my oils I went short of olive oil, so I had to adapt it.

Here is my recipe:

614 g olive oil
300 g rice bran oil
114 g lye
302 g water (as I don't have distilled water, I boiled it and put it in the fridge to cool. It avoids the lye getting really hot).
8 g essential oil (a mix orange and bergamot)
Red natural colorant for soap and some drops of yellow

Get your gear before anything. Safety googles, gloves, safe shoes, long pants and wear also long sleeves. Dealing with lye can be dangerous and the burns are significant, so be very careful.

Don't forget to prepare your mould. I used a bread tin and baking paper on fund and sides to ease when removing it from the mould.

Put the oils on a inox bowl (a big one) and over a saucepan with water. It will heat your oils to the point of around 40 degrees C.

In a big Pirex jar put your water (cooled) and slowly mix the lye. Use an inox spoon to mix it slowly.
Stir it carefully while you adding the lye. ALWAYS add the lye TO the water, never the other way around. When it is all dissolved let it rest for a while and wait it cool to around 40/45 degrees C.

When both, oils and lye are in the same temperature, or even with a 10 degree difference, add the lye to your oils mixing it very, very carefully. As it starts to become like a very runny mayonese use the hand mixer - it will speed the process of trace/saponification. It is time to add the essential oils which will help to increase the trace. It should be looking like a pudim consistency. Put it in the mould and leave a bit to add the colour. Mix it and add to the mould. Make some swirls on top to create some waves.  Wait for about 24/48 hours to unmould. Cut and let it cure for 4/5 weeks. 

The pictures show my final product. It smells great and looks OK. Now just waiting for the 4 weeks to be cured and ready to use.

Have a try. :)