Soap. It’s Where It’s At.
Two batches of soap made and the house didn’t explode. Jane for the win!
I’m super excited that I’m venturing into soapmaking. For those who haven’t ever looked into it before, there are just so many possibilities of coolness that it feels ever-creative! The only really freaky part is working with the lye, which is nasty if not properly handled. And try as I might, I can never leave my gloves on throughout the whole process (start of using the lye to finished cleaning up) – there is always something that prevents it. Maybe one day I’ll get to that level, but I’m doing fairly well with safety overall. I have made Andy take the kids away both times, ensuring that they are not a part of any disaster I might bring upon myself. So far so good. 
The regular batch of soap, cut and curing.
The second batch of soap I made was a milk soap. The basic process for soap making is lye+liquid; oil/fat; mix together (in a specific way) then pour into a mould until hard. Unmould, cut, dry and cure for weeks. Most soaps use water for the liquid in which the lye is dissolved. For milk soap, I used milk. 3.25% MF organic, to be more precise. I had a good book explaining the process and the different types of milk (animal and plant-based) that can be used, so I felt fairly confident that if I could follow the directions precisely, it would work out. Overall it seems to have worked, and I’m excited that I have two different test batches curing. Only 4 weeks until the first soap testing happens! 
The milk soap, cut and curing. Ultimately they both seem to look mostly the same.
Does anyone have any experience with handcrafted soap (either making it or using it)? I hadn’t had much experience with using it prior to this. The one that I bought at a craft fair, to be honest, really has sucked. It’s turned into a slimy green, gooey mess, which Spencer loves smooshing onto the mirror. I’m seriously hoping that these bars don’t turn out like that. I have a guess as to what that producer may have done wrong, and I’m hoping that the way I made mine won’t make this an issue. Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts on handcrafted soaps!
One Comment
Dad
Mom used to have a bar of soap soaking in water near the kitchen sink that would slowly dissolve and was poured off to he used as needed with more water added to top off after using. I’ve never seen it go to a gooey mass of slimy blob, lol… Like cement, also a chemical reaction, curing takes time, concrete takes around 40-50 years to cure completely … Soap not so long but still.