Olive Castile Soap

[NeilMacleod]

New Years supply of Soap
Was running low so had to make more

 

[excess650]

I've been making lye soap for several years. I haven't made Castile soap specifically, but do incorporate olive oil in most of the recipes that I've made. Each batch is PH tested and always show between 7 (neutral) and 8. Store bought "soap" is mostly detergent and may PH test 9-11, so very harsh.

I used a name brand dandruff shampoo seemingly forever and still had a flaky scalp despite oily hair. By adding castor oil to one of my batches to increase lather, I made a "shampoo bar" that I started using. Within a month I no longer had a flaky scalp or oily hair. My wife has hair halfway down her back and uses our "soap" and rinses with a conditioner. There is no store bought shampoo or soap in the house.

Each fat/oil/butter has its own saponification value, and that value is used in calculating the proper amount of NaOH to be used. I use NaOH crystals and distilled water, combine the lye mixture with the "fats" when both are very close to 110F and then blend with an immersion blender until light to medium "trace". I have used essential oils for scent, but never add artificial scents or colors. My mould is a wooden box that I line with freezer paper, the mixture is poured in, covered with plastic wrap, and wooden lid snug down on the plastic wrap, and then covered with towels. Heat is given off to the extent that its felt noticeably through 3/4" pine. After 12-18 hours, I can pull the "loaf" from the mould and cut into bars. They are then set on waxed paper and allowed to dry for a few days to a couple of weeks depending upon the fats/oils/butters used. Drying is correct in that the further hardening is from water evaporating.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I like Dr.Bronners castile soap.

You can wash everything with the liquid soap Hands, body, hair, clothes, dishes,

 

[NeilMacleod]

The Home Made stuff works so well for the scalp, no crap to irritate. Will be making next batch this month, basic Olive Coconut oil, coco butter Shea butter and flavor that I have not decided on yet, haven't used coco powder in a while, the bars are too tempting to bite into, they sell so good lol.

 

[pondoro]

Reading this thread I realize that in May of 2017 I promised to report back on my soap. I did not wait the full year advised by "The Soap Queen." I ran out of Ivory brand soap about 9 months later and dug into my homemade soap right then and there. It never irritated my skin. I shave with it as well. It lasts a long time but does not create huge suds. I'm happy with it.

 

[azmntman]

Mom used to make lye soap, she saved her grease from about every meat but pork. Best soap ever, would clean clothes 10X better than Tide and for hair was super good. Wish I had her receipe.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Years ago the wife and I got into making soap because the pine tar soap we were buying was so weak it did her psoriasis almost no good. We played around with different oils and mixes with pine tar until we got it right. The pine tar is 25% of the oils and is VERY effective in skin disorder treatments. We also make a "baby powder smelling soap" for the kids and grandkids that they just love the smell of. One word of caution if you are going to do this yourself, use one of the reputable contents calculators to make sure your lye concentration is not going to burn sensitive skin.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My great grandma used to make her soap using wood ashes. She would run rain water through the ashes very slowly and collect it in a pot. then she boiled the liquid down until it would float an egg. Then it was ready to make soap. She used hog lard to make her soap. She would pour her soap into a wooden box and let it sit to harden up enough to cut into bars. Then she would set the bars on edge with enough space between them to let the air circulate between them. It was tan in color and you had to let it cure until it was through saponifying or it was pretty harsh on your hide. The soap was ready for use when it was hard. She used it for everything from washing your hands, to shampooing your hair, bathing, washing clothes or washing dishes. Many times I have seen her with a bar of her soap in one hand and a butcher knife in the other chipping up the soap to make soap flakes for the washing machine or to wash dishes.

That is very similar to the method used here in the Ozarks in days past. The egg float is new to me. Hardwood ashes were saved and put into a wood collector where water would be poured through them. The lye water would then be mixed with lard. Resulting soap was less than pure white but not tan. In my experience it is the best thing going for preventing rash from poison ivy. I always have some on hand but it is getting hard to find folks who make it properly anymore. What is today passed off is made from Crisco and commercial lye. Yuk.