Look up the saponification values of the fats you are using, multiply the volumes by the saponification values to get how much lye you need, make up the lye in something like twice its own weight in water, get it all warm and mix it together. Stir once in a while till it reaches soft trace, add a spoonfull of vitamin e oil and whatever flavours/scent oils you want, and pour into greased moulds. Leave to set, cut into bars, wrap in an old towel and put in the back of the airing cupboard till you remember to look at it again. When you touch the tip of your tongue to it and it doesn't tingle, it's ready.
I can give you the more specific details if you like.
Can you melt down cheap soaps and add your own herbs/smellies? I read this in a book somewhere, but haven't heard of it anywhere else. It was saying to melt in a pan over boiling water, like when you might melt chocolate.
Yes, that's a good way of getting better soaps without the possible dangers and complications of making and using lye. Says her with a very large bucket of wood ash in the shed..............
Get a good pure soap or glycerine one, grate it fairly finely and melt over a pan of hot water. Add your bits (I made a successful one with calendula leaves, and one with rosemary, plus some others), stir well, and pour into moulds. Leave to harden , then turn out and dry for a week or two.
All sorts of things can be used as moulds, to give some interesting shapes.
Can you melt down cheap soaps and add your own herbs/smellies? I read this in a book somewhere, but haven't heard of it anywhere else. It was saying to melt in a pan over boiling water, like when you might melt chocolate.
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Yeah, mother used to get all the old bits of soap and melt them down every few months. We had an old jelly mould that she used. Had to be the only family in the world that had rabbit shaped soap
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