I went to the farmer’s market last night and I made a mental note to address something here. The whole “handmilled soap” craze really irritates me. I have seen people charging outrageous amounts of money for these soaps as if it is some sort of horribly time consuming and expensive process. It is not. My mom has been doing it since the early 70’s as a way of being frugal. She saved bits and ends of soap and melted them back down to be used again.
This is also a fun way for those of you who don’t want to tackle your own cold process soaps to make your own soap. Here is a really basic recipe which can be modified almost anyway you want. as long as you keep the general proportions the same.
For molds you can use just about any cheap melt-and-pour mold out there.
Basic Handmilled Soap Recipe
2 cup grated soap
1/4 cup sweet almond oil -liquid
1/4 cup coconut oil – solid
1/4 cup water
additives of your choice
In a double boiler melt the soap, oils and water. When the mixture is melted. (It gets sort of stringy, however, it is never really liquid again) take it off the heat and stir any your additives. Pour into molds and let harden until you can pop the soap out of the mold. If your mold won’t let loose, set it in the freezer for a bit.
Lavender Cream Bar
2 cup grated soap
1/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup water
additives of your choice
In a double boiler melt the soap with the oil, cream and water. Remove from heat and mix in a tablespoon of dried lavender and 20 drops of lavender essential oil.
This can be personalized by using any essential oils you enjoy. It has a little bit different proportions but it is still the same general idea. Rosemary and mint will make a bar that also helps to repel bugs so this is a good bar to take camping. You can add other essential oils that will help as well. Look at a bottle of the Burt’s Bees Insect repellent for ideas.
Shampoo Bars
1 cup grated soap
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup castor oil
15 drops rosemary essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
In a double boiler melt the grated soap and water. When the soap is melted add the other ingredients. Mix well and pour into molds.
Domestic Medicine 