Things You'll Need:
- 2 lbs. 10 oz. olive oil
- 1 lb. 7 oz. solid vegetable shortening
- Enough extra vegetable shortening to grease molds
- 2 pts. soft water
- 1 lb. coconut oil
- 10¼ oz. lye
- 1½ oz. glycerin
- 1½ castor oil
- 2 qt. glass container
- 10 qt. enamel or stainless steel pot
- Wooden spoon
- Candy thermometer
- Rubber cloves
- Molds
- Blanket
- Newspaper
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Step 1
Spread newspaper over the work area. Grease the molds with the additional vegetable shortening and set aside.
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Step 2
Pour water into the pot. Slowly stir the water while adding the lye to dissolve it. The chemical reaction causes the mixture to become very hot. Set aside to cool and then pour into the glass container. Place in a pan of warm water to keep the temperature at 95 degrees F.
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Step 3
Clean the pot. Place the vegetable shortening and oils into the pot and heat to a temperature of 95 degrees F.
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Step 4
Stir the vegetable and oil mixture in the pot. Continue stirring in a circular direction while evenly and slowly pouring in the lye solution.
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Step 5
The mixture will become thick. Test to see if it's done by lifting some up with the spoon and dropping a little on top of the mixture. If the drop of mixture stays suspended for a moment before sinking, then the reaction is complete. Remove from the heat.
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Step 6
Stir in the glycerin and castor oil. Pour the mixture into the molds.
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Step 7
Set the molds in a warm place. Fold the blanket and cover the molds. Keep the molds covered for 24 hours.
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Step 8
Uncover the molds and set them where air can circulate around them. Allow two to four weeks for the soap to set before removing from the molds. Test by pressing on the surface. The surface should be firm.
