Things You'll Need:
- 6 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 oz. Palm Oil
- 3 oz. Coconut Oil
- 9 oz. Vegetable Shortening
- 1/2 cup Glycerin
- 1 cup COLD Goat's Milk
- 3 oz. Lye
- 3 teas. Essential Oil of your choice (opt.)
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Step 1
Clear all children and pets out of the soap making area.
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Step 2
Supplies used for soap making should not be used for regular kitchen use!Set up your equipment, weigh your fats and oils, set out your molds (or line trays with heavy duty wax paper), and cover your counter tops with newspaper.
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Step 3
Put on gloves, weigh out your lye, and set towards the back of the counter well out of your way.
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Step 4
Weigh out and place all oils and shortening into a large stainless steel pot. Heat to 120 degrees, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
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Step 5
Stir in glycerin.
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Step 6
CAREFULLY add the lye to the milk, adding it slowly (like salting your meal) and gently stirring with a long-handled spoon until mixed (if added too fast, the milk may curdle). Continue to stir carefully until all the lye is dissolved and the mixture has reached 80 degrees. This may take up to ten minutes.
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Step 7
Slowly pour the lye/milk mixture into the oils, stirring slowly until the mixture "traces." To test for "tracing," drizzle a small amount of the soap mixture over the surface of the rest. If it leaves a mounded pattern before sinking back in, the soap is ready. This can take up to an hour.
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Step 8
You can buy fancy molds from soap making supplie companies, or you can make your own.Add the essential oil(s) of your choice and pour into molds. Cover and let set for 18-24 hours, or until hard.
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Step 9
Just add a simple wrapping and you're done!Using gloves, remove soap from mold. Trim away excess soap and let the bars "age" for three weeks.
