How to Make Herbal Soap in a Crockpot
Herbal soaps are typically more expensive than regular bar soaps, which may also contain undesirable chemicals. Making your own herbal soap ensures that you and your family use soap that is gentler for your skin and your pocketbook. There are a number of ways to make homemade soap. One way is to use your Crock-Pot.
Things You'll Need
- Long-sleeve pants
- Long-sleeve shirt
- Closed-toe shoes
- Butcher paper
- Apron
- Rubber gloves
- Safety glasses
- Old quart-size plastic or glass pitcher
- 22 ½ ounces of distilled water
- 7 ½ ounces lye
- Long-handled plastic spoon
- Apple cider vinegar
- 21 ounces olive oil
- 22.5 ounces coconut oil
- 21 ounces palm oil
- ¼ teaspoon essential herbal oil or 2 tablespoons ground herbs
- Immersion blender
- Soap molds or freezer containers
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
Instructions
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1
Put on a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, closed-toe shoes and an apron.
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2
Cover your work surface with butcher paper or old newspapers.
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3
Plug in your Crock-Pot and turn it on low.
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4
Go outside or open the kitchen windows before you mix the water and lye. Put on your rubber gloves and safety glasses and then pour the distilled water into the pitcher and slowly add the lye, stirring constantly. Do not breathe in as you add the lye because the fumes can harm your lungs. Stir constantly and allow the lye to dissolve in a well-ventilated place away from your work station. If lye gets on you or your work surface, rinse immediately with apple cider vinegar to neutralize its effects.
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5
Pour the olive, coconut and palm oils into the Crock-Pot. Add the lye solution as soon as the lye is dissolved, stirring constantly.
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6
Put an immersion blender in the Crock-Pot and mix the soap until it comes to trace, which is the point at which the oils and lye solution combine to make soap. The consistency resembles cake batter, and if you pull out the mixer and drizzle soap along the top of the mixture, the trail should remain awhile before it combines again with the soap.
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Place the lid on top of your Crock-Pot, dial the setting to medium or high and allow it to cook for 30 - 45 minutes until it resembles applesauce. The applesauce texture forms at the outer edges against the sides of the pot first and eventually becomes applesauce throughout.
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8
Stir the mixture again with the immersion blender or the long-handled plastic spoon.
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9
Add the herbal essential oil or ground herbs and stir.
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10
Place the soap into molds once it resembles dry mashed potatoes. To ensure your soap is ready to mold, remove soap with a small spoon, allow it to cool enough to handle and roll it into a ball between your hands. If it dries quickly, the soap is fully saponified (made into soap) and ready to mold. If you don't have soap molds, pour the soap into freezer containers to set.
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Pound the bottom of the molds or containers against the counter to eliminate any air bubbles.
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12
Turn out the soap molds or containers once the soap is solidified and then cut the soap into smaller pieces by using a very sharp chef's knife. Allow the soap to cure for one to two weeks
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Tips & Warnings
This recipe makes 15 bars of soap.
Add drops of coloring when you add essential oil or herbs to achieve a desired color.
Once you use a Crock-Pot, pitcher, spoon or immersion blender for soap, you should not use it for food again.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit pork in a slow cooker image by pr2is from Fotolia.com
