Teach Soap

Chicago, IL

Major Illinois crops: corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, and wheat. For soaping purposes: corn oil, soybean oil, lard, beef tallow, milk for milk-based soaps (and butter-based or butter/ghee as major or minor additional ingredients), wheat germ oil, and wheat germ for exfoliation.

Since we're so close to the Wisconsin border, we can also generally count on: dairy again, corn, cranberries, ginseng, oats, potatoes, carrots, tart cherries, and maple syrup. For soap, the oats could provide either oil or grit/exfoliation; the corn is great for oil; carrots can provide beta-carotene; and the other items (other than potatoes) could provide oils for scent, color, and/or skin nourishing compounds.

Both regions are known for beekeeping, which means beeswax as a base oil and honey as a nourishing additive.

That's it. I've got to move somewhere that olive and laurel trees thrive. Hm... California, Syria, Israel, or Turkey?

That's really the soaping spirit, Ipstenit! Move to where the soaping is best for you!

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

Inspired by this thread, I have a "local soap" batch in the mold as of today. It's 90% lard, 10% local organic sunflower oil. I pureed some rosemary and parsley, but I don't think they gave much color or scent. We'll see how it does!

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

I am thinking lard, tallow, soybean oil for sure and I am thinking a few other things that I did not know about would surface. We also would have some bees wax and honey and of course beer! Actually it would be the rest of our lives that would be impacted to a greater extent. How many of us could survive well with out the prepackaged convience foods? Back to basic cooking I think!
Mellifera, I just pureed a tomato from my garden and did a soap with that. I used bamboo FO. Now just have to wait to see if I like if after the cure.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Yeah, we have local beer, local hogs, local goats, sheep, alpaca, llama, and beef (so tallow and milk from at least some of them), lots of sunflower oil, honey, beeswax (obviously!), and regular veggies. Scenting will be the hardest part. I even get my lye fairly local (made about 50 miles away).

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

I'm in WA state also.

I'm thinkin' additives. Since if there was an apocalypse we might not have access to essential oils or fragrance oils. Lots of stuff grows here, so I think we luck out in that department!

Herbs, all kinds. In fact, I live near a lavender farm. In my garden grows rosemary, mint, calendula, lemon verbena, lavender (except I think mine is culinary), basil, cilantro, and roses.

St. Helen's ash for exfoliant? lol Just kidding... sorta...

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Yeah, Saturday it was a cooker. But that's pretty unusual for us. We get maybe 2 weeks of hot weather each summer, usually in August. The rest of the summer is extremely mild. The running gag is summer starts July 5th, and ends October 30th.

In Ukraine lye cost $3.8 for 2lbs. Does it mean it is made somewhere around? I guess it is.

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I am Lora

Sunflower oil and deer tallow!



This guy was eating our tomatos like they were M&Ms.

Pre-falvoured! (I can't believe I said that...)

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist