The following recipes will yield approximately 5-6 bars of soap.
Safety Reminder:
If you are new to cold process soapmaking, please purchase a book and read about the serious safety issues associated with lye. A good book to start with is Susan Miller Cavitch’s “The Soapmakers Companion” When handling lye, please use gloves and goggles and do not breathe in the fumes.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: Remember, the lye water mixture is always added to the oil, and not vice versa.
Note regarding HEMP soap, from Anne-Marie at the Teach Soap Forum on Feb. 2011:
If you’re bored of stirring and stick blending, do what I do with insanely long tracing recipes (I’m thinking liquid soap primarily but this works for Castille soap and other longer trace solid batches) – stick blend for 3-5 minutes, walk away, let it sit for 3-5 minutes, come back, stick blend again and repeat until you’ve got a decent enough trace that you’re positive it will stick.
I’ll put a note on that recipe about the longer trace time and the extremely soft soap. I should probably warn soapers. =)
If the soap is separating on your right now, in the mold, you can pour it all out and stick blend some more. Or click here to see how to Hot Process it. I have to use this method at least twice a month with all the crazy fun batches I get to make! =) LOL!
1 pound Hemp Oil Batch
16 oz. Hempseed Oil
5.2 oz. Distilled Water
2.1 oz. Lye
Fragrance/Essential Oil .7 oz.
1 pound Hemp/Olive Oil batch
8 oz. Olive Oil
8 oz. Hemp Oil
2.1 oz. Lye
5.2 oz. Distilled Water
Fragrance/Essential Oil .7 oz.
1 pound Hemp/Coconut/Olive Oil Batch
5 oz. Coconut Oil
5 oz. Hempseed Oil
5.2 oz. Olive Oil
2.3 oz. Lye
6 oz. Distilled Water
Fragrance/Essential Oil .7 oz.
Now for the fun part!
Suit up in safety goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Add the lye to the water. Stir well taking precautions to not breathe in the fumes. Set the mixture to the side and allow it to cool to approximately 110F. You can put the lye water mixture outside if you are not in a well ventilated area.
Add all the oils together and melt. Allow them to cool to approximately 110F, or within 5 degrees of the lye water.
Add the lye water to the melted oils, carefully. Stir vigorously until trace occurs. Trace looks like a thin pudding. A stick blender will help speed trace along. If you are stirring by hand, this recipe may take up to an hour to trace.
Pour your traced soap mixture into your molds. Pop out after 3 to 5 days and allow to sit for a full 4 to 6 weeks to cure and finish the saponification process.
