Liquid Soap Making. A first for this Granny.

Well yesterday saw me trying for the first time ever to make Liquid Soap.  For years and years I have been making CP and HP Soaps and truly love it but lately I am starting to believe that I could do it with my eyes closed and it is such an easy process for me.  My range of soaps has grown to a massive 40+ types using the most amazing ingredients that you find in the fridge and in your cupboard.

I belong to so many different Soap Groups on Facebook.  It is great to talk to others through out the world who share the same passion with me.  We are always getting ideas from each other and learning new tricks of the trade.  A couple of days ago I joined a Liquid Soap group.  You see I have had the ingredients at home for over a year in the back of the cupboard in my soap making room still in the original postage box from one of my suppliers on the Sunshine Coast.  Late yesterday it was finally out of the box and ready for usage.

Anyway at my home I own two slowcookers.  One for food which I rarely use and one for soap making which is over used.  Yesterday it came out for usage. 
First of all I had to mix the Potassium Hydroxide with the water. Yes I know its a chemical but guess what if you don't use it you can't make soap.  Even in bar soap you need Sodium Hydroxide.  If you don't use it all you have is a bucket of fat.  All soap has to be made with it. 
Any soap maker or retailer that you buy your soap from says they don't use it is a liar.  But just remember when you buy your soap there is no trace of it in your soap. 
I don't have a photo of me mixing the Pot Hydroxide to the water but it really made a crackling noise.   After this process I left the bucket in a safe place and then turned on the crockpot on high and started melting down the oils.

Oils melting in the crockpot.



After the oils were melted down I pulled the ceramic bowl from the crockpot, turning it off and then pour the Potassium Hydroxide into the oils.   To this I decided to pull out the trusty stick blender and started blending.  Now normally when you make CP soap it will go to trace (thick custard consistency) quite quickly but with liquid soap it takes quite awhile.  So I  blended for about 3-4 minutes then walk away for about 5 minutes then did it again. 

Stirring with the stick blender.


Now this blending and walking away I did for quiet some time.  About 30 minutes until I felt it was thick enough.

Custard like consistency.



Now I had it thick enough it was time for it to do its thing.  I placed the bowl back into the cooker.  Put the cooker on high with the lid on and walked away.  I had already read up on the different phrases it goes through.  Every 10-15 minutes I would come back, lift the lid and stir.

Foaming up.


Scrap down the sides of the bowl so it doesn't burn.
After awhile it starts to look like meringue.  Its all foamy and full of air. 

 



Really foamy like meringue .


Now after about 1-2 hours it is starting to turn into a paste consistency.  You must be careful it doesn't burn so keep scrapping down the sides and stirring.

Drying out and starting to come to a paste.


At this stage it did have a few burnt bits.  Even after years of soap making this is my first attempt at liquid soap so I accepted that it wouldn't be perfect.  All I did was remove the burnt bits.

Nearly at a taffy paste consistency.


Now the fun bit begins.  After it is taffy looking and hard to stir its time to water it down.  I added in half the water.  I boiled the water first.  It is impossible to break down the taffy paste so I just made sure it was all covered with the water and then I walked away and came back every so often to check on it.  This was about an hour.

Adding the water.


I then added the other half of the water then walked away.  Now it was coming on close to10pm at night and I was quite tired.  It was a busy day with a grandsons birthday party and all so I turned the crockpot off and went to bed hoping it would do its thing over night.

Liquid Soap

This is what it looked like this morning.  I neutralized it with the citric acid solution in the recipe.    I was concerned with the colour but it is fine.  I suppose we all look at those beautiful clear or colourful liquid soaps that are mass produced and available in our supermarkets.  But after some research this morning I would rather use Liquid Soap made by a Artisan Soap maker then a supermarket one.

My ingredients are:
Coconut oil
Castor Oil
Olive Oil,
Water,
Potassium Hydroxide
citric acid
Essential Oils (Australian Tea Tree and Pine)


7 ingredients is all it is.

I researched before the ingredients of one well known brand we have available in our supermarket and here is their list of ingredients.

Water

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Acrylates Copolymer

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Fragrance

Sodium Chloride

DMDM Hydantoin

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Zea Mays (Corn) Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)

Citric Acid

Gelatin

Acacia Senegal Gum

Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract

Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract

Mica

Xanthan Gum

Titanium Dioxide

FD&C Red No. 40

Ext. D&C Violet No. 2

My liquid soap may not look as pretty as theirs but I would rather use mine then theirs.


I hope you have enjoyed this blog on my first attempt of Liquid Soapmaking.  Now the pot is cleaned and put away.  Today being Sunday I am bringing out my food slow cooker to cook a piece of corned silverside in ginger beer.  Now that's another recipe.

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Sue xx

Real Soap doesn't dry your skin

I have been making Natural Soaps for some time due to the fact that commerical soaps dry out my skin.  Recently a Dove Soap has had an advertisement on the TV on why people shouldn't use soap.  They are stating all soaps are bad for your skin.  How wrong can they be.  Handmade natural soaps are full of goodness.  Real Handmade Soaps are natural.

What is really on the store shelf?
We have become accustom to mass produced soaps in the supermarket and $2 shops. But did you know quite alot of the soaps we purchase in the supermarket are really beauty bars full of chemicals including Dove.  Lets look at their ingredients label of Dove Soap.

 Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Slearic Acid, Sodium Palmitate, Aqua Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Parfum, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, zinc Oxide, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Alumina, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool.....

I don't think any of these ingredients are good for your skin.


Homemade Cold Process Soap
Real homemade soap is natural. It starts with three simple ingredients: water, sodium hydroxide and oil. The water dissolves the sodium, allowing it to be evenly distributed during mixing. The sodium solution is then mixed with the oils. The sodium reacts to the oils using aggressive mixing. This reaction is called saponification, which literally means “to make soap”. There is absolutely NO SODIUM HYDROXIDE remaining after the mixture saponifies.

Handmade soap is not mass produced and soapmakers around the world take pride in their products.  Real Handmade Soap doesn't dry your skin because it is made from nourishing oils.

 Lets look at the oils I use in my soapmaking.

OLIVE OIL: Contributes to: soap hardness, stable lather, slippery feel, conditioning, moisturizing, Olive Oil attracts external moisture to your skin, helping to keep skin soft and supple.

CASTOR OIL: Contributes to: fluffy lather, stable lather, conditioning, moisturizing, quicker
trace, softer soap. Often used to superfat soaps. Castor oil is unique in being almost entirely composed of ricinoleic fatty acid, found in no other oils and possessing a high affinity for water molecules. This makes it an excellent humectant, attracting and holding moisture to the
skin.

COCONUT OIL:Contributes to: soap hardness, fluffy lather, quicker trace. Coconut oil makes soaps lather beautifully . It will make a very hard, white bar of soap that lathers well even in very hard water - even in sea water. Coconut oil is light and not greasy and is resistant to spoiling. Used in skin care formulations, coconut oil is emollient, moisturizing, conditioning and protecting to the skin.

GRAPESEED OIL:Used in soaps as a superfatting oil, grapeseed oil is a lightweight oil that absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving a heavy greasy feeling. It has mildly astringent qualities and is said to be useful for acne and other skin complaints.

SUNFLOWER OIL: Contributes to: stable lather, conditioning, silky feel, softer soap, slower trace. Sunflower oil contains Vitamin E, so it naturally resists going rancid.


RICE BRAN OIL: Rice bran oil is moisturizing and is a good choice for inclusion in formulations intended for mature, delicate or sensitive skin.

All natural oils that are great for your skin.

I can actually call my soap soap but Dove has to call their product a beauty bar.  I know what I would prefer to use.

Soaps Up!

Apparently I heard a whisper that Christmas is not to far away which means the next couple of weeks are very busy for me.  I have a few markets and christmas markets to attend up until christmas so the last couple of weeks I have been busy making and creating some gorgeous soaps.  Thought I would share some photo's with you.

Definitely has been a busy couple of weeks.

Sue x

My favourite low cost recipes (Washing Detergent)

I have not purchased any commercial washing liquid in ages.  I prefer to make my own and at least then I know what  is actually cleaning my clothes.  There are so many on the market today and it is so confusing and honestly I just wanted something that cleaned my clothes and was gentle, not highly fragrant and something that was safe for septic and grey water.  I wanted a product that was safe enough to use on my garden.  Below is my recipe.  There are many different recipes on the internet.  I make mine without Borax.  Borax to me is still a chemical and cannot be used on the garden. 

1-2 cups of grated pure soap.  (Start saving soap scraps like our grandmothers did or sunlight is fine)

1.5 litres of water

1/2 cup washing soda (this is found in the washing powder isle.  It is about $3.50 a bag)


In a large saucepan on the stove melt the grated soap in the water.  I normally have it on a low setting until all the soap is dissolved.  Once it is dissolved turn the stove off.  Let cool.  When lukewarm add the washing soda and stir.  You will notice the liquid will start to thicken.  As it cools down keep stirring occassionally.  This will stop the lumps from forming.  Now if you like if you have any essential oils at home you can add some to the liquid.  Only a small amount is required.  This is not necessary but I normally have either lavender, eucalyptus or tea tree at home.  Now you need to add about 7 litres of cold water to the pot.  Once you have done this it is now ready to store.  I use old juice bottles for this.  Funnel into the bottles but don't fill to the top.  You will need to shake the bottle when you use as it will seperate.  You only need to use about a 1/4 of a cup for a full load of washing.  I wash only in cold water.  .   Now your washing liquid is ready to use.  You now have over 8 litres of washing powder which has cost you under $2.

Why! The simple relaxed life.

Let me fill you in on a bit of history of who I am.  I grew up with 3 sisters living in a inner suburb of Brisbane.  We were the typical family.  Dad went to work.  Mum stayed at home.  We had no car or phone.  We used public transport and public phone.  Mum baked, gardened and sewed.  Typical suburbian family.  I grew up in the 1970's and still to this day I love the era.  Anyway I married when I was 21 and Bill and I are still happily married.  It will be 26 years in a couple of months.

We have 3 amazing children, Sarah, William and Emma and now we have our Grandchildren Callum and Rhiannon (twins), Noah and Eli and another one due in the new year.

  In our early years of marriage we were very focussed on having everything. The new house, new furniture, new cars, latest trends you name we had to have it.  The loans were piling up and so were the credit cards.  Towards the end of 1999 we were living in Beaudesert struggling to put 3 teenagers through education.  The cracks were starting to show and by the middle of 2000 it crumbled around us.  We were bankrupted and with very little money.  Luckily for us we sold the house in time and walked away with $1000 which was enough money to move the family to Redcliffe.  From that day on I realised having everything was not necessary.  I don't blame anyone except ourselves.

Since living at Redcliffe my whole outlook on life has changed.  Recently, well 4 years ago I started my own business focusing on Natural Candles and Soaps.  Opened up my own shop.  Did long hours, early mornings.  Basically started work at 5am and crawled into bed around 11 or 12 at night most nights a week.  Trying to make my fortune.  You know I know it works for some people and I have met over the years some wonderful talented people who had an idea and ran with it and have become very successful from it.  My turn over was starting to grow and my products were available around the country in various boutique outlets but I realised then that I was working so hard I wasn't enjoying life.  Rock bottom hit when I lost my sister (Not getting into that full story but previous blogs I have spoken of her) I realised for me to enjoy my life and enjoy my family I needed to make some obvious major changes again.

Refocussing on the things I love to do I looked at the way my Grandmother, mother and my sisters and I lived growing up.  I slowed down my business, returned to paid employment in an industry that I love and a job that I enjoy.  My business changed, values changed, my prospects in life changed and Green Me Up Granny was created.  I have followed many other blogs,with the same values as me.  A more simple way of living, good green living, back to basic living.  I now garden, cook, sew, create, experiment, preserve, recycle, upcycle, re-use and try to teach others around me who wish to do the same.  I share ideas, recipes, jams, natural products and remedies with others.  I make my own bread, washing detergent, soaps, shampoos, balms, jams etc to save.

I have a 5 year plan. Do you?  I want to live a simple relaxed life.  Eventually moving to Tasmania.  That will be achieved within the next 5 years.  Money I use to spend on useless up to date trends has now gone into savings for that piece of paradise in Tassie.

Do you live a simple relax life?  What major changes have you made in your life to achieve the things you have.

Please feel free to leave a comment.

Sue x