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

Some rest and relaxation.

The last couple of months have been extra busy with attending markets, my wholesale orders, conducting workshops and as well as my job that pays my bills.  Work has been hectic running a Day Service and a Residential property and yesterday asked to look after another one.  A year of audits and a external audit in two weeks.  That has been the last 6 months of my life.  As you all maybe aware over the last year I have been enjoying time away in our camper trailer but last Friday we picked up our caravan.  Its been two years searching to find the one that would suit us both.

 

This is our first step to semi retirement.  Our long term outlook is to take Green Me Up Granny on a road trip around this amazing country.  Setting up markets stalls in small country markets and festivals.  Seeing this country.  This is a 3 year plan.  Selling up all our possessions and travel.  Soaping on the road.  Candle making on the road.

 

Last weekend we took the caravan up over Cunningham's Gap to a gorgeous little place called

 Best brook Mountain Resort.  A three hour drive from Redcliffe but I managed to get Monday off work so it was a weekend of R&R.  Our youngest daughter Emma and her family and in laws were there as well and we also took William and our eldest grand daughter Rhiannon.  A working farm where the children ran around.  Fed the animals, learned how to throw a boomerang, crack a whip and just have fun.  Ride a horse, feed the ducks.

 

Rhiannon and Eli on the quad bike

Checking out the ducks and duckling

Riding the horse

Grand dad helping out with the horse riding.

Playing with the 3 week old puppies.

My favourite thing was just relaxing and taking in the view.

 

 

Sitting around the campfire toasting marshmallows and just relaxing.   Our first weekend in the van was fantastic.  Looking forward to October where we are travelling north to Woodgate for a blissful week of nothing but fishing and relaxing.

 

Life couldn't be any better.  Roll on retirement.

 

 

Sue XX

 

 

 

 

 

Favourite photo of the Week.

I love taking photo's of my family and my favourite things and places I go to.  Each week I will post my favourite photo of the week and tell you what and why it is. 

This photo was taken last Saturday night at 1770 in Queensland.  For those who don't know where 1770 is it is approx 500 kms north of Brisbane.  A small seaside town where there is no traffic lights but an amazing fishing village.  We were camping in the camping grounds which was on the beach front.  This was the sunset last Saturday.  I loved watching the sunset that day.  In my busy life of work I am normally driving home in peak hour traffic and I miss out in enjoying this amazing part of the day.  While we were up there relaxing I found time to really enjoy the simple things.

Do you have a favourite photo of the week.  If so why not share it with everyone.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Rainbow Magic

Easter Camping

We had the most amazing Easter in quite a few years.  So relaxing for a change.  For the last 5years I have been part of one of the many festivals here at Redcliffe on Good Friday for the Brisbane to Gladstone Boat Race.  This year I decided that I would not be at any festivals and instead Bill, William and I went away camping to Mt Warning Rainforest Park just over the border.  What an amazing place and the owners were so friendly that we have already booked for next easter with a longer stay.  We were amazed that the weather was quite good except for Sunday Night when the heavens opened up but thats the joy of camping.

I have been neglecting my blog lately and I am sorry for that.  Presently my full time work has been quite stressful but hopefully at the end of the week when I lose a chunk of it I will be able to get back on top of things that I truly enjoy.  With this in mind this was the reason for the camping trip.

After spending 2 hours in the traffic.  Note to self next year we will be leaving a day earlier.  So many campers and caravans out on Good Friday.  Everyone had the same idea this easter.  We arrived at our destination.

Camp all set up now to sit back and relax

 

The scenery was magical

 

 

 

 

Beautiful little creek nearby

 

I could sit here all day and listen to the birds and the water.  Truly magical.

 

 

 



Quaint little bush cafe just up the road.



 

 

 

 

 

Never been so relaxed.  Bill and I.

 

Tropical Fruit growing close by.

 

Even the wild life were friendly.

 

 

Easter Sunday saw a visit from my youngest grandchildren with their mum and dad.

 

 

Everything was perfect for the weekend.  Not even the rain on Sunday Night bothered us.  We were so impressed by the place that we have booked again for next easter as well as a week in October.

 

I am really enjoying camping and in 2 weeks time we are heading to 1770.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Soapmaking & Candlemaking Retreat

Last weekend was the first Soapmaking & Candlemaking Retreat that I held at Coolum Beach.  It was 6 months of planning and some late nights leading up to it but what a great weekend we all had.  The very large house catered for all of us and the view to the mountains and the ocean was spectacular.  The company was great and new friendships were made and loads of learning.

 

Everyone left the weekend loaded up with Handmade Cold Processed Soaps, Salt Bars, Melt n Pour Soaps, Bath Teas, Lip Balms, Soy Melts, Bath Melts, and Candles.

 

Planning another one later in the year.