Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Get the supplies ready
• Part 2 of 4: Mixing the lye with the oil
• Part 3 of 4: Pour the soap and let it mature
• Part 4 of 4: Making liquid castile soap
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities
• Tools
• Ingredients

Castile soap is a biodegradable soap made from olive oil, water and lye. It was invented in Aleppo and brought to the Castile region of Spain by the Crusaders, where it became very popular. For centuries, people have used this gentle cleanser for everything from washing hair and skin to cleaning clothes and floors. If you made pieces of Castile soap, you can use them solid, or you can dissolve them in water to get liquid soap. Continue to Step 1 to learn how to make your own Castile soap.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Get the supplies ready

1. Get all the supplies ready. Prepare a work area in the kitchen or any other place where you have running water and arrange everything so that you have it at hand. The dishes, measuring cups and other utensils should be used only for making soap - do not use them afterwards when preparing food as they may contain soap residues. To make castile soap you need the following things:
   • Large measuring cup
   • Stainless steel pan
   • Big scale
   • Spatula
   • Hand or immersion blender
   • Meat thermometer
   • Kitchen scales
   • Rubber gloves and safety glasses (to work with the lye)
   • Lye. This is available under the name Sodium Hydroxide, also known as caustic or caustic soda. It is often used as a sink drain cleaner, take a look at the Kruidvat for example. You buy it in the form of crystals and what you don't use you can just keep. To make 10 medium blocks of soap you need 123 grams of lye.
2. Prepare your oil. Real Castile Soap is made from 100% olive oil, but many soap makers mix all kinds of oils to get a balanced final product. Pure olive oil does not give a creamy lather, but gives a soap that is somewhat slimy in texture. Coconut oil is often added because it gives you a better lather, and palm oil can make the soap a bit firmer. A ratio of 8 parts olive oil, 1 part coconut oil and 1 part palm oil gives a nice soap. For the recipe below you have to measure out the following oils. You ultimately have 1 liter of oil in total:
   • 800 ml of olive oil
   • 100 ml coconut oil
   • 100 ml palm oil
3. Decide if you want to use essential oil. If you want your soap to smell nice, add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil, or a combination of different oils. If you like a stronger scent add more drops, if you want less use only 5-7 drops. Essential oils commonly used in Castile soap are:
   • Peppermint
   • Orange, lemon or grapefruit
   • Lavender
   • Rose
   • Lemongrass
   • Pine tree
   • Sandalwood
   • Bergamot
4. Prepare the soap mold. The mold you use determines the size and shape of the soap blocks. If you want rectangular blocks, use a rectangular mold such as a cake tin; the soap will come out as an elongated block and cut it into blocks of the desired thickness. Line the mold with baking paper so that the soap comes out easily.
   • There are also special molds for making soap at hobby shops, and you can also find all kinds on the internet.
   • If you don't feel like buying a mold, you can use an old shoebox. Find a sturdy shoebox, reinforce the corners with tape so that the seams are tight and line it with parchment paper.
   • You can also make a soap mold from wood, or use an existing wooden box as a mold.

Part 2 of 4: Mixing the lye with the oil

1. Put on your safety gear. Lye is a caustic substance that can burn the skin and eyes, and is bad for your lungs if you breathe it in. If you are working with lye for the first time, be extra careful so that you do it safely. Before opening the lye package, put on rubber gloves and safety glasses. Open the windows or turn on the extractor so that the room is well ventilated.
   • Keep a bottle of white vinegar handy. If you spill lye on the counter, vinegar can neutralize it.
   • If you accidentally get lye on your skin or have inhaled its fumes too much, call your doctor or 911.
2. Make the lye solution. If you mix lye and water, it is important to know the correct proportions. For this recipe you need 296 ml of water and 123 grams of lye. Use separate containers to measure it precisely with the kitchen scales. Carefully add the lye to the water. The mixture will immediately get hot and look cloudy. When it cools down, it gets a little brighter again. It will take a few minutes to cool. Use the meat thermometer to check the temperature. The lye is ready to use when it is 50 ° C.
   • Never add the water to the lye - always add the lye to the water. Pouring water over the lye can cause an explosive reaction.
   • When weighing the ingredients, don't include the weight of the containers.
   • If you want to make more or less soap, use a lye calculator to calculate the exact amounts of water and lye.
3. Heat the oil. While the lye is cooling, heat the oil. Put them in a saucepan and put it on medium heat. Stir the oil well so that the different types are mixed. Keep heating it until the oil is 50 ° C. Use the meat thermometer to check the temperature. The oil and lye should be at the same temperature as much as possible when you put them together.
   • If you don't make sure the oil and lye are at the same temperature, the soap won't solidify properly. Make sure to use the meat thermometer to check both mixtures to properly complete this crucial step.
4. Mix the lye with the oil. Pour the lye mixture into the oil mixture. Use a blender or hand blender to mix it well. After a few minutes, the mixture will thicken. At some point the mixer leaves a trace in the mix, this is called the "trace phase". It should now have the consistency of honey.
   • You can also stir the lye and oil with a spoon, but it will take much longer to reach the "trace" phase.
5. Add the essential oil. When the mixture has reached the trace phase, you can add the essential oil. Put 10 drops of essential oil in the pan and mix it with the mixer until well distributed.

Part 3 of 4: Pour the soap and let it mature

1. Pour the soap into the mold. Be careful not to mess. Cover the mold with a clean kitchen towel or hand towel, making sure that the cloth does not touch the soap itself, but drape it over the sides of the mold. This way you protect the soap against dust and insects. Leave it on for 48 hours.
   • During these first 48 hours, the soap will solidify and harden. However, it is not yet ready to use; it must ripen first so that the water can evaporate from it and the soap becomes milder. Don't touch the soap just yet as the lye can still bite now.
   • Examine the top of the soap after 48 hours. If it is coated or looks like it has separated, the soap is not usable.You have used too much lye, which can irritate the skin, or the lye and oil are not mixed well. Unfortunately, the soap cannot be saved, you will have to throw it away and start over.
2. Remove the soap from the mold. A commercially available mold will likely have sides that you can peel off so that the soap comes out easily. If you used a shoebox, you can tip the soap out or cut the sides off. If you used a cake tin, just turn it over.
3. Cut the soap into pieces. Decide how thick you want the pieces to be. About 2-3 cm is standard, but you can do it thicker or thinner if you want. Use a ruler to measure the thickness and mark the soap at equal distances so you know where to cut. To cut the soap you have the following options:
   • Use a sharp knife. Do not use a knife with serrated edges, unless you want the soap to have wavy sides.
   • A dough cutter. This also works well for cutting soap.
   • A cutting wire. Make sure the wire is straight, then you get nice straight pieces.
4. Place the bars of soap side by side to ripen. Place a piece of parchment paper on a plate or shelf and place the soap bars on it. Place it in a cool, dry place and let it mature for at least 2 weeks to a maximum of 9 months. The longer you wait, the better the soap will be; you will get a creamier foam and a better texture.
   • After a few weeks you can start using the soap. When the soap is ready, it is firm and no chemical air can be detected.

Part 4 of 4: Making liquid castile soap

1. Grate 100 grams of Castile soap. This is an average bar of soap. Use a cheese grater or fork to grate it into small pieces. The soap will then dissolve more easily in water.
2. Bring 2 liters of water to the boil. Pour it into a saucepan and put it on high heat. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Combine the soap flakes and water. Pour the water into a large plastic bowl or jug ​​and stir in the soap flakes. Let the mixture sit for a few hours until it thickens. If the soap gets too thick, reheat it and add a little more water. It should have the consistency of shampoo.
4. Pour it into bottles. Put the liquid soap in squeeze bottles and keep it in the kitchen or bathroom. The liquid soap will keep for months at room temperature. Use it to wash your hair and skin, or to clean your clothes, dishes and other things around the house.

Tips

• Experiment with essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus or orange for a wonderful scent.
• If you want to change the texture, hardness or smell of the soap, you can adjust the proportions of the base ingredients a bit. It is always better to start with a little less lye, and then try a little more if the soap doesn't work well, then the other way around.
• With a hand blender, mixing the lye solution and the oil is a lot easier and faster. It should be mixed really well, so give it a good stir.

Warnings

• Be very careful when you put the lye in the water. Rubber gloves, safety glasses and a well-ventilated area are essential.
• Castile soap does not foam as much, but it cleans just as well as soap that does foam a lot.

Necessities

Tools

• Large measuring cup
• Stainless steel pan
• Big scale
• Spatula
• Hand or immersion blender
• Meat thermometer
• Kitchen scales
• Rubber gloves and safety glasses
• Scale
• Baking paper
• Mold

Ingredients

• Lye
• Olive oil
• Palm oil
• Coconut oil
• Essential oil
• Water