Fresh and Clean

We made soap.

First assemble all your ingredients.
Obtain a blender dedicated for only this task.  Pick up a cheap one.  It doesn't have to be fancy just good at combining the ingredients.

Next put on your protective eyewear (please be sure to do this.  You will be working with lye and a tiny splash can get into your eyes).

Prepare your lye and water mixture and set aside until the temperature lowers to the level required by the below recipe.

Prepare a well ventilated work space:
Lay down newspapers or paper towling.
Prepare your molds.  This must be done before you blend your ingredients together.
Set out kitchen scale.
Wear rubber gloves and goggles.
Three 2-3 cup containers (I use glass bowls)
One large, 4 cup bowl.
Blender
Candy thermometer
2 rubber spatulas
oils
lye
goats milk
distilled water

Prepare your mold:
Line a box the size of a child or women's shoe box with wax paper (the wax side toward the soap and the unwaxed side against the cardboard shoe box).  Here's a link to a YouTube tutorial on lining the box.

Measure Liquids:
1 5/8 oz goats milk
4 oz. distilled water
Pour water into large dish (I use a 10 oz. coffee mug) and place thermometer on the side with bulb end in fluid.
Add 2 1/4 oz. of 100% lye (THIS IS VERY CAUSTIC AND YOU MUST WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.  DO NOT put your nose or eyes near it for a curious sniff to "see" what it smell like.  It will burn your nose.)
CAREFULLY pour the lye (powder form) into the distilled water which is in the mug with the thermometer.

The temperature will rise quickly.  Caustic and very strong fumes will be emitted.  Stir the mixture until the lye crystals are dissolved and then WAIT FOR THE TEMPERATURE to lower between 110 degrees and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir occasionally while lye is cooling.

Next, Measure your oils and pour into your blender:
6 oz. Coconut Oil (if needed melt in the microwave so that you have a liquid)
5 1/4 oz. Olive Oil
3 3/4 oz. Almond Oil
Blend together for 10 seconds.

Add essential oils and herbs or exfoliating ingredients like coarse salt, coarse sugar, ground herbs like basil, etc.  Be very careful as some ingredients like poppy seeds, coffee beans, etc. will clog septic and sewage systems.

Alternative #1.  Kitchen bar:  add 1 1/2 T. grapeseed oil, 1 T. finely ground coffee, 1/2 t. cloves.
 Alternative #2. 1 1/2 T. apricot kernel oil, 1 T. ground lavendar, 2 t. lavendar oil
Alternative # 3.  1 1/2 T. lemon basil essential oil, 1 T. ground basil
Alternative # 4  1 T. essential lemon oil, 1/2 T. eucalyptus oil

You get the idea...mix and match essential oils to your liking.  We get our essential oils here and for more exotic oils like agar, bergamot, basil, calendula, and others try buying  here.

In the blender, combine  your essential oils into your olive oil/coconut oil mixture for another 10 seconds.

NEXT--CAREFULLY ADD COOLED LYE MIXTURE.  Blend for one minute.

Add the goats milk and continue blending until the mixture comes to a trace (the consistency of thickened pudding).

Pour into your prepared shoe box mold.  Cover with the lid or an old towel and leave undisturbed for 24 hours.  After 24 hours pull the block of soap out of the mold and cut into bars.

Dry your soap by placing them on a mesh mat or rack out of direct sunlight and in low humidity conditions for 30 days.  After 30 days they are ready to use!  Enjoy!

I'm purely speculating but I think these moisturizing bars will keep us fresh and clean.