Method of Construction

Constructed by: Jean Kahler and Alena Shumway

This soap is made from olive oil, lye and water. Lye is commonly packaged in powdered form for unclogging drains and is available at most hardware stores. It is extremely caustic and must be handled carefully with thick rubber gloves. The lye is added to water, and gets hot quickly due to the chemical reaction between the two. Then the oil is heated and added to the lye-and-water mixture and stirred. The mixture is poured into a large pan and allowed to cool and set for several days, and it must be stirred every twelve hours for the first day or two. Then it is cut into bars, but it will be too caustic to use for another three weeks.


Sources, Resources and Links

Soap: http://www.angelfire.com/pages/soap1214/index.html

Soapmaking: http://www.lysator.liu.se/ftp/pub/religion/neopagan/herbs/uses/soap/soapmaking




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