Soap making Day!

This beautiful Sunday afternoon finds me sitting down to make a blog post before Monday rolls around and my week gets rolling. 
Sweet hubby and I came home after an early church service to the smell of chili bubbling away in my large Crock pot and a cherry dessert in my smaller one.  I took a quick walk outside in the cheery sunshine before sitting down to a pleasing meal.

Now that we've eaten and cleaned up the kitchen, I wanted to let my blog friends know what I'm going to be up to tomorrow.  It's soap making time!

I gathered up my soap supplies while out and about yesterday and plan to get up early in the morning throw laundry into the washer and then get busy with my soap making.

I usually make my soap the old fashioned way with just lard, lye, and water, but thought I would swap out half of the lard for a blend of coconut, olive, and canola oils this time.  I'm thinking the coconut oil will add a little more lather to my soap.  We'll see.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

I've got to go out to my storage shed in a little while and get my soap making supplies down so that I can get hubby to wrap my soap mold with plastic wrap.  He does such a great job that my soaps come out wrinkle free. 

Just follow this link if you want my step-by-step instructions for making your own homemade soap.


What do you have planned for the week, anything special?
But then every day is special, isn't it?
Hope you have a great new week!

Post for Women Only! ~ Part 1

The title got your attention didn't it? 
I hoped it would.

I've decided to get a little personal with my next few blog posts.

In my quest to do healthy things for my body, I've gradually moved toward using what some people call more natural or some might even call them somewhat Green products. I call them simple, homemade products more like my grandparents used.  It's been purely accidental.  I didn't set out to Go Green, I just love making things and found out that the things I make seem to be better for me than the stuff I buy at the store.  And they're usually a lot cheaper!

Bath Soap

I think making my first batch of homemade lye soap some ten years ago started all of this.

My homemade lye soap

I'm not sure now why I wanted to do it, but I'm so glad I did!
I've used my homemade soap for bathing pretty much exclusively since that first bar and my skin continues to thank me for it.   You can find my step-by-step soap-making instructions here.

Toothpaste

Next, came a make-over with my toothpaste.  After hearing that too much fluoride could be bad for me and taking a look at the ingredients of my toothpaste (sodium lauryl sulfate, saccharin, artificial colors...really !?!), I searched and searched for recipes for a more natural toothpaste.  After experimenting with a few, I finally came up with my own simple solution:

Pure Baking Soda!

Here's how I use it:

Put pure baking soda in a clean spice bottle.  Punch holes in the top.  Sprinkle some in my hand, wet toothbrush, dip into baking soda and brush.  The rest of my family doesn't share my excitement over this simple toothpaste.  They think it tastes nasty, but after about a week I got used to it and now I can't stand the taste of toothpaste.  I've used toothpaste a couple of times when away from home and all the foaming now makes me kind of queasy. 

Note: For people that think baking soda is too abrasive on teeth:  I've asked two dentists and several dental hygienists their opinions about using baking soda for brushing and they've all assured me it's very good for my teeth.  Oh and a bonus, after brushing this way my teeth feel like they were just cleaned at the dentist office.

Deodorant/Antiperspirant

My next personal product to replace was my antiperspirant   I never thought I could give up my sweet-smelling roll on.  After all wasn't that what was keeping me sweet smelling??  But after hearing the scary stories about what possible bad effects aluminum (antiperspirant's active ingredient) could have on the body, I tried switching to a commercial deodorant instead.  But the one I tried wasn't very effective and wasn't natural which meant it still had quite a few chemicals that I wasn't crazy about rubbing under my arms.  So I started searching for a homemade replacement.  After trying several recipes, I became the happiest with a very simple one. It's basically made from two ingredients: baking soda and cornstarch.  You can find my instructions here.

I must admit that there was an adjustment time involved.  During this time I would often (hopefully) discreetly sniff my underarms but didn't find a sweaty smell, just some natural wetness.  I didn't entirely trust my homemade version for the first year I used it though.  Meaning, I carried a bottle of store-bought roll-on antiperspirant with me if I was going away from home for more than one day, such as camping or to an amusement park.  I don't think I ever had to use that roll-on though.

I now dust on my homemade deodorant and boldly march out into the Alabama heat for whatever the day may bring.  I think the biggest test is after a day of gardening in the deep-south humidity, but after a quick sniff, I find it works at least as good as my old Secret.  I now prefer my homemade "secret".    BTW, I use the words antiperspirant/deodorant interchangeably when talking about my homemade version because it is a deodorant and under most circumstances an antiperspirant too.

Note:  This deodorant is also great to dust on any insect bites you might have.  It stops the itching almost immediately!  It's a temporary fix but feels good while it lasts.

Shampoo/Conditioner

Now for the last frontier in my quest to replace my commercial personal cleaning products, I turn to shampoo. ( I've heard some really stinky reports about the toxicity of "regular" shampoos and conditioners to my body.)  I'm still in the experimental stage of this one.  I've tried a few homemade shampoo recipes, including a homemade super-fatted bar shampoo, but haven't been happy with the results. 

I don't know what it is about my shampoo bottle, but I've held onto it with both hands...tightly!!!
But, finger by finger, I'm slowly letting go.  My first step was to switch from the daily use of my  lauryl sulfate-loaded shampoo to using a more "natural" commercial shampoo...every-other-wash.  So far, so good.  I was still shampooing every day, but only using the lauryl sulfate shampoo half of the time.

My next step was to skip a shampoo day here and there.  That was soooo hard for me!  I've shampooed and blow-dried my short hair daily for years and years.  I really didn't think I could skip a day and be presentable so I planned the off-shampoo days to coincide with my stay-at-home days.    Then came the next step: natural shampoo only...AND a BIGGY...skip TWO days of shampooing!  You know what?  My hair likes it!  Not only that, the second day of no-shampooing is now my best hair days!

My next step was to ditch the shampoos altogether and wash my hair with baking soda and follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse.  Uh-oh, back-up!  My hair ended up looking a little lot greasy from this combination. That was a few days ago.

Like I said, I'm still in the experimental stage with the shampoo but here's what I used today (which is the third day since my last shampoo!) and my hair looks better and feels very soft after today's washing.  I put about 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a 16 oz. squeeze-bottle (think catsup bottle), filled it the rest of the way up with warm shower water, wet my hair and squirted on about half of the contents of the bottle.  I then massaged this in just like I would with shampoo. Of course, there's no lather because there's no sulfates.  I rinsed that out and for good measure, squirted the rest of the contents on my head and massaged again paying special attention around my hairline ~ including behind my ears.  Then I rinsed, rinsed, rinsed.

Next, I have an old SoftSoap pump bottle in the shower that's half full of white vinegar.  I picked the bottle up and gave a couple of squirts of the vinegar into just the ends of my hair and worked it through.  I left this in my hair while I finished my shower and then rinsed it out.  (An added bonus: The run-off from these natural products during showering makes my whole body feel cleaner and softer.)

I blotted my hair dry with a towel after getting out of the shower then combed it with a large-toothed comb.  It felt great!  I let my hair air-dry for a while then gave my bangs a couple of squirts of my homemade hair-styling gel (a post for another day), and blow-dried just my bangs for lift. My hair is left feeling soft and healthy.

Here are a few pictures I went outside and snapped myself (not easy to do):

What surprises me most (well, besides all the gray hairs I see in these pictures) is the added wave my hair now has!  My hair has always been pretty much stick-straight with a few unruly twigs sticking out here and there.  But now I seem to have more of a wave going on!

So, the jury's still out on the shampoo deal.  I think I've still got a lot of experimenting to do, but I don't plan on going back to my lauryl sulfate shampoos.  And my "natural" shampoo also has a long list of ingredients with the second being sodium coco-sulfate. I'm not sure what that is and I would prefer ingredients that I could recognize.  So on with my quest!

I predict you are either interested or grossed-out by this post. :)  If you'd like to learn more about alternative ways to shampoo your hair, just Google "no poo."  (I kid you not, that's what it's called, and seems to be a new trend with lots of available information.)

I plan on several more posts of this type (maybe not as long as this one).  BUT, if this is not your cup of tea you might not want to read the others because I'm thinking about posts about my experiments with: homemade feminine-hygiene products, homemade cosmetics, natural health (hormone replacements), cooking from scratch, etc.

So, until next time...

P.S.  If you have any expriences with your homemade self-care products you would like to share, feel free to leave comments here! 


Post linked to:  Whatever You Want Wednesday

Making Soap

I'm so glad you dropped by to join me on my soap making day.  You can visit this post to find my simplified and printable instructions. (You might want to print the instructions out to follow along with while looking at the steps pictured below.) I promised a picture post the next time I made soap, so here it is!

First put on an apron that makes you happy because you'll have it on for several hours. 

Now prepare your soap mold. You can simply line cardboard boxes with plastic wrap allowing the wrap to hang over on every side.  That's what I did the first couple of times I made soap.  Then my sweet hubby made me this mold out of scrap lumber.  It measures 28"  x 10"  x 3 1/2" deep. The mold is put together with screws which makes it much easier when it's time to get the soap out.  The night before my soap making day, Neil covers each piece of the mold with plastic wrap.  He pulls the plastic tight and tapes it on before screwing the mold back together.  In fact, he has it on so tight that it looks like glass.  This will assure wrinkle-free bars of soap.  My first two batches had wrinkles because I just lined cardboard boxes with the plastic, and believe me I was not the perfectionist Neil is.

The next step is to gather your supplies. (Check your printed out recipe for the ingredients and needed supplies.)

Don your long sleeves and rubber gloves.  Put 7 cups of cold water into the glass jug and carry it, a wooden spoon, a spoon rest, and the container of lye outside (because of the fumes).  Set it up in a place that is away from children and animals.  I don't have to worry about little Maggie (below) bothering mine.  She runs at the first hint of a chemical smell.  (I found that out the first time I went outside with nail polish remover. :)  However, I still put the jug on a high table out of her reach.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the water while slowly adding the lye.  Make sure you stir all the way to the bottom of the jug or the lye will clump there.  Stir until the lye is dissolved. Note: The chemical reaction causes the water to heat up to almost the boiling point when the two are combined!

Now for the tricky part, the temperature of the lye water and melted lard need to be brought to between 96 and 98 degrees at the same time before combining the two.

I used an old-fashioned candy thermometer for my first batch of soap, but this is the type of thermometer I use now.  It's an instant-read type and is so much faster.  I have two, one for the lye water and one to use when testing the lard.  Neil had the bright idea to loop a stiff wire over the shank of the thermometer so it will hang over the rim of the jar.

At this point I hook the thermometer in place and cover the jug with a paper towel and rubber band (just to make sure no dust falls into it).  I like to make my soap in cooler weather so that the lye will cool off faster, speeding up the soap making process considerably.  I run out and check the temp of the water and stir it every 15 minutes. The outdoor temperature at this time is 38 degrees and the water is cooling off 10 degrees every 15 minutes.

When the lye water is down to around 110 degrees I put the lard in the stainless steel pot on the stove and melt on low heat. (The lard will cool down much faster than the lye water.) 

While the lard is melting I bring the lye water inside. The smelly fumes of the lye are almost gone now. The water is at the right temperature so I put the pot of lard into a sink of ice and water to speed up the cooling off process.
 

When the lye water and lard are both at the right temperatures I pour the water into a plastic pitcher. It's much easier (and safer) to pour the water from a handled pitcher than it is from a slippery glass jug. Carefully pour the lye mixture into the lard (pour in a steady stream) while stirring constantly with your wooden spoon. 

This is what the mixture looks like at this point.

This is where you get to put your patience into practice.  Stir the mixture constantly for 15 minutes, then stir the soap every 15 minutes until it thickens and traces. Tracing is when you let a few drops of the soap fall from your spoon back into the pot and it stays on top a few seconds before sinking in (see picture below).  The mixture will be about the consistency of cake batter at this point.  It could take several hours to get there.  I stirred this particular batch at 15 minute intervals for 1 1/2 hours before it traced.  Each batch seems to be different though.  Don't pour your soap into the mold too early or it won't get firm! Don't ask me how I know that. :)  Essential oils may be added at this point if you want scented soap.

Now pour the soap into your prepared mold(s).

Cover with cardboard and several towels.  (I also threw a rug over the top of the towels.)  Leave until the next day.

Now, go clean up that messy kitchen! Still wearing your rubber gloves, carefully wash all utensils in hot, soapy water.  I label all my soap making supplies and keep them only for that use because of the lye usage.

Soap may be hard enough to cut into bars in 24 hours.  If not, wait another day.  Unmold the soap. If you used a plastic wrapped cardboard box, lay a clean board or stiff piece of cardboard over the mold and flip over. (Make sure your soap is firm first though.)  Then remove the box and peel off the plastic.  Neil just removes the screws from my mold and takes the sides off leaving the bottom of the mold in place.

Using a sharp knife, we cut our soap into 42 bars, each bar measuring 3 1/2" x 2" .  The soap will still be a little soft at this point, so the less you touch it, the better.

I leave the soap on its base until it's hardened, then I let it air-dry at least three weeks before using.

And there you have it!  Beautiful bars of pure white soap that are so very mild to your skin.  

I know it sounds complicated, but it gets easier with each batch you make.  I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have about my soap making process.  Just leave them in the comment section and I'll get back with you soon.  Thanks for stopping by!  ~ Sherry

This post is linked to:  Show and Tell Friday, Frugal Friday, DIY Showoff, Life Made Lovely, Take-a-Look Tuesday

First Blog Year in Review

My blog was born on January 2, 2010, and what a wonderful first year it has been for me!  I've made many new friends and had the privilege of visiting  many of your homes through your posts.  I'm so honored that you have taken the time to come by my place today to take a peek at my simple life.  Please come often, stay awhile, and leave me a comment.  I look forward to spending more special time with you this next year.  Love you all! ~ Sherry

P.S.  And last of all, this is the link to my very favorite post of the year.

This post is linked to Show and Tell Friday, Pink Saturday

My Soap Recipe

Here is my Lye Soap recipe for everyone that has been so sweet to ask.

Ingredients:

8 pounds lard
18 oz can lye
7 cups water

1. Put 7 cups of cold water (70-75 degrees) into a gallon glass jug. Using a wooden spoon, stir the water while slowly adding the lye. Stir until lye is dissolved. (Do this outside because of the fumes.)

2. Melt lard in a large stainless steel pot.

3. Allow the lard and lye mixture to cool to 96-98 degrees. (The lard will cool faster than the lye mixture.) Carefully pour the lye mixture into the lard (pour in a steady stream) while stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Stir the soap constantly for the first 15 minutes, then stir the soap every 15 minutes until it thickens and traces (could take several hours). Optional: Add scents now.

Tests for tracing:
* Drip some soap onto the surface of the soap in pot. It should leave a small
mound.
* Draw a line in the soap with the spoon. If a trace of the line remains a few
seconds, it has traced.

4. Pour soap into molds. Cover the molds with cardboard, then put several towels over that. Leave until next day. Soap should be hard enough to cut in 24 hours, if not, wait another day.

5. Unmold and cut soap into bars. Let soap air-dry at least 3 weeks before using. Then, lather up and enjoy!



Safety precautions: Do not make this with small children around. Stir your lye mixture up outside because of the fumes. Wear long sleeves and rubber gloves when working with the lye.

Notes: These are the simplified instructions I have written up for myself after much reading and searching the internet and books and after talking to experienced soap makers. Please do your own internet search for safety precautions before making this soap. Here is a link to a site with very basic instructions. Lye is a chemical and heats up almost to the boiling point when touching any type of moisture. It is safe when made into soap because it is neutralized by the fat.

Edited to add: I buy the lard in 4 pound tubs at my local Save-a-Lot grocery store and I buy the lye (Sodium Hydroxide) at Lowes Home Improvement Center or the local hardware store. Make sure the lye is 100% Sodium Hydroxide with no other added ingredients. It's found in the drain cleaner aisle. Here is a link to the brand I buy at Lowes.

Pink Saturday

Just the word, homemade, gives me a warm feeling inside. To me, homemade is synonymous with love. Thus, my never-ending quest to find more and more things that I can make myself...at home. Take my soap for instance...



... I have been making it for quite a few years now and use it exclusively for my face and body soap. My children have grown up using it. My oldest son even took some with him when he went off to college. I love using it because it has no dyes, perfumes or artificial additives. I make it from three simple ingredients; lye, lard, and water. And in the process, glycerin is naturally created and remains in my soap. Glycerin is a great healer for skin problems, but it is removed from most store-bought soaps and sold as a separate product.

I did a lot of research and had a few failures before being rewarded with a beautiful batch of homemade soap. But after having pooled info from many books, websites, and talks with my Aunt Edith, I feel like I have my craft down to an art. I have written up the instructions step-by-step so that I won't forget what to do. In fact, the last time soap was made at my home, my sweet Neil took a day off from work and made it using my instructions. He hadn't been around home when we made it and I think he just wanted to see what it was like. So, while homeschooling was going on inside, he was outside stirring up the lye. He was able to follow my five easy handwritten steps and came out with the beautiful soap you see in my picture above.

I know this may seem crazy to some, but maybe interesting to a few? Let me know if you want me to and I'll make a post with my scaled down, tried-and-true directions for Sherry's Homemade Lye Soap. Want to try a bar before making up a batch? If you have a Cracker Barrel restaurant near you, go into their country store and they sell lye soap that looks and smells just like mine. I was amazed that they sell it for $5.99 a bar! I make 42 bars for less than $10.

I am so excited! I have met a new friend and fellow-soap maker this week. She has a brand-new blog called Gerry's Soap N Stuff, and it is just beautiful! Hope you can go by and visit her and tell her that Sherry @ A Happy Valentine sent you, won't you please?

And while you're out visiting, please drop by Beverly's place and tell her how happy she makes us all with her hosting talents for our Pink Saturday.