Basic White Hand Bar Soap:
1 cup Cold water
2 Tablespoons pure lye crystals
1 cup lard
Supplies:
Two 1-quart lye-proof cooking pots (stainless steel, stoneware, or enameled cast iron)
rubber work gloves
goggles, safety glasses, or face shield
face mask
1 cup white vinegar (used as safety precaution only)
stainless steel or wooden spoon
dairy, meat, or candy thermometer
hand eggbeater
flexible plastic soap molds, such as margarine tubs or cardboard or wooden boxes lined with plastic wrap.
BE SAFE. Lye is very caustic it can destroy skin by chemical action. Handle it very carefully.
This is a basic, pure bar of soap. Adding oils, coloring, or scents makes it richer, prettier. or more fragrant.
Place water in a lye-proof pot. Put on rubber gloves and other safety gear. Have the vinegar handy. Very slowly add lye crystals to water, constantly stirring until lye is dissolved. As lye is added to water, the water temperature will rise to around 150 degrees F. Place the thermometer in the water and allow it to cool to 95 to 98 F.
As the water is cooling, slowly heat rendered fat in a lye-proof pot until iL reaches 95 to 98 F. When both lye and fat are in the same 95 to 98 F temperature range, slowly pour lye into fat, stirring constantly until well-mixed. Beat mixture very. gently with the eggbeater to the consistency of thick honey. Avoid splashing.
Pour the mixture into, molds. Cover with a blanket and set aside to dry for 24 hours, well away from children or pets. After 24 hours, carefully turn the soap out of the molds and leave in a dark, airy place for at least two weeks. A fine white powder may appear on the surface when the soap is a few days old. This is sodium carbonate. Wash it away when the soap is mature; it tends to make the skin dry.
Note: Lye is crystalline sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide It is usually sold in the drain cleaner section of supermarkets and hardware stores Buy pure lye crystals or flakes. not lye sold as a liquid drain cleaner. Red devil is the most common brand available.
Recipe By: Linda
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