Project by Sue Harris from Phoenix, Ariz.
Sue has suffered from dry cracked hands for several years. After visiting dermatologists, who prescribed creams and gloves, she decided to take matters into her own hands and try making soap instead of using the common store-bought variety. She now makes soap with chaparral, or desert sage, from her own backyard.
Materials for the infusion process:
clippings from the chaparral bush (approximately 2 oz.)
jojoba oil (approximately 6 oz.)
heavy pot to put the oil and clippings in
heat diffuser, if available
large jar for infusing
funnel and cheesecloth or coffee filter
Steps for the infusion process:
- Clip a couple ounces of chaparral.
- Wash the clippings well. Chaparral is an oily plant, so it will be quite dusty.
- Dry the clippings thoroughly (using a salad spinner helps). If time permits, place clippings in a paper bag and let it sit for a day to dry completely.
- Put chaparral into a heavy pot and cover with about 20 ounces of jojoba oil.
- If there is a heat diffuser available to place between the burner and the pot, use it. If not, just watch the pot carefully. Use a very low flame (or heat setting if using an electric stove).
- Set the pot on the stove and let the oil/chaparral warm up nicely. Do not let it boil.
- Keep the oil warm like that for an hour or so.
- Transfer the chaparral to a large glass jar, and pour the oil on top. Cover tightly and let sit for several weeks.
- Pour the now-infused oil through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean jar.
Ingredients for the soap itself:
6.38 oz. chaparral-infused jojoba oil
3.82 oz. almond oil
4.25 oz. castor oil
14.02 oz. coconut oil
17 oz. olive oil
10.62 oz. palm oil
10.62 oz. palm kernel oil
10.62 oz. rice-bran oil
3.82 oz. cocoa butter
3.82 oz. shea butter
4.48 oz. aloe-vera juice
27.20 oz. water
ice cubes
sodium hydroxide (lye)--approximately 11.4 oz. for a total of 85 oz. of oils
0.32 oz. sodium lactate
fragrance
mica, for colorant
vitamin E
vinegar, for wiping down the countertops afterward
Steps for making the soap:
- Line the wooden mold with the Mylar strips. It helps to spread a bit of petroleum jelly inside the mold to keep the Mylar in place.
- Line up the ingredients on the counter.
- Put a few ice cubes and about half the water you will be needing into the pitcher.
- Add the sodium lactate.
- Put the pitcher into the sink.
- Weigh out the lye, and add it to the pitcher in the sink. Stir until thoroughly dissolved.
- Weigh out the aloe-vera juice and set aside.
- Weigh out the liquid oils and put them into the pot. Reserve a bit of the castor oil, and add it to the pitcher containing the fragrance. The castor will help the fragrance "stick." It is helpful to use a pad and pencil during the measuring of the oils. Write down each type of oil as it is added, then when finished, check that against the recipe to make sure no ingredient has been forgotten.
- Remove a bit of the liquid oils and put in a small glass pitcher. Add the mica and stir well.
- Weigh out the hard oils (except the shea butter) into the big glass pitcher, and melt in microwave.
- When the hard oils are all melted, add the shea butter and let it melt from the heat of the surrounding oils.
- Combine melted hard oils with liquid oils in pot.
- Add the vitamin E.
- Stir well with immersion blender.
- Check the temperature of the lye. If it is still pretty hot, add the additional water in the form of ice cubes. If it's cooled off enough, just add water.
- Slowly pour the lye water into the melted oils, stirring and stickblending all the while.
- When the lye water is all combined, add the aloe juice.
- Scoop out about a half-cup of the soap and put it into the mica-oil mixture. Whisk together well.
- Pour back into the soap pot.
- Whisk together the castor/fragrance oils and slowly add them to the soap, stirring by hand at first.
- When soap has come "to trace," pour it into the mold. Bang the mold on the counter to release any air bubbles that might have formed.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and wrap in towels.
- Wipe down the countertop and floor with vinegar to neutralize any lye or raw soap that may have splashed a bit.
- Leave the soap for about 24 hours.
Equipment supplies:
pad of paper and a pencil
goggles or safety glasses
rubber gloves
wooden molds, lined with cut-to-fit quilter's Mylar
immersion blender
scale
large stainless-steel pot
various glass or plastic pitchers
mini wire whisks
large plastic pitcher for the lye water
stainless-steel spoon for stirring the lye water
spatula
towels
plastic wrap
soap cutter
potato peeler
soap stamps
alcohol and old socks for polishing cured soap
hemp twine and some kind of complementary silk leaves (or other little artificial greenery for packaging)
Steps for unmolding, cutting:
- Remove the Mylar-covered soap log from the mold. It may have to be loosened slightly with a thin spatula.
- Remove the Mylar strips, and cut into slices.
- Gently bevel the edges with a potato peeler. Beveled soap just feels nicer in your hand.
- Let dry on a rack for about a day before stamping.
Steps for stamping and wrapping:
- Pour a bit of mica onto a piece of wax paper.
- Dip the soap stamp into the mica and then press it gently onto the soap.
- Let soap cure and harden for about four weeks.
- Polish up the soap bars with an old clean sock moistened with a bit of alcohol.
- Tie some hemp twine around the finished bar, with a bit of greenery and a hang-tag.
Website: www.littlemamaproducts.com
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