Avalon Soapworks

Coloring Soap Naturally Using Common Ingredients

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:37:00 +0000

I am a purist at heart. I make soap because I do not like all the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives that are in store bought soap. So, why I ask myself would I consider using chemicals to dye my soap? Well, the easy answer is its pretty. I do not usually use any colors at all, but I do get tired of the tans, creams, and browns that occur naturally. They are beautiful but sometimes the girl in me would like a bit more color in my life. So I set out to find natural colors. I found that many of the natural colorants were hard to find and expensive. So I did a lot of research and experimentation and found that the stuff I had in my kitchen would work just fine. Some things you might not have around, but it is easy to find and cheap. Here is the list I put together.

Greens

Alfalfa Powder

Cucumber (Blend it including peel)

Parsley

Peppermint

Sage

Spinach

Stevia Powder

Yellows

Annatto Seed

Calendula Petals

Carrot Juice

Curry Powder

Gound Mustard

Tumeric

Oranges

Cayenne

Orange Peel

Paprika

Tomato Puree

Browns

Cinnamon

Coffee

Cocoa

Chocolate

Purple/Blue

Alkanet

Blackberries

Red/Pink

Rose Hip Powder

Soapmaking Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:44:00 +0000

Soap making can be pretty intimidating when you are first starting out. All the measuring of ingredients and the scary warnings on the bottle of lye can be really terrifying. I recommend that you start out taking a beginning class somewhere.

Online Classes

1).Soap Making 101
Learn the foundations of soap making online with this class. Good for those of you who feel comfortable learning online. Its affordable too.

2) Nature's Garden Candles offers a soap making class for free. Maybe not as comprehensive as some of the more formal classes, but it is pretty good. A great beginner class for those of you who would like to try it out for free. They also offer a large selection of classes on other similar subjects, such as. candle making, bath bombs, and shampoo.

Spokane, Wa soapmaking classes

1) Greencastle Soap Company is owned by a very nice lady here in Spokane. She teaches classes on soapmaking. The cost is $55. She also sells soapmaking supplies.

Top 5 places to find Sodium Hyroxide (Lye) for Soap Making

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:22:00 +0000

When I first started making soap it was easy to find lye. The little Red Devil can was sitting next to all the other drain cleaners in the grocery store. Twelve years later it isn't quite as easy to find. Stores no longer carry it and buying it from the internet often requires confusing hazmat fees. So here are a few places I have found Sodium Hydroxide (lye) at decent prices.

1) Lowe's carries Roebic Drain Cleaner it is 2lb and costs $13.60 at my local Lowe's in Spokane, Wa

2) The General Store in Spokane, Wa carries 1lb containers for around $5.00, but that is only good if you live near me. Check out your local feed, automotive, or general type stores, just make sure it is 100% sodium hydroxide.

3)The Chemistry Store carries sodium hydroxide in 2lb ($10.00), 25lb ($72.00), and 55lb ($105.40) containers. The shipping is pretty high depending on where you live. Shipping to me would cost around $15 for the 2lb container, and $60 for the 55lb container.

4)The Essential Depot sells lye 8lbs for $12.49. This lye is food grade and one of the best prices I have seen. Where I live the shipping would be $ 13.04.

5.Amazon.com offers the best prices I have found online. They have a wide variety of lye including Red Devil and Essential Depot. They have food grade as well. The prices range from $4 for one lb to $95 for 50lb.

Time4Learning Review

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:51:00 +0000

    I will admit that I decided to write this review because they gave me a free month for promising to write it. I have searched all over for a good online curriculum for my Kindergartener who refuses to read. When this opportunity came up I had to give it a try.. So try it we did, me enthusiastically; and her kicking and screaming. She became a bit more cooperative when she found out that it looked sort of like a game.

     The truth is their are good and bad aspects to this program. We (both me and my uncooperative child) really liked the characters and the game like aspect. I liked that even though she was reluctant to try it, she did actually begin to read better and have more confidence in her abilities. She even looked forward to doing it each day. I was not really fond of the lack of direction. I thought it was unclear how much work was expected, and I thought maybe she needed to read the story more than twice. I also thought that the putting the picture on the story thing was kind of boring and so did she. The printing of the resource pages also seemed a bit confusing, and at first I did not even know I was supposed to print them; but when we started using them I did find them useful.
   My daughter really enjoyed the math section. She thought is was a just like a game, and begged to do more every day. I think that she learned the material easily and had fun doing it. I would highly recommend the math portion.
     All in all I think it is a good value for the money and did a very good job of keeping my child interested. I have home schooled for 10 years and this is the first online program I have found that is of any use at all. I would highly recommend this program to anyone with limited time and reluctant students. We will definitely be subscribing, and my kindergartener will be reading better soon.

Grandma's Lye Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:30:00 +0000

I think that maybe I should have called this soap Not Grandma's Lye Soap. This soap is definitely an improvement over the lye heavy soap that Grandma used to make. In the past making soap was a kind of guessing game. It was almost impossible to know what your lye concentration was, so the soaps often turned out with a bit too much. Everyone has heard the stories about how Grandma's homemade soap took your skin off. Today we have modern scientific methods of measuring lye, so our soaps are very accurate. This soap is made with 100% lard. I hesitated for a long time to try animal fats in my soaps, but I love it. It makes a very hard, white bar of soap that lathers very well. This soap also lasts a long time because it is so hard.

So give a bar of gentle and creamy Grandma's Lye Soap a try today.

The First And Easiest Cold Processed Soap I Ever Made

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:26:00 +0000

The first soap that anyone should attempt to create should be simple. It should have very few ingredients, and those ingredients should be as inexpensive as possible. Soap making is a science, measuring accurately and following a recipe is foolproof. Well, not really foolproof. Soap making may be a science, but it is also an art. It took me a few tries to perfect even this simple recipe. So if you are interested in soap making try this recipe. It is the first soap I ever made.

Basic Soap
48oz Crisco or other vegetable shortening
6oz Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs. (Buy 5 get 5 off)
15oz distilled water

Create using standard cold process procedure.
1) Melt the shortening and cool to 100 degrees
2) Mix the lye into the cold water then cool to 100 degrees
3) Mix the lye solution into the oil and mix with stick blender until "trace", it will look similar to pudding.
4) Pour into mold and cover. Wait 24 hours.
5) You should be able to unmold and cut your soap at this point.

** You could use fragrance oil in this soap at the rate of 1/2 oz per pound.
***This recipe makes great laundry soap bars. Just follow my instructions on making laundry soap.

5 Basic Soap Making Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:10:00 +0000

One of the questions that people ask me about soap making the most often is, "What do I need to get started?". So I though I would put together a list of items that are both easily found and affordable.

I have read many articles and books on soap making in the many years I have been making soap. Most of the time there is a exhaustive list of hard to find, not to mention expensive equipment to purchase. This list is not meant to provide all the equipment you would need to start a soap making business. It is just a very basic list for those of you who would like to try soap making without a big initial investment.

1)A Stick Blender: Also called an immersion blender, this tool is absolutely necessary for soap making. When I started out in the soap making business I didn't know about stick blenders, as a result I spent many hours stirring a pot of soap waiting for the elusive "trace" I had read so much about. What all those articles and books never told me about "trace" was that it would happen 2 hours faster if I used a stick blender. Seriously, you can reach "trace" (the point when the soap looks similar to pudding and is ready for the mold) in a mere 5 minutes, as opposed to the 2 hours it might take with a spoon or wisk. Getting a good stick blender is important. I had a Braun stick blender that I used for many many years, until one day it up and died on me. I went and bought a new one, it wasn't a really expensive one, and it didn't work at all. I could have stirred faster. I then I broke down and bought a much more expensive one that is similar to my Braun the KitchenAid KHB100WH Immersion Hand Blender, White. It is a bit pricey but it works great. The other great option for finding a decent stick blender is to check out thrift stores. Stick blenders are one of those items that are really valuable to soap makers, but not so valuable to everyone else.

2) An Instant Read Thermometer: A good waterproof instant read thermometer is essential. You need to be able to make sure your lye solution and your oil is at the same temperature. The ideal thermometer should be able to read up to at least 250 degrees, be easily cleaned, and easy to read. I started out with the dial kind instead of the digital, but I am too old now to see those small numbers. I recommend that you have two of these instant read digital thermometers. It is possible to make soap with one thermometer, but it sure is easier with two. The one I use is the Taylor 9842 Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer. It is easy to use, waterproof, and inexpensive.

3)A Good Digital Scale: The most important thing in soap making is measuring accurately. Get a good scale you will not regret it. Once again digital is way easier to read for these old eyes, but if you can read those little lines then the other kind of scale is fine. I think the best digital scale for the money is Digiweigh 600 x 0.1 Gram/g Digital Pocket Scale for home Candle/Soap Making Lab Set. Once again, you might find a great deal at a garage sale or a thrift store.

4)A Stainless Steel Stock Pot It is really important that this pot is staineless steal, aluminum will not workout. The pot also needs to be large enough to hold your water and oils combined. I have used many different pots for making soap. Most of the time I use my big stock pot from my kitchen, it works, and yes you can still use it for food. Just wash your pot really well before using it for food again. You can look for old pots at garage sales, just make sure they are not aluminum.

5)A Mold: When you are done making your soap you will need a mold to put it in. I have used everything from Pringles cans and pvc, to shoeboxes. I have also used candy molds, individual soap molds made out of plastic, and wooden loaf soap molds. I use a large wooden soap mold now, but to start out you might want something less expensive. I have found that the new silicon bakeware works pretty well. This one Smartware Silicone Loaf Pan Includes Storage Lid, Terracotta is pretty good, and even comes with a cover.

Except for a few items that you should already have around your kitchen, and of course the lye and oils, these five items are all you need to start you soap making adventure. I hope you enjoy it s much as I do. Happy Soaping.

Birthdays, Holidays, Soap, Sick Kids, and Homeschooling

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:51:00 +0000

I just realized I have not posted to this blog in a very long time. It seems that I lost track of time. I don't know how I could have manged that. I spent most of the weeks leading up to Christmas desperately trying to fill orders, plan birthday parties, buy presents, cook food, prepare for a week long trip to visit my family on the other side of the state, and take care of whole bunch of sick kids. Murphy's Law is always lurking in our house. I survived December, but succumbed to illness myself while visiting my family (sorry for the unintended present). We finally drug our exhausted, sick, and fed up with the holidays selves through our door, and collapsed. We only got to collapse for about 10 hours, then the kids had to be at school. Back into the swing of things, full tilt. Homeschool, school, work, clean, cook, and repeat. Needless to say the two little ones are both sick again. I did manage to make some soap and will post pictures soon. Someday I will have time to make more, I think.

Time 4 Learning Review

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:23:00 +0000

I've been invited to try Time4Learning's online education program for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience! Find out how to write your own curriculum review.

20% Off Handmade Soap Holiday Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Get all Handmade Soaps Olive Oil, Lard, and Goats Milk,20% off our already low prices. Handmade soap for under $2.00 a bar. Use code MERRY CHRISTMAS at checkout.

www.avalonsoapworks.blogspot.com

Cyber Monday Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:21:00 +0000

I know Cyber Monday is a bit off topic for a soap blog, but the deals out there are so good this year that I wanted to share a few items with you. Amazon.com has some of the best Cyber Monday deals. They have a great deal on a Kitchen Aide mixer I wish I was getting for Christmas.
Shop Amazon's Cyber Monday Week

Another great site is Alice.com
http://www.alice.com/referral/7B8B15

Yes, I do get paid for referring you to these locations, but they are truly great sites with some amazing Cyber Monday deals. So please check them out.

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How to make (or How to not make) Goatsmilk Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:50:00 +0000

I made my first batch of goat milk soap the other night. I figured after 11 years of soap making I cold handle it . I froze my goats milk into a slush and then added the lye slowly. I got a great creamy color, not orange or burned. I thought, success! I did it. I couldn't wait to run down the stairs the next morning and find out how awesome my soap had turned out. Much to my surprise I was not greeted with beautiful creamy hard soap logs. I was instead staring at a log of soap that had a great tan color but was covered in a thick film of oil. The last thing a soap maker wants to see is a puddle of oil on top of the soap they so lovingly put to bed the night before. It could have been many things, it might have taken too long to trace and lost too much heat (when I went to mix my lye and oil I discovered that my stick blender had quit working) sometimes hand stirring will do that, especially with olive oil. It could have been my scale (it is really really old and may not be working so well). The soap could have gotten too hot, or maybe not hot enough while in the mold. It is so hard to figure out sometimes. So I decided to rebatch, if i have to do this I would much rather do it with "young" soap. So I got out the crock pot and unmolded the spongy oily mess into it. I reran my recipe and decided to add .25 oz of lye, so I mixed the lye with a little cold water. Using a potato masher I mashed the soap with the lye. It is heating now. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I will let you know how it turns out and post pictures tomorrow.
The Complete Guide to Creating Oils, Soaps, Creams, and Herbal Gels for Your Mind and Body: 101 Natural Body Care Recipes (Back-To-Basics)

Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs. (Buy 5 get $15 off)

Soaper's Delight Organic Coconut Oil, 2 Gallon

The Essential Guide To Soap Making For Beginners

Genco Pomace Olive Oil - 1 Gallon

Making Natural Liquid Soaps: Herbal Shower Gels / Conditioning Shampoos / Moisturizing Hand Soaps

Coming Soon: New All Natural Products!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:16:00 +0000

I have become increasingly aware of how much I don't want my own family to use products containing artificial fragrances or preservatives. These artificial fragrances and preservatives can be incredibly dangerous to our health.
So from now on we will be making all of our products 100% natural. I will be expanding my products to include milk soaps, such as goat milk and coconut milk soaps, as well as a number of new soapy creations. I am looking forward to creating some new items! Look for them soon, and don't forget to follow our progress on the blog.

New Website

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Imagine my surprise when I discovered the other day that my website was no longer working. Surely this had to be a mistake. Right? I could not of made a mistake so great that my entire website would just disappear. Right? Wrong! I did it. I forgot to renew my hosting. I have had this website for 9 years and this is the first time this has ever happened. So, after unsuccessfully attempting to retrieve my old site, I decided that this is the time to tackle the total overhaul of my website. I created a temporary new homepage and will be starting to work on the permanent site.

I hope that you will check out the new site and bear with me as I work on it in my "spare" time. Whatever "spare" time is when you have 6 kids, homeschool and run 2 home businesses.
Anyway, check it out. Tell me if you like it.
www.avalonsoapworks.com

Soap Making Kit
Proctor Silex 59735 Immersion Hand Blender, White
Soaper's Delight Organic Coconut Oil, 1 Gallon buckets

How to make votive candles using metal molds and wick pins

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:34:00 +0000

Making your own votive candles is great fun. It can however become quite frustrating if you do not know what you are doing. Many people think it is as easy as just melting the wax and pouring it into the mold, letting it harden and there you go. It is not that easy at all, unless you do not care what the finished product looks like. Most of us want our finished product to be as beautiful as it smells.

The easiest way to make votives of any sort is to use a metal mold and wick pin. The wick pin eliminates the need for setting a wick and keeping it in place while the candle hardens.

1) Set out your molds on a sheet of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil makes clean up simple.

2) Place your wick pins inside the mold.

3) Place small pieces of wax into an old double boiler, a melting pot, or a coffee can. You will need approximately 2 oz of wax per votive.

4) Place the container you are using to melt your wax into a larger pot that contains water. Heat on the stove until the wax melts and reaches about 200 degrees for paraffin wax, and about 160 degrees for soy wax.

5) Remove the wax from the heat and add color and fragrance. You should add about 1oz of fragrance per pound of wax. Stir this thoroughly.

6) Use a hair dryer to heat your molds. Heating your molds will help your wax to cool more evenly.

7) Pour wax into mold until it is about 1/4 inch from the top.

8) Allow the wax to harden for about 30 minutes.

9) Reheat your remaining wax. You should have some left over from your first pour. This wax should once again reach 200 degrees.

10) Pour the remaining wax onto the tops of the candles. Be careful to get out the air bubbles by taping the sides carefully. This step will create a smooth top with no dip near the wick.

11) Allow to harden until completely cool.

12) Remove from mold by tapping gently and pulling on the wick pin.

13) Remove wick pin and insert pre-tabbed wick into hole.

14) Candles should cure for at least 24 hours before you burn them.

15) Burn and enjoy the beautiful and great smelling candles you made all by yourself.

Soy Candle Making Kit: Learn how easy and fun it is to make soy container candles.

Last Day For Our Big Fall Sale!!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Don't miss out on the last day for 25% off of everything, and free shipping on orders over $15!!
www.avalonsoapworks.com

www.avalonsoapworks.artfire.com

How to make Body Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 22:13:00 +0000

Body Frosting is an exceptional moisturizer. It is made with nothing but a great natural butter, such as Shea Butter, mixed with a light vegetable oil like sweet almond oil. Body Frosting got its name because it looks much like a fresh batch of fluffy white frosting. You probably shouldn't eat it, but it definitely looks like you could.

The butters in the Body Frosting melt on contact with your skin and absorb almost instantly. Leaving your skin feeling moisturized, but never greasy. It is great for use on very dry areas like knees, elbows, cracked hands, and feet. It is also great for people with conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It is great for stretch marks and has been used for diaper rash. Some people with very dry skin even like it on there face. This is definitely a versatile moisturizer.

The easiest recipe I have found is simply 60% Shea Butter and 40% Sweet Almond oil, a vitamin E capsule, and a pinch of cornstarch. These ingredients all have antioxidant properties that will heal and repair even the driest cracked skin. The cornstarch serves to make sure that the feel is not greasy at all. Simply weigh out your Shea Butter in a deep microwave safe container. To make 10oz of frosting you will use 6oz of Shea Butter and 4 oz of sweet almond oil.Melt the Shea Butter in the microwave just until it starts to get soft, do not melt completely. If the Shea Butter gets too hot it can feel grainy. Add 4oz of Sweet almond oil, the vitamin E and cornstarch to the warmed Shea Butter. Mix on high speed with hand mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes. You can use a stand mixer if you prefer.

After Body Frosting is fluffy add a small amount fragrance or essential oil if you want the Frosting scented. It is sometimes fun to use buttercream or chocolate fudge, because it smells like frosting.

Place Body Frosting in an air tight container, and tore in a cool place. If it melts because it gets too warm you can simply whip it up again. Body Frosting is so easy, and a great alternative to the expensive chemical laden products that are available commercially. You should try making some today. It would make a great Christmas gift.

Why should I make my own handmade soap?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 21:45:00 +0000

There are so many reasons for making your own soap. Making your own soap is a fun and rewarding experience. It is an experience that also allows you to control the quality of the ingredients you put on your skin.
Commercially produced soaps, the ones you buy in the grocery or drug store, are for the most part detergents and not really soap. Detergents strip all of the good oils from your skin, and leave a film that makes your skin feel dry. These soaps are also full of chemical preservatives, such as parabens, that are dangerous to your health. These soaps are often made with the cheapest of fats, and have all of there natural glycerine removed. Glycerine is an important humectant, and without it soap is drying. Commercial soap makers try to make up for this drying effect by adding cheap petroleum based moisturizers to the soaps. These petroleum based moisturizers can be dangerous. Commercial soaps are also highly fragranced with fragrance oils that often contain pthalates, which are a type of plastic that is known to cause hormone disruption.
When you make your own soaps the old fashioned way it is possible to add only the best moisturizing oils and butters. These soaps retain all of the natural glycerine and cleanse and moisturize your skin naturally without dangerous chemicals.
Making your own soap is easy. The simplest soap can be made with olive oil from the grocery store and lye from the hardware store. Easy Soap Making Directions
Watching your own specifically designed combination of oils and herbs turn into a luxurious bar of soap is an amazing sight. It allows you to be creative and create soaps that meet your skins needs. Making handmade soap is fun and addictive. If you start making your own soap you will never go back to store bought again.

25% off of Body Frosting Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:54:00 +0000

All of our body frostings and butters are on sale for 25% off until the end of the month. We have also extended our $2 soap sale until the end of the month, and as always order over $15 include free shipping.

$2.00 Soap Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Only 2 more days to get your $2 soaps. All of our soaps are on sale for $2. Don't forget Free Shipping on all orders over $15. Stock up now. Our handmade Shea Butter Soaps make great Christmas Gifts too!

www.avalonsoapworks.com
www.avalonsoapworks.artfire.com

Big Sale !

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000

To celebrate the Grand Opening of our New Website and much improved shopping cart, we have a very special offer for you:

$5.00 OFF any order over $25!

Plus we offer Free Priority Shipping for orders of $50!

Offer expires 8/1/2010, so hurry and use your $5.00 and fall in love with our extremely high quality, natural, handcrafted products!

Thank You & God Bless!
Rebecca & Brian Smith, Owners
Avalon Soapworks

You can redeem this coupon during checkout. Just enter the code in the box provided, and click on the redeem button.

The coupon code is 9928500f69
The coupon is valid between 07/08/2010 and 08/01/2010

Check Out Our New Website

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:26:00 +0000

Our new website is finally up and running. Grand Opening Sales are on their way! If you subscribe to this blog or have purchased from us before, check your email for discount coupons.

www.avalonsoapworks.com

My New Soaps- Lavender Soap, Peppermint Soap, and Chamomile Calendula Baby Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:51:00 +0000

I try to create at least a couple new soaps every week, (not always an easy thing with 5 kids). This last week I created Lavender Soap, Peppermint Soap, and Chamomile Calendula Baby Soap.

Lavender Soap - This soap was made with my basic soap recipe. I added Lavender fragrance and Ground Lavender Buds. It smells so good, and the bits of lavender give it a very natural looking appearance.

Peppermint Soap- The Peppermint Soap is made with my Basic Soap Recipe, except I replaced the water with peppermint tea and added dried peppermint and peppermint essential oil at trace. This soap turned out a beautiful tea color with specks of brown and orange. I think its beautiful, and it smells very strongly of peppermint , almost like a good strong cup of peppermint tea. Great for waking you up in the morning! I can't wait to give it a try. This soap is 100% natural.

Calendula & Chamomile Baby Soap- My Calendula & Chamomile Baby soap is made with mostly olive oil. I used Chamomile tea as the liquid , and added Calendula infused olive oil, dried Calendula petals, and dried Chamomile at trace. Took a little longer to trace due to the olive oil and longer to get really solid in the mold, but it turned out great. It is unscented except for the Chamomile tea and Calendula oil. I love the little pieces of yellow calendula in the soap. It is very mild. Great for babies or for you face. This soap is 100% natural.

How to Make Cold Processed Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 04:54:00 +0000

     Making your own homemade soap is not only providing your family with a great natural product, but it is also really addictive. I love making soap. The only thing I love more is teaching other people how to make soap for themselves. So I am going to try and teach you how to make a very basic soap. It is really simple.

**Always wear disposable gloves to protect your hands, sodium hydroxide is dangerous.
**Keep vinegar around to neutralize the sodium hydroxide (lye)

Step 1
              Measure your water and lye accurately.

Step 2    Mix the lye into the water, carefully. This solution will get very hot and will burn you badly if it gets on your skin. Use the vinegar if you spill on yourself..

Step 3 Measure you solid oils, (coconut oil, shortening, palm oil, shea butter, etc.) and melt in stainless steel pan over low heat. Remove from heat when barely melted.

Step 4 Measure liquid oils, (olive, sweet almond, castor, apricot kernal, etc. ) and mix with melted solid oils.

Step 5 Allow all oils and sodium hydroxide (lye) solution to reach the same (100 degrees) temperature.

Step 6 Mix the lye solution into the oils. Stir with stainless steel wisk or stick blender until soap reaches trace, (trace is when the soap becomes a pudding like consistency) You will know that it has traced when a drizzle over the surface will set on top of the soap and not sink down inside. Add any additives ( fragrance, herbs, etc.)

Step 7 Pour soap into a prepared mold ( anything will do, I have used pvc, a new kitty litter box, disposable rubbermade containers, soap molds, wooden molds). If you use a plastic type mold make sure you spray it with Pam. If you use wood make sure you line it with waxed paper, a white garbage bag, or butcher paper.

Step 8 Place a cover over the soap and insulate with a warm blanket. If you use wood it usually does not need to be insulated.

Step 9 You can unmold in 24 hours.

Step 10 Cut into bars and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

Step 11 Enjoy great natural soap that you made yourself.

High Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs. (Buy 5 get $15 off)
GARDEN BUG SOAP BARS Animal Soap Mold

LARGE LOAF Miscellaneous Candy Mold Chocolate

How to Make Laundry Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Brian and Rebecca Smith) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:39:00 +0000

   Making laundry soap is something I have always wanted to try. Making your our own laundry soap saves me money and doesn't have all those bad chemicals that are in the commercial detergents.

I figured that laundry soap doesn't need any great oils or moisturizing properties so I chose to just use something cheap. Crisco is cheap. I used generic Crisco to make it even cheaper. Just make sure that you get all-vegetable.

Laundry Soap Recipe
48 oz of Crisco
12 oz water
6oz lye
fragrance of your choice

   I mixed this recipe up using basic soapmaking procedure and used 2oz of Clean Linen Fragrance to make it smell good. Poured it in a mold and let it solidify. You can use laundry soap as soon as it is hard because it doesn't need to cure. Just be sure not to use it on your skin and wear gloves when you grate it. I prefer to wait until it gets a bit harder to grate it up.
Cut this into approximately 8 bars.

Grate 1 bar and place in saucepan.
Cover with 5 cups of water
Heat gently, without too much stirring, until completely melted
Add 1/2 cup Borax and 1/2 cup Washing Soda (I have used baking soda too, but washing soda is better)
Place in large bucket or container and add 2 gallons of water , stir
Pour into containers, old laundry soap containers, or juice containers.
This will thicken as it stands, but will also separate. You will need to shake before pouring.
Use 1/2- 1 cup per load. Works well in HE machines too.

This soap cost me .53/bar

I purchased my Borax at Alice.com for $4.29 that is only .06/oz. . 4oz is   $0.24

I also purchased my Washing Soda at Alice.com for $2.99, that is only $.05/oz. 4oz is $0.20

That is a total of $0.97 for approximately 64 loads of laundry
With 5 kids we do about 3 loads a day. A batch of soap will last about 21 days. My regular laundry detergent cost $6.35 for 32 loads. That is $12.70 every 21 days. A savings of $11.73. Over the course of a year that is $203.87. Amazing!

By popular demand I now sell the soap bars, shredded soap, and soapmaking kits that I use to make my own laundry soap
http://avalonsoapworks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13

Check out Alice.com too. They are awesome!

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