Spa Day

I'm not sure how this fits into the whole 30 days of "P" but it's definitely going on here.
The above items are the many things needed to make cold processed soap. This is a rather tedious activity which requires a lot of attention to detail, which is something I'm not always good at or even willing to adhere to. However, it's a nonnegotiable with this activity.

There are actually 2 separate mixes going on, one is the combining of the oils and the other involves mixing lye and goats milk. Since lye is a caustic material special safety measures should be taken. Once both of the mixtures heat to 100 we combine them and let chemistry do the rest. Apparently, if you allow the oils to heat much beyond that point it will break down the lye/milk solution.

When the soap reaches an almost pudding thickness we add the essential oils and pour into molds.  We made two 4lb batches, one was patchouli scented and the other batch was lavender mint. Traci's house smelled like a spa by the time we finishes.

Once the mixture is poured and looks relatively smooth we cover with wax paper and blankets. We wait 24 hours and then the soap is cut into bars. Essentially, it takes this amount of time for the ph to reach a safe level. Some people say you should wait 6 weeks before you use the soap so the liquid can evaporate and the soap will last longer. I choose not to do that. I may wait a week before I use the first bar and by the time I get to another bar (we usually make fat bars) it's been about 6 weeks. I think we've decided to venture out of our comfort zone and make 16lbs in a few weeks. We are trying to plan for Christmas. Maybe that's the "P" in this post...plan.