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Title: Olive-Almond Soap
Categories: Gift
Yield: 3 Pounds
| 2 1/4 | c | Cold water |
| 6 | oz | Pure lye crystals |
| 18 | oz | Rendered and strained fat |
| 12 | oz | Olive oil |
| 12 | oz | Coconut oil |
| 2 | oz | Fine almond meal |
| 10 | Drops yellow food coloring (optional) | |
| 8 | Drops essential oil (optional) |
The almond meal in this soap makes it an especially good cleanser for your skin. For a beautiful, sweet-smelling soap, add food coloring and your favorite essential oils.
SUPPLIES
2 quart lye-proof cooking pot plus 6- to 8-quart lye- proof cooking pot (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.
Place water in the 2-quart lye-proof pot. Put on rubber gloves and other safety gear Have the vinegar handy. Very slowly add lye crystals to water, stirring constantly until lye is dissolved. As lye is added to water, the water temperature will rise to around 150 F. Place the thermometer in the water and allow it to cool to 95 to 98 F.
As the water is cooling, slowly heat the rendered fat and oils in the 6 to 8 quart lye-proof pot. Heat until fat 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 very gently with the eggbeater to the consistency of thick honey. Avoid splashing. Stir in the almond meal and, if you are using them, food coloring and essential oil.
Pour 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 dry, 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.
Notes: Lye is crystalline sodium hydroxide or potassium hy- droxide It is usually sold in the drain cleaner section of super- markets and hardware stores. Buy pure lye crystals or flakes, not lye sold as a liquid drain cleaner. Buy coconut oil at drug stores and health food stores. Buy almond meal at health food stores, or make your own by grinding fresh almonds in a food proces- sor. Buy essential oils at drug stores, cosmetic counters, and herb shops.
Source: Rodale's Book of Practical Formulas Typed by Fran McGee
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