Basic Moisturizing Soap

Ingredients: 21½ oz. coconut oil (solid) 23¾ oz. sunflower oil 23¾ oz. olive oil 8½ oz. lye (sodium hydroxide) 32¾ oz. purified water 1-2 cups oatmeal/seeds/dried herbs or whatever you want to add ½ to 1 oz. essential oils, mix and match (herbal essenses) 1½ oz. color (dried herbs)

1) Melt solid oil first over very low heat (95-98 degrees). This must be done in a stainless steel pot. The lye will react with anything else. Use a wooden spoon for this. 2) Add liquid oils to the pan, stir. You can tell if the temp is about right by sticking your finger in the oil. It should be comfortable to the touch; not hot or cool. 3) Weigh lye in a plastic container, pour the water in another plastic container. Now add the lye to the water stirring constantly with a plastic spoon. (Do this outside if possible or in a well-ventilated area.) Wear safety goggles and rubber gloves. The lye is very caustic. It will fume for about 30 seconds and then be okay to bring back inside. 4) Add lye water mixture to the oil. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the soap traces (about 1½ hours to two hours). You will know when this happens because you will be able to lift up the spoon and draw on the surface. This will be very subtle. 5) Add your oatmeal and essental oils now. 6) Pour into prepared mold. This can be any container lined with wax paper. Cover with cardboard and a thick blanket and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours. 7) Remove from molds and cut into bars. It will take about two weeks to finish hardening before you can use the soap. Enjoy!!!

Material List & Approximate Costs

$ .79 Purified Water (distilled)
$ 4.85 Coconut Oil (solid)
$ 4.09 Coconut Oil (liquid)
$ 1.52 Sunflower Oil
$ 2.69 x2 Olive Oil
$ 5.19 Essential Oil (ex. Rosemary)
$ .89 x2 Herbs (ex. Rosemary)
$ .37 Oatmeal
$ 3.49 Lye

All of these items can be found at Ace Hardware--Lye--(Cenntennial Plaza), Sauk Rapids Superstore--Lye, and the Goodearth Co-op--essential oils--(Cenntennial Plaza). Rosemary is what we used for the essential oil scent and herbs. You can also use really any scent of essential oil--mint, lemon, rose. You don't have to put an herb in your soap either. You could put in flowers, lemon or orange zest (ground peel) just as examples, or nothing. The possibilities are endless. Just keep in this in mind: "Do you want it touching your skin?" It doesn't hurt to ask or read up before you put in something you are unsure about.

 Recommended Books:

• "The Pleasure of Herbs" By Phyllis Shaudys

• "Pocket Herbal Reference Guide" by Debra St. Clare

• "The Complete Illustrated Herbal" by David Hoffman

• "Lewellyn's Herbal Almanac 2000"

• "The Soap Book: Simple Herbal Recipes" by Sandy Maine

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