Soap Making - Not as Glamorous As You Might Think

The search began this morning with a jaunt down the grocery aisles only to discover that no one (Read: NO ONE.  Not one company.) sends their juice to the Vons of Coronado in glass bottles. Plastic bottles filled the shelves from one end to the other. The next store was closed and the third had exactly one choice in glass bottle of minimum 40 ounce capacity. One. So I bought that and a gallon of distilled water and was on my way. Oh, and a doughnut. Yum!

After emptying the juice bottle, rinsing it, and recruiting my fine husband to drill the appropriate holes in the lid, I donned my safety glasses and measured the distilled water into my Lye Jar.

The next step involves convincing highly toxic sodium hydroxide it wants to join the water in the jar. The soap shop thoughtfully provided the NaHO in the shape of large, hard, flat chunks of white stuff. Like salt flats only burn-ier. And not at all excited about getting into the bath.

One learns that not only should ones eyes be covered but a mask for breathing is not at all nerdy at this point,  it's a luxury.

A quick stir and here we go:

Fascinating Fact: The lye solution heats up to 200 degrees Farenheit just by mixing it. That's hot - and it happens FAST!

Now it sits overnight - or until tomorrow in my world. Then we can mix the soap and pour it into the mold.