At the risk of spoiling everyone's surprise:
I sure hope everyone likes their presents - this doesn't send a message that they smell, does it?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Subtle Hints ...
Let me just tell you it is NOT easy to blog during the holiday season!! Between Christmas sweaters and holiday handmade gifts, there's not much left over to write about.
At the risk of spoiling everyone's surprise:
Turns out soap isn't exactly easy to make but the challenge sure is fun! I have made a coconut-palm (the oils came pre-measured in a kit) soap with Tangerine and Calendula and my very own Avocado-Olive oil soap with Eskimo Kisses fragrance. Still in the pre-labeling phase is a third batch of Hemp Oil soap with a wonderful cedar-patchouli fragrance.
I sure hope everyone likes their presents - this doesn't send a message that they smell, does it?
At the risk of spoiling everyone's surprise:
I sure hope everyone likes their presents - this doesn't send a message that they smell, does it?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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.
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.
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