Grandma's Lye Soap

I think that maybe I should have called this soap Not Grandma's Lye Soap.  This soap is definitely an improvement over the lye heavy soap that Grandma used to make.  In the past making soap was a kind of guessing game.  It was almost impossible to know what your lye concentration was, so the soaps often turned out with a bit too much.  Everyone has heard the stories about how Grandma's homemade soap took your skin off.  Today we have modern scientific methods of measuring lye, so our soaps are very accurate.  This soap is made with 100% lard.  I hesitated for a long time to try animal fats in my soaps, but I love it.  It makes a very hard, white bar of soap that lathers very well. This soap also lasts a long time because it is so hard.

So give a bar of gentle and creamy Grandma's Lye Soap a try today.

The Easiest Cold Processed Soap I Ever Made

    The first soap that anyone should attempt to create should be simple.  It should have very few ingredients, and those ingredients should be as inexpensive as possible.  Soap making is a science, measuring accurately and following a recipe is foolproof.  Well, not really foolproof.  Soap making may be a science, but it is also an art.  It took me a few tries to perfect even this simple recipe.  So if you are interested in soap making try this recipe.  It is the first soap I ever made.

Basic Soap
48oz Crisco or other vegetable shortening
6oz Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs. (Buy 5 get 5 off)
15oz  distilled water

Create using standard cold process procedure.
1) Melt the shortening and cool to 100 degrees
2) Mix the lye into the cold water then cool to 100 degrees
3) Mix the lye solution into the oil and mix with stick blender until "trace", it will look similar to pudding.
4) Pour into mold and cover. Wait 24 hours.
5) You should be able to unmold and cut your soap at this point.

** You could use fragrance oil in this soap at the rate of 1/2 oz per pound.
***This recipe makes great laundry soap bars. Just follow my instructions on making laundry soap.

Coming Soon: New All Natural Products!

    I have become increasingly aware of how much I don't want my own family to use products containing artificial fragrances or preservatives. These artificial fragrances and preservatives can be incredibly dangerous to our health.
    So from now on we will be making all of our products 100% natural.  I will be expanding my products to include milk soaps, such as goat milk and coconut milk soaps, as well as a number of new soapy creations.  I am looking forward to creating some new items!  Look for them soon, and don't forget to follow our progress on the blog.