DIY beauty products

[EasterJoy]

Well…I used an electronic kitchen scale that measures in grams.

Second, I did the mixing outside on our deck, in 40° weather, so maybe it was cooling too fast?

Third, maybe I added too much eucalyptus oil to the second batch.

Fourth–I mixed the lye in a white plastic bucket. Poured the lye into the olive oil, which was in an enamel pot. THEN, after it was combined, I poured half from the enamel pot back into the bucket.

I was concerned that there would be tiny amounts of lye left in the bucket, so before pouring back into the bucket, I swished some vinegar in it to neutralize excess lye. Then I wiped it out. However, the oo/lye mix that went into the bucket never traced.

After almost 48 hours in my (cold) garage, the eucalyptus mix is still mostly liquid and there’s a film of oo on top.

The jasmine mix, which had traced, is solid but waaay too soft to take from the molds.

You can re-do it; there are instructions on that web site that will save you from having to throw those lovely ingredients out. (Or to give up on waiting before it is necessary.)

 

[EasterJoy]

Maybe the olive oil, on the hill?

I know in cooking, olive oil tends to not solidify unless its in the fridge, then it liquefies pretty quickly.

Maybe you needed a less viscous fat, like coconut oil? I’ve heard of milk fats being made into soap as well.

It sounds as if the saponification process didn’t go to completion–the reaction by which lye turns a fat into a soap.

As the old saying goes, though: “A day in the library is worth a week in the laboratory.”

Soap-making isn’t rocket science, but there is an art to it, particularly when there are fragrances involved. Luckily, there are people who have made tons of homemade soap who are generous in sharing their experiences on the internet. That’s the resource I’d turn to. It will save a lot of time and a lot of trials that many others have already suffered in advance!

 

[on_the_hill]

Back to this topic…

The batch that never traced has been in the molds in my (cold) garage for six days.

It is s-l-o-w-l-y setting. In another week it might be hard enough to take out of the molds.

Will it be safe to use? I wouldn’t care if it stayed liquid–I would use it as liquid hand soap–but I’m concerned that it would be too caustic.