Here's what I use
In my favorite and most popular soap, the secret ingredient is Sheep's Milk. I know loads of folks out there making soap with goat's milk, but between you & me, I'm not especially fond of goats... such mischief makers! I prefer the company of nice calm sheep, and their milk lends a special creaminess and lather to my signature Soap Baa'ar.
Once upon a time I was able to milk my own sheep, but alas.. I had to give up my flock due to the economy. Fortunately I have friends around who are kind enough to give me a call during lambing so I can acquire some fresh every spring.
Once upon a time I was able to milk my own sheep, but alas.. I had to give up my flock due to the economy. Fortunately I have friends around who are kind enough to give me a call during lambing so I can acquire some fresh every spring.
..plus the basic oils
Here in the soap pot you will find a carefully balanced blend of olive oil, palm oil and pure coconut oil. I use these base oils in all of the soaps, although I do augment several with a few of the less common and more luxe-type oils when the soap calls for it. For example, in my Smooth Almond soap, I add in just a touch of ground almond for texture, and swap out a portion of the base oil to incorporate some skin loving sweet almond oil.
plus the Essentials
In keeping with my own core values I try very hard to use only that which comes from nature, not from a test tube. With just a couple of exceptions all my soaps are fragranced using pure plant extracted essential oils, so you won't find a "blueberry" scented soap here, or anything even faintly resembling any designer perfume on the market. Even some scents of nature, such as new mown grass, cannot be reproduced as a natural essential oil. Additionally, some scents of nature, which can be obtained, are so expensive as to be prohibitive, especially for a little guy like me. That is why you won't find rose or sandalwood or neroli... all of which I love to pieces - they're just too dear for my budget.
& you can't make soap without it..
Sodium Hydroxide... the miracle chemical that makes possible the process of saponification - the turning of oils into soap. There just is no making soap without this stuff.. or at least I haven't found it in over 20 years.
I use food grade sodium hydroxide, which is probably overkill since it is pretty unlikely anyone is going to eat a bar of Oatmeal Honey soap no matter how hungry they are.. but it is the highest quality ingredient I can get.
the only other ingredient I use is distilled water, which I buy by the gallon. I have a spring fed well here, but my tap water is very silty so in order to ensure the purest water possible for the soap, I trust the professionals who bottle the stuff. So far, so good.
I use food grade sodium hydroxide, which is probably overkill since it is pretty unlikely anyone is going to eat a bar of Oatmeal Honey soap no matter how hungry they are.. but it is the highest quality ingredient I can get.
the only other ingredient I use is distilled water, which I buy by the gallon. I have a spring fed well here, but my tap water is very silty so in order to ensure the purest water possible for the soap, I trust the professionals who bottle the stuff. So far, so good.
 |