I use lye in my soap making and lye gives off some pretty nasty fumes at first, I like to be able to keep the windows open to let the fumes disperse. In the winter it is too cold and in the summer it is too hot!
I could make soap in the springtime, but the days are getting longer and my attention is focused outside planting my gardens.
The picture above is my soap in its mold the morning after I made it.
I pop it out of the mold in one big solid block.
And cut it up into neat squares.
The soap then needs to sit for six weeks or more to cure and harden. Then it becomes wonderful soap that I use for everything, from washing my face to washing dishes and laundry. This is wonderful stuff!
Well, it is about getting back to a slow self sustaining life. I know I can run to Walmart and purchase soap for a lot less than I can make it at home. That soap will also be full of chemical and synthetic fragrances. The natural occurring glycerins are pulled out of the soap and petroleum based moisturisers are added back in. With homemade soaps I know exactly what is going on my skin and on my children’s skin. This soap seems to last longer too, I only need about 4 batches to get me through the year, and I use it for household cleaning too not just for bathing.
It also makes a really fun impromptu gift for any occasion.
