Dear Sis,

This recipe was originally written in 2015 as three individual posts because the process is done over a span of several days. You pointed out that it would be easier for our visitors to have all the information in one place, so here goes:)

PART ONE

Supplies

• Scale
• Ice Cube Tray
• Glass Liquid Measuring Cups
• 2 High Side Stainless Bowls or Pots
• 2 Long Handle Stainless or Plastic Spoons, preferable slotted
• Digital Insta-Read Waterproof Thermometer
• Immersion Blender
• Rubber Spatula
• Square Silicone Pan or Soaps Molds
• Plastic Dishpan & Vinegar
• pH testing strips

Ingredients

• 4.5 oz distilled water
• 4.5 oz whole milk yogurt
• 9 oz coconut oil
• 21 oz olive oil
• 4.1 oz bead lye (sodium hydroxide)
• 2 t peppermint oil

Safety

• Hair Tied Back
• Onion Googles
• Long Sleeve Top
• Rubber Gloves
• Long Pants or Skirt
• Apron
• Socks & Closed Toe Shoes

Yogurt Soap Preparation

1. Measure distilled water and whole milk yogurt.
2. Whisk together water and yogurt.
3. Pour into ice cube tray.
4. Freeze.

PART TWO

Step One – Measure Fats

Place the 21 oz olive oil in the largest of the 2 High Sided Stainless bowls or pots. 

Measure 9 oz coconut oil in a microwave safe dish. Microwave until melted.

Step Two – Work Spaces

Lye Station

Place frozen yogurt/water cubes in the smaller of the 2 High Sided Stainless bowls or pots. Set out a thermometer, spoon, contained lye, and the googles, gloves, and apron. 

Blending Station

Set out measured fats, immersion blender, spatula, and mold.

Neutralizing Station

Fill dishpan with warm water. Add a few splashes of vinegar.

Vinegar water solution neutralized lye. Use this water solution to wipe down surface and tool that may have come in contact with lye. 

Step Three – Measure Lye

Take care to pull back hair, dress in long sleeves, pants or a long skirt, with socks and closed-toe shoes, and put on apron, googles, and gloves.

Gently spoon bead lye into dish to measure 4.1 oz.

Step Four – Dissolve Lye

In a well ventilated area, pour lye into frozen yogurt cubes.

Stir continuously. Begin measuring temperature when cubes are nearly thawed.

Continue stirring continuously, until temperature plateaus. It may take up to five minutes. Don’t jump the gun on this step, for as long as the temperature is rising, the lye is still dissolving. If you proceed too soon, there will be undissolved lye in your soap! You’re pH test will flop for sure. My batch plateaued at 70.3 degrees for a full minute and a half before I went on to the next step.

Step Five – Saponification

Saponification is the chemical process which occurs between the lye (base) and fats (acids), that results in soap.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to get photos for this step. I ran out of hands:( …but I’ll give more written details to compensate.

Combining Fats & Dissolved Lye

Pour melted coconut oil into olive oil. (All fats should now be in the larger of the 2 High Sided Stainless bowls or pots.) Pour dissolve lye into fats. Stir by hand a bit. Then add 2 t peppermint oil, if using.

Blending

Trade spoon for an immersion blender. Place the thermometer in the mixture again. As you blend the oil will loose its translucent quality. You may notice an ammonia like odor as you work. This odor is normal and harmless as long as you are working in a well ventilated area. The mixture will thicken, lighten in color, and become opaque. A low powered immersion blender’s motor will even change pitch as the mixture thickens. The thermometer will show another temperature spike as these changes occur, four degrees or so.

Pour into Mold

Pour saponified mixture into mold(s). Using a spatula to scrape the bowl or pot clean.

Place the molds in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Then remove to room temperature. The soap should be solid in about 12 hours.

Step Six – Clean up

Leave the goggles, gloves, and upon on until clean up is complete.

1. All items that have lye or soap mixture on them, should be rubbed down with dish soap directly before rinsing well with hot water.
2. Wipe down all work surfaces with vinegar solution.
3. Wash gloves in hot soapy water, dip in vinegar solution, and towel dry hands before removing safely gear. 

STEP THREE

pH Testing

Moisten soaps surface with distilled water. Rub a pH test strip into the damp paste.

Safe soap is in the range of 7 to 10.

For a pH of 11 or 12, let soap sit a few more days and test again.

For readings above 12, only handle soap with gloves. Although pH will decrease over time, a pH of 12 or higher should be discarded.

Cutting

I prefer a chefs knife, but a large pizza cutter or a cheese wire are also tools practical for cutting soap into bars. I cut my square mold 3×3, for a total of 9 bars.

Curing

Curing means simply allowing the soap to dry out a spell. Place on a rack to increase air circulation in a location free of excessive humidity. Stand 1 month before using.

There is no harm in using uncured soap, it just gets gummy and disappears very quickly. It is well worth the wait!

Happy Soap Making!

Love,

b