More on Simplicity and Soapmaking

Simplicity continues to emerge in quiet moments... a theme for a new year of blogging. What should be simplified this year? How can I make my life more focused on real things, on things that matter in the forever world? How can I more orderly manage my home, my time in this world?

The Apostle Paul expressed concern for the church in Corinth. He wrote, "I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."

~ 2 Corinthians 11:3

I desire an even more simple and pure devotion to Jesus Christ. With God's help, I will not be lead astray.

I've made a couple of batches of soap each morning the past two days. I bought a bulk base this time and am re-batching it, adding the delicious-smelling essential oils I prefer. http://www.brambleberry.com/ has some luscious bases; mine has goat's milk in it. It has none of the harmful additives store-bought soaps have these days, and it is full of the skin-soothing glycerin that is taken out of commercial soaps to be sold for use in lotions.

One of my friends who has had very dry itchy skin has found that with our homemade soaps, her skin no longer itches! If you've never made soap, I highly recommend it! I'm not even a crafty person, and it's so easy and enjoyable, I think I probably will do it the rest of my life! The bars I've bought that are most similar to what I'm making are about $6 per bar!!! That's a motivator to make it myself, wouldn't you say?

This is base I purchased from Brambleberry.

I chop up the desired amount of soap base,
heat it in the microwave--just like you melt chocolate, let it cool a little and add the EO of choice.

Then I pour it into the molds (mine are down-spouts cut to desired lengths. My hubby, the king of creative-bungee-cord-uses, set me up a way to clamp the molds down so they won't leak at the bottom. I also add the sticky kind of plastic wrap secured by rubber bands.

The soap hardens enough to remove it in 12 to 24 hours, and at that point I cut it, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it cure for a couple of weeks--ideally. Sometimes, I can't wait, and so I use it after a couple of DAYS! It gets harder if you let it cure longer, which makes it last longer. I think it ends up with a little lower pH as well, so it's easier on your skin if you wait. I read that somewhere, but haven't actually tested the pH myself.
Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday, my dear readers!