Natural Soap with Almond Oil & Cacao Butter

Have you ever taken a close look at the ingredients of your soap, lip balm or tooth paste? You might be surprised how many toxic chemicals are lurking in your favorite body care products: perfumes, harmful colorants, sulfates… Fortunately, it is very easy to create your own non-toxic natural soap & beauty products with nourishing ingredients such as shea butter, essential oils, fresh juices and dried herbs.

Natalia from ‘My Soap’ will teach you how. Many years ago, Natalia discovered the art of soap making through her grandmother. Since then she has created dozens of natural body-care recipes to cleanse, exfoliate, soothe and invigorate your skin, using only the purest natural materials. Did you know for instance that clay has the amazing ability to absorb excess oil, remove dirt and eliminate harmful toxins from your skin? If you have a sensitive or acne-prone skin and you would love to try all-natural body care products, have a look at the following basic recipe for Natural Soap with Almond Oil & Cacao Butter.

Natural Soap with Almond Oil & Cacao Butter

EQUIPMENT: scale, safety gloves & glasses, large glass bowl, stainless steel pot, wooden spoon or hand held mixer, thermometer, mold

INGREDIENTS:

150g of water
170g of coconut oil
70g of cacao butter
20g of shea butter
70g of lye
190g of olive oil
50g of almond oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour the water into a large glass bowl. Slowly add the lye to the water, stirring it gently with a spoon. Make sure the windows are open and the room is well ventilated if you choose to mix it inside. As you add the lye to the water, it will heat the water and release fumes. Keep your face turned away to avoid inhaling the fumes.
2. Set the mixture aside. Allow it to cool and let the fumes dissipate.
3. Combine the ‘hard’ oils (coconut oil, cacao butter and shea butter) in a stainless steel pot. Warm on low-medium heat.
4. When the hard oils are melted, remove the pot from the stove and add the 'soft' oils (olive oil and almond oil).
5. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the lye and the oils. Wait until both reach about the same temperature (36-40°C).
6. When the two mixtures have reached the proper temperatures, slowly add the lye to the oils. Stir with a wooden spoon or hand-held mixer; do not use metal.
7. Continue to mix for about 10-15 minutes until ‘tracing’ occurs: you will notice that your spoon will start to leave a visible trace (like when you are making pudding). If you are using a stick blender, this should occur after about 5 minutes.
8. Add essential oils and/or natural colorants.
9. Pour the soap mixture into a mold. If you are using a shoebox or a wooden mold, make sure it is lined with kitchen paper.
10. Cover the mold. If you are using a shoebox, close the lid and cover with several towels. If you are using a soap mold, tape a piece of cardboard on top before covering the mold with towels.
11. After about 24 hours, the soap will have set and you will be able to cut it.

NATALIA’S TIPS & TRICKS:

• Making soap is chemistry. You need lye (sodium hydroxide) to create a chemical reaction that will transform fats into soap. Well-made soap has no lye leftover.
• It is very important to add the lye to the water and not the other way around. If you add the water to the lye, the reaction between the two substances will occur too quickly and may even be dangerous.

Interested in more natural body care products? Natalia has created several recipes for colorful lip balms, refreshing tooth paste, nourishing shampoo, and even a red lipstick! If you would like to receive more information about her soaps, feel free to contact her directly at mijnzeep@yahoo.com. You can also order her natural soap & beauty products online.

Now I would love to hear from you! What are your favorite brands of natural, toxin-free skin care? I am always on the lookout for new exciting brands, so please share your favorites with all of us by leaving a comment down below.