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Lye Soap
Originally posted by OSI in Inexpensive Xmas Craft
Lye Soap
Yield: 26 to 30 bars
Ingredients:
6 lbs. Crisco ( I used generic brand just make sure it’s 100% vegetable shortening)
2 cups distilled water
12 oz. Red Devil Lye
Prepare your molds, grease them with shortening. I used a large cookie sheet and 2 plastic shoe boxes
Use eye goggles and plastic gloves while making this product. In a large metal kettle (I used enamel) melt your shortening.
In a large glass bowl (I used pyrex) slowly mix 2 cups cold distilled water and 12 oz. Of lye with a wooden spoon (do not use metal). It will get very hot 200 degrees so be careful of splashes. It is best to do this outside because of the fumes.
Wait about 10 minutes for lye and shortening to cool down. Shortening should be around 90 degrees. Feel the outside of each container, they should be warm to the touch but not hot enough to be uncomfortable to the touch.
When both are at the right temp. mix the shortening into the lye mixture slowly and stir with wooden spoon. If you have a stick blender or a old blender you could use just one beater, beat at lowest speed for about 10 minutes. Soap is ready when it looks like a custard or thick pudding. If you wish to add essence oils, now is the time to add and stir. Pour into prepared molds and cover with plastic wrap. In 24 hours you can cut your soap, then it must cure for 2 weeks. Take them out of the molds and set on newspaper, turn over occassionally.
When soap has hardened a bit, you can also use Christmas cookie cutters and cut into christmas trees, hearts, etc. also you can use some crayons cut up for coloring although they encourage buying the ones specifically for soap at the craft stores. My soap recipe renders a snowy white soap.
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