Do-it-yourself liquid Castile soap: recipes, cooking method

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Real connoisseurs have been making Castile soap for hundreds of years. This recipe came to us from the coast of Spain, where all this time it has remained practically unchanged. Castile soap is based on just three ingredients: water, lye and natural olive oil. You can add all sorts of additives to this classic base, focusing on your own taste and skin characteristics.

Main ingredient

Olive oil is considered to be a unique product. No wonder it has been widely used in cosmetology for thousands of years. The inhabitants of the Mediterranean coast have been taking care of their skin and hair with olive oil for centuries.

Thanks to this component, castile soap can be used even when bathing babies. In addition, olive oil itself is a natural preservative, so the soap made with it is well stored and does not deteriorate for a very long time. Classic Castile soap is hard, cut into bars (or cured in molds of the right size). But you can also cook liquid.

Taste and color…

Those who have already tried this soap, oftendisagree. To some, its foam seems creamy, tender, affectionate, and someone speaks of a slimy, unpleasant substance. This only says that you need to try everything personally, without focusing on someone else's opinion. Make your own Castile soap and experience it for yourself – what if it becomes your favorite?

If you look at the matter objectively, it is worth noting that such homemade soap is really prone to soaking and viscosity. Solving the problem is simple - store it in an open soap dish, which will allow the bar to ventilate. And if you let the soap mature enough, mucus will not form at all. The period of full maturation is 6-8 months. But first things first.

As for liquid castile soap, the effect is not so noticeable. Its structure is creamy, very delicate, pleasant to the touch. Of course, if you follow all the rules, recipes and subtleties of the process when cooking.

Required inventory

The method of making classic Castile soap at home involves the use of some equipment. We will need an accurate kitchen scale, a small mixer, a sieve, measuring utensils, gloves and a respirator. If possible, protect your eyes with goggles to avoid injury. Alkali is a rather aggressive thing, and using this substance can easily damage the skin and mucous membranes.

However, the use of such an unfriendly component will not negatively affect the final result. During cooking, it is completelybeing neutralized.

In addition, a wooden spatula and a couple of containers for a water bath will come in handy. We will take care of the necessary working space in advance so that nothing interferes with the work process.

Of course, among other things, you will need a gas burner or a conventional burner.

Required Ingredients

It is important to follow a strict dosage. Especially if you are making Castile soap for the first time. The recipe consists of the following set of ingredients:

• olive oil - 200g;
• melted ice crumbs (ice water) - 95.2g;
• NaOH (alkali) - 23.7

Those who have already mastered the technology often add palm and coconut oil to the recipe (23.6 g each). This adds flavor to the finished product, speeds up the aging process, and makes the soap thicker.

Process for making hard castile soap

To make hot Castile soap from scratch at home, we strictly measure the required amount of ingredients on a scale.

Preparing the alkaline solution: carefully introduce the alkali into the container with ice. Beginners should not be afraid of a violent reaction - it should be so. Leave the solution to cool slightly.

Pour olive oil into a large bowl. When the alkaline solution cools down a bit so that the temperature difference does not exceed 10 ° C, we introduce it into the oil through a sieve (not vice versa!), And then carefully knead the solution with a spoon. After that, connect the mixer and start beating. Soon the mass will begin to reach for the mixer. This phenomenon is called "steady trail" and says that everything goes likeneed.

Now we send the soap to the water bath, covered with a lid. This is necessary to speed up the passage of the gel phase, which, in turn, will speed up the aging process.

In the process, it is necessary to check whether all the alkali has come out. This can be done with a pH meter or strips of litmus paper. pH should be around 8.

Be patient, because the bath will last for several hours. When the mass turns into a gel state, remove it from the heat. Now it remains to pour the liquid castile soap into the molds and carefully tap on all sides so that air bubbles come to the surface.

Leave the soap to harden. This will take from several hours to one day. Dried soap can be easily removed from the molds, and if necessary, it is well cut into smaller bars.

Liquid Castile soap

The soap prepared by us can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also serve as the basis for other products. It can be used to make liquid soap, dishwashing liquid and even laundry detergent.

To make liquid castile soap, hard bars must first be melted. This process is quite simple. Three solid soap on a grater or thinly cut with a knife, put in a container and send to a water bath. Stir every 10-15 minutes, allowing air bubbles to escape. When the soap acquires amber transparency, add hot water at the rate of 1:1. Thoroughlyknead, cover with a lid and leave for a day so that both parts are completely connected. It is convenient to store such soap in bottles with a pump dispenser.

Additions for the classic recipe

There are many active additives that can be used to diversify a classic recipe. The main thing is that their amount does not exceed 12% of the volume of olive oil.

You can add dried rosemary, goat milk, cream, ground coffee, s alt, sugar, essential oils, crushed citrus zest, citric acid to the recipe.