MtnDon
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2017 11:34pm
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I have made bar soap for years. The best soap is made with precisely measured ingredients. The soap making process is a chemical reaction and if there is too much of one ingredient the soap is less than ideal. Using ashes it is difficult to know the strength of what you have; if your ashes produce a stronger lye than expected... well that is how lye soap got the bad reputation for being hard on your skin. Given a particular amount of the lye (I use commercially available sodium hydroxide) you the amount of fat or oil required varies with the type of fat or oil. Too little fat and the soap is harsh, too much fat and the soap is greasy and can go rancid easily.
I love the soap I make for it's gentleness, its lather and the fact I can leave out all the fragrance. I make soap about once a year on average and distribute some of it to my sisters. It's true I don't use wood ashes or old rendered fats so mine costs more.
I use a cold process; not really cold but no cooking and the oils and lye solution start out at about 95 F.
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