Hi Crafters!
We’ve recently included a new carrier oil to our catalogue and are excited to share the gorgeous orange-red color your cold process soap bar will naturally gain by using our Premium Extra Red Palm Oil.
Our Premium Extra Red Palm Oil is also known as Unrefined Palm Oil. It is rich in carotenes, a natural orange-red plant pigment which gives it a gorgeous dark red color. It also has NO artificial coloring, preservatives and is GMO free.
Benefits of Extra Red Palm Oil
- Vitamin B-Carotene – helps promote the reparation of skin and maintenance of skin health
- Vitamin A – known to improve skin tone and texture
- Vitamin E – moisturizes, smooths, softens and keeps skin healthy, reducing signs of aging
- Fatty Acids – protects, nourishes and moisturizes skin; combats premature graying of hair
- Promotes cell growth of the hair follicles, which results in stronger hair
What you’ll need:
- 300g of Refined Coconut Oil
- 300g of Premium Extra Red Palm Oil
- 97.5g of Sodium Hydroxide *Be extremely careful when handling!
- 225g of Distilled Water or Reverse Osmosis Water
- Silicone Mold *The Premium Extra Red Palm Oil may stain your molds.
- Weighing Scale
- Stainless Steel Whisk 👉 You can also use a Mechanical Hand Turning Whisk or an immersion blender to speed up the stirring process, but be careful with the immersion blender as the soap batter might seize and can no longer be stirred!
- Stainless Steel Bowl x 2
- Disposable Chopstick
- Silicone Spatula
- Paper Cup
- Nitrile/Latex Gloves
- Apron
- Face Mask
- Safety Glasses
*Note: Any equipment used for soap making can only be used for such purposes. Don’t reuse the equipment for other purposes.
Lye Safety (check out this post by Soap Queen for more info)
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as caustic soda and it is a highly alkaline (thus, very corrosive) compound. The mixture of sodium hydroxide with a liquid is known as ‘lye’.
In cold process soap making, sodium hydroxide is added to the water in order to dilute it. The mixing of sodium hydroxide with water results in a reaction that causes the mixture to heat up to about 100°C and fumes to appear. Never add water to sodium hydroxide.
When making cold process soap (and any other time you’re handling lye), wear protective safety gear (safety glasses, gloves, face mask, long sleeves and long pants). Ensure there is good ventilation and there is low humidity in the room. The bowl you’re using to mix lye in is made of stainless steel. Other metals can cause reactions with the lye. If you’re using glass, ensure that it is sturdy and heat-resistant.
Should you come in accidental contact with lye, immediately wash the area with water.
Instructions (for 700+g worth of soap)
- Wear your safety gear as mentioned in ‘Lye Safety’.
- Place a large stainless steel bowl on a kitchen scale and weigh 300g of refined coconut oil, 300g of premium extra red palm oil. Set aside.
Adding the Premium Red Palm Oil to Refined Coconut Oil
As you can see, the palm oil is pretty orange-red - Preparing the lye solution:
a) Using a kitchen scale, weigh 225g of Distilled Water/Reverse Osmosis Water and freeze it. You can use ice cube molds or a small Ziploc bag for this purpose.
b) Place the frozen Distilled Water/Reverse Osmosis Water in a stainless steel bowl.
c) Using the kitchen scale again, weigh 95g of Sodium Hydroxide in a paper cup.
d) Gently and gradually pour the Sodium Hydroxide into the stainless steel bowl with the frozen Distilled Water/Reverse Osmosis Water. Using a disposable chopstick, stir and ensure that the Sodium Hydroxide has melted between each pour.
e) Ensure that the sodium hydroxide has dissolved entirely.
- Pour the lye solution into the oils.
- Gently stir the mixture using a stainless steel whisk. Do not whisk it as though baking.
Before stirring with whisk
The color changes as the lye bonds with the oils - Once the oils and lye solution have blended, increase the stirring speed. After a while, a light trace will form.
This is light trace, as you can see that the soap batter thick enough to support trailings and drops of batter on the surface.
- Pour the soap batter into your mold and firmly tap the bottom of the mold on the table. This is to release any air bubbles.
- Place the mold in a large box and lightly close the top. Leave it aside at a cool, dark and not-humid place for half a day.
- After a day, remove the soap from the mold and cut it into bars using a soap cutter or a non-serrated knife. Allow the bars to cure at a cool, dark and not-humid spot for 4-6 weeks. While it cures, the water in the soap will evaporate, resulting in a firmer and longer-lasting bar.
PS: When using this bar of dish soap, yellow-orange lather will form. Don’t worry about stains though, we’ve used it on our dishes and sink, and it cleans pretty well (especially for oil and grease stains) without leaving any stains!
Want to know more about making your own soaps at home? Check out these posts of ours!
For Cold Process Soap
👉 Get to Know: Cold Process Soap
👉 5 Common Cold Process Soap Mistakes and How to Avoid or Fix Them
👉 Cure in Candle Making VS Cure in Soap Making
👉 Testing Every Craftiviti Fragrance Oil for Acceleration in Cold Process Soap
👉 4 Ways to Reduce Fragrance Oil Acceleration in Cold Process Soap
Some Recipes for Cold Process Soap
👉 Basic Cold Process Soap Recipe
Other household DIY posts you might find useful!
👉 9 Household Uses for Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash)
👉 Make Your Own Beeswax Wrap with 3 Ingredients
👉 DIY Leaf Shine with 3 Ingredients
👉 What is Tung Oil and How to Use it
👉 Using Epsom Salt for Healthy Growth in Plants
👉 Relieving Stress and Insomnia with the Calming Chamomile Pillow Mist Spray
👉 Using Essential Oils as Natural Bug Repellents
👉 DIY Mini Plant Pots with Terracotta Powder and Plaster of Paris
👉 3 Air Freshener Recipes to DIY at Home
👉 Soapnut Berries and Ways to Use Them in Your Daily Life
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