Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 qt Cold water 1 1/2 c Olive oil
13 oz Pure lye crystals 1/2 oz Finely ground lavender
38 oz Rendered and strained fat 1 tb Ground cinnamon
3 c Coconut oil

Yield: 6 pounds

This hand and face soap is scented with lavender and cinnamon and
enriched with coconut oil and olive oil.

SUPPLIES 2 quart lye-proof pot plus 8-quart lye-proof pot (stain- less
steel, stoneware, or enameled cast iron)

rubber work gloves goggles, safety glasses, or face shield face mask
1 cup white vinegar (Used as safety precaution only) stainless steel
or wooden spoon dairy, meat, or candy thermometer hand eggbeater
flexible plastic soap molds, such as margarine tubs or cardboard or
wooden boxes lined with plastic wrap

* BE SAFE. Lye is very caustic; it can destroy skin by chemical
action. Handle it very carefully.

Place water in the 2-quart lye-proof pot. Put on the rubber gloves and
other safety gear. Have the vinegar handy. Very slowly add lye
crystals to water, constantly stirring until lye is dissolved. As lye
is added to water, the water temperature will rise to around 150
degrees F. Place the mometer in the water and allow it to cool to 95
to 98 F. As the water is cooling, stir rendered fat and oils in the 8
quart lye-proof pot. Slowly heat until fats reach 95 to 98 F. When
both lye and fat are in the same 95 to 98 F temperature range, slowly
pour lye into fat, stirring constantly until well mixed. Beat very
gently with the eggbeater to the consistency of thick honey. Avoid
splashing. Stir in lavender and cinnamon.

Pour the mixture into molds, cover with a blanket, and set aside to
dry for 36 hours, well away from children or pets. After 36 hours,
carefully turn the soap out of the molds and leave in a dry, airy
place for at least two weeks. A fine white powder may appear on the
surface when the soap is a few days old. This is sodium carbonate.
Wash it away when the soap is mature; it tends to make the skin dry.

Notes: Lye is crystalline sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
It is usually sold in the drain cleaner section of supermarkets and
hardware stores. Buy pure lye crystals or flakes, not lye sold as a
liquid drain cleaner. Red Devil is the most common brand available.
Buy coconut oil from drug stores and health food stores. Buy dried
lavender at herb shops and craft shops.

Source: Rodale's Book of Practical Formulas Typed by Fran McGee

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