We have contemplated spring through the gloomy and cold days of winter. But through that time much has been happening!
"Back in the day" we would have already used half of our yearly supply of soap made last fall. Fall was the time to slaughter animals, and use the tallow and lard for soap making. Water was steeped through ashes to produce the alkali or lye water of an undetermined strength, which produced soap of an undetermined hardness.
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| Maria Making Soap in Modern Times |
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| Making Soap From Lye in Colonial Days |
What is soap? What are the ingredients?
Where did the Lye Go?
The term saponification is the name given to the chemical reaction that occurs when a vegetable oil or animal fat is mixed with a strong alkali. The products of the reaction are two: soap and glycerin. Water does not enter into the chemical reaction. The water is only a vehicle for the alkali, which is otherwise a dry powder.
The name saponification literally means "soap making". The root word, "sapo",
is Latin for soap. The Italian word for soap is sapone. Soap making as an art
has its origins in ancient Babylon around 2500 - 2800 BC.
The oils used in modern handmade soap are carefully chosen. Coconut oil creates lots of glycerin, makes big bubbly lather, and is very stable. Olive oil has natural antioxidants and its soap makes a creamier lather. Many other oils can be used,
each one for a specific reason.
The alkali used in modern soap is either potassium hydroxide, which is used to make soft soap or liquid soap because of its greater solubility, or sodium hydroxide, which is used to make bar soap. The common term for the alkali became simply "lye".
Soap made in cottages and on farms in earlier American times became known as "lye soap". That term now denotes a harsh soap with excessive amount of caustic. Weighing and measuring techniques were crude, and knowledge of soap chemistry
was elementary or non-existent.
The true fact is that modern handcrafted soap, though necessarily made with lye to get
true soap, has no lye in the final product. It has all been reacted with the oils to
form soap and glycerin.
A fact about the most common massed-produced soap found in the grocery store does
have a small amount of excess alkali in it. Also, all of its naturally-occurring glycerin
is removed to be sold as a separate commodity. Why? Greater profit. An important difference between most commercial soap and our Coastal Cottage Soaps is
that the glycerin is left in and thus it retains its natural
moisturizing property.
The name saponification literally means "soap making". The root word, "sapo",
is Latin for soap. The Italian word for soap is sapone. Soap making as an art
has its origins in ancient Babylon around 2500 - 2800 BC.
The oils used in modern handmade soap are carefully chosen. Coconut oil creates lots of glycerin, makes big bubbly lather, and is very stable. Olive oil has natural antioxidants and its soap makes a creamier lather. Many other oils can be used,
each one for a specific reason.
The alkali used in modern soap is either potassium hydroxide, which is used to make soft soap or liquid soap because of its greater solubility, or sodium hydroxide, which is used to make bar soap. The common term for the alkali became simply "lye".
Soap made in cottages and on farms in earlier American times became known as "lye soap". That term now denotes a harsh soap with excessive amount of caustic. Weighing and measuring techniques were crude, and knowledge of soap chemistry
was elementary or non-existent.
The true fact is that modern handcrafted soap, though necessarily made with lye to get
true soap, has no lye in the final product. It has all been reacted with the oils to
form soap and glycerin.
A fact about the most common massed-produced soap found in the grocery store does
have a small amount of excess alkali in it. Also, all of its naturally-occurring glycerin
is removed to be sold as a separate commodity. Why? Greater profit. An important difference between most commercial soap and our Coastal Cottage Soaps is
that the glycerin is left in and thus it retains its natural
moisturizing property.
from Real Handmade Soap
COASTAL COTTAGES SOAPS MADE THIS WINTER
The soap shop has produced limited quantities of soap after the made holiday rush. We are now whipping up popular and new varieties.
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| Pink Swirl Artsy Glycerin Soap |
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Restocking newly made "Castile Soap" for an online customer. Only 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, no other vegetable or animal fats. First made in the Castile region of Spain in the 16th century and the 1st example of hard, white soap.
Castile soap is moisturizing and gentle to the skin, containing no colors, dyes or detergents so it can be used on babies and people with sensitive skin. This batch is unscented, but smells like "Clean Linen." New large 5 oz size. I will be adding lavender, peppermint, and pomegranate to this product line called, Liberto's Castile Sopone. Check out coastalcottagesoaps.com to purchase.
Castile soap is moisturizing and gentle to the skin, containing no colors, dyes or detergents so it can be used on babies and people with sensitive skin. This batch is unscented, but smells like "Clean Linen." New large 5 oz size. I will be adding lavender, peppermint, and pomegranate to this product line called, Liberto's Castile Sopone. Check out coastalcottagesoaps.com to purchase.
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| Liberto's Unscented Castile Sopone ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As colorful as Easter Eggs! Here is my assortment of Coastal Cottage WOOL FELTED SOAPS, the latest craze by wool fiber artists and soap makers. Imagine soap wrapped with it's own wash cloth and lots of
natural lather to cleanse your body.
Colorful wool fibers are wrapped around each handmade bar of soap made by this soap maker
and then hand felted to the bar.
As you use the sudsy soap the wool will shrink with the size of the bar. Sorry no selection of
fragrance, I send whatever is in stock.
2 Bar Set: $9.95 which includes all natural ingredients.
Go to coastalcottagesoaps.com to purchase!
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| Felted Wool Natural Soaps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
This is a rather new edition to the line up of soap. Unscented Aloe Vera & Calendula, a great product for those with blemished and other problems. The healing properties of Aloe and Calendula in a totally natural and unscented bar has been tested with positive results. Just ask my grandsons!
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| Unscented Aloe Vera & Calendula Soap Thanks for taking the soap making journey with me. I continue to produce many varieties of natural and artsy designer soaps. It is a satisfying and clean business. I am blessed to be on this journey.
My Best to all,
Maria Liberto Bessette
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