So, I did something new. And it was a lot of fun. I was a little nervous about trying it because I’m super scared to mess things up. But, I started with a pretty foolproof kit, and that definitely helped! I made soap!!
As most of you know, we have, ever so slowly, been working toward homesteading and being more self-sufficient. We are far from either of those things actually being a reality, but every little thing gets us one step closer. Today, it was learning to make soap.
Ok. So I didn’t actually make the soap. I purchased a re-batch soap kit from an online retailer. All I had to do was melt down the shredded soap, add the fragrance oil, and put it into a mold. But I did it! Without messing it up! I was so proud of myself. And my house smells amazing now. I never really thought about the added bonus of the smell throughout the house, but I’m really liking it.
I’m sure some of you are asking why I even count this as making soap. Well, I don’t technically count it as soap making. But, I did get my feet wet with this little starter kit, and now I’m not quite as nervous as I was before to actually try to REALLY make soap. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still nervous about it, but it’s not as bad as before. I’m now pretty excited to try the real thing!
Some of you are probably also wondering why I would want to make my own soap in the first place. Making soap is something I’ve been wanting to try for a while now. I know homemade soap is better for your skin and, from what I’ve been told, it’s super easy to make. Some members of my family are allergic to most kinds of soap on the market right now. I really would love to make our own soap so that we can use different kinds, but not have the allergy issues that we deal with regularly. We literally can use one kind of laundry soap. Normally that doesn’t bother me since I’m a creature of habit and routine, but sometimes it would be nice to switch it up if we wanted something different.
But, for right now, I’m concentrating on bar soap for washing our hands. I may experiment more at a later date, but that will have to wait its turn. The soap I made today had the re-batch base and I added lavender essential oil. It smells amazing! I’m not usually a big lavender lover, but I really like this one! It even has little lavender pieces sprinkled all over the top. I have a feeling those will just end up falling off and making a mess, but whatever. It’s my first attempt. I’ll just follow the directions since I have no idea what I’m doing.
The first thing I needed to do was put the soap pieces in my big pot and add a little bit of water. I put that on low and stirred often to keep it melting properly and not burning to the bottom. That took about twenty minutes.
While it was melting, I put the lavender pieces in the bottom of the molds. Once the soap had melted, I added the lavender oil to the soap and mixed thoroughly to make sure the oil was through all the soap. I thought that step was going to be tricky because of what I thought the consistency would be like once the soap melted, but it was pretty easy. The consistency of the melted soap was much easier to work with than I expected.
Once the oil was mixed into the soap, it was time to fill the molds. I just used a spatula to spoon it into the molds then used my fingers to pack it into the molds and even out the tops. The tops of mine were pretty bumpy though. It won’t make a difference in how the soap works, but it’s not the prettiest looking soap I’ve ever seen.
After working all the soap into the molds, it was time to let it dry and harden up. I left it in the molds for almost twenty-four hours. When I did try to pop them out of the mold, they came out very quickly and smoothly. They aren’t perfect, but I give them a two-thumbs up for my first attempt at any kind of soap! I’m going to leave them out to dry and cure for a couple weeks, but after that it’s game on! I can’t wait to use the soap!
If any of you have been wanting to experiment with soap making, go for it! So far, it’s not nearly as intimidating as I was expecting it to be. I had so much fun making it!
I also bought a second kit that I’m hoping will be here soon. That one is a cold process kit, so I will actually be making the soap. I’m slightly nervous to try it, but I’m also crazy excited about it. I will do another blog post of that one when I get the kit and get it made. Hopefully I don’t wreck the soap before I even start!
I’m so glad I pushed myself to try something new. Even if it was something so completely simple as melting some soap and adding some good-smelling oil to it. For me and my intimidated self, small, simple steps are the way to go. I usually need a good experience to get me to try something a second time. I’m always such a nervous Nellie!
So, if you are thinking about trying something new, no matter how big or small, go for it!
Have a great week, everyone!
Imperfection At Its Finest 