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Make Your Own Castile Soap

Castile soap is named for the Spanish province in which it was first made. Valued for its gentle cleansing quality, it has gained new fans because of its all-natural ingredients. It is a good first project for a beginning soap maker because no fats need to be collected and rendered. The traditional recipe used only olive oil, but modern soap makers often add other plant-based oils to give it a better consistency. There are scores of Castile soap recipes available, but using a simple one is a good introduction for the novice. The entire process takes about an hour and the soap hardens overnight.

Things You'll Need

2 shallow cardboard boxes, one fitting over the other
Freezer paper
Stove
1 qt. glass measuring cup
Postal scale
5 gal. enameled or graniteware pot
Wooden spoon
24 oz. cold water
12 oz. lye crystals
Kitchen thermometer
Stick blender
78 oz. olive oil
6 oz. coconut oil
6 oz. palm oil
Essential fragrance oils (optional)
Long sharp knife

Instructions

Preparation
- 1
  Line a shallow cardboard box with freezer paper, overlapping a couple of sheets if required. Tuck the paper neatly into the corners to avoid gaps in your soap. Assemble all your ingredients and equipment in one area near the stove.
- 2
  Weigh the ingredients using the postal scale. Use the glass measuring cup for the water and essential oils if you use them. Open the windows and turn on the stove vent.
- 3
  Add the lye to the cold water in the glass measuring cup while standing near a window or under the stove vent. Stir the mixture with the wooden spoon. The resulting chemical reaction releases an irritating gas so avert your face slightly while it's taking place.
- 4
  Set the lye and water mixture aside and insert the thermometer into it. Let it cool to about 110 to 120 degrees F. Measure the oils and pour them into the large pot. Turn on the stick blender at its lowest speed.
- 5
  Pour the lye-water mixture into the oils quickly and begin stirring this mixture with the stick blender. Blend for about 1 minute until the soap is smooth and develops a sheen. Turn the blender off for 1 minute, and use it like a spoon to stir the mixture manually for another minute, then turn the blender on for about 15 seconds. Repeat this process until the soap starts to thicken and look slightly dull.
- 6
  Lift the blender from the soap and notice its consistency as it drips from the shaft. It should have an appearance similar to thin pudding before pouring into dishes. Add the essential oils while the blender is off and use its shaft to stir them into the soap partially. Turn on the blender briefly to finish mixing in the fragrances and to break up any small lumps that may have formed.
- 7
  Pour the thickened soap mixture into the paper-lined box. Put the larger box upside-down over it. Place the box in a cool area. Check the soap and when it begins to gel, remove the upper box to allow excess heat to escape. When the soap has cooled and an opaque white area forms at the edges, put the upper box back on and allow the soap to harden, usually overnight.
- 8
  Score the hardened soap into bars with the knife. Remove the soap from the mold and finish cutting and trimming it evenly with the knife. Save the trimmings because they can be melted and incorporated into subsequent batches.

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