The Basics of Making Soap, Part 4

This soap is not antiseptic. You can add some pine resin or horseradish root to the mixture to make it antiseptic. You can also scent it with wild roses or lavender. Too much alkali or lye will cause the soap to be drying and harsh to your skin.

If you happen to have sheep nearby, lanolin, a type of wax, can be gathered from their wool as shearing time by pressing the wool or boiling it. Cook or boil the raw lanolin to remove any impurities, then it can be added to the soap to help it be softening to the skin. Recently it has been found that lanolin also contains antibiotic properties, but use it sparingly because it also contains allergens that can be irritating to some people.

The Basics of Making Soap, Part 3

The mixture will turn opaque and somewhat brown or tan, and then gradually get lighter. The soap is done when a drop of the soap dripped on the surface of the mixture is supported. It should actually be the consistency of yoghurt or sour cream.

Pour liquid into mold, pie tins, cookie sheets or on strips of tree bark to cool. Once the soap has hardened, it can be cut using a warm knife into bars. If possible store the bars uncovered for a couple of weeks to harden.

To learn more survival skills click here.