I decided to make a batch of soap for some of my favorite YouTube Creators. The ones that I could find shipping addresses for.....
Just a reminder to always run your recipes through a lye calculator. This charcoal soap was formulated specifically to be extra cleansing for those who work with their hands. I tend to make this as a "mechanic's" soap as it is really good on grease, and is less harsh than lava soap.
Charcoal Soap
makes enough to fill a 5 pound loaf mold
2 oz Palm Kernel Oil Flakes
12 oz Coconut Oil (I used 92º coconut oil for this)
12 oz Palm Oil (I use the kind that has been refined so it is no longer red)
24 oz Olive Oil Pomace
4 tablespoons activated charcoal powder
6.76 oz lye (sodium hydroxide)
19 oz distilled water
Always wear long sleeves, rubber gloves, safety glasses, and a respirator while working with lye. It isn't fun when you breathe in a cloud of that stuff, and the burns suck too.
Start by slowly pouring the lye into the distilled water in a heat safe container, and stir until the lye is dissolved. You will not be able to use this container for food after you've made soap in it. I use an old, small crock pot that I got at a thrift store. Wear the respirator for this part. Set your lye/water mixture aside and allow to cool until it's 95-100ºF.
In a separate pot, combine all of your oils and melt. Once all of the oils have melted, remove from heat, and allow to cool to 95-100ºF
Once you have allowed both mixtures to cool to about body temperature, add the charcoal directly to the oils, and blend well using a stick blender.
Then begin the chemical reaction by pouring your lye mixture into the oils, and blend with the stick blender until the mixture reaches a pudding like consistency. Pour into your prepared soap molds, cover, and allow to sit for 24-48 hours.
Unmold the soap, cut into bars, and cure on a shelf for about 4 weeks. Allow a small amount of space between bars. You don't need much room, just enough so that air can flow over the surface of your soap.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment, and I will answer as best as I can.