Homemade Soap – A Clean Way to Get Clean

When on GAPS, removing the toxic overload from the body is essential to flushing out the pathogens that cause GAPS illnesses. Dr. Natasha recommends dropping lotions and potions , as she calls it, from the daily regimen to reduce the chemical overload. She recommends not using chemically filled soaps as the skin is the largest organ, absorbing chemicals readily. The less the body has to process, the more it can spend its energy on healing.

Medical Doctors and pharmaceutical companies are becoming more and more aware of the ability of the skin to absorb pharmaceutical medicines topically though patches. The nicotine patch, hormone patches, motion sickness patches, angina patches,  birth control patches and even pain killer patches are populating the pharmacies.  Poison.org says, “Even after taking the patch off, some drug remains in the body.” The skin is an except avenue to absorb whatever is applied topically. 

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Avoiding chemicals reduces the toxic overload processed by the body. 
Making soap at home allows the person to use clean ingredients, even ones they would eat. Soap is made by using oils, liquid and lye. Through the process of saponification, the ingredients go through a chemical transformation turning the oil and lye into a salt. 

Using lye is scary for some folks, including myself. If you add the liquid, whether it be goat’s milk or water, to the lye, it can explode. This is why it is said, “Water to lye and you may die.” But, adding the lye to the liquid is perfectly safe. This is the most dangerous and difficult part of soap making. If you can remember to put the water or goats milk in a bowl then sprinkle the lye on top of it, you’re good.

Lye is caustic. This means if you pour it on your skin, it’ll eat your skin. For this reason wearing a long sleeve shirt, gloves, a bandana over your mouth and neck area, and protective eyewear is recommended. If lye happens to be splashed on your skin it can be relieved with spraying white vinegar on the spot. Flushing it with water is also effective. When we first made soap we suited up, worked outside in the carport and carried a spray bottle of vinegar. Now we make soap carefully, rinse off a splash mark with water and open a window in the kitchen.

Using stainless steel or glass is recommended so there is no adverse chemical response. 

A scale is important to soap making. Exact measures are important, sometimes down the hundredth of the gram. This recipe has a lot of forgiveness. When measuring ingredients for soap put the bowl for measuring ingredients on the scale. Zero out the scale, then add the ingredient into the bowl until it meets the appropriate measure.

Prepare your soap mold before making the mixture. Specific molds like these can be purchased. You can make a rectangle box out of wood for a mold. You can also use an almond milk container or something similar since it already has a wax coating. We usually use a cardboard box lined with wax or parchment paper.  This is our box with the below soap mixture. A smaller box makes a thicker bar what needs to be sliced lenthwise like a loaf of bread. A flatter box, one that would fit 2 six packs, will make one layer of soap that will eventually be cut into bars looking like brownies. 

First – Put a bowl on the scale then zero out the scale.

Then add 430 grams of frozen goat’s milk (or water) in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Lye added to liquid causes heat. This combination can get very hot. Using frozen goat’s milk keeps the temperature tolerable and manageable. I like to measure out my goat’s milk into zip top bags then freeze them. When they are pulled from the freezer, put in the bowl, chopped into smaller bits then add the lye, the heat balances out as it melts the frozen milk. This keeps the temperature manageable. Goat’s milk is more luxurious and nourishing to the skin.

Here’s this breakdown:

Chop the frozen goat milk into small pieces. 

Place a plate on the scale. Zero out the scale. Measure 170 grams of lye onto a plate. Making soap is a chemical reaction, exact measures are important. 

Pour the lye onto the frozen goat’s milk.

When the lye is added to the goat’s milk it will transform into a hot combination. Stir the mixture with a wooden, plastic or

In a separate bowl add an equal mixture of coconut oil and olive oil until the mixture totals 1134 grams. If you want a harder bar with less lather, 100 percent of the oil can be olive oil. Remember, essential oils displace oils. If you add two ounces of essential oils, subtract two ounces of olive oil or coconut oil. I never do equal measures but instead just add coconut oil until it is almost half the measure on the scale then pour in the olive oil until it totals 1134 grams. 

Once the two oils are combined together, pour the lye and goat’s milk into the bowl. Essential oils can be added at this time.

Use a stick blender to mix the ingredients. This takes longer than you think, time depends on your blending appliance and the oil. The stick blender will get hot. Mine gets very hot. Right when I begin to think, “Wow, this bad boy is getting hot! I wonder if I’m going to burn out the motor!”- I keep mixing. When I think, “Huh, this is hot! I wonder if it’s going to catch on fire!”- I know I’m getting closer. Continue to mix the ingredients until trace appears. Trace is where you move the stick blender through the mixture and it leaves a line like it would if you had dragged it through pudding. 

Added soap bling can be added now, stirring in with a rubber spatula. We like dried lemon zest added when lemon essential oil or lemongrass essential oil. Nutmeg and cinnamon are good with clove essential oil. Note, lemon or other citrus essential oils do not retain their aroma long. They are best used within the first few weeks after curing.

Once all the soap bling is combined, pour the mixture into the prepared box.

Leave your soap box on the counter or table. 

After 24 hours, or just less, turn the block out onto a cutting board and remove the parchment or wax paper if there is any.

 

With a large kitchen knife cut the soap into bars the desired size.

 

The soap bars need to cure for 6 weeks before use. The bars can be set side by side in a box or stacked up on each other with lots of room to breathe then put in a closet for the 6 week curing time.

 

*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com

“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.