Crafting Your Own Fresh Avocado Soap: A Simple Guide for Home Soap Making
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 12 oz. coconut oil
- 4 oz. olive oil
- 4 oz. palm oil (ensure it’s sustainably sourced)
- 4 oz. lye (sodium hydroxide)
- 10 oz. water
- Optional: essential oils for fragrance (like lavender or eucalyptus)
Equipment:
- Safety goggles and gloves
- Stainless steel pot
- Digital scale
- Thermometer
- Immersion blender
- Soap mold
- Parchment paper
Instructions:
- Prepare Your Ingredients:
- Peel and pit the avocado, then mash it until smooth. Set aside.
- Measure out all your oils and the water using a digital scale for accuracy.
- Safety First:
- Before starting, make sure to don your safety goggles and gloves. Lye is caustic and must be handled carefully.
- Mix the Lye Solution:
- Slowly add the lye to the water (never the other way around), stirring constantly until fully dissolved. This mixture will heat up quickly, so be cautious. Allow it to cool to about 100°F.
- Melt the Oils:
- Combine the coconut, olive, and palm oils in a stainless steel pot and gently heat until they are fully melted.
- Combine Lye and Oils:
- Once both the lye solution and the oils are approximately the same temperature (100°F), slowly pour the lye solution into the oils, stirring manually at first.
- Blend the Mixture:
- Use an immersion blender to mix until the soap reaches trace (when it thickens to a pudding-like consistency).
- Add the Avocado:
- Mix in the mashed avocado and any optional essential oils for fragrance.
- Pour into Molds:
- Pour the soap mixture into prepared molds lined with parchment paper.
- Curing:
- Cover the molds with a cloth and allow the soap to set for 24 hours before unmolding. Cure the soap bars on a rack for 4-6 weeks before using.
Creating your own avocado soap not only gives you a product that’s full of skin-loving goodness but also the satisfaction of having made something truly special and tailored just for you. Enjoy the process and the results of your homemade avocado soap!