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Where to buy castile soap Castile soap from scratch using a cold process

The luxury of the medieval aristocracy in our bathroom

Castile soap is the "king" of all toilet soaps. It is still extremely rare to see it for sale. It is the softest and most gentle on the skin, very expensive to manufacture, rather capricious to use, completely inaccessible to us before and extremely rarely available for sale now ...

All this is Castile soap, which was valued almost worth its weight in gold in the Middle Ages and undeservedly forgotten later, during the period of fascination with cheap "chemistry" in cosmetics. It is only now that the most effective of the old recipes for natural cosmetics are beginning to be revived, and Castile soap occasionally appears on the market. And, as often happens, a product covered in legends and unique in its effectiveness becomes the subject of falsification.

So what kind of soap has the right to be called Real Castile?

Only one - natural soap, brewed with 90% extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed). The remaining 10% of the oils are most often coconut or castor oils to give the soap at least some hardness and improve foaming.

If the manufacturer writes that his soap has “a lot” of olive oil, or it is brewed with the addition of a “good portion” of olive oil, or “enriched” with it, this is not Castile. If the soap is made from refined olive oil (even with a high content of it) - this is not Castile and you will not wait for the effect on the skin that is characteristic of real Castile.

What is the reason for the unique properties of the Real Castile?

First of all, in the unique composition of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. From the school chemistry course, we know that different vegetable oils contain different fatty acids. And the effect of these fatty acids on the skin is also very different. It has long been known in cosmetology that the more oleic acid in vegetable oil, the better it moisturizes and softens the skin, and the softer the soap made from such oil is for the skin.

Many vegetable oils contain oleic acid (almond, grape seed, etc.). But the champion is olive - it contains 85% oleic! Therefore, soaps made from any other vegetable oils lose to Castile in terms of softness on the skin.

The second reason is the presence of a very valuable so-called "unsaponifiable fraction" in unrefined olive oil. These are useful substances (vitamins, antioxidants, substances that stimulate skin regeneration, etc.), which are dissolved in oil, giving it a yellow-green color and a characteristic smell. It is they, and not just the composition of fatty acids, that are "responsible" for the lion's share of the benefits of olive oil, which we have been told about since childhood. Therefore, soap brewed from refined olive oil will have the necessary softness, but will be deprived of the benefits of substances of the valuable unsaponifiable fraction.

Pros and Cons of Castile Soap.

It seems, what are the disadvantages of soap, which was once worth its weight in gold? In fact, it is unrefined olive oil that is responsible for the "cons" of Castile soap, which industrial surfactant soaps are deprived of.

The first is the price. The wholesale price of extra virgin olive oil is 2-2.5 times higher than coconut and palm oils (common raw materials for making natural handmade soap) and 6-7 times more expensive than refined animal fats (the main raw material for making premium industrial toilet soap).

The second disadvantage is the lack of hardness. Unfortunately, it is the high content of oleic acid that makes Castile soap quite soft initially and very prone to soaking in the soap dish. All natural soaps soak much more than industrial surfactant soaps, and Castile generally begins to behave indecently, turning into a slimy mass. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to store Castile in a soap dish with holes to drain the water and, if possible, to dry between uses.

The third minus is color, smell and weak foam. Since unrefined olive oil has a pronounced yellow-green color and a characteristic smell, these properties cannot disappear without a trace when soap is cooked. Castile soap without any additives already has a yellowish-olive color and a characteristic smell that some people like and others don't. All essential oils and fragrances added to Castile are superimposed on this original smell and change noticeably. In addition, Castile soap lathers quite a bit even in warm water and produces a very fine "creamy" lather.

How to distinguish Real Castilian from falsification?

After conducting a chemical analysis for the content of salts of various fatty acids, if 85% or more of them is oleic, then the soap is 90% from olive oil J)

Of course, only the above analysis will guarantee that the soap is 90% brewed from olive oil. But there are several characteristic features that will help, at a minimum, to distinguish a clear falsification.

In what cases can you be sure that this is not Castile?

1 - if the soap is snow-white, this color cannot be achieved from Castile, even if white pigment is added to it - titanium dioxide.

2 - if the soap lathers easily and foam with large bubbles appears.

Having washed at least once with real Castile, you will not confuse its foam with anything - it does not appear immediately, but if you intensively “wash” a piece, a very characteristic fine “creamy” and “slippery” foam appears on your hands.

3 - if the soap is solid, but at the same time has a pronounced smell of essential oils or fragrances.

Castile soap can only be hard when cold-processed, but in this case it must “mature” for at least 6 months, and preferably 8-10 months. During this period, any essential oils have time to almost completely evaporate. If the castile was made hot, then the essential oils and flavors will be preserved, but the soap becomes solid only after a few days of use.

Castile soap "from scratch" in a hot way

Castile soap has been considered an unsurpassed “classic of style” since ancient times. It is fundamentally different from any other: traditionally, it does not include any oils other than olive oil, or its content is at least 80%.

Even without the addition of any other oils, the soap will take care of the skin at the highest level. Many people after using castile soap for a long time have noticed that the general condition of the skin has improved, it has become softer and smoother, and has acquired a healthy appearance.

Today there are various recipes for Castile soap, its distinctive feature is preserved, and various additives improve its emollient and caring properties.

Today we will kill two birds with one stone - we will learn how to make Castile soap from scratch and master the process of making soap in a hot way.

Before you start soap making, you need to collect everything that we need in one place:

capacity for alkali (heat-resistant glass or steel);
blender;
two pans (with a lid for soap mass and without a lid for a water bath);
electronic scales (accuracy not less than 1 gram);
plastic containers for weighing alkalis and oils;
strainer;
thermometer;
knife for cutting finished soap;
form for pouring soap old newspapers to protect the surface of the desktop;
rubber gloves, goggles, respirator, long sleeves, acetic acid solution;
at least one spoon;
at least one soap maker :-)

Safety precautions are very important, as the alkaline solution is very caustic and can seriously damage the skin. Make sure there are no children or pets nearby, open a window or turn on a fan. Do not lean over the container with alkali, try to work at arm's length. You should always have a solution of acetic acid on hand, which neutralizes the action of alkali. All actions with alkali should be carried out especially carefully, in case of contact with alkali on the skin, you need to no panic wash it off with running cold water, and then with a solution of acetic (or citric) acid. It does not hurt to study the safety precautions when working with alkali from various sources.

All utensils used in the preparation of soap (pots, spoons, blender) must not be used for cooking!

We will prepare castile soap according to the following recipe:

infusion of chamomile in olive oil has soothing and anti-irritant properties - 800 gr .;
shea butter (shea butter) is moisturizing and delicate, gives the soap a silkiness-200 gr.;
frozen decoction of chamomile is used instead of water to give the soap an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect - 330 gr.;
sodium hydroxide (NaOH) - 125 gr.;
natural silk threads break down into amino acids and proteins that nourish, rejuvenate, make the skin soft and tender - 5 gr.;
lavender essential oil calms and normalizes sleep - 10 gr.

To prepare an infusion of chamomile, you need to pour dry plants with olive oil and put the mixture in a water bath or battery (temperature about 40 degrees, infusion time - from 5 to 10 hours). It is better to use oil marked "ExtraVirgin".

Sodium hydroxide must be of the highest degree of purification marked "analytical grade" (pure for analysis) or "chemically pure" (chemically pure), in no case should you use technical alkali and household chemicals !!!

Silk threads must be undyed and do not contain synthetics. I use surgical silk threads. Essential oil must also be of high quality, so you should not buy it in a pharmacy. Really natural oil cannot be cheap…

First you need to measure the required amount of sodium hydroxide, be sure to wear gloves, goggles, a respirator and long-sleeved clothing. Do not use aluminum spoons and utensils unless you want to dissolve them in the alkali.

Sodium hydroxide is weighed on an electronic scale with a division value of 1 gram (and preferably 0.1 gram). If in doubt, round down. Measuring accuracy is very important in the soap making process!

We prepare an alkaline solution. Sodium hydroxide, when interacting with the liquid, is very hot, so the chamomile decoction is pre-frozen. Gently and gradually pour alkali into a container with chamomile decoction, the ice begins to melt. In no case should you do the opposite (that is, pour liquid into alkali) - this is fraught with unpleasant consequences, up to mini-explosions. Each spoonful of dry alkali must be stirred until the crystals are completely dissolved. Gradually the mixture will heat up; for cooling, you can put the container with the mixture in cold water. Very important fully dissolve alkali crystals.

The next step is to dissolve the silk threads in an alkaline solution. First, let's prepare silk threads - they need to be weighed and cut into small pieces (the smaller, the better). Add the silk to the hot lye solution and stir until completely dissolved. If the silk does not want to dissolve, you need to carefully warm the solution in a water bath or stir with a blender (if the threads are in the solution for more than 20 minutes). As the threads dissolve, the solution will thicken a little. Leave the solution to cool.

Accurately measure the amount of solid shea butter (shea butter) according to the recipe. Next, you need to melt the shea butter in a water bath, making sure that it does not overheat. Boiling is not allowed!

Pour the chamomile infusion into the melted shea butter, using a strainer to separate the oil from the plant particles. The container with oil is on the scales - you need to pour exactly 800 gr. Remember that in the case of oils, 1 liter is NOT EQUAL to 1 kg. So, we got two containers: in one, an alkaline-silk solution, in the other, a mixture of oils. Before mixing these solutions, you need to achieve the same temperature, with a maximum spread of 3-5 degrees. The optimum mixing temperature is 40 degrees Celsius.

The most crucial moment comes - mixing the alkaline solution with a mixture of oils. We need to pour the alkaline solution into the oil mixture in a thin stream and mix well with a spatula or spoon until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. It is necessary to pour in an alkaline solution only through a strainer in order to avoid the ingress of undissolved alkali crystals into the oil. After that, we begin to mix the mixture with a submersible blender. Usually blenders are designed for continuous use for 1-2 minutes, so beat the mixture, working alternately for one minute with a blender and two to three minutes with a spoon.

Beat the mixture until a clear mark appears on the surface of the soap mass, after running a spoon over it. In the photo on the left - a light trace - the mass flows freely, but tubercles already remain on the surface. It is very important to bring the mass to a thick trace, which keeps its shape, otherwise the mass may exfoliate and the soap will be spoiled.

Now you have a choice - to make soap cold or hot.

For the cold method: add lavender essential oil to the mass, stir, pour into a mold, wrap the mold in a towel and put it in a warm place. We take out the solid soap after one or two days and cut it. After cutting, cold-made soap needs to mature (like good wine or cheese). Soap holding time - from one month, but for Castile soap it is desirable to increase the holding time up to 6-10 months!!!

For those who do not have the patience for such endurance and a hot method was invented ...

After the onset of the trace stage, the soap mass must be placed in a water bath, covered with a lid and left for two hours, while you need to constantly monitor the bath, adding water. After 40 minutes, a gel will begin to form on the surface of the soap. The figure on the right clearly shows the boundary of gel formation. After an hour, you can take a test for the readiness of soap, for which you take a drop of soap, rub it between your fingers and touch them to the tip of your tongue: if the product stings your tongue, it is not ready yet. In this case, the tongue must be washed with a stream of water to wash away the alkali. If no tingling is observed, then the soap is completely ready. It should be left for another 30-40 minutes in a water bath so that it goes through the saponification process.

We remove the soap from the bath and quickly add lavender essential oil to the mass, as the mass hardens quickly (we have a couple of minutes for all actions). We spread the mass into a mold, decisively knock the mold on the floor so that the mass is evenly distributed, and leave it to harden for about a day.

All soap recipes from scratch are calculated with excess oil, thus eliminating the presence of alkali in the final product. The reaction of alkali + vegetable oils (fatty acids) results in sodium salts of fatty acids + glycerin + unreacted oils (the same excess of oils, which is called overfat or superfat).

We disassemble the mold and cut the soap into pieces. Hot soap can be used immediately as it has gone through the saponification and gel stages in a water bath. However, it can be left to ripen indefinitely, because over time, the properties of such soap improve. To ensure that it does not lose its aroma and color during storage, it should be stored wrapped in cling film in a dry and cool place.

That's all! Soap, which turned out as a result - absolutely natural, hypoallergenic, with a fine bubble soft foam, gentle and safe for your children and for yourself.

Happy soap making!

Classic Castile soap, invented several centuries ago, today we will prepare the accelerated method and get Castile soap from scratch in a hot way. This all natural soap, according to the original recipe, will contain olive oil, lye and water. The maturation process of such soap is accelerated by heating the whipped oil-alkaline mass in a water bath or in an oven, followed by the passage of the gel stage.

Castile soap recipe

Soap recipes should always be at hand, so it’s more convenient to check whether everything has been done, so it’s better to write out or print out the ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

To make soap you will need: scales, measuring utensils, a strainer for an alkaline solution, dishes for a water bath, spoons with long handles, a mixer, a thermometer, a pH meter, or litmus paper, protective equipment (glasses, gloves, a respirator), ingredients, and soap mold.

Handmade soap ingredients:

200 g - olive oil
95.2 g - ice water (ice)
23.7 g - NaOH alkalis

We free the workspace from unnecessary items, open the window for ventilation, prepare all the necessary tools and ingredients, put on gloves, cover our face with a respirator, eyes with glasses and close the door from strangers.
Weigh pre-frozen water in a glass of the right volume.
Separately weigh the alkali.
Let's prepare an alkaline solution, for this, with the most accurate movements, we introduce alkali into the ice. Beginners, do not be alarmed, a chemical reaction will begin with the release of heat. Therefore, we leave the alkaline solution for a while so that it cools down a little.
Measure out the olive oil and pour into a large bowl.
When the temperature of the alkaline solution differs from the temperature of the olive oil only within 10 0 C (measured with a thermometer), we introduce the solution, filtering through a sieve into the oil (not vice versa).
The oil-alkaline solution is first kneaded with a spoon, and then, we connect the mixer.
We beat the mass until a path stretching after the mixer appears - this is called a stable trail. After a minute, check again for a trace. Due to the large amount of olive oil, the mass may delaminate again, do not be alarmed, you just need to beat it up and check again for a trace.
The Castile soap brought to the trace is sent to a water bath under the lid, to speed up the passage of the gel stage, and therefore to speed up the maturation process. Periodically open the lid and mix the soapy mass thoroughly, adding a little water if necessary.
In the process, it is necessary to check whether all the alkali is gone and whether the soap is pinched. Some professionals check the soap on the tongue, if it stings, then we still cook. You can check with a pH meter or strips of litmus paper, pH≈8.
After a few hours, we achieve the gel stage, remove the soap from the water bath.
We shift the castile soap from scratch in a hot way into molds and tap well on all sides.
We leave the soap to harden in the form from several hours to a day.
We take out the dried soap from the mold and, if necessary, cut into smaller sticks.

Making handmade soap:

Our recipe for Castile soap allows you to make a soap that can be used immediately after hardening. However, over time, this soap becomes only nobler. In view of the absence of dyes and fragrances, the soap is completely hypoallergenic, lathers well and is suitable even for children.

How to make new from old castile soap

Sometimes, over time, it seems to us that the boiled bar of soap is not as good as we would like. Or, for example, you want to make soap with additives from an existing bar. The recipe described above for Castile soap has a simple recipe that does not contain any auxiliary components, be it color or fragrance. Therefore, once brewed such soap can be easily digested again, ennobling it. You can also digest unsuccessful Castile soap, when something did not work out with the color, the aroma has disappeared, etc., we advise you to collect all the remnants and remnants and make a new one from the old.

How to make new from old castile soap? Perhaps even easier than making Castile soap itself from scratch. In this case, you do not have to work with alkali. The alkaline reaction took place at the gel stage in the production of soap.

So, there are pieces of unsuccessful Castile soap and remnants of it.

Soap making instructions:

We weigh all the Castile soap (in order to understand the number of components introduced and the size of the mold), this is our soap base.
Three all the soap on a grater.
We send the soap shavings to heat in a water bath, adding ≈10% liquid (water, chamomile decoction, milk, etc.).
Stirring constantly, bring the soap to a homogeneous mass. Add liquid if necessary.
For better melting, you can add honey, sugar or sorbitol diluted in water.
Optionally, you can add overfat, in the form of selected oils.
Well-melted Castile soap can be enriched with whatever your heart desires. You can divide the entire volume into several parts and add different dyes to each, and then pour multi-colored soap in layers. Dried flowers or exfoliating particles can be added to homogeneous uncured castile soap. Such castile soap can be scented with your favorite aroma, thanks to fragrances and essential oils.
Castile soap saturated with the selected components is transferred to a suitable size form, tapping on all sides from the accumulated air bubbles.
We leave the soap to “rest” for several hours in the form.
We remove the frozen soap from the mold on a cotton towel, and leave it to lie down for a while, for the disappearance of excess fat and moisture.

DIY castile soap:

As a result, from an old, unattractive bar of soap, a completely new Castile soap is obtained with properties acquired during the manufacturing process, colors and aromas, as planned.

To begin with, we will weigh all the necessary ingredients, observing the safety rules when working with alkali. Do not neglect masks and respirators, even the lightest alkali vapors strongly irritate the nasal mucosa.

Weigh olive oil, water and lye:

Let's prepare an alkaline solution. It is better to put a container with water in cold water beforehand to avoid excessive heating of the alkaline solution, since alkali releases a large amount of heat when in contact with water. Observing safety precautions, pour lye into water and mix. Let the alkaline solution cool to room temperature.

As soon as the temperature of the alkaline solution and the oil is approximately equal, pour the solution into the oils and begin to mix.

For mixing it is better to use a blender. It will take 10 to 20 minutes to get a trace in future Castile soap, depending on the intensity of mixing.

We turn on the blender for 15-20 seconds, then turn it off and let the soap settle. And so on until we see a light trail.

Next, you can prepare the form. You can pour such soap anywhere, the main thing is to make sure that the soap can be easily removed from the molds without breaking or crumbling. Castile soap is quite mild, so it's best to use collapsible molds made of wood or plastic. Gradually the soap thickens and the trace becomes thicker and thicker.

You can wait until the soap thickens well so that it is more convenient to put it into the mold.

The photo clearly shows how thick the soap is. However, it does not lose elasticity and is just as easy to work with.

Next, you can put the soap to age in a dry, dark place. The gel step may be omitted. It will be possible to pull it out of the mold in 2-3 days, then you can cut it. But to use it, at least a month later, ideally, six months after preparation.
But if you want your soap to have a more even color, smooth surface, and even texture, run your soap through the gel stage. To do this, leave the soap in the form for an hour and a half at a temperature of about 50 degrees. For these purposes, I use a barely heated oven, you can wrap the soap in a towel and put it on a hot battery. After passing through the gel, the soap becomes more transparent, it can be seen that the gel stage has passed evenly.

Such soap also requires aging, just like soap that has not gone through the gel stage. Let the soap mature.
After 2 days, you can get the soap out of the mold and cut it.

Cut - but do not wash) Set aside on the top shelf from one month to six months. And better - to infinity. A piece that has lain for a couple of years will not have a price.