Teach Me Tuesday: Liquid African Soap Re-Formulated

OK, so I did try this once before with not so great results- we toughed it out nearly a year as I made about a gallon of this terrible, watery, slightly smelly, & mucky looking soap.  

I tried to convince myself and my family it was fine, 
but my daughter was afraid of using the "dirt soap". 
And my mom, who at the time came over 3 x's/week to help 
me with the kids as I recovered from major surgery,
started bringing her own soap over b/c 
she refused to use my "Murky Nile Dirt Soap" she so dubbed it....

I stubbornly held on until the last 8-16 ounces of my concoction was left. I became so grossed out by the smell, not putrid mind you, but "off smelling"- kinda metallic. I ended up using it to wash the tub and scrub the toilets...basically money down the drain...:-(


I still have 2 lbs left of the soap & after I used up all the store bought liquid soaps I had in reserve- I was determined to give this another shot. I researched all kinds of formulas and "tweaked" this one one to my preferences and understanding of formulating from my previous trials (Err..) errors and errors. 

WHAT I CHANGED FROM MY PREVIOUS ATTEMPT:

• DIDN'T dilute soap mixture with as much water as I had before
• ADDED Vegetable Glycerin to preserve it {I think that is what I omitted last time, probably the source of the "off smelling" concoction}
• ADDED Caster Oil: as it's a powerful humectant, meaning that it helps attract moisture to the skin plus it boosts the soap's lathery-"ness"
• ADDED Aloe Vera Gel for skin smoothing abilities
• DIDN'T add any tea {another probable cause for the "off-smell"}
• ADDED a small amount of melted extra virgin Coconut Oil: it adds more moisture to the skin and contains lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, which have antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties.

This makes a great hand soap and excellent body wash with a body poof it makes tons of lather, your skin feels amazing plus my razor just  

glided over my skin!

 

Was going to use tea tree EO but decided to use up another eo blend.

LIQUID SOAP FORMULA

1. 1 LB OF AFRICAN BLACK SOAP {could use a different natural handmade soap of choice about 2-4oz bars}
2. 6 C OF DISTILLED WATER
3. 3/4 C Vegetable GLYCERIN
4. 1/3-1/2 C Aloe Vera Gel
5. 1/4-1/3 C- Castor Oil
6. 3-5T Melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO)
7. Essential Oil/ Blend of choice{I choose *My Angles about 60 drops and 1/2 ounce from Birch Hill Happenings which is a much more affordable version of White Angelica Blend from a well known MLN. IT is one my FAVORITE scents!}
8. Carrier Oil {* *Rose Hip Oil. I purchase the majority of my supplies from Birch Hill Happenings, their prices, quality and customer service is really excellent}
9. ***Proper amount of Emulsifier{I choose Polysorbate 20, you basically use equal parts to essential oils}

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2 Ways to go about this,  

• #1: Crumble soap and place in a large pan over a low heat and stir until melted completely. Will take about 30-45 minutes. Don't worry about the tiny black specks that might be left in pan, those are cocoa pods fragments. (This is what I did, I added 1/4 C raw honey to melt it for added humectant properties plus it is great for sensitive skin)
• #2: Pour the 6 C of distilled water over the soap you have crumbled and leave in a large 2 Gallon container with a large opening overnight.
• Allow Soap mixture to cool (about 20 minutes) IF you melt over the stove top - if you allowed to melt over night start at this point 

and add glycerin, aloe vera gel,  EVCO, & Castor oil, stir well to combine

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•  After soap has completely cooled mix essential of choice- be sure to mix with emulsifier of choice before you add it to any water mixture- Or you will waste your essential oil as it will lay on the top, remember oil & water don't mix, you need to add something to allow it to blend!!

• Pour into container of choice, this makes about 1/2 Gallon

This makes a WONDERFUL body wash, bubble bath, and hair cleanser too! I added some honey for added moisture and cleansing -  

I just used it as a body wash and cleansed my hair following a "homemade hair conditioner MISHAP" & this also makes an EXCELLENT SHAMPOO!!
...it was amazing!! 

This defiantly is a KEEPER recipe, try adding the honey!!

 

*From Birch Hill Happenings: "My Angels ™ Blend: sandalwoods, rosewood, bergamot fcf, geranium, myrrh, spruce, ylang ylang #3, ylang ylang extra, hyssop, melissa, rose otto, and rose absolute...this blend will help you have a wonderful sense of wholeness as your negative energies turn positive. This wonderful blend of mind enriching essential oils will give you a glow like that of the angels. A healthy 'halo' will surround you. You will feel more spiritual. My Angels ™ blend will strengthen and protect your very being. Sit back, and simply enjoy."

*I added Rose Hip Oil ONLY because it was at the end of it's shelf life, it only has about 6 months shelf life and I already had my facial serums and scar ointments made. So in lieu of  my expensive oil going bad I added it to my soap. IF you have the extra funds by all means add this oil it is a very effective oil for skin treatments. It is very rich in G.L.A. Gamma Linoleic Acid and Vitamin C- it is very healing and nourishing and would be helpful in healing winter dried hands.

**If adding Essential oils it is very important to add an emulsifier or the essential oil will lay on the top of any water mixture and not properly mix