Commercial soap - not only potentially harmful because of the abundance of chemicals. It is, moreover, a faceless and boring, while at the handmade soap is always a character of its own. Last charms, uplifting, making your bathroom more comfortable, and the process of cleansing the body - more pleasant. This is a treat for your skin, which it certainly deserves.

Production of soap - it is a simple chemical reaction

The process of preparing handmade soap is much easier than it might seem at first glance. Soap is the result of a simple chemical reaction of fats or oils with lye. The difference between soap Laundry soap: cosmetic and medical , Various types of commercial soaps and soap handmade consists in selecting ingredients. High-quality fats or oils, flavorings and colorings, essential oils - this is what gives the soap handmade special nature of what commercial soaps can not compete with him.

Four ways to manufacture soap

There are four basic ways to manufacture soap in household:

• Production of soap from the soap base which is melted and added thereto optional flavorings and colorants.
• Cold soap making - boiled soap from oils and alkali without using soap base.
• Hot soap making method like a cold process, but also soap is cooked at a high temperature.
• Production of soap remnants - they are crushed, add water or milk (and other ingredients can be, for example, essential oil) and the resulting mixture was poured into molds.

Preparation of soap from the soap base

This method is similar to soap making soup of ready mix - you are left with not much room for experimentation, but the process is fairly simple, safe, fast and convenient.

First of all, you need to buy soap base is colorless and odorless. Its melt in the microwave Microwave - irreplaceable assistant modern housewife   or double boiler, and is then added to the taste flavorants, colorants and other ingredients. After this will only pour the soap into molds and wait until it hardens. Or you can leave it in the same pot, where you prepare the mixture, and then cut into pieces.

To make soap from the soap base, you will need:

• clean working surface (preferably cover it with polyethylene), microwave or a double boiler;
• bakeware, which can be used in a microwave oven;
• a pair of spoons or whisks that you will interfere with the soap mixture;
• soap base;
• scoop;
• flavorings, colorings and other ingredients - if desired;
• the form in which you will pour the soap mixture.

As a rule, the first attempt of the soap mixture obtained excellent weld soap.

Advantages of the method:

• simplicity and low cost;
• no need to work with hazardous alkaline solution;
• it takes a few ingredients to prepare a good soap;
• the soap is ready for use as soon hardens.

Disadvantages:

• limited control over the composition of the soap;
• this method of soap making is not quite natural, since many manufacturers add to the soap base of artificial chemicals to better foaming or swimming;
• the quality of your soap depends on the quality of the soap base.

The cold method of making soap

If the preparation of soap from the soap base can be compared with the soup of the final mixture, the cold method of manufacturing soap - it cooked meals according to the rules and under the complete control of your: you decide what ingredients to use and how natural is your final product. Of course, this process is more complicated, but it is and more interesting.

First of all, it is necessary to mix the alkali with warm water and oil or fat to about thirty degrees. Then, an alkaline solution is added to the oil and stir until mixture thickens to a so-called "step trace" (on a spoon taken out of the soap solution remaining droplets that drain very slowly or not at all drain). When the mixture reached the desired thickness, it is possible to add flavorants, colorants, and other ingredients. After that the soap mixture is poured into molds. Cooked this way the soap will harden during the day and use it will be no sooner than a month.

Pros:

• you can completely control the soap at your discretion;
• soaps of recipes prepared cold method is not particularly limited.

Disadvantages:

• you will need to learn safe work with alkali;
• soap manufacturing process takes more time, requires more tools and ingredients;
• you have to wait a few weeks before the soap can be used.

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