This is a very simple yet beautiful liquid castile soap recipe that uses 100% olive oil for a unique and moisturizing soap with just a few special ingredients including potassium hydroxide and glycerin that are perfect for creating a gentle and natural cleanser that is so easy to make and customize.
My enjoyment of making liquid soap only deepens because I learn so much more with each batch and it’s so long. And it’s slow work, but every step along the way has been rewarding. Here’s a special recipe I’m sharing that’s both simple and elegant, it only has 4 ingredients, but it makes a super soft soap. I am very fond of making soaps that are mostly olive oil based and so the queen of oils makes olive oil soap it makes a very soft soap which is also very nice and hand washing.
There is a lot to learn in the realm of soap making and liquid soap making is no exception Jackie Thompson’s book Liquid Soap Making Ad Link has been an invaluable resource for me. And while I use a method different from Jackie’s to calculate my recipes, if you’re completely new to soap making, here’s a full explanation. Beginners, check out my introductory material it covers lye safety. Soap making is serious business. You need to know what goes into it. I am sure you will enjoy it a lot and you will find it good and better on the first try.
Olive Liquid Soap Recipe
You are well aware of the basics of soap making i.e. the safety requirements. Try the liquid soap-making recipe. Liquid soap paste is used in a very high and special way to produce a good and special soap paste.
Because it is completely saponified before it is diluted for use, this paste method is one of the best techniques for making liquid soap because it thoroughly lathers the soap before adding water to it.
The first step to start with is in my case, mixing olive oil, sodium hydroxide, and water to make a soapy paste and then cooking it well. Mix until the solids turn into a paste. This process is known as saponification, where the oil chemically reacts with the lye to form soap and glycerin.
The paste is cooked until it is completely saponified and inert, leaving no residue, after which the paste is molded into the desired consistency. And then this results in a nice and clean smooth soap that is completely bottled after dilution. And it makes a special and stable customized soap that offers a soft product etc.
i. Ingredients of soap paste
- 500 grams of olive oil I noticed that if I used more extra virgin olive oil it would become a thick paste so I may need to test a bit more to see if that’s the case. This recipe will work pretty well in any kind of olive oil so be sure to give it a try as I also used refined olive oil.
- 156 gms of water will be required which is clean and free from impurities, which is essential to make a clean soap, but filtered, drinking water is also fine.
- 104 grams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) of 90 percent purity, which is used for refining oils and soaps. Especially the amount you use for soap per depends on the purity of KOH if your KOH purity is different.
- So you have to adjust it according to your amount eg if you have pure KOH then you need to reduce the amount to achieve the process, if it is 85 percent then more.
- Vegetable Glycerin 104 gram is an optional ingredient if you don’t have glycerin you can substitute 104 g with water. And remember that glycerin acts as a solvent that speeds up the process of saponification by preventing oil and water from separating. And it works wonders because the soap paste is mixed and cooked without the glycerin, which requires a lot of mixing, but because of its properties, it’s gentle enough and also adds extra moisture. If you have it, it’s good to use it.
ii. Dilution water
You will need between 1700gm 1.7m and 2100gm 2.1L of water to dilute the soap paste to the full recipe. You will need filtered tap water, free of and impurities. Start with 1700 grams and add more if needed. If you want to note, if you use filtered tap water, your soap should not be stale at all due to the impurities in the water. You can also dilute only half of this paste if the remaining can be stored in up fridge etc. and use it as per your requirement.
iii. Other instruction specifications
- I used a crock pot which is a small one that holds 3 liters if you don’t have a crock pot you can use a saucepan on the stove on a lighter inch. Or use a double boiler.
- This recipe is made with one percent superfate plus any additional ingredients needed to adjust the pH of the soap.
- This recipe is calculated using a 1:1.5 of water to lye for the paste, with additional glycerin added, or if you don’t have glycerin, add water to the final water to lye ratio of 2.5:1.
- I used potassium hydroxide in it, it is 90% pure, and the composition is calculated based on this element.
- This recipe makes about 840 grams of soap paste and that’s about 2.7 liters of soap. Your yield may vary a little more because. During ripening it’s based on evaporation.
iv. Salt solution to thicken
- It’s completely optional, but I don’t use it, but liquid-style soap with olive oil and a 20 percent salt solution is perfect.
- If you want to use essential oils, make sure to add the salt solution first to thicken the soap.
- Also, the essential oils thicken the soap on its own, so there is no need to thicken it with salt.
- To make a salt solution, mix 206 grams of non-authorized table salt with 80 grams of distilled or otherwise purified water and stir until completely dissolved.
- Add the saline solution until it is completely cold and thin, and start with small amounts, a tablespoon or less so in the values. And then leave it to thicken for about 30 to 60 minutes to check. Don’t add too much because it only needs to thicken a little. Using more salt can also prevent foaming. And then it will not thicken the soap beyond a certain point Jackie Thomson in her book Write the Soap Making Ad link allows adding no more than one percent salt solution to the total amount of soap. For example, if you have 500 grams of liquid soap, you would add no more than 5 grams to 20%.
v.Essential oils
- I didn’t add any essential oils to this soap paste like liquid castile soap but I usually add essential oils because I mostly use it to clean individual dishes around my house.
- I like to use 2-1 of 1% essential oil in my finished liquid soap to calculate the diluted soap. The weight in grams of soap is multiplied by 0.01 percent 0.015 (1.5 percent) or 0.02 percent by (2 percent) to get the exact amount of oil in grams.
- If you want to give your soaps a try using essential oils, check the manufacturer’s recommended usage rates. Also, be aware that some fragrance oils will dramatically change the texture of liquid soap and some will make it thicker and runny while watching how your oils react with your soap. Experiment with a small amount first.
Method
- Add a weight of olive oil to your crockpot or slow cooker. Turn the coker up to heat the oil. If the temperature is hot enough, the soap will come together fairly easily. c/167 degrees F is between 75 degrees and c/176 degrees F is ideal. It can be easily mixed with potassium hydroxide (KOH) without causing any problems. The temperature required to make liquid soap is very high because it is very hot, so it can explode which can have negative effects.
2. Put on gloves to protect yourself weigh the potassium hydroxide in a small container and cover it with a lid and set it aside.
3. Take a medium-sized jug to weigh out the lye solution and when you’re ready, slowly add the potassium hydroxide to the water with the mask if you have it in place.
4. Take a small bowl weigh it and keep it aside.
5. Prepare your stick blender and pour the dissolved lye solution into the heated oil, stir, and start blending, being careful not to splash the blender.
6. Add the glycerine immediately after mixing the lye solution with the oil.
7. Keep an eye on the temperature and refer to point 1 and blend your soap between stirring properly to let your bland rest for about 10 minutes.
8. Cover the soap well, close the cooker, and leave it to cook for 30 minutes until it becomes very transparent and shiny.
9. Test the soap paste thoroughly with pH paper and check it with a clear test if the soap is cooked properly. If there is no lye remaining, then you can understand that your liquid soap thinner is completely ready.
10. Weigh out the water, about twice as much as the paste, and add more if needed.
11. Take lukewarm water and add one to five times the weight of the soap paste in the pot cover it well and let it sit for about 2 to 4 hours so that soap everything dissolves well. And also stir it with the help of a stick blender to thin it and then slowly add more water to it and then stir it and blend it until it reaches a constant consistency. Allow the soap to cool and adjust the water content as needed and when completely diluted your soap is ready.
12. When your soap gets cold and thin, if you see a skin-like texture on the top of your soap, it needs more water.
13. Cool the soap well and you can add oil as needed if you want to use it at home or store it in bottles. If you want to use it at home or store it, keep it in bottles. Most liquid soap manufacturers recommend that you set aside the soap for a few weeks before using it until the soap is fully saponified. As long as the soap is fully saponified and the pH test is correct, I am perfectly happy to use liquid soap.
See more: Different Types of Soap-Making Kits for Kids
Conclusion
A typical recipe for liquid castile soap uses 100 percent olive oil, potassium hydroxide, KOH water, and optionally glycerin. In this process, we prepare the paste by mixing KOH and water and then it is fully saponified. The paste of the solution can be thickened with additional optional salt. And for fragrance, we can also use essential oil and the soap made from it is mild and soft, and customized.
FAQS
1. Is 100% olive oil a good?
Yes, 100% olive oil is more moisturizing and gentle to make soaps that are great for those with sensitive skin. Contains light foam and provides hydration but may require more time to heal. And sometimes it may not foam like other oil-based soaps.
2. Is castile soap made from olive oil?
Yes, it is true that castile soap is made with 100% olive oil and is a natural vegetable-based soap. Which is quite soft and special for the skin.
3. How long does 100% olive oil soap take to cure?
100% olive oil soaps require about 6 to 4 weeks to cure and keeping it that long makes the soap harder and lighter.
4. How to make castile liquid soap at home?
To make liquid castile soap at home you’ll need live sodium hydroxide, olive oil and water, and possibly a little potassium hydroxide for a liquid consistency. Mix the oil and lye solution well, cook the mixture until it turns into a paste, then dilute it with water to obtain a permanent consistency in the desired liquid and follow proper safety measures while handling the lye.