"WITHOUT ME THERE'S NO COLD-PROCESS SOAP" - Sodium Hydroxide

Meet my buddy..Sodium Hydroxide aka Lye aka Caustic Soda.

Lye can be Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide. The former used to make a solid soap and latter in the preparation of liquid soap more popularly known as shower gel.

The Chemistry : Formula - NaOH ( Na- Sodium OH-Hydroxide)

Sodium Hydroxide aka Lye is an inorganic compound which is a highly caustic alkali salt available in the form of white flakes, pellets or granules. This alkali is soluble in H2O, Ethanol and Methanol.

Cold process soap makers reply solely on saponification ( I know, fancy name right?!). Saponification is a process wherein the oils and lye solution exchange romantic reactions to create a solid bar of soap. During this process there is a lot of heat generated, known as the gel phase ( to me its more like the soap underwent orgasm). Right after the gel phase the soap cools down, hardens up and releases fluffy bubbles, lather and the aftermath is usually happy skin.  These soaps take about 4-8 weeks to mature aka curing period, in this period excess water evaporates which makes the soap hard.The mature soap is now ready to cleanse, condition and protect your skin on a daily basis.

Please note hand made soaps will never argue with you and only pride on giving your skin  a wonderful cleanse without stripping off the natural oils.

Modern soap-making is indeed very clever. It involves a lot of mathematical calculations. Every oil has a particular SAP value. SAP is just a shorter fancier version for saponification. The amount of lye needed to make a particular batch of soap depends on the oils used. Therefore, as a modern soap-maker we calculate carefully and methodically the amount of lye needed to convert the various oils into soap. Excess lye can hurt the skin. The science of soap-making has expanded widely in the domestic front with information floating all over the internet. But a wise soapmaker must not only rely on the available soap calculators but also have knowledge and know-how on practically doing the math on paper. I may sound nerdy, ridiculous - DO NOT JUDGE ME, but I sort of have this angel over my right shoulder poking me every now and then reminding me of the nasties and dangers of surviving on soap calculators. I remind my self everyday "nothing lasts forever", not even a mere soap calculator.

I am a soap-maker who has done research with the internet as my tool. I am still a novice and always will be. There is a world of oils, butters and exotic natural ingredients yet to be explored by me and converted into soap by my buddy who I cant work without - Sodium Hydroxide.

Other uses of Lye:

The paper industry uses about 25% of the annually produced lye. Lye has many domestic and industrial uses too other than making soap. Its also used to straighten hair :)

The downside of working with lye - Be extremely safe with gloves and goggles. Do not work with bare hands or feet even if you are most professional of professionals. I highly recommend being safe than sorry. Lye in the raw form is hazardous. It is however totally safe once combined with the oils to make soap. Please do not be under the impression its caustic so bad for skin. It is a good chemical if used correctly in the right proportions. It boosts the soaping qualities of each drop of oil and brings out wonderful cold-process soap from Pure Suds to you :)

XOXO

Why I do What I do and Happy Republic Day

Making cold-process soap is what I do now past 1.5 years. Not for a living though! There were times in the past where I did a lot of things with a business point of view none of them gained any light. It was lack of determination and also short term interest in the various fields I chose as a playground. But as always, things change for better or for worse. Not until recently, I discovered the art of making hand made soap and skincare. 

I am not sure how this craze developed, but it is the greatest one. I like many women love make-up, high end skincare and in my free time ( a lot of free time) would look up reviews and blogs on the various products that I would end up hoarding. All of this led to terrible skin break outs and many visits to the dermatologist. It did not stop there, I stumbled upon a product 'Egyptian magic' and I was so sure to buy this product which claimed all sorts of good things, I actually had a dream that my skin improved and was barred from flaws. I believed in it so much that I looked into all the possible reviews available along with plenty of youtube videos. One of the many videos was the turning point wherein the host generously shared a tutorial on "how to make the Egyptian Magic Creme in your own kitchen". I was up in the air. I immediately looked up the ingredients and started my google search on suppliers for the raw materials. After days of research, I got my supplies and whipped up my first ever Creme. And to my surprise it did not hurt my skin. This led me to long hours of research into skincare and a world of blogs and tutorials popped up which gave me something to work on. 

While my focus was into lotions and creams, my mother pushed me into making soaps. I looked into videos, blogs and few websites who were pretty generous with information on soap-making. My first soap like many soap makers was a castile soap. I loved it to bits and very soon I had 350 soaps made in a months time with all the possible shoe boxes as moulds Hubby-dearest also was my major strength in venturing into making skincare. 

Though I enjoy formulating lotions and scrubs, soap making is something I love as it gives it gives room to create art. Personally I cannot use all the soap I make as I have a need to make it almost everyday so that led me to start a Facebook page and the hence the birth of Pure Suds Skin Treats.

Why I do what I do is because, I love my skin like everyone. I am not blessed with the most perfect skin and I guess its also due to the amount of pollution we expose our skin to everyday. I would love to use at least one product that would be free of harmful chemicals and preservatives and soap is my best bet to start my day with. Also, making soap has become a part of my daily routine, I cannot paint, sketch or do anything related to art, But soap making has changed that. It is an art as well as a science. There is math and chemistry involved. Perfect timing is the key in making soap. I love swirling, coloring and making intricate designs in my soaps along with fragrances which should make bathing a memorable experience each day. I enjoy working with the various oils and butters.

Today, for the first time I'm using Pomegranate Seed Oil which is under the 'Exotic' oils category. As this soap will be composed of Pomegranate Juice, Goats milk, Pomegranate Extract and Pomegranate Fragrance. Wish me luck and have a wonderful day ahead.