Fabulous Head to Toe Bar Soap

Use the crockpot soapmaking tutorial pages offered on this blog to make this soap. It's great for hair as well as cleaning your body. Most people that I know who use bar shampoo don't bother with liquid shampoos any more. All weights are gathered using a kitchen scale. If you eyeball it or go by liquid measurement, you will not get good results.

Ingredients
9 ounces coconut oil
9 ounces olive oil
5 ounces castor oil
3 ounces jojoba oil
2 ounces shea butter
2 ounces cocoa butter
1 ounce beeswax
4 ounces water
6 ounces coconut milk (or an herbal infusion of water)
4 ounces lye

Optional Essential Oils
Rosemary and peppermint for dark hair
Lavender and lemon for blonde hair
Lime and coconut for all types
*Use approximately 0.5-1 ounce of essential oils for this recipe.

Directions
Place the water and coconut milk into a large glass measuring cup. Measure out the lye by weight into a 1 cup measuring glass. Carefully add the lye into the liquid and stir to combine. (Adding the liquid to the lye could cause and eruption so be careful. The liquid is caustic.) The outside of the bowl will be extremely hot. Allow the lye mixture to stay under a vent and cool down while you prepare the oils.

Measure all oils, by using a kitchen scale, and pour into a pot. Warm oils and beeswax on low heat until all are melted. Pour melted oils into a crock pot. Be sure the crock pot is on the lowest setting.
 Add the lye/liquid mixture to the oils in the crock pot and stir. Note: Any equipment the lye touches needs to be neutralized in a mixture of vinegar, soap, and water. Vinegar will neutralize the lye. After a brief stir, grab your stick blender and get to work! Blend the oils, lye, and liquid in the crock pot for at least 3-5 minutes. We are working toward ”trace.” Blend until the mixture becomes a thick, pudding like consistency.

Once the mixture is pudding-like, cover the crock pot and “cook” the soap for approximately 1 hour. By the end, the mixture should have folded in on itself and it should be completely transparent. Turn off the crock pot. Prepare the molds. Add the essential oils (if using). Spoon soap mixture into molds.

Allow soap to cool and harden for 24 hours. Remove from mold on to cutting board and cut into 1 inch thick bars. Place bars on a tray with good airflow so that they can harden further.