Welcome to Soaps By Sue

Soap
What is it?

Soap is a salt; that is the neutralization of an acid and a base. It is the result of mixing a fatty acid and caustic soda or lye. You can’t make soap without lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, or its cousin potassium hydroxide. The fatty acid can be any kind of fat whether it is animal fat like tallow or lard, or vegetable oils like olive, coconut, or palm. Each fat in the soap sold by Soaps By Sue is chosen for a specific purpose. Olive oil is mild and good for the skin. Coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer and will suds in any type of water. Palm oil adds hardness to the bar so it isn’t used up too fast. Those are the basic ingredients. Other skin nutrients like lanolin and vitamin E can be added, but are only optional. I choose to use them because I think they help create healthy skin.

How do you make it?

When mixed properly, you no longer have a caustic soda or a fat left at the end of the process, but a neutral substance called soap. It takes different amounts of lye to change different fats into soap, so careful measuring is important. It is also important to mix the fatty acid and caustic soda at the right temperatures and in the right order, if you are adding any other substances like nutrients or scents. It is important to stir continuously once you have started mixing and do it until you see the “trailings” that indicate it is turning into soap.

While it is still in a sauce-like state, it has to be poured into the desired molds and wrapped in towels to prevent it from setting up too fast. The process of changing into soap continues for another 24-48 hours. If poured into the molds too soon, the lye will separate from the fat and the soap will be too caustic to use on skin. If poured into the molds too late, it will be too set and not mold evenly. After it is firm enough to touch without denting it, it can be unmolded and left on wicker mats to finish drying, a process that takes another week or more. It is during this drying time that it can be cut into bars, imprinted with a design, etc. Once dried, it can be wrapped with any material that allows it to breathe.

I thought lye soap was harsh!

It can be, but as I stated above, all soap is made with lye. The difference between a harsh soap and mild soap is in the curing time. The longer soap cures the milder it gets, provided it has been mixed with the correct amount of lye for saponification (the process of turning fat into soap) to take place without having any lye left over. The soap made by Soaps By Sue is allowed to cure for four weeks before it is sold, to insure that it will be mild enough for even a baby’s skin.



	Soap What is it? Soap is a salt; that is the neutralization of an acid and a base. It is the result of mixing a fatty acid and caustic soda or lye. You can’t make soap without lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, or its cousin potassium hydroxide. The fatty acid can be any kind of fat whether it is animal fat like tallow or lard, or vegetable oils like olive, coconut, or palm. Each fat in the soap sold by Soaps By Sue is chosen for a specific purpose. Olive oil is mild and good for the skin. Coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer and will suds in any type of water. Palm oil adds hardness to the bar so it isn’t used up too fast. Those are the basic ingredients. Other skin nutrients like lanolin and vitamin E can be added, but are only optional. I choose to use them because I think they help create healthy skin. How do you make it? When mixed properly, you no longer have a caustic soda or a fat left at the end of the process, but a neutral substance called soap. It takes different amounts of lye to change different fats into soap, so careful measuring is important. It is also important to mix the fatty acid and caustic soda at the right temperatures and in the right order, if you are adding any other substances like nutrients or scents. It is important to stir continuously once you have started mixing and do it until you see the “trailings” that indicate it is turning into soap. While it is still in a sauce-like state, it has to be poured into the desired molds and wrapped in towels to prevent it from setting up too fast. The process of changing into soap continues for another 24-48 hours. If poured into the molds too soon, the lye will separate from the fat and the soap will be too caustic to use on skin. If poured into the molds too late, it will be too set and not mold evenly. After it is firm enough to touch without denting it, it can be unmolded and left on wicker mats to finish drying, a process that takes another week or more. It is during this drying time that it can be cut into bars, imprinted with a design, etc. Once dried, it can be wrapped with any material that allows it to breathe. I thought lye soap was harsh! It can be, but as I stated above, all soap is made with lye. The difference between a harsh soap and mild soap is in the curing time. The longer soap cures the milder it gets, provided it has been mixed with the correct amount of lye for saponification (the process of turning fat into soap) to take place without having any lye left over. The soap made by Soaps By Sue is allowed to cure for four weeks before it is sold, to insure that it will be mild enough for even a baby’s skin.