When the Hammam opened in our garden spa earlier this year, they had a real need for good olive oil soap that makes lots of bubbles. Since we have our own olive oil, pressed from the trees in the garden, we decided to try our hand at soap making.

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Making our soap wasn’t as easy as we’d thought, and took a few “test-runs” to get it perfect.This is how we went about our soap-making:

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First we had to make a wooden version of exactly how we wanted the soap to look. We sanded it very smoothly, as our silicone mould would pick up any roughness.

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When we were happy with the ‘mock soap’ we made a box around it into which the silicon was poured, and a vibration sander helped get rid of any trapped air that might create bubbles in the mould.  After setting for 24 hours, we removed the wooden bar, and our mould was ready to use

We make our soap using coconut oil, palm kernel oil and olive oil, heated with water and with lye added.  The mixture is blended until thick, then poured into the mould and left overnight in a cool, dry place to set.

Once hard, the soap is removed from the mould, then left for four more days to neutralise the lye, and then it is ready for use.

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Helpful tips when making soap:

  • The oil and the lye must be the same temperature when mixing together.
  • Always your safety gear when working with lye. Keep vinegar close by in case the lye comes into contact with skin.
  • There are different types of lye on the market. One is used for cleaning drains and the other for this type of products
  • When adding colour to the soap mixture, remember that the colour becomes darker as it hardens, so be careful not to overdo it.