charcoal soap

• Melt all oils in the crockpot on LOW.
• Weigh water into a heat safe container.
• In another container weigh out the lye
• Pour the lye into the water. (not the other way around.) Then stir until dissolved.
• You can then pour the lye mixture into the soap.
• As soon as you pour the lye-water into the oils, use an immersion blender to bring to a trace. (pudding, gentle peaks, drops linger on the top)
• Put the lid on the crockpot and let cook on low. After a while the soap will “crawl” up the edges.
• It’s a good idea to stir it every 10 mins.
• The soap needs to be cooked for 40-50 mins so it is not caustic. It will go through several phases - translucent around the edges, then lumpy cloudy mashed potatoes, and then translucent again.
• When the soap gets translucent again, use the Zap Test to see if it’s done.

Take a little bit of soap between your fingers, and rub it around. If it feels waxy, go ahead and touch your tonge to it. If it "zaps" and tingles your tounge, it's not quite done yet, and needs to cook a little longer. If it just tastes like soap. You're ready.

• When the soap is done, take out the pot and let it cool for 5 mins.
• Then put in the essential oils and charcoal. Stir them in well.
• Pour the soap into your mold, and add any designs on the top.
• Then thump the soap on the counter really hard multiple times to get out all air bubbles.
• Let the soap cool for 8 hrs or 4 hrs in the fridge.