Soap Making 101

Soap Making 101

Making Lye Soap:

Primary ingredients:

Making Potash Lye

The first step in soap production is making potash lye, an important ingredient.

Needed items:

Place a stone slab on top of four smaller, flat rocks. This slab should have grooves marked into it, as well as a raised outer lip. There is a break in one part of the outer lip where the groove runs to the edge of the stone slab. Next, place a bottomless barrel onto the stone slab.

Inside the barrel is a rep cloth that has been cut to fit and nailed into position to act as a filter. On the top of the barrel is another rep cloth that is draped across the opening and nailed into place.

Place a thick layer of ashes on the top rep cloth and a large clay collecting bowl under the large slab. It should fit, if the small rocks are big enough. You will then slowly pour water over the ashes. The water should filter through the first and second rep cloths before pooling on the slab and running along the grooves down into the collecting bowl. This water may turn slightly brown.

Empty the collecting bowl's contents into a large iron pot and boil the water. The potash lye is produced by the evaporation of the water -- leaving behind an ash-like crystalline residue.

Rendering Animal Fat

The cleaning of fats is called rendering, and it is the smelliest part of the soap making operation. Animal fat, when removed from animals during butchering, must be rendered before soap of any satisfactory quality can be made from it. This rendering removes all meat tissues that still remain in the fat sections. Fat obtained from bosk is called tallow, while fat obtained from tarsk is called lard.

Needed items:

To render, place the animal fat and waste cooking grease in a large cauldron and add an equal amount of water. Place the kettle over an open fire outdoors (remember the smell factor!). Boil this mixture (it takes a while) until all the fats have melted.

Next, put out the fire and add more water (about equal to the first amount of water used) to the cauldron. Allow the solution to cool down overnight. By the next day, the fats have solidified and floated to the top, forming a layer of clean fat. All the impurities, being heavier than the fat, remain in the water underneath.

Making Plain Soap*

In another large pot, the fat is added to water and the right amount of lye solution. This is easier said than done. Too much will cause the the mixture to boil out of control and be harmful. Take a stick and stir the mix to determine consistency. If the liquid is watery, you have added to much lye. If it's sticky, you have added too much water.

Place the pot over an outdoor fire again and let it boil. The mixture will change from golden and clear liquids to a cloudy, slightly opaque, off-white substance. When the mixture boils up into a thick frothy mass, place a small amount onto your tongue. If it does not cause a noticable "bite," then it is ready. The right consistency is a cream cheese or thick batter texture. Note: the boiling process could take up to six or eight hours, depending on the amount of the mixture and the strength of the lye.

(*For scented soaps include the steps listed below.)

Note: Soap made with ash lye produces a soft soap.

If soft soap is desired, pour the mixture into a small barrel and allow the mixture to cool for 12+ ahn. It forms a brown jelly-like substance that feels slippery to the touch and gets foamy when mixed with water. Store the soft soap in the freight wagons and use a wooden dipper to ladle it out when needed.

If hard soap is desired, add salt at the very end of the boiling, then pour the mixture into molds and let it cool for 12+ hours. Use an ulo to section off individual bars the next morning. Wrap individual bars in rence paper and store them away until they are to be used. Used too early, the soap will smell nasty, taste foul on the tongue, and burn the skin. If it is allowed to age properly, it will be an excellent cleaner of living skin and leathers alike.

Scented Soaps*

At the last moment, scented oil is added to give the soap a fragrance. Divide the soap evenly, depending on however many different scents you want. Then add a few drops of scented oil to each and mix well.

Making Scented Glycerin Soap:

1. Melt 1 pound of glycerin soap base in a large pot with a smaller pot hung over it (picture a double boiler bringing the the base to a boiling point). The actual process of making the glycerin base is extremely complicated, and we will assume that the mighty Tuchuks always have some on hand through raiding, trading, and bartering.

2. Remove from heat and add desired oils.

3. Mix well.

4. Pour into a soap or candle mold. Wipe the mold lightly with sul paga to help prevent bubbles.

5. Let any bubbles in the soap base rise to the top.

6. Drizzle the soap tops with sul paga to make the bubbles disappear.

7. Let the soap set up for one ahn, then put the soap molds in a cold storage wagon for 90 ehn.

8. Remove from cold storage and allow the molds to sit for 10 ehn. The soap should pop right out.

Samples of Glycerin Soap Types

Verminium (Lavender), Sa-Tarna (Oatmeal), & Butter: Great for all skin types, this soap contains fresh, calming verminium (lavender) oil, soothing sa-tarna (oatmeal), and moisturizing butters.

Sage & Mint: Powdered herbal sage is mixed with cooling mint oil and soothing green clay.

Tea Tree: Healing tea tree is blended with basil, teriotrop, and sea clay, then sprinkled with ground verminium flowers.

Mountain Mint: This combination of mint oils blended with various ingredients offers an invigorating and softening experience for the skin.

Verminium & Dina Petal: The fragrance of verminium is combined with the scent of dinas and sprinkled with their petals.

Petals & Pine: Dina and verminium oils combine with the scent of needle tree. Moisturized with apricot oil.

Larma & Cinnamon:Flecked with natural spices and blended with butters for a rich, luxurious feeling.

Samples of Shaving Soap Types

Bay Rum: The clean, fresh scent of spicy bay rum is a favorite of all. Contains clay for a smooth shave.

Larma Sandalwood: The larma rind and sandalwood that men love is combined with red clay for a smooth shave.

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