Science week...

[indri]

My husband is in charge of the chemistry side of science week at a local girls school. Is there a simple soap recipe they could make - we know that some sort of fat and some sodium hydroxide. He might find something else in the interim, but it'll be a start!

[Bumble Bee]

This is the simplest recipe that i have.


The only thing with handmade soap is that you need to leave it to stablise and cure for 4 weeks before you can use it. I dont know of any recipe that is quicker apart from a melt and pour product, which isnt science really. So i dont know whether this is a quick enough process for him for school. I cut the recipe down by 2/3 which gives a 2lb block.

Hope its of some use!

Castile Soap


78 oz. olive oil

6 oz. coconut oil


6 oz. palm oil
24 oz. cold water (if you want to up that, you can...soap will be softer after 24 hours. Don't exceed 32 ounces.)
12 oz. lye crystals Oils at 140 degrees, Lye Solution at 110 degrees.
Always wear safety googles, mask, apron.Heat the fats in a Bain Marie to the correct temp. Meanwhile mix the soduim (lye) and water together and wait till it gets to the above temp. Only mix together when there at the above temps.

Use a stick blender till it gets to trace (when the liquid gets gluppie and when you take the blender out it leaves a peak) At this point it does set quickly so you need to pour it at the early trace stage and not waste any time.

Leave it for 24 hours and then cut to desirered amounts.
Leave the soap for a 4 week period for it top cure and stablise. Use before and it can cause skin irritation or burning.

[nattynetty]

That's a really good idea Indri, exactly the sort of thing that would've got me more interested in Chemistry when I was at school.

I don't think the 4 weeks thing would necessarily be a problem, the girls will get the see the soap made and cut in slices during that week with the promise that they can all take home a slice at the end/beginning of term once it's cured :)

[indri]

Thanks that's useful. I'll print it off and hand it to him!! He used to do a bit of teaching to hair and beauty students at the place he last taught at - hence the cosmetics idea!

I think the other idea so far is to extract plastic from milk...

Biology are extracting DNA and physics was always boring! We're not sure what they're up to!

Just one quick question - about how long does it take as they'll be doing it in their lunch break?

[ilovecrafts]

my daughter made some soap last term at school. It was quite a simple recipe I believe. haven't tried the soap yet though!
Will see if she can remember the recipe and post it later

[Bumble Bee]

OOOO! Takes me about 45min with measuring out. So if he gets it all prep'ed it shouldnt be to bad. What college did he teach at might of known him? Taught at a few hair and beauty dept's myself.

[indri]

OOOO! Takes me about 45min with measuring out. So if he gets it all prep'ed it shouldnt be to bad. What college did he teach at might of known him? Taught at a few hair and beauty dept's myself.

North Warwickshire and Hinckley college (can't put here what we call it but it was something someone else came up with when the 2 sites merged!). He worked at the Nuneaton site til last year.

[just_mai]

Simple recipe for you

Castor oil 2oz
coconut oil 8oz
olive oil 16 oz
palm oil 6oz

water 12.16oz
Sodium hydroxide 4.50 oz

makes just under 3lb of soap,

Always run a recipe through a soap calculator before using any recipe from a book or the internet there could be a mistake in the sodium hydroxide calculation
http://www.soapcalc.com/calc/soapcalcWP.asp
you can also formulate your own recipes

[Bumble Bee]

I was Leicester College and South Leicestershire College, so wouldnt know him. Thought i would just ask! Hope all goes well with the soap.

[Selina]

I trained at North Warwickshire College but it was about 25 years ago now! Selina

[indri]

Ah, you won't know him. He was only there in the last 10 years.... he's glad to have "escaped"!