Crisco Soap Recipe
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
Soap is made by combining fats, water, and lye and waiting for the mixture to saponify and trace - it then hardens and makes a nifty little batch of soap. Sometimes though, it’s hard to find a lot of the fancy oils you want to use to make a nice, hard, rich bar. Enter Crisco.
I know what you’re thinking. “Why on earth would I want to wash myself with Crisco shortening?” I’ll tell you why: because Crisco is made up of soybean, cottonseed, canola, and palm oils. They’ve already done the mixing for you!
This could possibly be the easiest cold process soap recipe you’ll ever find. It’s perfect for beginners, or for anyone who wants to make a really hard, really white batch of soap. Of course you can add stuff to it - dyes, ground loofah or other ground seeds, herbs, dried flowers, etc. But if it’s basic you’re looking for, this is your recipe.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 pounds Crisco shortening (not the butter flavour!)
- 6 ounces lye
- 12-18 ounces water
- 3 ounces fragrance or essential oil
Citrus and mint fragrances go together really well in soap. You get a doubly refreshing bar, perfect for that morning shower or whenever you need a little pick-me-up. When you’re blending citrus fragrances with mint, use a strong peppermint oil. Spearmint and wintergreen type fragrances seem to clash with the fruit scents, but peppermint is a great complimentary addition.
