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Ever wondered how we make our handmade soap? Here you will be able to see step by step how the process is done. The pictures show the making of a batch of Castille.
1. All the ingredients are carefully measured out. All ingredients are measured by weight, excpt the water which is measured in liquid ounces.
2. The mold is prepared and set in a spot where it will rest for 24-48 hours.
3. The water and lye are mixed and continue to mix until they cool to the proper tempurature.
4. Meanwhile we heat the oils until they reach the temperature dictated by our recipe.
5. When the oils and the lye solution reach the proper temperature we slowly add the lye solution to the oils mixing constantly. We use a hand blender to ensure even mixing and for quality control.
6. When the soap reaches the "trace" consistency (this is when a small ribbon of the mixture can be dropped on the surface and maintain it's shape for a few seconds) the final ingredients are added (such as fragrance oils, oatmeal, peppermint leave, lavender buds, etc).
7. The soap is quickly poured into the mold. The mold is covered with plastic and the lid placed on. Then the mold is wrapped in several layers of towels to keep the temperature from dropping to fast as it rests.
8. Bar guides are inserted into the mold.
9. The mold is covered with plastic and the lid placed on. Then the mold is wrapped in several layers of towels to keep the temperature from dropping to fast as it rests.
10. After the soap has rested for the amount of time called for in the recipe, the bar guides are removed, and the soap is unmolded. It is then placed in a plastic drawer lined with parchment paper and set to cure for up to 4 weeks. Every few days the soap is turned by hand to ensure even air exposure to all sides.
11. Before being wrapped for sale, 1 bar from each batch is quality checked by our owner. She makes sure that the curing time is complete, and that the soap is ready to be packaged and sold.
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