Soap Making Safety

One of the most important parts of making soap is safety…when making soap and using lye (sodium hydroxide) safety is a very important part of the soap making process.  Lye is a caustic soda and can be very dangerous if not used properly so make sure to follow the soap making instructions and understand the use of lye in soap making.

Lye Soap Making

What to do if you get lye on your skin

When making soap it is important to have the right safety gear which would include safety glasses or goggles, gloves, long sleeves and a good apron.  Also, remember when using lye the lye is added to the measured water never the other way around! Continue reading →

Flash Point of soap oils

What is the flashpoint of oils

Flash point is the temperature at which a combustible or flammable substance will burn when it is exposed to a spark.

• Flash point can be used as a rough measure of how volatile a flammable/combustible substance is, but its good to also note that not all volatile substances are flammable or combustible.Some soapers use the flash point to safely add fragrance or essential oils at or below the flash point. I don’t really pay much attention to that because once mixed with the soap it won’t burn and you shouldn’t be handling your fragrances around an open flame.When adding fragrance or essential oils to my soap the temperature is at 100.  The soap oils I never heat above 120 I have never had a problem and don’t soap make around open flames.

  For your knowledge here are a few flash points.

  Coconut Oil Flash Point is 450 degrees
  Olive Oil Flash Point is 468 degrees
  Canola Oil Flash Point is 400 degrees
  Castor Oil Flash Point is 392 degrees
  Lard Flash Point is 390 degrees

  So you see the oil would have to be heated to such a high temperature that it would surely take all the benefits of the oils away as well.  When making soap the oils should never reach these temperatures making soap making oils safe from becoming flammable.

  Essential Oils Flash Point

Angelica Root – 113° F
Anise – 200° F
Balsam – 200° F
Basil –164° F
Bergamot –125° F
Calendula –200° F
Carrot Seed –117° F
Cedar Leaf– 135° F
Cedarwood – 200° F
Chamomile – 127° F
Cinnamon  -190° F
Cinnamon Leaf – 190° F
Citronella – 170° F
Clove Bud – 200° F
Eucalyptus 80 / 85 – 118° F
Eucalyptus Lemon – 118° F
Frankincense – 104° F
Geranium Leaf – 185° F
Grapefruit Pink  – 142° F
Lavender – 156° F
Lemon – 110° F
Lemongrass – 160° F
Orange  – 110° F
Oregano – 145° F
Peppermint – 151° F
Rosemary – 110° F
Sage – 125° F
Spearmint – 122° F
Tea Tree – 134° F
Thyme  – 131° F

Looking at all the flash points you can pretty much make soap without worrying about them.

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Oregano Oil

The Oregano is growing like crazy and I’m ready to start harvesting it.

Oregano is one of my most used herbs, it is a very hardy plant that is easy to grow and has many uses. We live in a cold climate and my Oregano thrives here. The leaves can be dried, eaten raw or soaked in oil for oregano benefits of health.

Oregano oil has been used for thousands of years for health benefits, traditionally it has been a great remedy for colds and flu, inflammation of the mouth and throat, upset stomachs and respiratory problems.

Joy of the Mountains 100% Wild Organic Oregano Oil – 30 milliliter
The Chinese have used this herb to treat fever and itchy skin problems as well as diluting the oil for and using it externally for headaches, muscle and joint pain as well as for stings and bites.

Oregano oil has become increasingly more know today as a natural remedy for colds and flu.

This herb has strong fungicidal, bactericidal and antiseptic properties which are just a few of the health improving properties this incredible herb have. Continue reading →

Soap kills viruses – yup that’s right!

Plain old ordinary soap actually works better than disinfectants for killing viruses because ordinary soap destroys the viruses structure.

Soap is the best thing to use in the fight against viruses but when it is not available use alcohol wipes.

The reason soap is better is because it dissolves the fat membrane and the virus just simply falls apart and becomes inactive. That is simply put because I’m not a scientist and don’t want to bore you with science and chemistry. If you want to know more about that you can follow this link Deadly Viruses are no match for soap Continue reading →