Birch tar has long been famous for its healing properties, which are perfectly manifested when using handmade soap, which can help with various skin diseases, heals small cracks, wounds, cuts, nail fungus, acne, irritated skin, pustules on the face and back, and age-related acne. And this is not a complete list. Let's prepare soap with tar in the form of a chocolate cake using the cold method. Don’t let the aroma scare you, it is not absorbed by the skin, it only imparts its beneficial properties.
Ingredients:
- Refined coconut oil 31% - 385 g.
- Palm oil 40% - 500 g.
- Olive oil 17.5% - 220 g.
- Castor oil 11.5% - 150 g.
- Natural birch tar 5% - 50 g
- Distilled water.
- Caustic soda.
You will also need:
- Stainless steel or fireproof glass saucepan for 2-3 liters.
- Container for alkaline solution 500-600 ml.
- 2 spoons.
- 1 immersion blender.
- Soap mold (square box lined with parchment 20x20cm).
- Thermometer up to 100 degrees.
- Scales.
- Latex gloves to protect hands.
Next, you need to use any alkali calculator to calculate the required amount of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda, alkali) and water. Be sure to carefully check all calculations, checking not only the weight of each oil separately, but also the overall total. You can take a different amount of original oils, add existing ones or cross out missing ones. The recipe does not indicate the amount of alkali, because... You need to calculate every gram and there should be no mistakes here.
It is important to enter the data correctly into the lye calculator and weigh the ingredients carefully. A pharmacy scale will be very helpful in accurately determining your weight.
We also enter into the calculator the amount of water 33% of the weight of the oils and “superfat before the bath” 7-10% - these are oils that will not saponify and will remain untouched. A smaller percentage for oily skin and a larger percentage for dry skin. Next, when all the ingredients have been weighed and the calculations have been made, we place clean weighed water in the freezer in a container made of fireproof glass or stainless steel. Let it cool well and freeze slightly.
At this time, place all the oils, including superfat, in a water bath, stirring until all solid lumps are completely dissolved. The temperature should be within 45°. You can heat the oil in the microwave or with the oven turned off.
Be careful not to overheat the oils.
At this time, all the solid oils have melted, take the water out of the freezer, place it in a bowl with ice and pour in the lye in a thin stream, while continuously stirring with a stainless steel spatula. Stirring is required until all crystals are completely dissolved.The solution will first become cloudy, then become clear. Lye tends to heat up in water and, if the latter is not cold enough, it will boil, so stock up on ice. It should be cooled to 45°, approximately the same temperature as the oil.
Oils and alkaline solution must be at the same temperature; a discrepancy of 4-5° is acceptable. Let's connect.
Mix the mixture with a spoon for a few seconds, then use the immersion blender. The mixer is not suitable; it saturates the mass with air bubbles, which are of no use in soap.
The soap mass is brought to the state of thick whipped sour cream. If you scoop it up with a spoon and put it on top, the mass will not sink, but will hold on for some time. This phenomenon is called “trace” in soap making.
Next, we divide the future soap into 2 parts. Let's leave one snow-white, add tar to the other.
Both masses are laid out alternately in layers into the prepared form. You will have to work quickly, because... the white part hardens very quickly and after 5 minutes it will be quite difficult to form. Tap the filled form on the table so that air bubbles come out and the mixture penetrates into all corners. Draw random lines on top with a wooden stick. For beauty.
The mold should be covered with film and wrapped in a towel, then put in a warm, switched off oven. Temperature 50°. Let the soap sit in this state for several hours or overnight. In the morning, take it out, separate it from the parchment and cut it into the necessary pieces. Don't forget to wear gloves, the cold process soap is not ready yet. Wrap in paper and leave to ripen for a month and a half.
Soap is used for various purposes:
- For washing with acne, pimples, lichen, pustules. Mainly for oily and problem skin.For dry skin, be sure to use cream after cleansing.
- For washing hair.
- Fungal diseases.
- Burns, wounds, cuts, animal and insect bites.
- Cracked heels.
- Pests on plants.
- For bathing domestic dogs and cats.
- Women's intimate hygiene.
- For babies and toddlers.
If you cannot make tar soap yourself, add a few drops to a bottle of liquid soap or shampoo. Also, as an option, you can use an industrial soap base or digest a baby bar. In any case, you will get an excellent Tar Soap, which will help out many times.
