Does anyone know of a kid-friendly soap making recipe?

I have these ingredients:



-Coconut Oil

-Palm Oil

-Olive Oil

-Castor Oil

-Wheat Germ Oil

-Lye

-Solid Fats

-Lavender, Geranium, %26amp; Rosemary Essential Oils

-Dried Rosemary %26amp; Lavender



I just don't want to use the lye with the kids. Is there an alternative, do I have to use it? It is toxic, and I can't use that with the little ones...any ideas?
Does anyone know of a kid-friendly soap making recipe?
I'd use coconut, palm, olive and castor to make kid friendly soap or soap for anyone. The coconut oil will be cleansing, but it can be drying, so I don't use that high of a precentage. Olive will be mild and gentle for most any skin, and castor oil is more moisturizing than most butters such as cocoa, shea, mango. I'd be careful with the EOs for children. Lavender would probably be your best bet. It seems to work for most everyone, too. I wouldn't put dried rosemary or dried lavender in the soap b/c it could scratch a child's soft skin, and isn't gentle. A little ground oatmeal is good is good for children's soap.



Regardless of what kind of soap you make or what kind of base you buy to make soap, there is always going to be lye in the soap. Soap can't be made without lye. The lye is toxic in it's raw from of crystals or flakes. It will be toxic when you pour it into your water, and when you mix it with the oils. However, the lye will neutralize as the soap goes through saponification. If the lye is still active after you unmold and cut your soap, it will still neutralize. However, you will need to let your soap cure for at least four weeks, so most of the water can evaporate, thus, producing a hard bar of soap.



There's no need to be scared of lye, but it is to be respected. You should wear protection when making homemade soap. Wear long pants, a long sleave shirt, socks and shoes, gloves, eye goggles or a face shield (can get at Walmart), and I'd ever wear an apron b/c I find myself wiping my hands on my apron. Keep you kids away from lye! And I wouldn't make soap while your kids are home or awake in case you have to stop b/c they need you. It's hard to discipline children while making soap, too. It's not a good idea to have any pets around either. Do you have a set of scales to weigh all of your ingredients?



On the other hand, you can get soap bases, but make sure to read all the ingredients, so you won't be getting ingredients that are in all the store bought "detergent" bars. The whole point is to have a real gentle soap for children.



There are plenty of soapbases on Ebay and at soaping supply stores, and also at craft stores such as Hobby Lobby, Jo-anne's, and Micheals. All you have to do to make melt %26amp; pour soap is grate the soap base, put it in the microwave to melt it, take it out, and add whatever ingredients you want. You can add the lavender, and any of the oils you have, but don't add too much b/c it'll make the bar soft. Ground oatmeal will help to soak up much of the oils you put in the melted base, so it will be a harder bar. I tend not to use any colorants in my children's soap, but that's only a personal preference and not that big of a deal. Mica makes a good colorant for melt %26amp; pour soaps. You can google "making melt %26amp; pour soaps" or "melt and pure soap recipes" and you'll most likely get lots of good info, and recipes for different ingredients to put in your soap.



I use all my soap on my three year old son, and my neighbor uses the olive oil soap on her seven month old son. I hope this helps some. If I can help any further, please feel free to email. Good luck!
Reply:You won't make soap without lye. Lye and fat make soap.



Lye is an alkaline. The alkaline reacts with the fat it a process called saponification. If your measurements are correct, the lye is used completely in the reaction and no lye remains in the soap. There are a few things that people make that they call 'hand made soap'. Some really are soap, others are more of a melt and pour into some other shape with the addition of a scent or color.



If your Lavender is an officinalis, or a vera or an agustifolia, it is an acceptable addition to the soap. If it is a stoechas, don't use it. Do you know of the Rosemary is a camphor or a cineole? Either should be fine, but you may want to know.



When you make soap there is a lot of chemistry going on. When you add essential oils, you are increasing the chemical reactions. Some essential oils come through fine, and some don't. Some change the saponification process. All essential oils should be added at the end of the process if possible.
Reply:This won't use coconut/palm/olive oil or lye but you can incorporate your essential oils/and or dried herbs. Just buy a big block of glycerine and then some molds....you will need to buy a form for the actual block of soap but you can also use little shape molds to put in your block. Melt the glycerine in the microwave or stovetop and add what you want and then pour into forms. The glycerine will get hot but not nearly as dangerous as lye.
Reply:http://craftbits.com/viewProject.do?proj...

I don't make soap yet, but here is a good craft site. Here is a very basic recipe from Craftbits.com. They are a great resource for kid friendly projects from A to Z.



http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Lot...

Here is an OUTSTANDING yahoo group that will be very kind and helpful to new folks. They share recipes, techniques, where to get ingredients and have all levels of expertise. They welcome new members with open arms and are very encouraging of new members to ask any question.
Reply:Well, glycerin bars are available at Joann's Fabrics and Michael's. I believe that would replace the lye and, also the solid fats. Glycerin is pure and does not need the fats to set up.

I had a soap making kit awhile back, but it got damaged. I want to buy some ingredients and molds. I have a question for you. Would Vitamin E oil go into soap like the other oils do? I guess it could be stirred into the melted glycerin then poured into my molds?
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