The perfect bushcraft soap

[Toddy]

Red if you want to do a honey and beeswax one speak to the beekeepers on the forum. Locum76 gave me a batch of the stuff from the bottom of the centrifuge thing, and I used that to make the most wonderful smelling and tasting lip salve.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[FGYT]

Just checking for sources of uranium online for you Jon.


Hang on - have to go - there appears to be a group of blokes in sunglasses knocking on the door

Red

um my little sis is a Dr nuclear Physics and works for a Disposal managment company
how much do you want

 

[BorderReiver]

What an interesting thread Red.

Insect annoying properties would be a real plus for me.Pine tar oil(ok so it's from a mono culture system but it's naturally occurring in the Scandy countries ) and possibly pyrethrum.

Not sure about the soft stuff mentioned earlier,it might go a bit unnecessary in bushy conditions.Is it possible to have a bar which is like marble but still lathers well?

Have fun.

 

[ganstey]

Red, I have real problems with dry skin on my hands. The only thing I've found that works is Dove, but that doesn't get grime off that well. If you could do one that moisturized in some way, I'd be happy to test. In fact I'd even buy some!

I understand you not wanted to go through the hoops needed to sell it on the open market, but what if you gave it away, but charged over-the-odds for P&P? I'm sure there are quite a few on here that would be happy to trade on that basis, even if it was under the indemnity of an extended trial.

G

 

[John Fenna]

Can you add something that "smooths out the apearance of wrinkles"......or is that polyfilla?

 

[British Red]

Wow theres some interesting stuff in there! Now your stuff looks fascinating Toddy - I reckon I'll have a crack at that. Oatmeal I have used and it does give a lovey scrubby feel - I do fancy trying some other things too - so podered loofah is in the offing and maybe powdered pummice to create a rough texture on one side of a bar.

Not sure about Shea butter - does anyone know its eco footprint (Dunc maybe?)

When you say almond oil Toddy - do you mean almond eo or sweet almond carrier as a fat base?

Okay - I surender and will have a crack at pine tar at some point in the future - maybe combined with Scots Pine essential oil for Toddy and Mike Oh Mike I can do hard but good lathering soap - thats what I'll aim for in any outdoorsy ones for sure

I'm surprised (and delighted) at the interest on this

Would there be any interest in a pictorial on how to make soap? I've got a few pictures and would happy to bung up a step by step guide if people want to give it a try. I didn't do that to start with as it didn't seem bery Bushcrafty (well more craft than bush) but I suppose its as bushcrafty as mead making

Red

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Really enjoying this thread

Pine soap sounds good to me

 

[FGYT]

i Know nothing about it but Wikpedia has the info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shea_butter

environmentally you have to Ship it in

not going to be exploitable very easily as it takes trees 20yrs to start producing and 45yrs to get to full production
its used as a cooking oil etc so if it picks up i guess the locals lose out

however maybe a great ingrediant

Shea butter is also used in some indigenous ceremonies. Followers of the Holy Spirit Movement rebel group of Uganda smeared their bodies with shea butter in the belief that it would stop bullets.

 

[firebreather]

Would there be any interest in a pictorial on how to make soap? I've got a few pictures and would happy to bung up a step by step guide if people want to give it a try. I didn't do that to start with as it didn't seem bery Bushcrafty (well more craft than bush) but I suppose its as bushcrafty as mead making

Red

Red how to's are always an interesting read if not a little frustating as it just points out how little time i have to do stuff.:bluThinki

 

[FGYT]

if you want luminous the 2 chemicals in a Cylume stick are vegatable based i seem to remember maybe one in each half Green glowing Lather

 

[British Red]

Can you add something that "smooths out the apearance of wrinkles"......or is that polyfilla?

I can work on that one ganstey - I'll try to incorporate something into the "sensitive skin" prep when I get around to it (maybe as a separate formulation).

John, I suspect your problem is that you need ironing after washing

Red

 

[JohnC]

Very interested in a tutorial, and the pine tar soap. I like the stuff..

 

[Toddy]

I meant sweet almond as a fat base. I pay a little under £12 a litre for the stuff. I don't know how much you need for a soap making batch though.

I confess (shame, mea culpa, I'm lazy ) that I use melt and pour soap base and add to it and then let the whole thing dry in the linen cupboard for a couple of months. For authenticity for historical things I buy Sally's tallow soap, but for wash balls I grate up castile soap, melt it down and add things to it.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[BorderReiver]

I'm sure that there would be a lot of interest in a tutorial Red.

 

[British Red]

Bad veggie Toddy, slapped wrists .

Genuinely I find it easier to make soap from tallow than use a prepared soap base - with a few personal cheats I can have a batch of 2lbs of tallow soap (or veg based soap) made and moulded in about 20 minutes.

I'll do a pictorial over the weekend and you'll see how straightforward it is.

Righto I think I know what I need to do for the next three

A pine tar soap using pinus sylvestris (scots pine) essential oil

A honey and beeswax soap based on Sweet almond oil carrier with sage and orange essential oils and oatmeal scrubby

A "sensitive skin" soap of some sort (to be researched)

I say next three because last night & this morning has seen the first batch of "bushcrafters body bar". A hard marbled soap based on a blend of vegetable shortening, olive oil and coconut oil. It contains teatree eo (essentia oil) for antsipetic properties, citronella eo for insect repellant, lemon eo for "wake up" and dried ground peppermint leaves for scrubbiness and to give a minty tang. As invented on this thread

Looks rather nice if I do say so myself

It now has to "cure" for 4 weeks and then its off to the firebreather and EdS for a review

Red

 

[Toddy]

Bad veggie Toddy, slapped wrists .

Red

This is going to sound weird, but though I have the stuff, I just can't face *using* it The idea is just gross Basically I just let the kids see, touch, smell & use it.

Soaps sound excellent Red, and that new batch looks good

pm sent re eo's

cheers,
M

 

[chem_doc]

If you want any help with the formulations or anything, I'm game! Of course, I can't do much in the way of making the stuff with you as the Atlantic is between us...

 

[BOD]

...
BOD - is monoculture palm planting big in your area? I've seen some frightening pictures of the clearence and plantations but never seen them in real life

Red

Red,

This may now seem like going off topic but yes. Its even displacing rubber plantations.

What burns me up is that after forest is logged, it is more profitable to plant oil palm rather than let it rejuvenate and its seems that if done 'cleverly' (and they are clever) they can even get carbon credits for it and make even more profit.

They are going crazy at the prospect of biodiesel so even more devastation.

So I hope that the "bushcraft body bar" becomes a best selling brand

 

[British Red]

Not off topic at all Bod - thanks for the info. Its worth everyone knowing about how damaging palm oil production is. If anyone feels up to a challenge - have a look at the ingredient list on most shampoos and soaps you buy over the counter. If its got plam oil in (and most has), that product contributed to deforestation . Its one of the reasons I make my own stuff - I know what is (and more importantly isn't) in it.

Thanks for the info Bod

Red

 

[EdS]

Did I say I want it to cure home brew induced hangovers as well.

Sounds good I cann't wait.

I might have a a pound or so of beeswax in the shed - unless the mice have eaten, or SWMNBO has "borrowed" it.