The perfect bushcraft soap

[John Fenna]

I wanna tutorial! I wanna tutorial!
I would also like some kind young lady to come around and iron me after I use the soap - thanks for the interesting idea Red!
Rolf! Rolf!

 

[firebreather]

cant wait for this now......lets see it will be ready in about four weeks so if i stop washing in three weeks i shouyld be good and ready to test it in the extreme lol. ...........ooopss i forgot i only need about five mins out of bed to get dirty.

Greg

 

[Glen]

The USA's Ultralight trailwalkers seem to be very fond of Dr Bonner's soaps for their ability to be put to any reasonable use, including teeth cleaning. Might be worth having a look around their website for examples of added ingredients.
http://www.drbronner.com/drb_index.html

 

[British Red]

Cheers Glen - from the sound of Firebreather though, I think I need to make it 1lb bars

Oh, I reckon I've cracked the engine oil connundrum Greg. I've been thinking over some fairly obscure soapmakers ingredients and have come up with a blend that should shift the Amoco Cadiz . Definitely not for the sensitive skinned members of your family but I reckon it will work well - I've gone back to the industrial revolution times and a I think a soap which contains Fullers Earth, French Clay (Bentonite) and powdered Pumice will shift anything that can be shifted! I'll probably need to make you some hand cream to use afterwards though

Red

 

[EdS]

I've got some hand made stuff with pumice - works well on landy oil. The woman that made it orginally did it for a friend who works on the fairgrounds. No good for shaving though. Ifind natural soaps (plus nail brush) are usually pretty good at shifting "normal" amounts of oil - probably as they still contain lipid. But I never have normal amounts once the bonnet is up.

This stuff form ecover works really well and is suprisingly gentle on the hands/face/neck/arms/back - yes I had a run in with the oil filter. The wood dust and coconut shell sem to work. To may chemicals in it though.

I think may be 1 base with or with out pumice, nut shell etc. Might be the way to go. General cleaner and heavy duty cleaner.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Ye Olde British Red Soappe Shoppee :You_Rock_

Im interested is one of each you make mate, if thats ok

 

[British Red]

I can't / won't sell it Spike remember - I'll bring you a couple of bars when we next meet up though - we can always do swapsies

Red

 

[gorilla]

brilliant thread - very interesting!
just a couple of ingredient thoughts;
for an exfoliant/heavy scrubber, rassoul clay - has an unusual but natural smell
for a menthol smell, would 'Olbas Oil' work??
and cyber-rep for the 'how-to' Red - i never realised it was so relatively easy.
also, as an afterthought on the shaving angle, i use a Lush product called 'Razorantium', which is a soft, oily butter-type stuff - no lather, but softens up my simian stubble a treat! - i could take a look at the ingredients and post them up if you'd be interested?
i feel cleaner just reading this thread!

 

[Mirius]

I unfortunately did look at the ingredients for the shaving cream I use, and now I need to find something else.

 

[British Red]

S0rry Mirius - I'm not surprised though. If you really want to feel sad, walk down the soap and shampoo aisle at any supermarket and randomly select 10 products and check the ingredients. . Lush are starting to phase it out now though thank goodness

Rassoul clay is great gorilla - haven't used in a while either! Love to hear whats in your shaving butter thanks

Red

Red

 

[Mirius]

I'd made the old and poor assumption based on it being body shop, and it didn't contain palm oil, but it did contain three parabens, which Lush use as well. I'm thinking maybe Avea...

Now if only I had something to trade with you Red!

Edits: ack, Avea use palm oil...

 

[Ice Tigre]

Wonderful thread! a lot of great information, and you've got me digging the web for more info.. I'm a sucker for the home made, home grown, self suport type stuff anyway.

first batch of "bushcrafters body bar".


Red

How do I go about conning/trading you out of a bar after it cures?

Gary

 

[British Red]

Gary, there are plenty of good books on the subject and some great inetrnet resources as well. My own favourite is "the handmade soap book" by Melinda Cross (mine is dog eared and stinks of spilled essential oils ).

I have put a pictorial instruction up that shows how it is done. I am happy to share my recipes with anyone who has made a batch of the basic stuff in that thread and wants to try something more advanced. Also consult Erics fantastic spreadsheet for saponification charts etc.

http://www.btinternet.com/~e_methven/downloads/self_sufficiency_worksheets.xls

Once the guys have tested a few recipes after curing and delivered their verdict (publicly I hope), we could go a couple of ways.

I can publish the recipes for the soaps I develop and people can make their own

or

I could make some bars up when I have time on a first come first served basis (I really can't take money though as it wouldn't be right - it would have to be a "pay it forward")

Red

 

[lofthouse31]

I dont know if you av written books in the past but for what my tuppence is worth, if you did id buy it. (and im notoriously thrifty) top info mate.

 

[British Red]

Thats very kind lofthouse.

Actually the plan is for holidays at our cottage / small holding with kind of "hands on" learning of the old skills, wildlife walks, game shooting etc with plenty of glasses of Red's home made wine and ale and big plates BBs cooking (which pales my skills into nothing). Sort of River Cottage meets wild gourmets meets Master Chef meets John Seymour meets AA

We are about two years from realising the dream of that place. I may need a few Bushcrafters to test the syllabus for us in 2009

Red

 

[lofthouse31]

stick me name on the list red, no probs mate, you sound like you got it all planned straight in your mind, thats two thirds of the battle most the time, i doubt you need it but best of luck with it,

 

[EdS]

sounds good - hope it all works out.

 

[Biddlesby]

Red

Is it just hungry me or does that look delicious?

 

[British Red]

Funny you should say that biddlesby, I was experimenting with a pure olive oil and beeswax soap today for sensitive skins. I rather thought it looked edible at the end

Clearly it would burn you mouth something horribe however - a salutory lesson if you have kids around etc.

Red

 

[Nat]

Funny you should say that biddlesby, I was experimenting with a pure olive oil and beeswax soap today for sensitive skins. I rather thought it looked edible at the end

Clearly it would burn you mouth something horribe however - a salutory lesson if you have kids around etc.

Red

Ooh lemon tarts or lemon cheese cake *drool* ahem, sorry nice soap Red