Susan’s Southern Citrus Blend Soap

6 oz. Castor Oil
9 oz. Coconut Oil
12 oz. Olive Oil
9 oz. Palm Oil
3 oz. Veg. Stearic Acid
2 oz. Emu Oil
7 oz. Tallow
6.5 oz. Lye (this is superfatted 7%)
6 oz. Water
12 oz. Buttermilk — Ice Cold

Melt all solid oils then remove from heat and add remaining oils. In an ice water bath in the sink I put a large pyrex mixing/pouring bowl. I put in two 1-oz. ice cubes then 4 oz. of ice water. I then begin adding my lye, making sure it dissolves well before adding a little more until all lye is dissolved. Usually the temperature stays way down while I do this and I go ahead and add my buttermilk to the lye water. (If the buttermilk begins to turn orange I stop adding it and wait for the mixture to further cool.) Once all the liquid is mixed well I change my ice water bath to a warm water bath and put the pyrex container in that (not an extreme change in temperature). This brings my lye mixture up to about room temperature, then I mix the lye mixture into the oil mixture. Often times because of the low temperatures, the mixture will seize so you may have to work quickly to add any “extras.” As soon as a light trace is achieved, I added orange E.O., rosemary E.O., and a small amount of spearmint E.O. (Don’t know exactly how much as I poured to “smell.”) I then added the calendula petals and poured into a mold. Unmolded in approximately 36 hours then cut with an oval cutter.

submitted by Susan W.