Soapmaking from Scratch part two: Soft-soap and Bar Soap

[@rand8530]

My grandmother made all her own soap all of her life. She enlisted me at eight years old to help. She made a year's worth of soap (laundry, bathing, and house cleaning) once a year. I have fond memories of grating soap for her laundry. A handful of salt made bar soap from her wood ash lye and tallow. I am now 65 and have rarely used commercial soap. I just made a year's worth of soap yesterday. Loved this video!!!

[@2degucitas]

When did you add the salt? I've heard of this.

[@BonnibelLecter]

Complaining about historical methods being used on a historical methods channel? Well, that's youtube for you. Lovely to see part 2, Sally!

[@woofbarkyap]

Until the 1950s, doctor's were still tasting people's urine in order to diagnose some conditions and very very resistant to all the upstarts making nice clean lab equipment as an alternative. My dad could tell you the concentration, to quite some accuracy, of several acids by the colour they turned his skin. This skills we have lost 😂

[@didelphimorphia2925]

These videos are wonderful, and teach us a lot about people of the past, and what their life would have been like. ❤

[@mainerockflour3462]

@@woofbarkyap That's a pisser🤣

[@Baker300-u5p]

Amazing

[@yetanotherentity]

People complaining about you demonstrating historical procedures are watching the wrong channel. It's possible they came for the soapmaking, and were unaware of the practical archaeology basis of your channel. I'm just sorry you had to respond to them at all. Thank you for this episode. Parts 1 and 2 have gone a long way to boosting my own confidence with soapmaking. Humans have managed this for thousands of years without technology aids. I should be able to manage as well!

[@JustAnotherBuckyLover]

Sure you can... but why would you risk lye burns when handing boiling hot lye when you could, oh I don't know, wear gloves and protect your eyes? It's possible to do both, you know. We used to mouth pipette too, but just because you can do that with benzene or a concentrated acid or base, doesn't mean you should. Wearing protective gear doesn't stop you from doing the techniques in the historical manner, if you so choose. Good grief.

[@cadileigh9948]

@@JustAnotherBuckyLover No one has sugested not using modern protective devices if you wish to do so but knowing Sally Pointer's wisdom and historical accuracy is a delight to those of us old enough to have watched their grandmothers make soap without them .

[@JustAnotherBuckyLover]

@@cadileigh9948 You are missing the point - the OP was complaining about even having to acknowledge the people who mentioned it would be safer to use them in the comments on the previous video. So yes. They were. Context matters. It's possible to value Sally's incredible wealth of historical knowledge and demonstrations without also risking the damage of having literally boiling lye solution without using the most basic of protective gear. And you know nothing about my age, so please try to avoid making assumptions about people. It makes an ass out of you, not me. As I stated, my MOTHER (not my grandmother) was old enough to be mouth-pipetting benzene and other carcinogenic, caustic and toxic chemicals. Didn't harm her despite years of doing so. But that doesn't mean that it's a good idea to still use your mouth to suck stuff into glass tubes when there are much safer options. On top of that, not recommending to use correct safety equipment would also put Sally at risk of violating KZbin's TOS as well. So if nothing else, "acknowledging" the people who commented on the previous video is a good way to ensure that the video is less likely to be flagged and removed.

[@yetanotherentity]

@@JustAnotherBuckyLover I'm unclear why you think your comment in any way pertains to mine. And no, at no point did i "complain" about anything. I believe it was your ilk that did the complaining, thank you very much. I am also unclear why you feel the need to be patronising and rude. What I'm VERY clear about is your vastly unwarranted sense of superiority and need to voice superfluous opinions.

[@JustAnotherBuckyLover]

​@@yetanotherentity Here's a hint; if you don't want people to comment on your ignorance, then don't post in a public comments section. If the truth is uncomfortable, perhaps sit with it and figure out why that is. You said Sally shouldn't have had to acknowledge the people who commented regarding safety concerns in the previous video and you should be able to manage too without using any modern equipment - which includes safety equipment. If you can't make a link between your saying that and my comment, then I don't know what to tell you. Also, do try not to attribute emotions to words when you have no idea of the intent of the person posting them. It doesn't help your case. I could argue that your entire first paragraph was condescending, patronising, dismissive and ignorant toward the many people, including dozens of soap makers, raising valid safety concerns... but I didn't, because I was critiquing the content of your comment, and not your tone. But hey - you do you, boo! 😂

[@FireSilver25]

I’m Navajo and just dug up some narrow leaf yucca root for hair washing. Other tribes in the area have used it for millennia! A little maceration and water and you have shampoo or body wash. Very effective! Other tribes used soap lily. This was fun to watch though. When I get a fire pit going I’ll try this! Axhe’hee.

[@roxymcrae4645]

Ooh that sounds so interesting! Thank you for sharing ☺️

[@kellysouter4381]

Really? I've got some enormous yucca trees growing in my garden. The root, you say? I'll try it.

[@tineditmarunnerup9513]

I AM interested in the soap making, but even more I'm just enjoying listening to your voice while knitting.

[@MMacNicol]

Yes, indeed. Getting a few rows in today because of your help!

[@mudotter]

I enjoy her voice and detailed explanations. I was hand stitching on a skirt while listening

[@AndreaIris86]

I used to make soap with modern lye and techniques, I knew it was different with woodash lye, but i had no idea how much different it actually is! Thank you for the video, top notch as usual :)

[@AnnabelSmyth]

And aren't you glad we do have modern lye and techniques! I know I am.

[@AndreaIris86]

@@AnnabelSmyth ahah totally!

[@prettybyaccident]

It's the same for me! How long it takes to trace, test methods etc is so cool to watch! This took days upon days to complete when in modern times you can make soap in a couple hrs.

[@kismet6309]

@@prettybyaccidentI’ve been making soap for about 15 years. I use coconut oil, super fat it, to 10%, have a BUNCH of soap lovers. I don’t sell my soap, I just make it cuz ITS SO FUN!, husband loves it ,and I do too, and my free loaderfriends love it too!😂😂😂

[@michaelsohocki1573]

Sally I really love how your videos never seem canned or prebaked. When your result is a surprise to you, it's a surprise to us too. :) It comes off as very natural and sincere. Thank you.

[@markedis5902]

Thank you Sally. Don’t listen to the haters. Your channel is amazing, I love learning from you

[@gudruneinarsdottir3593]

Thank you Sally for this video. I have waited for it because I wanted to know how soap was made in the old days. Now I am wandering how people found out how to make soap?? - I have made cord from horseradish after watching one of your videos and I love to try some new (old) ways of making things. I live in Iceland and we don´t have wild bramles or nettles to use, so I will try some other plants this summer. I am a pensionist and just playing, enjoying and learning a lot from youtube channels from people around the world. Have a nice trip to Italy

[@SallyPointer]

I've got a paper coming out soon on the first discovery of true soap, and I also did an EXARC podcast recently that talks about it

[@jennifergamble3272]

What part of the horseradish do you use?

[@catastrfy]

@@jennifergamble3272 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5O8i5yam9KhY5I

[@gudruneinarsdottir3593]

I use the stems like Sally teaches in her video@@jennifergamble3272

[@nosherwanh]

Please share the paper ​@@SallyPointer

[@dustinsmith8635]

Fellow archeologist here. Another brilliant video! I always look forward to your new videos. I know I'm going to learn something new and relax at the same time!👏

[@Reszig22]

Sally I just want to say you’ve been such a huge inspiration to my interest in history. I’ve always been incredibly interested in just the daily lives of ancient people and how we started creating things and you actually encouraged me to get a history degree. I would have gone into something I hated if it wasn’t for you inspiring me and showing just how amazing these things are and how happy studying history makes me. So thank you for genuinely changing my life.

[@SallyPointer]

That is so lovely to hear, thank you!

[@cindyharrison4191]

This is great. I have a wood burning stove, so now I know what to do with the ash. I can heat and clean with no waste. I've been using ash to clean the glass of the stove so I'm truly grateful thanks

[@DAYBROK3]

ashes are useful in so many ways, the primitive technology youtube channel does some crazy things with it

[@snowstrobe]

Make sure you burn hardwoods then.

[@MMacNicol]

Ruth Goodman's book " A domestic Revolution" describes getting oily dirt out of clothes with straight wood ash lye, in medieval times. I wish I had a wood stove, too, so I could try it!

[@kaitnip]

My only comment is that at some point people had a pretty good idea of how much lye to use for how much tallow. My grandmother made soap each autumn in a huge cauldron - as a 6 yo I could step inside and crouch down, so yeah, it was big. She didn't have any books or written recipes as such. What she had was her own grandmother's pot as a measure: this many pots of lye to this many pots of fat. Yes, she would test it as she cooked it, but an experienced crafter wouldn't make too many adjustments. She also never made soft soap. All her soap was salted to harden and cured for about a month before use. About the use of historical methods : I would leave even the soft soap to cure a good long time before using it. For as long as it has moisture the unreacted lye and fats will continue to neutralize each other, although at a very slow pace since there's no stirring and the temp is too low.

[@izibear4462]

I watched 3 grandmas make soap for the village somewhere in the Caucasus using that method.

[@mrsmscuriositycabinet6925]

Thanks for this video, Sally. Absolutely fascinating! I have been using traditional Black Soap from France for years so it is interesting the see the process behind it and it has whet my appetite to try this. (I already make basic soap using modern lye.) The time this process takes and folks' squeamishness about the 'zap test' made me think of something my mum always said when I was growing up: "we don't know we are born..." If households still had to go to such efforts to achieve a basic cleaning product, maybe we would really appreciate what a luxury soap and being able to keep things clean actually are.

[@Beryllahawk]

Good clean fun! Haha! This is brilliant though. Having just spent most of my week washing dishes as if it were 1924 (drain trouble and the plumber couldn't get here for AGES)... it was strangely nice to watch this video, and someone ELSE boiling huge pots of water! You are exceptionally patient! And I suppose back then folks didn't feel a need to hurry through anything. Such a simple process but with such great results, very cool!

[@MMacNicol]

I felt my great grandmothers would have laughed at my whining when our hot water heater went out and I had to heat the dish water on an electric stove! But all my friends tried to commiserate with my "sufferings". Funny!

[@Beryllahawk]

@@MMacNicol We really get used to our modern comforts don't we! It's surprising to me how difficult it really is, to imagine what life was like before all the things I grew up with.

[@dharusiokay9426]

The salted soap looks a bit like a well-aged runny cheese in the end, which kinda-sorta makes me want to taste-test it myself. The Videos are wildy interesting, thank you, Sally!

[@CraigsOverijse]

What I think is fascinating is our ancestor not only discovered this type of alchemy but also made this over wood fires they knew a lot.

[@salerherman7794]

The most thorough process of soap making I've seen so far. Very educational.

[@soulkalastudio]

So fascinating to see the process and learn how people in the old days did things. Excellent video.

[@fabrizio5017]

Hello Sally! Thanks for this precious research and experiment! Very well done I'm usually making liquid soap with pure store-bought Koh You are almost the only one making soap the way should be with Koh!! One useful thing to add ... When you get the paste you want to do a clarity test before using it. You dissolve a tiny bit of soap into pure water(distilled or rain) and you see if the solution is cloudy or clear... Normally we let the paste sit at warm spot for some days and it will continue to set Your lye is made with rainwater and it looks quite clear originally ... So you should have quite an accurate test!

[@jem30six]

I remember my mum made soap back in the 70s with caustic soda. lol I hated it. We used to use it in a soap shaker to do the dishes. The bubbles never lasted a whole wash. I just wanted to have soap like normal people in the street did. Now I feel the desire to make soap myself!

[@khatch62]

Very interesting. I started making cold process soap so I could recognize the stages of making soap the old way.

[@jameswatters9592]

Whats really fascinating about this is that our ancestors were doing this sort of chemical works back then

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Awesome, you washed away my total ignorance about making soap. Hope to try this someday just for the learning journey.

[@bradlafferty]

Best wood ash soap making tutorial I’ve seen! I admire your patience and sense of discovery and wonder. Thank you for a thorough narrative referencing details and nuances.

[@kbjerke]

I've been waiting for part 2 for *ages!* Thank you for the update! ❤ 👍

[@ml.5377]

Thank you from the Andes in Peru. I will try this.

[@danatowne5498]

Your presentations are really fascinating! I love the respect that you have for both our forbearers and for us. Passing down this know-how feels like a celebration of life that echoes through time to me. Thank you!!

[@paulinemegson8519]

Dripping aka tallow, and lard make great soap. Soap making can be incredibly involved, and using modern materials and colourants, you can make GORGEOUS bars, however, it’s very simple to make a simple soap with a few commonsense safety precautions. Mainly respect the lye, cos it’s dangerous. Having said that, “zap” testing IS a thing and was done for centuries(and yes I’ve DONE it…I’m still alive)……..today it’s anathema and folk make a big fuss about it, for good reason tbh. It’s takes that rare quality, common bloody sense, which appears to be in rather short supply, to not either poison yourself or burn your tongue. And tbh I wouldn’t do it with modern highly concentrated lye, which is an ENTIRELY different beast from home produced wood ash lye…….much MUCH stronger. The thing is , there are nuances to take into account when using things like home produced wood ash lye, and nuance seems to be something that is lost today. Oh, and btw, in HP (hot process)soap making, that boiling up is called “volcanoing” lol. It freaks beginners out 😂. The transparency you’re talking about is what we call the Vaseline stage, which is where the soap has “gelled” which is a pretty reliable sign it’s fully cooked. And yes we still add salt(sodium chloride) to soaps to assist with hardening.

[@AnnabelSmyth]

I've certainly used the Zap test when making HP soap.

[@sachikoaichan]

@@AnnabelSmyth Same here. Even like 10 years ago people on soaping groups were still recommending the zap test.

[@2degucitas]

Thank you! This is the first video giving a proper fat to lye ratio, and how to get to trace and what it looks like. I've made soap with commercial lye but wanted to try this method. I've read that shopkeepers would have a container of wood ash soap and to make it firm up for the customer they'd sprinkle salt on the top then scoop it off.

[@SallyPointer]

I'd love that reference if you have it, I haven't got that story amongst my current notes I don't think. What century does it date to?

[@2degucitas]

@@SallyPointer Sorry, I don't recall where I read that. It referred to shops in the US in the 1800's.

[@metamud8686]

Yay! The much-awaited soap follow-up! Thank you, Sally :-)

[@GrainneDhub-ll6vw]

Excellent demo! I loved your demo of the historic way that soapmakers judged the quality and progress of their batch of soap.

[@wolrdtraveller]

Really enjoyed your very informative videos! Also really appreciate that your videos are not over-rehearsed. Excellent sound quality too!

[@hawks9142]

Lye is used to strip the seasoning off cast iron when restoring.

[@katm8128]

Insane that I’ve only just now found your channel. It’s a goldmine and this is one of many things I’ve wondered about before! Thank you

[@geleze6169]

I really enjoyed this as a modern soap maker I tried this method with a dismal outcome. I found your 1st video and this 2nd one cleared the mystery for me. Tx ever so much.

[@catastrfy]

this is a delightful video, THANK YOU! and oooh, when you took the pot to the sink to add the water, it took me right back to my soapmaking days in the 90s. most of hte people i knew made cold process bc it's faster. but i'm disabled and have horribly sensitive skin, so i always made hot process. a little more time to cook it til it was soap meant easy clean up + happy skin! 😻😻😻

[@AnnabelSmyth]

I have always found hot process soap - which I have made in my time - doesn't come out as well as CP, but it does have its uses, for instance in making salt scrub for people's hard skin, or if one has an urgent request for soap....

[@SallyPointer]

I'm a real fan of hot process, I like it much better than cold process even when I'm making modern siaps

[@paulinemegson8519]

CP isn’t faster…..I can knock out a batch of HTHP(high temp hot process) in a comparable time to a batch of CP, and the curing time is much less for HP. It can be used right after cooking as it’s exhausted the lye. It’s best to give it some drying time to harden, but fresh HP won’t burn the skin like fresh CP can. And it’s possible to make fancy HP that’s just as pretty as CP bars, with swirls and pretty tops etc……it just takes a little planning and a good recipe to get the fluidity required. Most HP makers add yoghurt at the end of the cook to thin and loosen their batter.

[@izibear4462]

​@@paulinemegson8519I do both but cream soap is my favorite, though it does take 3 months at least to be ready.

[@FoxyfloofJumps]

I love this video. You've been methodical, patient, and thorough. You can absolutely do a few things to refine the process within historical norms. However, you have definitely explored the gradients on the way.

[@josequins9099]

Thanks Sally! I've been waiting for part 2.

[@Daniel_Plastiak_Crazy_Adventur]

Thanks for this tutorial video. Greet from Slovakia. 😀🖖👍

[@SallyPointer]

Thank you so much!

[@angiehorn3280]

I'm addicted to your voice and your videos. You are a phenomenal teacher and storyteller 👏

[@Wolfgang3418]

Thanks for your advice, I now know with how much lye and fat to start. Do you know John Seymour? His books are pretty popular among all the Jacks and Sallys-of all-trades in Germany. He recommends how to make a simple Aerometer for measuring the appropriate strength of a lye. Attach a small stone to the end of a stick, make a saturated solution of table salt, throw the stick in. It will swimm upright, mark the surface of the solution with a notch on the stick. Put the stick into your lye. The notch should also meet the surface here. I have no experience with that but I think it's worth a try. Cheers!

[@Pregnancycare52]

Thanks for your experimental results

[@simonphoenix3789]

really cool watching you do this the old fashioned way. I've made soap before but I just bought lye from the store. I always wanted to try the traditional way but getting that much hardwood ash was difficult for me.

[@NormPrince-i7r]

The ONLY comprehensive thing I have found about pot ash Koh on the Internet..thank you..thank you...thank you... Your finger feels and taste test are freaking the way to go...I'd like.to say tho for those that can't tell the difference...run said finger under the faucet...

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

The EXARC talk is excellent.

[@MayFlower21974]

I'm fascinated with soap. All kinds. I have a huge container that I squirrel away. Lol. IDK why.

[@SkylerLinux]

The filling-up up thing is kinda funny, as it really makes sense that whisking a warm liquid would make a good head of bubbles.

[@pogostix6097]

I was wondering if you'd ever get back to the ash lye soap. Not that it mattered too much if you did or didn't, life is busy and all your videos are worth waiting for. This has lead me to wonder if I can make soap out of the old Crisco that lurks (almost malevolently) in the back of my pantry... Might need to try it for science, it's a little too far gone for cooking anyway....

[@jjudy5869]

I wonder if you could boil-purify it before starting to get rid of some of the old smell? Or if it is even wise to do something like that? Now I wonder if you could use rancid/old fats to make soap?

[@pogostix6097]

@@jjudy5869 Like, it doesn't stink, but it's been there for so long... I've lived here for 20 years and I don't remember it ever NOT just being in the back of the cupboard... you'll go look for something else and find it instead and be like "Oh right. That exists."

[@Just_Sara]

I too have the Cupboard Crisco, and want to know if I can put it to good use!

[@my-name-is-Roxanne]

Oh my goodness, I've just discovered and subscribed to your channel! It's my favourite now 😍 So many exciting videos, I'm thrilled to have found you. Thank you ♥️

[@nicolemiller9399]

Thank you for these videos!! This is something I’ve always wanted to try and seeing you do it has pushed me to make it happen! I’ve been on a quest to find historical evidence of soap making for my hobby.

[@eloisebennett1673]

This is very interesting! Thank you.

[@spacewater7]

Suggestion, mix some pumice or ground nut hulls into your Soft Soap for use as a mechanics handwashing paste. Seems like it would be good for anything that needed heavy degreasing. Smudge it on and leave overnight, maybe rub it in a few times and rinse?

[@SallyPointer]

I already make a peppermint and pumice washball based on a Victorian recipe which is very popular with the blacksmiths in my circle! But yes, sand or sugar or pumice in soft soap is great for heavy cleaning.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

IT'S PART TWO!!!!!

[@harraldschmitt9113]

„The most important ingredient of a cake, is time.“ - Master Mirror

[@Talmiior]

Waiting for this video is one of the reasons I subscribed to you. Thank you for this video! Your channel has been quite a mental treat for me :)

[@momtomtse]

Totally brilliant! I love seeing how this all came together ❤ Thank you!

[@ivan55599]

1:22 "you'll be fine with glass" - l've read somewhere that lye may make glass weaker, making it easily breakable. Sorry, cannot give sources for that, because l cannot find it anymore. Usually in Finland, the lye has been first heated up, then lard and salt added. How it differs, whether you make lye+lard and lard+lye? And can you write this or other recipes on text document? Thanks in advance.

[@anonymouscoward9459]

Thanks for the Vid Sally , I've been waiting for part two 8)

[@rens1030]

Brilliant Sally! I love your methods

[@sjean2166]

Using vinegar helps to create additional chemical reactions. You're better off rinsing very well with running water. Also, you should use a spoon or at least more of a "mixing" motion as opposed to the "whisking". You were throwing drops of soap batter all over.

[@CraigsOverijse]

I am sure she just whisked for the video purpose and I think for the demonstration it worked fine.

[@sandracosta29]

Thank you for the great lesson. Just loved it!!!!

[@Vikingwerk]

Thank you for teaching about the old ways!

[@ofirshorshy8281]

awesome. got to try it.

[@ofirshorshy8281]

in the middle east it was common and still is, to make soup from olive oil. I tried once to do soap with local olive oil and it was great!! I really want to try this style of diy lye

[@izibear4462]

It is called castile soap and is lovely. I cure mine for a year and once found 5 year old soap I had forgotten about. Was the best!

[@lisascenic]

Fascinating! Thank you!

[@Baker300-u5p]

I like watching ur vids!

[@TheGabygael]

i've been looking a lot into historical and evolution of haircare, mainly hairwashing/hair hygene strategies. I am under the impression that using plain soap (soft soap and castille soap tend to come the most recomended) became common practice around the mid-late victorian era into the edwardian era when soap, skincare and hygiene became industrialised and commercialised. Haircare in the 18th century works in a totally different way but the very few sources i found for before the common use of hair powdering tend to recommend monthly-weekly use of vine ash in water, i tend to put it aside as a disparity between what was written down and what people actually did, but come to think of it, they probably had much better litteracy of what lye is safe than we do today ad using a weak lye would work pretty well as a stripping agent in a context where other products would be less practical to use. When looking into what other cultures (mainly the diné people, historical han/chinese and the yao/red hmong women) traditionally do, haircare seems to work in a simiar way (hair tying and covering to prevent dirt and dust, frequent combing and rare use of a degreasing agent, mainly saponin heavy local plants with oiling as a styling and conditioning product). The fact i only see it being mentionned in the early 20th century (a belgian housekeeping manual from 1903 reprinted around 1919 mentions soap bark) makes me believe it was either not something that was worthy of mentioning earlier, not something that was done in europe before we took that up from other cultures or that we don't really have that many plants with the same properties... but the saponaria was use as a detergent in roman era but i havent seen it mentioned as a possibility for haircare purposes. Which makes the curiosity of ancient roman haircare even more baffling : i believe they didn't use lye based product because the alledged use of lime by gaulish people is regarded as different and striking, i guessed that hair combing would have been enough as it is quite similar to the oil scrapping they were famous for doing (and mosaic and statues don't really translate the greasiness of the hair the same way it's easy to see if hair was pomaded or powdered in the 17th - 19th century portraiture) but hair washing with water was part of their culture, if the mention i have found online is to be believed (still haven't found the source sadly, i'm grasping at straws) they had a ritual of washing the hair in a lake concecrated to diana on her special day in august. Soap would be adequate enough but it was really expensive to make so wouldn't have been able to everyone (so what did commonfolk do then) and it's terribly uncommon later on, wasn't seemed to be used regularly for anything outside of textile production so even if plausible it's a highly unsatisfactory option to me. Saponaria was common in laundering so i believe it would have been the easiest cleansing agent available to them , maybe is was ubiquitous enough to just not be mentioned in texts (i tried extracting saponin from nettles last august and it worked surprsingly well as a mild hair wash) but then why was lye preferred a millenium later? why was saponaria not more synonimous with cleanliness like lavender became? was it just easier further north to make our own lye? or maybe lye being more astringent required less frequent washing? i had in mind to give a shot at all of my hypotheses but life got in the way, i guess it's now time to resume

[@MMacNicol]

You might want to read Ruth Goodman's book "A Domestic Revolution" for historical data on these points.She covers it all.

[@TheGabygael]

@@MMacNicol i didn't think of looking more into her work, her passion for the evolution of how we approach hygien really influenced my practice and i didn't think to look at what she has to say about it, thanks for the tip :)

[@MMacNicol]

@@TheGabygael You're very welcome! This is all so cool.

[@Alfakatt]

Really want to try this! Thanks for sharing

[@Arieh-Lael]

Awesome video! Thank you for sharing!

[@NicoleHague-Andrews]

Such a good video thankyou so much🌿

[@Dloeco]

Thank You Sally.❤

[@cass718]

This was amazing and informative. Thank you.

[@101kurtj]

The book is called what now 😅😅😅 I swear I'm an adult but some of these words from the olden tymes. 🤣🤣

[@MaxwellSechzer]

Could you give us an idea of the strength of these products relative to a modern usage? Like what volume would be used for a modern load of laundry or dish washup? Or is it similar cleaning strength to currently popular cleaning products?

[@SallyPointer]

Pretty similar once it's all finished

[@DAYBROK3]

in soap making groups when i first started making soap one question kept coming up - how do you clean up afterward? - i would just shake my head.

[@paulinemegson8519]

🤣that was like a friend of mine. I taught her to make caramel and she was all “but now I’ve ruined my pan”……yes she was talking about the sugar set on the pan…….”Le sigh”

[@DAYBROK3]

@@paulinemegson8519 i once heard that we only use 10% of our brain, im beginning to think that was generous

[@ingweking8748]

I loved this video

[@ingweking8748]

Please make more soap videos

[@Jerhyn7]

Seven words to make algorithms love you. 알고리즘이 당신을 사랑하게 만드는 일곱 단어.

[@soniatriana9091]

@dustinsmith8635 Great comment! I think everyone who watches this channel with interest would agree, as well👍🤗🙌!!

[@jakobozias7613]

Perfect video for a stormy Texas morning! You may mention it in the video, but I'll ask just in case I miss it: are the wash balls safe for modern appliances, or strictly hand washing? How might I use it in a modern off-grid home with a bucket and plunger type of wash machine?

[@SallyPointer]

Washballs are best for washing hands or as a kitchen sink hand soap, the herbs and similar help make the soap go further and add fragrance and texture, but for laundry stick to plain soap

[@andrewsackville-west1609]

Brilliant

[@JasonBarnett-YTisantiWest]

Great video

[@Maria-uw1wq]

It's truly an art :)

[@roxymcrae4645]

Thank you Sally. In your first soap video you mentioned doing you were doing your PHD. How'd it go? I remember watching that video and being excited about what you'd have to say about the history/origin of soap. Many thanks for all the wonderful videos and information 😊

[@SallyPointer]

There should be a paper coming out fairly soon based on some of my recent research.

[@roxymcrae4645]

@@SallyPointer exciting 😊

[@AnnabelSmyth]

Thank you for that. I think I'll stick to modern methods using commercial sodium hydroxide! Fascinating, though.

[@anemone104]

A question: What you have been doing is time-consuming and complex 'pot' chemistry. How did our ancestors get the time to experiment and feel their way from wood ashes and fat through to bar soap? And how did they know what they wanted to get to? What possessed the first person to think that by running water through wood ashes, they would get anything remotely useful? Why would they pour hot fat into it and keep heating it for hours?

[@SallyPointer]

Have you seen my article on the origins of soap in the most recent online edition of the EXARC Journal?

[@anemone104]

@@SallyPointer Nope. Never heard of it. I'm a marine biologist and woodland manager who does a bit of green woodworking.... Thanks for letting me know, I'll go look.

[@Wolfgang3418]

It's quite simple to find out, even in our days. Have a campfire with your kids and clean your greasy pan afterwards with ashes from the fire and water. All three together make soap.

[@tcldevi]

Thank you for this detailed video. Would love to try it out sometime 😊I was wondering if one could dehydrate either the lye solution or the oil-lye mix a bit to speed up the cooking process. Would it be safe ? I have a solar dehydrator .

[@SallyPointer]

I think it would have the opposite effect. If a batch gets 'stuck' the usual solution is to add more water then reheat, lye needs to be strong, but especially in the early stages too strong is weirdly counterproductive for this method. You can use reduced water ratios when using commercial NAOH or KOH though

[@tcldevi]

@@SallyPointerthank you for your prompt response ❤

[@akkelijke]

Nice

[@alexandregross7335]

Hello and thank you for your video! I have been trying to make soap with beef tallow and ash lye for several days. My result is far from equal to yours. You help me a lot with the finger and tongue tests, I would never have thought of it. In addition, I did not dare to rectify the original dosages to compensate for too much fat or lye. I see videos where people reduce the ash lye to a very thick consistency (before mixing with the fat). I have not tried it yet but do you think that this would reduce the heating time to get the soap? Do you have a reference to the equivalent old book in French please? Excuse my bad English, use Fr-En translator.

[@SallyPointer]

Reducing the lye helps if it's not strong enough, but if it's too concentrated that can also cause issues

[@alexandregross7335]

​@@SallyPointer merci beaucoup. Je vais essayer cet hiver avec tout ce que vous expliquez dans la vidéo.

[@hynessjohn4855]

can I use shea butter or nilotica in place of beef tallow

[@SallyPointer]

You'll need to read up a bit on their saponification values to get an idea of how they will differ. I'm more familiar with shea as a minor proportion of a recipe rather than the sole ingredient

[@tilia1719]

Thank you very much for this tutorial. It makes me want to try it. You sad about washing fleeces with it. How does your wool turn out with it? I use french black soap with a pinch of dish soap, since the addition of soda dryed the wool out. Well I'm still looking for the right fleece washing method. Have you tried the suint fermentation method yet? If so, did you like the procede and the result of it? Thank you again for this great video and this pragmatic approach.

[@SallyPointer]

I like soft soap for wool prep, a little vinegar in the rinse water can be useful if you feel your water and soap combination is risking any residue, but I don't always do that

[@DonVetto-vx9dd]

7sing acid to neutralize alkali might sounds good on paper. But in reality, 8ts a terrible idea. Acid +alkali will produce exothermic reaction, that is it will generate heat. Heat that can be so hot it will burn you. To wash off alkali or any chemicals in general, just use water. Plain water. Use a lot of water. Water is good for washing stuff. Using water is standard procedure in any labs.

[@trogdo]

It’s all lyes I tell you I’m off to make some with bacon grease

[@paulwomack5866]

Link to another traditional soak making video, in China. I am frankly suspicious of the easy looking process, small quantities of raw materials, and very high quality results. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5PEqn9qhb1sosU

[@SkylerLinux]

Question on the used up lye. Would it not be sensible to add it to the next woodash? As some form of reuse?

[@SallyPointer]

I think spent lye is probably lacking in the chemicals we are after, so there's probably not much use in using it again. There are historical references for lye in other applications though, so possibly some uses there

[@northumberlandacres]

YAY 🎉

[@snowstrobe]

Seems like a really great soap, hope I can have a go at trying all this at some point. According to Fight Club, human fat is best! Talking of which, I thought it said to put vinegar straight on lye burn, not water? Is there an ideal temp it needs to be held at?

[@SallyPointer]

The important thing is to remove lye splashes straight away, so water is a good start to rinse it away, but vinegar will more actively neutralise.

[@MMacNicol]

Fight Club is, ahem, . . . FICTION. They likely put that imaginary factoid in for shock value, to sell the movie. The cadaver lab after the semester, and seven cadavers, had human fat residue we cleaned; it's the same as any other mammal. I helped clean it with two friends. The human body grease was the grossest part for them. Or you could consult the German WW2 archives because the Nazi government DID do that, specifically that. Which is the grossest part for me.

[@izibear4462]

​@SallyPointe From experience, running water for 10 minutes then a splash of vinegar sorted it out. Soapmaking for 20 years and too hot to wear long sleeves. Never made that mistake again. 😊

[@earl0fBronze]

If you added more salt, would it result in a firmer soap?

[@SallyPointer]

Only to a point, there is a limit to how much the structure changes without excess salt crystallising out. Best thing is to experiment to find a blend that suits your local ingredients

[@Wolfgang3418]

As far as I read, the salt should be added before the lye is poured out. Any excess salt would be in the so called underlye. And I think the salt should not be dissolved in water but thrown in as dry salt.

[@shadiyakingerlee365]

Well worth the wait. I'm going to have a go. I was wondering if we know when we first started making soap? Is it a pre or post metal thing? I was just thinking that you could do it with pottery and the coals of the cooking fire, so maybe it could be a Stone Age thing. (Sorry, don't know all the proper names for relevant time frames)

[@SallyPointer]

Have a listen to the recent Exarc podcast I did on the origins of soap!

[@myriambressani7019]

What do you use this soap for? what's the PH? Can it be a hand and body wash?

[@SallyPointer]

It's a general purpose soap,and if made well is mild enough for hair and body. This batch isn't my best ever so it will be used for laundry and textile processing.

[@consuelochavez984]

​❤🎉❤ ​@@SallyPointer yo lo hago✨️💕✨️ Quita manchas de la piel, espinillas, acné, caspa, dermatitis comprobado! y he leído que puede curar la psoriasis!! Gracias por tu tiempo! e instruirme más con tu sapiencia!! abrazo grande desde Tijuana Baja California México 🇲🇽

[@izibear4462]

​@@consuelochavez984I had a neighbor with bad psoriasis who I used to make castile soap for and it certainly helped.