We tried making soap like our ancestors ~ From wood ashes to old fashioned bar soap

[@tellervo.]

This was our first time making old fashioned soap so there was a lot of trial and error involved😄 We mostly followed the instructions in this blog post: www.primalsurvivor.net/wood-ash-soap/ Watch the 6 week lather test here: kzbin.infoFWhGW9lDCf8?feature=share Have you made soap with wood ash lye? How did it go?

[@wildbackyardsoaps]

That's my goal to try this soon, especially since we heat with wood!

[@bakidilek]

Your soap will smell like a pig.

[@ogi22]

Nice try! A couple years ago i made just some lye, but i put all the ashes in the pot and let them sit for a few days, then boiled it, let it cool down and settle, then i poured lye leaving ashes on the bottom, then boiled it to reduce the water. Mine had something similar to light beer/very weak tea colour. I guess this year i will have to try adding lard and making soap. But i don't get just one thing. Cutting tree for the fire? Hmm... so much moisture in that... Anyways, it was making a bit of foam, so it was a soap 😁

[@beewinfield]

Congrats you guys! Such patience and you did it! I attempted a lye soap, boiled and boiled for days and days on the wood stove a pot full of wood ash and water. The goal was to float a potatoe in it right? Or an egg? Well in the end I gave up and added some sodium hyrdroxide. Made an allright soap .

[@stoicavali2851]

Felicitari pentru rabdare si curaj! La noi ( Romania),sapunul de casa se face din untura ramasa de la prajit) se strecoara de resturi) ceai de plante si hidroxid de potasiu( cred ca asa ii zice) se fierbe mult timp se taie bucati mari se pun la uscat di dupa 6 luni e bun de folosit ca altfel raneste pielea( de la lesie). Si pentru rufe dar si pentru corp! Succes da mai incercati retete!

[@katierose7539]

My grandmother insisted that ashes from hard wood be kept separate specifically for making soap. With 8 children during the Depression, she was the queen of making something out of seemingly nothing.

[@caminoabienestar7131]

❤ wow amazing woman

[@jabohabo3821]

Yes!!! Thankyou. That and soap berry!

[@ashurean]

it's only seemingly nothing to us because all the knowledge and techniques that people relied on to provide necessities are no longer relevant to the average person. Many people will never even know what soap is made OF, much less HOW it's made. I don't think that's a good thing.

[@debrapaulino918]

Different breed of women we need to pay attention to. The cost of all soap is ridiculous. I'm looking at seeds. Soapworts invasive in U.S so it will be something else. Laundry and skincare and toilet paper not to mention diapers ... toothpaste! are serious holes in our boat.

[@jacquelinemwaniki6465]

An amazing woman

[@hatjodelka]

In Britain it was common to use a plant. Saponaria officinalis, also known as Soapwort. You just mush it up in water and strain it and use the liquid. Its lather is very effective and very gentle, so much so it's used in museums and heritage properties for safely cleaning tapestries, delicate fabrics etc.

[@shailjatripathi3901]

Yes! In India, it's called Reetha or Soapnuts. They are slightly smaller than walnuts and super gentle. They do not lather as much as chemical soaps but they are antimicrobial and clean your very well. I use them to wash my hair every now and then.

[@hatjodelka]

@@shailjatripathi3901 A different plant to here in the UK. Soapwort is a delicate scrambling plant with small pink flowers. The leaves and stems are crushed in water to produce a soapy water but I bet the plant you know and the plant I know both contain something called saponins.

[@MichaelWilliams85]

Same with certain species of yuccas in the southwest USA

[@meglocklear]

I wonder if that's where the word sopanification cane from.

[@hatjodelka]

@@meglocklear If it does, the root word for both would be the Latin for soap, sapo

[@KarinaMD.11]

Very well done! This is exactly how "black" soap has been made in my country Guatemala for many years. You can infuse rosemary branches with the lard to give it a special color and aroma. Here we shape the soaps into balls, they are balled while they are still warm, it is not put into molds. Some people don't even remove the ash from the final lye, they put both in the soap. It is very good for the skin and hair, it is even great for washing white clothes and removing stains. Some modern techniques here put a little coconut oil to help harden the soap and a little castor oil to improve the lather, and of course with these additional ingredients you have to run the recipe through a soap calculator. And if it is for cosmetic use, they add rosemary essential oil or fragrance. This ash bleach is even very good at whitening clothes instead of using chlorine or other modern bleaches.

[@tellervo.]

How interesting! Thank you so much for sharing😊

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

Fascinating but that’s what supermarkets are for 🤣 I prefer cruelty free cosmetics and products too.

[@YakubFloyd]

You know what's cruel? Your anti-human thinking.

[@ProleDaddy]

​@@handsoffmycactus2958 There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.

[@stoicavali2851]

Multumim ca ne impartasiti din experienta bunicilor dumneavoastra!❤

[@xionix4]

A couple of fire tips: use the back/spine of the knife when striking the ferrocerium rod to avoid dulling your knife. It'll work just as well if not better. Also, you can hold the knife stationary using your shin as a brace for your hand holding the knife, and pull the ferro rod back. That will help to avoid scattering your tinder or knocking it. If you process the birch bark down into finer fibers and bundle them into something like a bird's nest, you should be able to get it going in 1-3 strikes. That will preserve your ferro rod as well. Hope this helps some.

[@PatrickDenehy-f4k]

Also he went from shavings to large wood. There's a step before large wood. Kindling

[@CKGM990]

Another tip for the ferro rod. Scratch it down a a while without sparking it, and make a small pile about the size of a nickel. Then ignite that. It creates a small flash rather than just a few sparks at a time.

[@jimray1111]

​@@CKGM990that works better with magnesium but I suppose ferrocerium works similar.

[@murasakiiro447]

Use a lighter

[@jeffclark5268]

And don’t burn green wood…especially freshly cut.

[@crowznest438]

Where I live in Appalachia, women just poured the same lye water back through the ash hopper a few times to concentrate it enough to float an egg. They made a soft soap with homemade lye and hard soap with store bought.

[@elijahjamesperez8936]

Im a soap maker too, and I think you just had to stir without any pauses and stops to prevent separation, (because thats what happened here, it happened to my first few learning batches because I was too impatient) so yeah no stops on the stirring until it turns into condensed milk consistency. other than that, GREAT JOB

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Have you ever used tallow instead of lard? If so, which would you say is preferable?

[@elijahjamesperez8936]

@@itzakpoelzig330 haven't used tallow coz beef is expensive around my area, but I would love to try it soon. And to my surprise I thought lard soap would have a porky kinda smell, but no it just has this neutrally bland smell to it (my opinion). And yeah it doesn't make a lotta bubbles tho, its slimy but it certainly does clean well. Actually better than commercial soaps.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you🤗

[@elijahjamesperez8936]

@@tellervo. just keep stirring next time and don't ever stop until it turns into condensed milk consistency, pauses from stirring would cause separation which happened to your batch. ❤️

[@itzakpoelzig330]

@@elijahjamesperez8936 Interesting!

[@BeatrixBetwixt]

Primitive skills are so humbling aren’t they? A lot of work. It’s wonderful you tried and I hope you will modify and try again. I didn’t know about the zap test! So cool. This was interesting to watch.

[@tellervo.]

Yes that's so true☺️ I think I want to try again but not for a while, it was so time consuming😃

[@kategeary1623]

@@tellervo. I remember reading about the soap making in some colonial communities. Women all contributed to the supplies and process; working in shifts around a large cauldron for several days until saponification occurred. The children gathered the firewood needed for continual heat and the stirring never stopped. It was an arduous labor of love. Soap is precious and it's not until it becomes scarce that people have learned of it's value throughout history during times of want. Knowing how to live off the land is no small treasure. Great job; thank you for sharing your steps.

[@marinrodriguez7729]

The stirring once the lye and oils are mixed is super key to the process. By hand it will take hours! No wonder back in the day it was a community effort...similar to churning butter. Using an electric mixer it only takes minutes to turn cream into butter or oils and lye into a proper emulsion. I cant imagine doing it by hand by yourself!

[@iluminameluna]

What made it harder than it had to be was that you did it in the freezing temps. ​@@tellervo.Had you waited for warmer weather, your emulsion would've happened sooner, & your soap would've been stable sooner. Heat is essential for saponification to happen, & the children your encouraging, the sooner your soap will garden. In fact, there's something called "false trace" where the batter will appear to be emulsified but isn't. When that happens, & you don't recognize it, if you mold your "solid" soap, it will separate later into its components. ❤

[@jurgen1111]

I really like this refreshingly honest style of documentation. It might not have turned out exactly the way you imagined it would, but you still showed us your true experience and results. Really nice to watch👍🏻🙏🏻

[@Ramonerdna]

Exactly I loved that

[@J3nn3mac]

My grandmother died when I was in middle school, but I remember her always having homemade lye soap and the pile of ashes in the basement where she made it. I hope to make my own someday soon

[@Jollyman432]

Did you make some?

[@Nate_Trapper]

Did you make some?

[@artheaded1]

As a kid in the 1970's I learned about making soap this way from the Foxfire books. Finally seeing it done in real life makes me very happy. Thanks for sharing this!

[@areylanoctivim9047]

I have recently been introduced to the Foxfire books and seeing this mention in the wild is more exciting than it should be.

[@brlazla]

My mom got me all three Foxfire books because she rules 😊 and so do they.

[@kategeary1623]

The Bicentennial was a turning point for our nation to be reminded of the treasure produced by people with skills and creative abilities. Iron working, needlework, quilting, silversmithing, soapmaking, leather working...and so much more. We need to teach freely to those who are eager to learn!

[@akaitimaoate5442]

Patience and creativity with trial and error yet the most humbling product made. The natural materials and environment is opposite to what we have; 35-40 degrees and natural stuff like coconut husks for ashes, lemongrass, paw paw seeds etc. Your video inspires me so much to use what we can around us and also incorporate and explore what our ancestors used. Meitaki from the Cook Islands 🇨🇰

[@tellervo.]

Thank you for your kindness! That must be an amazing place to live☺️

[@elizabethfrazer111]

Hi. Love your method as we have coconut, lemon grass here in W/Africa. We have black soap locally made , but would love to know how it is processed. Much love.

[@RichWoods23]

When using a ferro rod, you might find it easier to hold your knife firm, right on the tinder, then hold the rod horizontally and draw it sharply back over the spine of the knife blade. The sparks have less distance to travel so they'll be hotter when they hit the tinder, and you are less likely to accidentally move the tinder around. Rather than doing this several times quickly, concentrate on doing it once strongly, then reset if necessary. If you want a less grey soap, try using apple or white oak. You'll need to cut this in winter, then remove the bark and leave the timber to season for a year. If the wood has a dark core, remove that when you split the logs into kindling. Thin kindling will burn faster and hotter, driving off the remaining water and volatile organics. I hadn't heard of the potato trick before -- thanks very much for that. Soap should be left to cure for several months, until its pH is down to 7.5-8.5. The thinner the bar the faster it will cure because a greater surface area per volume is exposed to air. Place the bars on a rack in a ventilated dry, cool place and turn them over once a week.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you so much for your comment🤗 great advice!

[@lemmypop1300]

@@tellervo. I've seen you struggle a bit cutting that birch into pieces. Try cutting it diagonally as much as possible cause that way you are not fighting the grain of the wood as much. It'll be much easier and you'll be able to cut narrower parts in a single strike.

[@blzahz7633]

15:40 About using too much fat in the soap: I think it's better if you use too much of that than too little, this means all the lye gets to react, if use too little fat then you might end up with unreacted lye in the soap. Also, part of that of excess fat is probably glycerol, which is a by-product of saponification. The salt you added actually drives the glycerol out from the soap, which makes it brittle, because normally some glycerol is left in the soap. The "excess fat" probably forms two layers if you let it sit in a jar for a bit: one being the unreacted fat and the other a salt-glycerol solution. Something to note: I have almost zero experience in soap making, I'm just looking at it from the chemistry perspective. So take all this with a grain of salt.

[@marinrodriguez7729]

Soap makers call that extra fat "super fat" as it is the extra "unreacted" oil/fat that did not bind with the lye available. And depending on what oils you use it can have a variety of benefits for your skin for sure! Craft and hobby soapmakers strategically choose the oils they add when they want a "super fat" situation in their final product. If you think about it, depending on what your own personal skin needs , you could customize/personalize your soap to meet those needs!

[@dorasmith7875]

I suspect that most soap had too much lye in it. It was even often called lye soap. It would burn you when you washed with it. And to wash some things plain lye is not a bad thing. I burned food onto the bottom of a pan yesterday making Thanksgiving dinner, and I had to actually soak it in drain cleaner to get that stuff to come off. That's the main ingredient in oven cleaner too.

[@AJ-so6gd]

​@dorasmith7875 thats what happened when they had to eyeball things and didn't have soap calculators. I have an app on my phone just to figure out how not to burn my skin off lol

[@maryamjoha]

Was the grain of salt a soap chemistry joke? 😂 love it ❤

[@TarotLadyLissa]

If you boil the ash and water for a bit before you strain, you'll have a stronger solution. Or you could use more ash and less water. Great job though! As a soapmaker, I am impressed you got lather on your first try!

[@Traditional_Soaping]

Traditional soap is you, not me! I applaud your exploration and passion for soap and your beautiful video! Since the strength of alkali is weak, a lot of oil remains, so I don't think it went to perfect saponification. So even during the zap test, the taste of alkali remained a lot. However, the method you tried was traditional and I think it's correct! Making soap from unrefined raw materials takes a lot of skill! It seems that you were able to complete your own soap because it was you!

[@tellervo.]

Aw thank you🤗 You're still the true traditional soaper😁 I appreciate your input very much and I think you are correct!

[@byP1LOT]

​@@tellervo. pls turkish subtitles ❤ 😊

[@SavageSoapersClub]

I make soap with alternative lyes like baking soda, wood ash, chalk, .... If there are unsaponified fatty acids, the soap is not ready. ;-)

[@bapparawal2457]

In India ash from stove was traditionally used to cleaning dishes. This was even done in my mother's home when she a child.

[@annaaiko868]

That is so interesting! I’d love to hear more details!

[@Darvit_Nu]

The slimy feeling is all of the natural glycerine that is made as a byproduct of lye + fat. It's great for skin! Well done :)

[@GodzHarleyGirlStudio]

Well that was a lot of hard work for a few bars but very rewarding to do it the old way. It makes us appreciate the very hard work people used to do in order to make soap. I’ve rendered my own lard before and loved the soap from it. Great video! Hugz, Tree

[@tellervo.]

That's so true! Thank you Tree, hugs😊

[@dinarusso3320]

I would love to try lard soap 🧼, it's supposed to be more gentle on sensitive skin than plant oil.

[@anagameiro]

Nice video! Here in Brazil this kind of soap was made pretty often too, its called " sabão de decoada". We use the same ingredients, but with some diference in the process. 1- some people boil the ashes in water, after that we let It rest and decanter like you did. 2- we mix some alcool in the oil/lard. 3- we use Salt too, but only when the saponification process is almost complete. Very interesting to see how It was made in other parts of the world. Thanks for sharing!

[@Fa-So8]

В России добавляют соль тоже после омыления. Интересно, а для чего добавляют спирт?

[@goglebert]

why alcohol really?

[@GamingGardevoir]

For those asking: alcohol makes the soap set faster

[@mikecrabtree8200]

Who back in the day figured out all these steps to make soap. What a feat of genius. My sister and I use to make soap. Even with adding salt it takes months for most soaps to harden properly. However if you want your soap to harden very very quickly just add beer. Wine or another alcohol to it or a sugar. If you do this you need to be the flash to get it in to the mold before it starts to set up because it happens very quickly. Huge congratulations to making the soap the grandma and grandpa way. My sister and I never did this. It was a very interesting watch. Thank you for going through the time and trouble to make this video.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you and thank you for the tips☺️ it's definitely interesting how someone figured all this out!

[@GamingGardevoir]

Couldn’t you pour the soap into the mold before adding the beer then?

[@AJ-so6gd]

I know exactly how they figured it out. Someone noticed that wet ashes from the fire their meat had been roasted over cleaned way better. Just a matter of trial and error from that point

[@dwightehowell8179]

Ashes contain lye. You can rub your hands with ashes and rense. You can also use the lye and oil or fat to make soap. I like lye soap if properly made. What may ancestors used was strong enough with lye to just about take your skin off but it did get things clean. They used it on the floors, dishes, bathing, washing hair and cloths. It got the job done and killed germs too.

[@Fa-So8]

Здравствуйте, я тоже думаю о крепости мыла для лица. А как тогда сделать мыло для лица? 😊

[@AndreaMoscoso-ny8oq]

​@@Fa-So8It is too strong to use on the face which has delicate skin. Also in liquid form when using lye it one should use eye protective wear goggles and a mask in a ventilated area as it I think has fumes and If the liquid gets on the face and eyes one has to rinse it immediately as it can burn your skin and eyes.

[@tassiegirl1991]

This was such a fun and beautiful video to watch, imagine having to kill the pig, cut the fat off, then cook it to use, burn a fire to collect the ash before you can start to make your soap and compare to how we make it today. Your soap might have been a bit slimy but so is olive oil soap early in curing stage. As for being ugly well maybe not the prettiest colour but it did the job. Thank you for sharing from your winter wonderland it was great

[@tellervo.]

So glad you liked it🤗 Yes there's so much more work involved compared to today! You're so sweet and encouraging thank you🙂

[@brucetidwell7715]

A friend of mine makes soap with modern methods. She makes sure to have just slightly more fat than lye and then ages it for six months. Apparently it gets harder as it ages but, also, over time, the last of the lye gets converted and makes the finished bars gentler. It's wonderful soap! I gathered up the equipment to dedicate to making my own but I never have.

[@CanterburySoapworks]

Me: “I have a million things to do I need to get going on my day.” “Oooo a new Tellervo video!” (Immediately lies down with iPad and goes into a trance) 😍 This is just amazing in every way. What a beautiful setting, too.

[@tellervo.]

Aw you're just too sweet🥰🥰

[@justaddlivingwater]

I know she's like a trooper in the woods man she started that fire like it was nothing woman versus nature... Nature Versus Artist Soap Maker 1-0 Lol

[@papiapaulsoap]

Wow.. that was amazing! What a bold step to make a soap in the ancient method! 👏... i would never have had the heart to do it or lost my patience on the way but you never lost patience nor hope! what more.. the soap works and thats all that matters! well done ... and thank you for sharing the experience 😊 ❣️

[@tellervo.]

Thank you so much🥰 I was certain the soap had failed when the batter was super lumpy so i'm glad the end result is some kind of soap!

[@papiapaulsoap]

@@tellervo. 🥰

[@kasie680]

You don’t need to sift the ashes, but you will get a stronger lye if you use a full bucket of ashes and fill with water until just covering over the ashes about 2-3 inches and let it soak for days, then strain and reduce but your whole process was so cool to watch!! What did it smell like?

[@tb6303]

That's good to know.

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

I tried making soap with wood ashes and venison tallow. It took 3x the amount if ashes than the old booklet i had as a reprint that i bought in the cooperstown museum.

[@IfeomaInyiama-b6q]

Nico, plays a great role in this soap production, I want you to send my regards to him, I heard you once saying that he makes every efforts, blood and sweat in other to produce the assorted stamps and their designs. You both are great. COUPLES with One heart, One energy, One talent, and always helpful to each other. KUDOS TO YOU!!! and KUDOS TO NICO!!!, For making this wonderful production impact to the whole world 🌍. All these soaps 🧼 production are full of Organic 🫀, Herbs 🌿, leaves, 🥦, Flowers 🌺🌼🌹🌻🪴☘️🍀🍃🌾🌷 Fruits🥑🥕🍅🥒🍍🍓 🥥 🍋🍓🍉🥭🍌🥚🍈🍏🍐🧄🧅🍠🌽🥝🫐 and Oils 🥛🥫🫙🫖 May God bless you all ✔️💪👍❤

[@upinarms79]

Your soap might not have turned out as well as you'd hoped, but you made a very impressive effort and a great video! I think the reason your lye wasn't strong enough was that you needed more ashes in a larger container with more small holes at the bottom for the water to more slowly leach through the ashes. It does take a lot. Sometimes you might have to pour the liquid through a second time to get the lye strong enough. Also, beef fat (tallow) tends to make a harder, more dense soap that lathers better and lasts longer. I find that pork fat soap doesn't cure as well as tallow and ends up being kind of slimy and melts away much faster.

[@Irememberhuggabunches]

Have you ever tried with deer tallow? I’ve never made soap like this, though I’ve made tallow based lotion with deer tallow and it gets pretty stiff, so I’m wondering if it would be similar to beef.

[@upinarms79]

​@@Irememberhuggabunches No, I've never tried that myself, though I know it works and have seen it used. I don''t really know the exact science behind which animal fat is better for what purposes, but I think it has something to do with the amount of acidity in the fats and also it's density and salt/mineral content that affects saponification. Pork fat seems to be good for soft soaps and tallow seems to make a harder, better lathering soap. Deer are lean and the fat is pretty dense, so I would imagine it would make a good soap, though I don't know if it'd be much different or better than beef tallow. You'd probably want to add some oils like coconut or olive if you are using it as a bath soap. You can also add things like aloe or shea butter because pure tallow soap can be harsh and dry out your skin. You just have to be careful with how much you add and keep the ratios balanced or the soap won't set well.

[@OuttheBackDoor]

Thank you for sharing this. I was very impressed. _This isn't something that's easy to do and we take for granted what our ancestors had to do in order to make soap._ I render my own deer fat to make my tallow soap, but I haven't tried making my own lye yet. Our ashes from the woodstove are usually a mix of hard and soft wood. I also liked that you started your fire using a flint and steel and not a match. You mentioned that the soap was brittle and ugly. Do you think it was brittle because of excess salt? And remember, back in the day, soap was a necessity and didn't have to look nice. I truly enjoyed watching this.

[@tellervo.]

That's so cool☺️ the brittleness might definitely be because of the salt! Thank you so much for your encouragement🤗

[@DawnOrganics]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. The entire process is mesmerising. Thanks so much for the upload!

[@tellervo.]

So glad you enjoyed it🤗

[@rjchannel5442]

I remembered my late grandma is using wood ashes to shines her pots.. it works so well.. I must try this method sooner .. Thank you for sharing.. really appreciate it so much.. :) :)

[@tellervo.]

That's awesome thank you for sharing🤗

[@NJRidhan]

this is the information I've been looking for for a long time, making soap without synthetic chemicals, because I want a natural life, youtube is a miracle for me

[@Lee-ex6ip]

Wow!! So amazing what you have done. I respect your job. Beautiful soap!!

[@katiebursey7005]

You guys are so amazing! Thank you for sharing with us on the ancestor's way... This techniques really shows us how we truly appreciates our ancestors and need to recognize this. I've been saving some ashes as I was willing to try to make soap out of this... I think I'm having second thoughts LOL

[@tellervo.]

Haha that's funny😁 Making it this way definitely makes you appreciate all they did back in the day!

[@thatsmel4yah]

I love how you didn't throw it away. You are awesome. 😂you're determined and have faith. It's beautiful 🎉

[@KendraKRH]

This is really cool. I've seen different takes on this concept, as usual, your videos exceed my expectations.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you so much🤗

[@lindadavidson1389]

Loved the soft piano music in the background. Very interesting video.

[@Moocifer006]

At least you know what’s going into your soap! Can’t say the same for most factory made soaps. It’s beautiful where you are. This video was awesome, is awesome !

[@jessie_bxr]

Hi there! It was a great video. I actually searched a lot about making natural soap without using pre-made ingredients; at last, I saw this video and It was awesome! Thank you for your amazing effort!

[@SBVCP]

Little advice I learned: If you are goign to use those fire starter rods, do not strike down, its too sparce, concentrate by putting the striker steady close to the fuel and then "pull" with the rod as if you were sawing, that way the sparks hit much closer together

[@ragnarvankarel6139]

This was very... relaxing. It was not made in a flashy way, and little mistakes were made during the process... I didn't felt the kind of detachment i usually feel in a Lot of videos where something is made by hand in an almost magical, perfect way. It made me think "oh look, i would have made the same things, the same funny mistakes"... It made me realize that, although i could not be capable of doing something flawlessly, i can allow myself to make errors And still get the job done. You guys taught me so much more than how to make soap. Thank you...

[@jeffclarkofclarklesparkle3103]

You should use the smaller twigs from the tree to get the fire going on the 1st try. Make three bundles of small twigs stacked like a capital A with your tinder in the bottom of the A. Once a flame is there, pull that middle part ( which goes on top of the sides) of the A down to catch the flame. Then bigger pieces on top of the A, kindling size. Also, touch the tip of the ferro rod to the tinder and you can often start it with 1 spark 😁

[@frogjunk]

Also helps not to use wet birch. It holds a lot of moisture.

[@rhaegarlannister]

Thanks!

[@maikolverasson1735]

wow, what a journey! Loved the whole idea behind it. So important to trace the roots of soap making - especially with a beautiful scenery like in your video.

[@tellervo.]

I agree and it's so interesting to go through the whole process, thank you!

[@skinprobiotics1657]

You guys are AMAZING. 16 years ago a history teacher in New England made true Castile soap with wood ash lye water, olive oil, and a small amount of lard. The soap was a very lite in color. It smelled soooo good like no other handmade soap and was so gentle for our newborn. I used it on my face and my husband shaved with it. LOVE your video. Thank you for sharing!

[@renujha2431]

Wow! Your persistence and tenacity is admirable. It was a real treat to watch this video.👌👏😊 Well done to both of you!

[@tellervo.]

Thanks so much🤗

[@chichiu420]

Thank you so much for the teaching. This is very nice to see the original way of soap making. This is so much love. Good luck.❤

[@yooperwsdm]

Way to go, making soap isn't as easy as people think. Good job, but I have a question the white birch that you cut down was "green" and not suitable for a fire until it is dried for a year or six months when split. All you were burning was the oils in the bark with that first fire.. confused me for sure as a Woodsman.

[@JayLooney]

If you've got the option, it's typically easier to make a fire from old aged/dried wood, rather than young, greenwood full of moisture

[@adorableninos]

It is incredible how still in Africa this technique is used and still making organic soap. I am just amazed how africans still carry this tradition on. and on from generation to generation. But well done trying it.

[@RowinAlong]

4:21 Thank you for showing that someone as bad at lighting fires as me can still do traditional woodcrafts. Truly inspirational :') Seriously though this is fascinating to watch. Good job on getting a functional soap at the end of all that

[@jaytee3baxter]

This was a very ambitious project! I have rendered my own fat for soapmaking but I've no interest in DIY lye. So it was interesting to see you take this on. I love your precious doggo. Your videos are the most beautiful and also educational soapmaking videos out there, thank you.

[@rhonddakane]

Fascinating! Wow! Thank you for your bravery in testing old recipes! God bless you and Merry Christmas! ❤️🙏✝️👑

[@antoinettewilliams1355]

This was fascinating to watch.I have often wondered how many steps they must have taken to make primitive bars. Thanks for doing this experiment. ❤

[@tellervo.]

Thank you❤️

[@carolynwatson4301]

I also boil the water more times and I use more ashes without sifting. Then I strain the lye water at least twice through an old sheet

[@millennialwoman4680]

The charcoal chunkc are excellent for biochar in the garden!

[@aordinarygirl7403]

Very interesting and a lot of fun to watch! Thank you guys! ❤

[@tellervo.]

Thank you❤️

[@thatemotionalfriend]

Love the transparency of this video!!! And it DID work! This is fantastic.

[@nerinat8371]

This was super interesting, thanks so much

[@jennymossa9492]

Thank you for making this video! I am so happy I found it and could learn this from you. In only 2-3 generations we have lost millennia of wisdom on how to provide for ourselves. I feel this as an acute loss and love learning about self sustainability! Kiitoksia Pietarsaaresta!

[@ashmodo1097]

Super cool! I would love to master making my own potash. It's today's world it's gonna be very helpful to be self sustaining.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you☺️

[@dinarusso3320]

Another channel, the man just poured his ashes from the BBQ grill into a bucket of water and saved it. It worked fine.

[@danielstephengilbert]

Thank you for showing me how to do this! It was very satisfying to watch. We take so much for granted these days.

[@kajolgolchha1326]

Hatss off 👏 for your great work it shows how much hardwork you put into this video it was really beautiful and really loved it great and amazing work I really recently found your page it was really soothing and loved the way your teaching ❤️👏

[@tellervo.]

You're so sweet, thank you💝💝

[@TROUBADUO]

Cool video Y'all!! Great Job!! God Bless y'all!! 💜✌️🕊️ Love you fur friend!! 🐾🩵

[@lalmendrazulbluealmond7082]

I didn't expect this from your profile jajaj, such a surprise. Thanks so much for sharing with so many details, it's been nice to watch such an ancestral way of making soap. An now, we got a soap in a few weeks, or even days, crazy to compare!

[@tellervo.]

Glad you enjoyed it🤗 it is crazy!

[@scruffy281]

Whatever the mishaps it was brilliant to watch your efforts and to LEARN new things. I thank you for sharing this with all. God Bless...Lots of love from Texas.❤

[@nataliefromnormandya1135]

Awesome. As a person who uses my own wood for fires, w dry out the logs for at least a few months. Beautiful imagery.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you☺️

[@BerenKaderfidan]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful tradition with us :)

[@hookandstonecreations1229]

I spent the winter reading books on square foot gardening and companion planting. I've been telling everyone i know about it and trying to teach them how its done!

[@Fa-So8]

Согласитесь, очень увлекательно!?

[@madiantin]

Wow! Such an incredible amount of work. Kudos to you! I have way more respect for my ancestors now.

[@mamaguile7587]

I really enjoyed this video. Please do a video again to show what the soap is like after 1 month cure.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you I will!

[@crabbysuet]

Kiitos! This was a lovely little bit of old fashioned experimentation. My kid loved it.

[@artycrafty9209]

Wow how very brave of you, such a lot of hard work, it reminded me of a goat milk soap I once made which overheated and was disaster. But you did get soap and it did get hard soap as I thought that the ash lye was Koh but then you did add salt to harden and probably the hard fat also made it harder. This was so very interesting and I like watching from my warm room comfortably ! while you did all of the work😏Thank you for another great video.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video🤗 I was surprised over how hard the soap got!

[@capnchip]

Very nice try! I think you succeded in making soap! Just a little different from store bought stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[@COUNTS1096]

Lard doesn’t get firm like other fats. Try tallow next time (beef fat). And, it won’t thicken much because the fat has very little moisture to boil off. The only real moisture is from the lye and that isn’t a ton. But, great information and video!

[@septvents]

Such a beautiful music!!! And all the teaching

[@r.e.holding]

Awesome! I was just thinking about this process the other day and wondered how I would do it… your face during the tongue test hehe 😂

[@tellervo.]

Are you going to try it? Haha it didn’t smell or taste very appetizing😄

[@Purcap]

The absolute BEST soap making demo; applaud and salute ‼️ Y'all should be 🦚 proud. I learned some most unusual things watching...and appreciate it very much. I am intrigued 🤔

[@steelersgirl071961]

Interesting! Beef fat is better though 😊. Thanks for sharing your experience. 😊

[@kezzaobee1462]

That’s dedication for you, I can see you both enjoyed the experience. Was wonderful to watch, a very lot of effort so thanks for the journey. I am just glad we now have easier methods for our soap making. Loved every minute of it.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you so much Kezza🤗 i'm also glad for the easy methods we have nowadays!

[@gotzyart2121]

Imagine you're in ancient babylon and go to the market to buy soap, and this is the soap you get, no bubbles, no packaging just pure porkfat and lye. haha

[@marinrodriguez7729]

Or more likely soap made with 100% olive oil and lye. Apparently its called Castille soap and it takes like a full year to properly cure!😮 Super popular all around the Mediterranean

[@WideAwake24]

Once the fat and lye saponify, you get bubbles.

[@Nadia-or5fn]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@NezumiSoaps]

This video was absolutely incredible! I've always been curious about ash and lye and soap making. I'm so impressed at the quality of the video and the amount of work you put into making this tiny loaf of soap. Even though it turned out kinda rough and strange, it cleaned! Bravo🫧 What language do you speak at the end?

[@tellervo.]

Thank you so much, glad you liked the video🤗 The language is Finnish!

[@elainem7722]

Very interesting video. Thanks. Makes you wonder how the oldtimers even thought of how to do this.

[@tellervo.]

Thank you☺️ it does, it's very strange when you think about it!

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Legend has it that some washer-women were doing their laundry downstream from a temple where there had been animal sacrifices performed. When the holyfolk sluiced water over the altars, it swept the ashes and melted fat into the stream, and the washer-women quickly figured out that their whites got whiter on those days. This was supposedly in ancient Arcadia, I think?

[@sallydavidson2026]

OMG! Now that was truly educational. Thank you so much. I've always wondered how soap was made waaaaayyyyy back. I absolutely LOVE your videos. 😜

[@trublgrl]

"I have all this extra ash. I know, I'll make some soap! But I need a fire to render this fat. Wait, now I have all this extra ash..." ∞

[@michellemauer5032]

I also made soap from our hardwood ash and tallow from our cattle. After getting the tools and process down it was a success!! Getting the right lye concentration was the hardest part. I used a hydrometer.

[@linasjostrand4034]

I know that grating the fat down before the rendering stage makes it melt faster. Put the fat in the freezer for 30-60 min n the put it through the grater 👍

[@tellervo.]

Thank you for the tip🤗

[@chicamepa]

What a wonderful work & awesome filming quality, thanks!

[@NadiaJoseph]

In my country still this time many people use ashes to scrub pots and wash dishes..i hear about soap made by ashes instead of lye but i wasnt brave enough to do it and im happy to see that you have tryed..👏👏..but the soap made seems..hmm .interesting🤣 so i prefer to stick with our same way

[@tellervo.]

That's so interesting! Yeah the soap is not the best😅

[@MrBerroth]

Just wanted to let you know that soap made from hard wood ash is still made with lye. Lye from hardwood ash is potassium lye and what you would buy in the store is sodium lye. While potassium lye is commonly used in making liquid soap, where as sodium lye is for hard soap. You can make hard soap with potassium lye but it takes years to cure.

[@NadiaJoseph]

@@MrBerroth Wow thank you so much for this information.🙏

[@MrBerroth]

@@NadiaJoseph You are most welcome.

[@freshoil1]

An excellent video and a great job making the soap. Thanks!

[@eyeonus]

5:00 Use the BACK of the knife, not the blade!!!!!

[@Apollo440]

Making soap from ash? That's a lye.

[@kedb621]

😂

[@j253d]

Precious little dog ❤️ Also the cutting up of the cooled lard was oddly satisfying thank you!

[@user-gs8zi1yh7c]

You can't find dead tree / snag in the forest? Why you need to destroy a healthy young birch

[@ماميمامي-د7ذ]

انت مذهلة فعلا احسنت كنا ننتظر بشغف مثل هذا العمل لطالما تسائلت كيف كانو يصنعون الصابون براااافووووو ممتازة انت👍👍👍👍👍

[@tellervo.]

Thank you🤗

[@justaddlivingwater]

This has to be the coolest tent Maker video I've ever seen. Ever this is beautiful and majestic from the shooting to the editing. Wonderful beautiful I wish I could do that but you do as far as the shooting and editing

[@joutatheegg]

Everything in this video is so gorgeous and serene

[@pmwood2977]

This was such a pleasure to watch ❤☺ I felt like I was watching a little movie. I only found your videos about a month ago and you have inspired me to try making my own soaps. Each and every video you make is relaxing and Molly is just the sweetest! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom on making soap. Very grateful 🙏