Desert Sol Soapery

Masterbatching my 1:1 lye solution for future soap batches.

This is equal weights of sodium hydroxide and distilled water, carefully measured, mixed slowly, and handled with full PPE and ventilation.

The steam you see is heat released from the chemical reaction as the lye dissolves into the water.

For future soap batches, I’ll combine portions of this stored 1:1 solution with additional liquid to reach my final recipe water amount before making handmade soap.

Not the prettiest part of cold process soapmaking…
but definitely one of the most important.

Clay in soap can change the feel and performance of a bar. Different clays can affect slip, creaminess, oil absorption, color, glide, and lather texture.

But a lot of the dramatic “detox” claims around clay soap drift pretty far away from what cosmetic science actually supports. Soap is a rinse-off product. Clay can help absorb excess surface oil during washing, but it is not pulling toxins out of your organs or bloodstream.

That doesn’t make clay useless. Kaolin, bentonite, rhassoul, French green, and rose clay all behave differently in soap formulas — and some of them can make a bar feel really luxurious.

And yes, sometimes clay also sounds nice on a label.