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| SOAP | ||||||||||||
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| This is a basic animal fat soap formula. Soap can be made for utilitarian, medical and personal uses. It depends what is added to the basic formula as to how it may be used. For instance, for personal uses, it should be made in a milder strength to avoid irritation and damage to the body. For medical purposes, it also needs to be mild but with strong enough cleansing and astringent properties to clean and treat the body. For utilitarian purposes, such as scrubbing chores and laundry, soap may be made stronger. | ||||||||||||
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| Grease soap molds and set aside. Put on protective apron, gloves, and eye gear (kept by soap mold area). Place 2 1/2 pounds of bosk tallow (fat) in a large, lye* resistant pot and heat fat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 120F to 125F. Place16 ounces of water, preferably distilled and at room temperature, in the pourable spout, lye resistant pitcher. Very carefully measure in 5 1/2 ounces of lye and slowly blend it into the water. Stir occasionally, but slowly, with a wooden spoon until all lye is fully dissolved. | ||||||||||||
| When the lye-water mixture is within the same temperature range of the tallow (between 120F to 125F), begin pouring the lye-water mixture into the melted tallow in a thin steady stream, stirring occasionally. Keep stirring constantly and slowly, but not over zealously. Air bubbles can be trapped in the mixture, unless floating soap is desired. | ||||||||||||
| After about 10-15 minutes, the mixture should start tracing, which means that it has gone from clear to opaque, that it has thickened. Pick up the spoon in the pot; the liquid soap should drizzle off of it and leave a trace on the surface. If after 45 minutes to an hour, the soap mixture still has not started tracing, then the measurements should be rechecked. | ||||||||||||
| At this point, the soap mixture is ready to be poured or ladled into the molds. Do so, seal the mold with wrapping (or with the cover to the mold), put some blankets or towels on it and place it in a draft-free place. Let it sit for 2 days. | ||||||||||||
| After 2 days, remove the mold's lid and wrap and assess the soap. With gloves, gently touch the surface of the soap (lye is highly caustic, so do not touch the soap with hands). If the soap is still very soft, let it sit overnight and the next day unwrapped. If the soap is firm to the touch, yet still leaves an imprint, take the soap out of the mold, cut into pieces, if desired, trim off any excess, and place it on a drying rack, or clean butcher block. | ||||||||||||
| If individual soap molds were used, then wait another 3 weeks for the soap to have completed its aging process. If large mold was used and it is planned to slice it up into small bars, then start checking the soap after about 1 week or so ( the medical wagon uses both). | ||||||||||||
| Once the soap is sliced, place the individual bars onto a drying rack, or butcher block, and let the soap air dry for another 2 1/2 weeks until the surface of the soap is very hard to the touch. Scrape off whatever ash might be on the bar's surface with a sharp knife (slaves must get permission to use a knife. or use a cutting shell), and the soap is ready to use. | ||||||||||||
| *Lye - A strongly alkaline solution. For Tuchuk purposes, it is the solution of potassium carbonate (potash) prepared by leaching wood ashes with water. Lye should be used with caution, as it is caustic and poisonous. | ||||||||||||
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| Thanks are given to Amukusa for this information. | ||||||||||||
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| Slave Health | Medical Home | Treatments | ||||||||||