Natural soap is a small miracle
- by Barbora Mikulášová
-- 4 minutes of reading --
In our workshop, we organize excursions for schools and kindergartens. At the beginning, I always tell the children about soaps. Everyone claims to have soap at home. Someone liquid, someone solid, everyone knows what we are talking about. But few people know what real soap is made of and how it actually works. And so I tell the children that there are little figures in the soap that have two hands. One long one that catches dirt, impurities, bacteria. And the other short one, which catches the water and thus all the dirt is washed away.
And that's the way it really is. Do you know why?
Everyone who starts making natural soaps probably first learns to make them according to proven recipes from the Internet or from books. At least that's how I did it. I made my first soap at the beginning of 2012 and it was Marseille soap. Why did I choose this, one might say legendary, soap? Because I knew him and I read that he was great. At that time, I knew that it was a gentle vegetable soap, suitable for sensitive skin, as well as for washing or cleaning carpets. Moreover, it is made from available raw materials. Marseille soap is any vegetable fat soap based on olive oil. I still remember this first recipe of mine. It was 75% olive oil and 25% coconut oil. Nothing extra. And guess what, it really worked. At that time, I didn't know what to expect and what was going to happen. It felt like magic as the oils began to change, eventually forming a beautiful pale green soap with a fine lather and large bubbles. We soap makers follow the character of the bubbles quite a bit.
So just two oils were enough to make one of the most famous traditional soaps.
The fact that the soap is made from oils amazes not only children on excursions, but also adults. How can oil form that hard cube that foams, and it is precisely oils and fats that can be washed away? Well, who would have thought it, it's related.
CHEMICAL WINDOW
This is because oil/fat consists of fatty acids. And soap is a salt of a fatty acid.
What does the salt make of the fat? Hydroxide. Sodium or potassium. We use sodium hydroxide in the production of solid soap. Thanks to it, the fat is transformed into soap. The hydroxide is completely consumed, so there is no longer a trace of it in the soap. So if we have a good recipe and the right production process.
Fatty acids are such long fat-soluble chains. During the production of solid soap, sodium binds to them, and sodium salt is formed. It has two ends. One long, fat soluble, that comes from a fatty acid. The second, short one, is attached to the water. And we have the stick figure I wrote about at the beginning.
Due to the long chain, dirt is attached to the soap. The sodium/potassium at the other end in turn binds to water. Not only soap works on this principle, but also other detergents, i.e. substances used for washing.
A byproduct of the saponification reaction is glycerin. The latter remains contained in the handmade soaps, and contributes to the softness and emollient properties of the soap. But it also makes these soaps softer. Glycerin binds water to itself. And even from the air. Do you already know why soaps are sold like crazy in the markets after the rain?
That was a chemical window. Now we know that soap is based on fat and hydroxide. Only this double is enough to create soap.
But which fats to choose for production?
THE MAGIC OF RECIPES
Soap has several charms. Well, at least it seems so to me, a soap enthusiast. One of the magics is that you can create countless different recipes. Soap offers a lot of room for experimentation. You can use practically any fats or oils for its production. Except, for example, mineral oil. It does not contain fatty acids, so it is clear that we will not make soap from it.
Let's start simple. We can easily use only one fat/oil to make soap.
A traditional example of such soap is Castile soap made from 100% olive oil. This proven recipe has been produced for at least 1000 years. The soap is extra soft, very gentle, hard and long-lasting. It has a weaker foam and can be a little gooey to the touch. It is light green, the shade varies depending on the olive oil used. The interesting thing is that it needs to mature for a long time, several months, even a year. It is used for extra sensitive and dry skin, to wash the face, some people also like it for hair. It is also suitable for cleaning delicate materials such as Persian carpets or tadelakt.
Another classic example of a single-ingredient soap is soap made from 100% lard. It is also very gentle and gentle. It is hard and lasts a long time. It has a richer creamy foam. And it's creamy white too. I personally like that it is typically Czech. This soap is suitable for washing the whole body, but it can also be used for cleaning or cleaning.
Just these two fats/oils make great soap on their own. But there are also oils from which we can make one-component soap, but we probably won't be completely satisfied with the result. The soap may not foam or be very soft. So we start thinking that we would rather combine the oils somehow. And that's how it's done in most recipes for natural soaps.
So how do you combine several different oils into soap? Do you want to know how different fats affect the properties of soaps? And how did I learn to create recipes myself?
You will read about this in the next blog.
Image authors:
1) Teodor Mikuláš
2) Author: Avitek on the Czech language Wikipedia project, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6265315
3) Free work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=611988
Plinko is a exciting and well-known game that has captured the interest of players through multiple channels, from television game shows to virtual gambling platforms. The game plinko app is recognized for its simplicity, randomness, and the excitement of watching a disc or token drop through a network of obstacles, ultimately coming to rest in a reward pocket or a payout zone.
Over the years, Plinko has developed from a television game show segment into a major gambling phenomenon, with virtual casinos featuring their own virtual adaptations. The history of Plinko stem from its inception on the iconic TV game program The Price Is Right. Premiered in the late 20th century, the game swiftly gained status as a crowd-pleaser due to its entertaining structure and luck-driven nature.
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Contestants would let go of a flat, round disk, known as the betting token, from the top of a pegboard. As it made its way down, the disc would bounce off pegs in a chaotic trajectory before landing in one of several reward zones, each linked to a different payout amount.
Plinko is a exciting and widely recognized game that has enthralled players across different platforms, from TV competitions to online casinos. The game plinko game is famous for its straightforwardness, chance-based nature, and the anticipation of watching a playing unit drop through a network of obstacles, ultimately landing in a prize slot or a money slot.
Over the years, Plinko has evolved from a television game show segment into a prominent betting game, with virtual casinos introducing their own modern iterations. The roots of Plinko can be traced back to its inception on the U.S. television competition The Price Is Right. Premiered in the Reagan era, the game quickly became a highly popular segment due to its engaging mechanics and unpredictable outcomes.
Website: https://plinkos-jogo.web.app
Contestants would release a smooth gaming piece, recognized as the Plinko ball or chip, from the uppermost section of the board. As it traveled downward, the ball would ricochet off obstacles in a random pattern before settling into one of several payout pockets, each offering a different monetary reward.
Plinko is a exciting and renowned game that has captured the interest of players on various platforms, from television game shows to internet-based betting sites. The game plinko game is known for its simplicity, element of luck, and the thrill of watching a disc or token fall through a network of obstacles, ultimately coming to rest in a payout section or a payout zone.
Over the years, Plinko has expanded from a television game show segment into a casino staple, with digital betting sites offering their own online renditions. The roots of Plinko originate from its first appearance on the iconic TV game program The Price Is Right. First aired in the Reagan era, the game swiftly gained status as a highly popular segment due to its interactive gameplay and element of surprise.
Website: https://indian-plinko.web.app
Contestants would let go of a small playing token, called the betting token, from the uppermost section of the board. As it descended, the disc would strike various deflectors in a random pattern before settling into one of several reward zones, each offering a different payout amount.
Plinko is a thrilling and renowned game that has captured the interest of players in diverse gaming environments, from TV competitions to online casinos. The game plinko game is known for its straightforwardness, unpredictability, and the adrenaline rush of watching a ball or a chip descend through a maze of pegs, ultimately settling into a reward pocket or a money slot.
Over the years, Plinko has developed from a television game show segment into a prominent betting game, with internet-based gaming hubs introducing their own digital versions. The origins of Plinko stem from its initial introduction on the iconic TV game program The Price Is Right. Premiered in the eighties, the game quickly became a fan favorite due to its entertaining structure and unpredictable outcomes.
Website: https://plinkos-jogo.web.app
Contestants would release a small playing token, called the Plinko ball or chip, from the top of a pegboard. As it bounced through the grid, the chip would bounce off pegs in a luck-driven movement before ending up at one of several prize sections, each linked to a different cash prize.
Plinko is a thrilling and popular game that has attracted the attention of players in diverse gaming environments, from television game shows to online casinos. The game plinko app is characterized by its straightforwardness, element of luck, and the excitement of watching a playing unit descend through a grid of deflectors, ultimately settling into a reward pocket or a payout zone.
Over the years, Plinko has evolved from a broadcast game segment into a major gambling phenomenon, with online gambling platforms introducing their own digital versions. The beginnings of Plinko date back to its first appearance on the American game show The Price Is Right. Premiered in the 1980s, the game rapidly turned into a beloved attraction due to its entertaining structure and unpredictable outcomes.
Website: https://plinkos-it.web.app/
Contestants would let go of a smooth gaming piece, called the Plinko piece, from the top of a pegboard. As it made its way down, the disc would bounce off pegs in a luck-driven movement before ending up at one of several payout pockets, each linked to a different cash prize.