Using Honey in Soap
Monday September 11, 2006
"The secret of my health is applying honey inside and oil outside." - Democritus (460-370 BC), Greek philosopher and physician who lived to be 109Sounds to me like Democritus would have gotten along well with soap makers, though we would have convinced him that honey was good on both the inside and the outside! Honey has a long and romantic history - it is one of the oldest "ingredients" known to man. And...it's also a great additive in soap. It imparts a light, warm, sweet scent, adds a bit of lathering capability, and acts as a humectant. Try some in your soap or in other bath and skin care recipes.
Comments
That is very interesting. Having honey as one of the raw materials in making soap. Maybe I should use this idea for my school project. Thanks!
Honey is great, but keep your soapmaking temperatures a bit lower as honey can overheat a batch!
I have never noticed that honey overheats a batch, it must be a pretty small batch. But do be careful not to add too much honey. No more than 2 teaspoons per pound of soap. Too much honey will leach out as the soap cures and form brown spots on the surface. Also, add at the very last minute to perserve all the wonderful benefits of the honey. Warm the honey so it will be thin and smooth and stir very well. You will love it!
I want to add the honey to my Oatmeal soap. Sally, you say to a 2 teaspoons per pound and add at last minute. I you saying add just before I pour or just before trace?
I make 100 lb batches of Goat’s Milk Soap and I add honey to my Oatmeal soap at a very light trace. The high sugar content of the goat’s milk and the honey can really get the gel phase going quickly and can cause the entire batch to seize/separate. If I keep the temp around 90 it turns out great.