Soap Naturally recipes
John Kercher's Translation of French book called
Aujourd'hui comme autrefois

This Web page contains the following soap information and recipes:

Foreword from John on book called Aujourd'hui comme autrefois
French Soap Recipes

More soap information and recipes from John are available from the following page:

Foreword from John regarding a book by D. Horix, called Instruction Manual or Studybook of the liqueur distillery, containing hundreds of Soap making formulations
Old Soap Recipes (for Savonettes)

Foreword on Aujourd'hui comme autrefois

I found the following old fashioned soap recipes in a book called "Aujourd'hui comme autrefois" , I like to share with you.
Please bear in mind that I know nothing about soap making, essential oils are my speciality. I hope they make sense.

French Soap Recipes, From around 1750, slightly modified

~HERBAL SOAP EGGS~

Ingredients:

3 eggs
half a cup of distilled water
2 spoonfuls caustic soda (potash)
half a cup lard
1 tea spoon essential oil of clove
1 tea spoon essential oil of cinnamon
half a cup rapeseed oil
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
1 spoonfuls water

Preparation:

Making the moulds: Punch a hole on both sides of the eggs and blow out the contents. Enlarge the hole on the widest part of the egg to enable you to fill the eggs. Wash the scales and let them dry at a moderate temperature in the oven. Close the smallest holes with tape.

Preparing the soap: Pour the distilled water in a bowl. Add the soda and stir well with a wooden spoon. Melt the lard in a saucepan and add the soda liquid. Mix well, the lard will turn slightly pink, but after a while turns white again. Now add the essential oils and the in water dissolved turmeric powder. Mix real well and now slowly pour, using a funnel, the liquid into the egg. Do so by pouring during 10 minutes a small quantity at the time into the egg, the liquid will reduce in size whilst drying. Leave the eggs for 36 hours to dry. Now carefully break the scales and leave the egg-shaped soap for about 2 weeks to dry in a well ventilated place. Remove after that period the white powder that has formed on the outside and pack in silk paper.

~LAVENDER SOAP~

Ingredients:

Soap base made as in the above recipe using:

half a cup of distilled water
2 spoonfuls caustic soda (potash)
Three quarters of a cup lard

Then add:

One quarter of a cup rapeseed oil
1 tea spoonfuls essential lavender oil
1 spoons full colouring red and blue

Preparation:

Pour into mould allowing two or three days to harden. Remove from mould and leave to dry for two weeks. Remove after that period the white powder that has formed on the outside and pack in silk paper.

~CHAMOMILLE MILK SOAP~

Ingredients:

12 spoonfuls warm milk (not to hot)
2 spoonfuls chamomile (dried herbs)
3A quarter cup distilled water
42 spoonfuls caustic soda
half a cup lard
a quarter cup sweet almond oil
a quarter cup rape seed oil
2 tea spoonfuls essential Rose or Geranium oil
1 teaspoonful wheat germ oil

Preparation:

Pour the warm milk over the chamomile (in a bowl). Cover the mixture with grease proof paper and leave to soak for three hours. Pour through a sieve but keep both components. Prepare a soap base following the procedure as mentioned in the previous recipes. Add the sweet almond oil, the rapeseed oil, the essential oil, the wheat germ oil and the chamomile milk. Stir well during a few minutes and pour into moulds. Leave for 24 hours, then remove and place the soap on grease proof paper, store in a well ventilated place for two weeks. Remove after that period the white powder that has formed on the outside and pack in silk paper.

~SAGE CUCUMBER SOAP~

Ingredients:

1 bushel fresh Sage
half a cup distilled water
a quarter cucumber
2 spoonfuls caustic soda
half a cup lard
a quarter cup coconut oil
a quarter cup sweet almond oil
1 tea spoonfuls essential oil of sage

Preparation:

Cut the Sage into very small pieces, place in a bowl with the distilled water and allow to soak for three hours. Sieve but keep both components. Mash (make into a pulp) the cucumber (do not peel the cucumber before) and keep separate.

Make the soap base as described in the previous recipe and ad the coconut oil, the sweet almond oil, the essential oil of sage and four teaspoonfuls of the cucumber mash. Mix very well and pour into moulds, leave for 48 hours, then remove and place the soap on grease proof paper, store in a well ventilated place for two weeks. Remove after that period the white powder that has formed on the outside and pack in silk paper.

Hope this all make sense!
Enjoy yourself.
Have fun!

John Kercher

Contributor: John [kercher --at-- euronet.nl]

Soapmaking Books:
Soap Naturally - Ingredients, methods and recipes for natural handmade soap is the soapmaking book that answers all questions about natural soap:
Soap Naturally Book page.