So, I promised I would share a surprise with you today. I will honor my word and share my excitement. Finally, after much cajoling, pleading my case, and backing up my case with some hard evidence and research, one bib overall-wearing, nay-saying, creativity squashing wonder buns has agreed to make liquid soap! Yes, dear reader, one of my dreams/goals is coming to fruition.
I could not be more thrilled.
I must admit, I am a bit nervous about the process of making goat’s milk liquid soap. Liquid soap is a beast of a wholly different nature. I am pretty comfortable with making bar soap.
I have perfected my recipe, know what I am doing, and am comfortable adding new ingredients to the process. Cold process soap is an exact art form. I feel as long as we are diligent about precise measurements, temperatures, and balance of ingredients, we will be successful. Liquid soap has a bit of a grey area and requires more of a feel for the process than a precise recipe.
The initial recipe is precise; again, it is all about balance, temperature, and accurate measurements. However, once the soap gel is made, it must be stirred, rested, cured, and finally diluted. I believe it is the dilution process that has me nervous. Too much-distilled water, and the soap will be runny instead of smooth and silky. Not enough distilled water and the soap will gel and be impossible to pump from a bottle.
I keep envisioning water spraying people in the face, runny soap in people’s eyes, and fielding a lot of complaints. Or I can imagine something like The Blob, that will have to be wrestled out of a bottle making gross slurping, fart noises, as it comes out en masse, sliding down the drain, is one gross, Jell-O like blob. Obviously, I have a lot of time to think.
I will begin my first experimentation today. I am sure it is a process that will not be perfected overnight. However, this is the first step in getting comfortable with the process.
Once I have the process mastered, I will be able to tweak my recipe. My goal is to have our liquid soap ready to go by the opening of The Ligonier Country Market.
That will allow me to research vessels, lids, pumps, sizes, and refill options. Another goal is to offer low waste, green alternatives. That, too, will take some time and research. However, I consider it a win that my bib overall-wearing, nay-saying, overly cautious, doomsday approach to the world business partner has agreed to begin the process. I’m trying to contain my ideas, but my mind keeps jumping to shower gel, liquid shampoo and conditioner, foaming hand soap, and bubble bath. Ahh, the possibilities are endless…until I talk to Eric. I must remember one step at a time, one hill at a time, and one battle at a time. I need to remain consistent and keep wearing him down. He eventually comes around to my way of thinking. I’m just not sure I will live long enough to get him on board with all my ideas. Insert a wink here.
I hope, dear reader, you are as excited about liquid soap as I am. I will be sure to keep you posted on our progress, our battles, which I’m sure will be epic, and eventually, our success. As always, stay safe, be smart, and keep washing your hands…someday soon with liquid, foaming hand soap!