Making Cold Process Aloe Vera Soap - Harvesting the Leaves and Gel - Full Soap Making Recipe

Summary

In this video, the host shares an exciting tutorial on making aloe vera soap. They discuss the ease of growing aloe plants, even in cold climates, and demonstrate how to harvest the leaves. The process involves extracting the gel, blending it, and freezing it before combining it with oils and lye to create a high-water-content soap. The soap is colored with indigo, scented with essential oils, and carefully poured into molds. The host emphasizes patience for the soap to gel and cure, resulting in a soft, vibrantly colored bar that's perfect for the skin.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The video is about making aloe vera soap using homegrown aloe plants.
• 🌱 Aloe vera is easy to grow and tolerant to cold, needing well-drained soil and regular watering.
• 🌿 The presenter is unsure of the exact aloe variety but uses them for medicinal and skin purposes.
• 💧 Aloe vera juice is extracted from the leaves and used in soap, despite uncertainty if its benefits survive the soap-making process.
• 📝 The soap recipe has a 2.5 to 1 liquid to lye ratio, which is high for this type of soap.
• 🍃 Fresh aloe leaves are harvested, with care taken to drain the yellow sap into water to prevent browning.
• 🔪 A sharp knife is used to trim the leaf edges, and a spoon is used to scoop out the gel without cutting into the leaf.
• 🧊 The aloe gel is blended with water, frozen into ice cubes, and then used in the soap-making process to keep it cold.
• 🌈 The soap is colored with indigo, which starts green but turns more blue as the soap cures.
• 🌱 The soap includes a blend of olive, coconut, and castor oils, and is scented with tea tree, peppermint, and cedar essential oils.
• ⏱️ Patience is key as the high liquid content makes the soap soft and slow to gel, requiring a long cure time and careful handling.

Q & A

What is the speaker excited about in the garden?

The speaker is excited about making aloe vera soap.

How does the speaker describe the aloe vera plants?

The aloe vera plants are described as easy to grow, tolerant to cold, and having big thick fleshy stems with lots of gel inside.

What is the purpose of having water nearby when harvesting aloe vera leaves?

The water is used to drain the yellow sap that comes out of the leaves during harvesting.

How does the speaker harvest the aloe vera leaves?

The speaker breaks the side of the leaves at the base using their thumb or fingernail and then peels them off.

What is the benefit of trimming the aloe vera leaves with a spoon instead of a knife?

Using a spoon prevents cutting into the leaf and allows for the gel to be scooped out without damaging the plant.

Why does the speaker blend the aloe gel with water before freezing?

Blending the aloe gel with water before freezing helps to ensure a thorough blending process and turns the gel into juice.

What is the liquid to lye ratio in the soap recipe mentioned in the script?

The liquid to lye ratio in the soap recipe is 2.5 to 1.

Why does the speaker use ice cubes in the soap-making process?

The ice cubes are used to keep the aloe gel cold during the soap-making process to prevent the gel from turning brown.

What essential oils does the speaker use in the soap recipe?

The speaker uses tea tree, peppermint, and cedar essential oils in the soap recipe.

How long does the speaker recommend curing the aloe vera soap?

The speaker recommends curing the aloe vera soap for at least two months.

What is the final color of the aloe vera soap after curing?

The final color of the aloe vera soap after curing is a more vibrant indigo blue.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Introduction to Making Aloe Vera Soap

The speaker is in their garden and excited to discuss making aloe vera soap. They mention various aloe plants, including those in pots and in the ground, and note that aloe vera is easy to grow and tolerant to cold. They discuss the ideal characteristics of aloe plants for soap making, such as thick stems with lots of gel. The speaker is unsure if the benefits of aloe vera survive the soap-making process but loves the idea of using natural ingredients. They explain the process of harvesting aloe leaves, including using a container of water to drain the yellow sap that comes out of the leaves. The speaker demonstrates how to harvest the leaves by breaking them at the base and shows the sap coming out immediately. They also explain how to trim the leaves and extract the gel using a knife and a spoon, emphasizing the importance of using a spoon to avoid cutting into the leaf.

05:00

🧼 Preparing Aloe Vera Gel for Soap

The speaker proceeds to blend the aloe vera gel with a bit of water to create a juice. They use a stick blender to ensure the gel is thoroughly blended until no lumps remain. The gel is then frozen in an ice cube tray and once solid, stored in a labeled container. The speaker discusses the soap-making process, emphasizing the importance of safety gear like goggles and gloves. They mention the soap recipe's liquid-to-lye ratio and how they add sodium hydroxide to the frozen aloe gel, stirring until the ice cubes melt. The speaker also talks about preparing the color for the soap using indigo powder and preparing the oils, which include olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. They explain the need to strain the aloe lye solution to remove pulp chunks for a smoother soap and mention their choice of essential oils, including tea tree, peppermint, and cedar. The oils are warmed to a specific temperature before combining with the lye solution.

10:03

💧 Creating the Aloe Vera Soap

The speaker describes the process of creating the aloe vera soap, starting with pouring the lye solution into the oils and blending until a creamy emulsion is formed. They note that they did not take the mixture to a thick trace, preferring a runny consistency for a smooth top on the soap. The soap is colored with indigo, which starts off green but turns blue as it cures. Essential oils are added for fragrance, and the soap is poured into molds. The speaker emphasizes the need to let the soap sit for a while before moving it to prevent spillage. They also discuss the need to insulate the soap to help it gel, which is important for the vibrancy of the indigo color. The speaker advises patience as the soap cures slowly due to its high liquid content. They suggest a two-month curing period and remind viewers to test the soap's pH before use. The video concludes with the speaker expressing their love for the soap's fragrance and color, which improves over time.

Keywords

💡Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a succulent plant species that is widely known for its medicinal properties, particularly for its ability to soothe and heal the skin. In the video, the host discusses harvesting Aloe Vera leaves to make soap, highlighting the plant's thick fleshy stems and gel content, which are ideal for extracting the gel needed for soap-making.

💡Soap Making

Soap making is the process of creating soap, typically by mixing fats or oils with an alkali (lye) and adding other ingredients like herbs, essential oils, or, in this case, Aloe Vera. The video focuses on making Aloe Vera soap, which involves extracting the gel from the Aloe Vera leaves and combining it with oils and lye to create a skin-friendly soap.

💡Harvesting

Harvesting refers to the act of collecting mature Aloe Vera leaves from the plant. The script describes a method of harvesting by breaking the leaves at the base and collecting the yellow sap that comes out, which is then drained into water to prevent it from staining.

💡Lye

Lye, or sodium hydroxide, is a strong alkali used in soap making to saponify the fats and oils, turning them into soap. In the video, the host mixes lye with frozen Aloe Vera gel to create an alkaline solution that will later be combined with oils to make the soap.

💡Gel Extraction

Gel extraction is the process of removing the clear gel from the Aloe Vera leaves. The video demonstrates a method using a spoon to scoop out the gel without cutting into the leaf, resulting in large fillets of Aloe Vera gel.

💡Freezing

Freezing is used in the soap-making process to keep the Aloe Vera gel cold before mixing it with lye. This prevents the gel from turning brown due to the heat generated by the chemical reaction between the lye and the gel.

💡Saponification

Saponification is the chemical reaction between a fat or oil and an alkali, resulting in the formation of soap. In the video, the host discusses the importance of keeping the Aloe Vera gel cold during saponification to maintain the integrity of the Aloe Vera's properties in the soap.

💡Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. In the video, the host adds tea tree, peppermint, and cedar essential oils to the soap mixture to provide fragrance and potential therapeutic benefits.

💡Trace

Trace is a term used in soap making to describe the thickness of the soap batter. The host mentions not taking the soap to a very thick trace, aiming for a runny consistency to ensure a smooth top on the poured soap.

💡Curing

Curing is the process of allowing soap to harden and mature after it has been poured into molds. The video emphasizes the need for a long cure time for Aloe Vera soap due to its high liquid content, which results in a softer soap that takes longer to harden.

💡pH Testing

pH testing is the process of measuring the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. In the context of soap making, it is crucial to test the soap's pH to ensure it is safe for use on the skin. The host reminds viewers to check the pH of the soap before using it.

Highlights

Introduction to making aloe vera soap

Aloe vera is easy to grow and tolerant to cold

Harvesting aloe vera leaves for soap making

Using a container of water to drain yellow sap from leaves

Trimming and extracting aloe vera gel without cutting into the leaf

Blending aloe vera gel into juice for soap making

Freezing aloe vera juice to prevent browning during soap making

Preparing the soap recipe with a 2.5 to 1 liquid to lye ratio

Adding sodium hydroxide to the frozen aloe gel

Preparing color with indigo powder for the soap

Mixing oils for the soap base

Straining the aloe lye solution to remove pulp for a clear soap

Choosing essential oils for fragrance

Pouring the lye solution into oils to create the soap emulsion

Adding indigo color to the soap for a unique look

Insulating the soap to help it gel and set properly

Cutting and curing the soap for optimal hardness and color

Testing the soap for correct pH before use

Final thoughts on the soap's fragrance and color development over time

Transcripts

hi everyone i'm out in the garden today and i'm  really excited to be out here because today i'm  

going to talk about and show you how to make aloe  vera soap these are my aloe plants or some of them  

these two are in pots this one's in the ground  i just planted recently and i've got some other  

really nice bigger established ones out in  the sun but i'm going to harvest some of the  

leaves off this and show you all of my tips  and tricks aloe vera is really easy to grow  

it grows in lots of different climates it's even  very tolerant to cold which i was surprised about  

um as long as it's in a well-drained soil and you  know it doesn't get completely parched you know  

bare out in the sun it needs a little bit  of regular water but once you've got them  

you'll have them forever i'm not 100 sure of the  variety of aloes that i have but i'm fairly sure  

they are the ones that i use for medicinal and  skin preparation purposes these ones are ideal  

in terms of they have got really big thick fleshy  stems lots of gel inside which you're going to see  

and they come out of the plant in a rosette type  fashion i'm not 100 sure if the benefits of aloe  

vera actually survive the soap making process  this aloe vera juice that i'm going to extract  

from these leaves it's going to come in contact  with the lye but i just love the idea of using  

these ingredients in my soap and i have made aloe  vera soap before and it does have a nice skin feel  

to it so there might be something in it so i'll  show you how i harvest the leaves and i always  

have a little container of water nearby to put the  leaves in straight away just because there's some  

yellow sap that comes out of the leaves and you  want to be able to drain that off into some water  

that's very easy all i do is i just get my thumb  or you could use a knife if you wanted to but i  

usually just use my thumb or a fingernail and i  just kind of break the side of one of the leaves  

like and that won't let me do it there we go  i don't know if you can see that but i've just  

broken one side right at the base go down as  low as you can and then the leaf comes off  

i don't know if you'll see that sap can you  see that yellow sap coming out straight away  

so just pop that in your water i'm going  to take this one as well cut it on the  

side and then peel it away that way  you pretty much get the whole leaf  

um i like to just peel my leaves off from the  base oh there's another one looking good they  

get a fair bit of dirt on them as well well they  do in my garden i'm gonna pick another one here

oh oh that one went a bit gooey um maybe one more

there we go that should do it so here they are  i've got all the leaves this water will go a bit  

yellow from all that sap that's going to come out  so just leave them in there for half an hour or so  

i've got five big leaves here they're quite  big and fleshy and that's going to be well  

and truly enough for the soap that i'm going to  make but don't worry if you don't have this much  

just use whatever you have and the rest of the  liquid just use water so just mix it up with  

water and that'll be just fine you don't have to  use full aloe i'm just using full aloe because  

i've got quite a lot available but you just  use whatever you have and that's quite okay  

so i'll show you how i trim the leaves of the  aloe and extract the gel out this is a really  

good trick so just get a sharp knife and just  trim off the sides of the leaf those spiky bits  

just trim that off and then get a spoon with a  spoon kind of cup facing upwards and just gently  

push it around the edges and get underneath the  skin of that leaf and then push it up against  

kind of up against your hand a little  bit and that way you'll just peel off  

that top layer of skin and then turn it  around the other way and push it downwards  

now because you're using a spoon you're not  going to cut anything as you go you're just  

literally scooping out the flesh of the leaf  i'll show you again just trim those sides off  

if you use a knife for the scoopy part you end  up cutting the leaf and it just doesn't work  

whereas using a spoon it just kind of pulls the  leaf back and pulls the gel off without cutting  

into anything so you end up with these big aloe  fillets it reminds me a lot of filleting fish  

actually it's a really weird thing anyway then  i put my aloe gel into a container because i'm  

going to blend this now i add a little bit  of water to it as well just to help it blend  

and you want to give it a really thorough  blending pretty much we want to turn this to juice  

so this is my just stick blender for my soap  making i just really blend it till there's  

really no lumps left at all and then i put it  into my ice cube tray and freeze it make sure  

it's really frozen super solid once it's frozen  i just put it in a container and label it because  

you probably won't use all of what you  have well you may do for this recipe

and when i'm ready to make  start making the soap make sure  

you've got your safety gear on goggles and gloves

this recipe has a 2.5 to 1 liquid to lie ratio  so that's quite a high water level or juice level  

for this soap it's 182 grams of aloe gel but i  found it hard to get the accurate amount with  

ice cubes so mine was a bit more then i add the  sodium hydroxide so slowly add that to the frozen  

aloe gel and mix that through this takes a  bit of time i've cut a fair bit of this out  

it probably takes at least a good few minutes  for the ice cubes to start to melt but make sure  

you stir it the whole way through just be patient  with it stir it slowly if you don't use ice cubes  

the gel will go brown so you really need to  keep it really cold and you can see that i've  

got another little ice brick under there as well  while you're waiting for your ice cubes to melt  

a bit more you can do other things because it  does take a while it's very cold light solution  

with the aloe gel so i'm just getting my color  ready i'm coloring this soap with indigo and this  

is just blue indigo powder that i mix with some  water and i'm going to put a little bit of that  

into the soap you know you can use whatever colors  you like and then i get my oils ready so this is a  

basic olive coconut and castor oil so i've got  432 grams of olive oil going in there and then  

to that i add 81 grams of coconut oil which i'd  pre-melted just to make it easier to measure out

and then i add castor oil 27 grams you can use  other soap recipes if you like you don't have to  

use the recipes that i use this is just my you  know a favorite kind of oil combination for me  

i only make these soaps for personal use  so i just do the recipes that i like then  

you see there's big chunks of pulp left in that  aloe lye solution you want to strain those out  

if you don't strain those out you will get chunks  of kind of brownie bits in your soap i have made  

soap without straining it and it's still fine  to use but if you want it to be as aesthetically  

pleasing as possible it's really good to strain  that pulp out and that way you get like a pure  

aloe juice lye solution see that it's  really clear and it's just a lovely  

nice clear solution so you won't  get any chunks in your soap  

here's my essential oils i'm getting ready to  make the soap now i've did tea tree peppermint  

and cedar it's just beautiful all the just all  the details for that are in the description box  

and i've got my oils here um i did  warm my oils up a bit that's 38 degrees  

celsius and 100 fahrenheit and i waited for  my lyre solution to warm up a little bit too  

because it was quite cold to begin with so  it's back up to about 22 degrees celsius 72  

fahrenheit and when you're ready to make  the soap as usual pour the lye solution  

this in this case an aloe lyer solution pour  that into your oils and start stick blending

you can see that comes to a really nice creamy  color straight away that's because of the aloe  

i have also made this where you just blend the  aloe gel straight into the oils you don't mix them  

with the lye at all and when you do that it goes  really really creamy obviously you can't get the  

pulp chunks out when you do it that way i think  it's nicer to use a full water replacement for the  

aloe but you know you can just blend in some pulp  or some gel into your oils as well if you want to  

do it that way you can see i did not take this to  a very thick trace actually it wasn't really out  

of trace it was just a good emulsion i wanted  this soap to be quite runny when i poured it  

because i don't didn't want to texture the top i  just wanted it to be very very smooth liquid soap  

when i poured it so i'm adding some indigo there  you see it looks kind of greeny it does start off  

a bit green but as the soap cures after a week  or so it starts to turn more of a blue color  

and then i put my essential oils in such  a beautiful combination i really love the  

freshness of the peppermint with the cedar and  a little bit of tea tree it's just beautiful  

so fresh so i've definitely got an emulsion  there which is good it is probably just about  

a light trace if that um if you're not sure  take it to a trace and when you're ready  

pour the soap here it is it's very lovely i love  simple soaps like this that you just pour in  

and you know lots of people love to texture  the tops of their soaps and sometimes i do  

but you know it's okay to make just really  plain soaps too they can be just as beautiful  

this is really runny so i do let it sit for 10  minutes or so before i move it just to make it  

easy to move so i don't spill it so about 10  minutes it firms up enough to be able to move  

you want to insulate this soap so i wrap it  in this blanket and then i put it in my cooler  

as well which is just an insulated box put it in  there for 24 hours this soap has a really high  

liquid amount and that's to make sure it's got  lots of aloe in it but what that means is it's  

quite a soft soap it's very slow to gel it takes  a long time to gel and you want this soap to gel  

because that makes the indigo color a lot more  vibrant if you gel it so i highly recommend being  

patient with this this is actually a day and a  half later that i'm cutting it and you can see  

it's still kind of translucent jelly color inside  and it's really soft so you've got to be patient  

with this give this soap a really good cure i  reckon two months make sure that you um cure it  

for a really good amount of time because it's a  high liquid amount it's going to be really soft  

it's going to take time to get nice and hard and  also as always make sure you test your soap for ph  

correct ph before you use them that's it  i really love this soap this fragrance  

is amazing the color is a bit weird to begin  with but it does get better in time so this is  

kind of a day or two after the soap was made and  this is another day after in different light but  

this is more of an accurate picture of what this  light indigo looks like i hope you enjoyed that  

everyone thanks so much for watching i'll see you  in the next video and thanks everyone who's made  

contributions if you're interested in that check  out my buy me a coffee page thanks everyone bye

you