Organic Soap Recipes

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BrianO

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Dublin, Ireland.
Hi

Does anyone know of a link to a good site dedicated to Organic Soap recipes ? Or a book dedicated to same. Appreciate you could probably ( definitely ) just substitute the ingredients for Organic but just thought their might be a resource out there based on Organic and suited to the availability of ingredients.

Thanks
 
So, if you're going to try to be as organic as possible, the easiest and most cost effective way is probably to just find recipes that have ingredients that you can get organic versions of. Availability and affordability of ingredients will vary based on your location and time of year, I would guess.
 
What the others are saying. Soap isn't any different when made with organic ingredients vs not organic ingredients except for the official certification. I don't know of any book that specifically targets making soap with organic ingredients -- it's really more about your shopping choices than any great differences in the actual recipes or procedures.

So you're in Ireland -- have you done some shopping to learn what certified organic ingredients are available to you in your country? If so, can you provide a list of ingredients available to you? If you can, we can help you with recipes and ideas.

Also, is your interest simply in using certified organic ingredients or are you also interested in certifying your soap as organic? That's two different things. Country rules come into play if you want to certify your soap. Have you learned what is allowed and not allowed in products that can be certified as organic in Ireland? You will never find NaOH that is a certified organic product, because NaOH is never found in nature. Depending on the country, however, the use of NaOH may be permitted in a product certified as organic. You may also need to have dedicated equipment for soaping to meet certification requirements, but again, you'd need to know the rules for Ireland.
 
The soap could not be registered as 100% organic (the highest level of certification), but it could be registered as a 70% product, where the organic ingredients used can be listed on the rear of the label. There is a certification level in between (95%) that allows for the word "Organic" to be placed on the front of the label, that you will likely not be able to achieve.

Certification would involve some manipulation of the soap recipe to reach these percentages - is this why you are asking about soap recipes for organics?

In any case, it looks like Ireland allows Sodium Hydroxide as an allowed (inorganic) ingredient, so certification at some level would likely be possible.

Brian, these links (in addition to the ones I put on your welcome post) might be of use to you (they cover organic certification of non-food items as well):
Food Safety Authority of Ireland links page: https://www.fsai.ie/links.html

This particular page has information on organic labelling in Ireland: https://www.fsai.ie/legislation/foo..._foodstuffs/organic_labelling_principles.html

One of your certifying bodies will be able to provide you with a list of allowed inputs:
IE-ORG-01 (IMO)
IRL-OIB2-EU/IE-ORG-02 (IOFGA)
IRL-OIB3-EU/IE-ORG-03 (Organic Trust)
IRL-OIB4-EU (Global Trust)
IRL-OIB5-EU (BDAA)
 
Brambleberry sells a book called “Pure Soapmaking” that might be what you’re looking for. It focuses on using natural colorants and ingredients that’s could be certified as organic then she cheats by putting mica in almost every recipe.

I would focus more on what organic means to you (and whatever regulations you need to follow) and use the advice above. Organic ingredients are fairly easy to find and it’s better to start with ingredients you know you can get.
 
Does anyone know of a link to a good site dedicated to Organic Soap recipes ? Or a book dedicated to same.
This "Oldie but Goodie" book probably comes closest to what you are looking for, Brian. It is out of print, but your local library might have a copy. It's the culmination of an Australian-based Yahoo Soap Making Group that hosted an international membership for a very long time. When I started making soap in 2004 it was a wonderful place to hang out and learn. VERY well organized format, highly diversified group of sharing/caring individuals.

Soap Naturally (Ingredients, Methods And Recipes For Natural Homemade Soap) by Patrizia Garzena, Marina Tadiello

ETA: Online: Tanya of Lovely Greens lives on the Isle of Man. She's an organic gardener and writes a blog for beginners who want to learn to make all natural soap. Here's a link:

https://lovelygreens.com/2013/09/natural-soapmaking-for-beginners.html
 
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