Is it possible to make Apple Cider Vinegar soap?
It would seem that attempting to make an apple cider vinegar soap would be impossible!
In soap making, apple cider vinegar is often used in a spray bottle to neutralize any splashing of the caustic lye onto the skin during the soap making process. The sodium hydroxide (lye) is a strong alkaline base. When it comes in contact with your skin it will burn. Spraying a little apple cider vinegar (a mild acid) will immediately neutralize this burning sensation on your skin.
Here is a chart which gives a visual example of the pH scale from 0 to 14. "0" being a strong acid. "7" being neutral such as purified water and "14" being a strong base.
So it seems counter intuitive that ACV could actually be used to make a bar of soap. But in fact, Yes you can make an apple cider vinegar soap. I will explain the basics at the end of this page, but first I want to explain some of the benefits of apple cider vinegar.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is beneficial to the body both internally and externally. First, internally we have all made a simple salad dressing with ACV and some olive oil. This helps to balance the pH levels internally in our bodies.
ACV used externally has many benefits. Here are just a few commonly know benefits when applying ACV directly onto the skin:
- Helps to boost a persons complexion and give skin a healthy glow.
- Can help to reduce acne conditions on the body.
- Helps to restore the pH balance of hair and skin.
- Helpful in removing dark spots on the skin (age spots).
-Can be helpful in reducing the pain of a bad sunburn.
It is the acetic acid concentration of 5% that helps to clean the skin and prevent infections with ACV's anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
Substitute the H20 with ACV to make an apple cider vinegar soap.
The three main ingredients in making a bar of soap are: Water (H20), Fats/Oils and Sodium Hydroxide. Now if you want to make an Apple Cider Vinegar soap you will have to do a few things differently.
You will need to substitute your calculated amount of water (H20) with the apple cider vinegar. But not only will you substitute the water with ACV, you will have to freeze the ACV until it's solid ice.
Sometimes it's helpful to pour the Apple Cider Vinegar into ice cube trays when freezing them. It really just depends on how large a soap batch you are going to make. The ice cube trays help to wrestle the cubes apart.
Then take your ice cubes of ACV and put them into a large glass measuring cup.
Wearing your safety goggles now, sprinkle your measured amount of lye pellets onto the ACV ice cubes and stir until the ice is completely melted.
Then pour your lye / ACV liquid into your measured amount of oils/fats. Stir until trace, then pour into your soap mold.
Are you new to soap making? It may benefit you to learn from our soap making secrets course, instructions & video! Learn the basics before attempting to make soap on your own.
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