Skin-Friendly Jelly Soap

This is an instructable for making jelly-like soap, that does not contain any unnatural additives that are bad for sensible skin, and which is easy to make for anyone.

Why make this instead of normal soap? Because it is fun :D

The Instructable is based on a recipe found at this blog: http://homemadebathproducts.blogspot.com/

But since we would like to share this with the users of instructables.com, we decided to make an instructable with our version of the soap :)

Step 1: Ingredients And Tools

The ingredients have been somewhat adjusted for our recipe, as we didn't want to deal with melting soap.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup clear liquid perfumefree soap
- 1 cup water (Boiling hot)
- 1-1½ tablespoon vodka (Prevents mold or fungus)
- Soap color (fruit color MIGHT also work)
- Essential oils
- 20-30g gelatine (1-2 envelopes, danish size ;) )

Tools:

- Molds, you can use anything that is not too rigid, like muffin shapes, small yoghurt cups etc.
- Measuring cup (½ or 1-cup size)
- Tablespoon for measuring
- Spoons for stirring
- 2 bowls

Suggestion: While normal soap can be kind of large without a problem, these can seem a little disgusting if they are too big. thin molds are also not recommended.

Note: We a re using other tools in the images, as they were taken while making the first batch (But gelatine really sticks to forks and the like)

Comments

[flammaefata]

Ooh I think I should try this using bubble bath instead of liquid soap! Then you can pop them into the bath at the start and watch as they dissolve into bubbles :D I wonder if it would be necessary to also use the essential oils then - the bubble bath that I prefer already has some but like you say the gelatine might dampen the fragrance. Thanks for the great instructable!

[mandismuses]

Not sure if anyone else posted this, but in the US and Canada, Wal-Mart has gelatin in the canning/baking aisle. It's called "Knox Gelatin". I use it for making jelly soaps for the kids. I put them in the colored "food" containers from the Dollar Tree and match the soap color to the packaging color....as well as using fruity or bubblegum scents. Makes it so much easier when they don't run at the words "Bath time!":)

[Screamo]

Creepy. No one wants to smush jell-o stuff in their hands. (is it sticky?)

[wcgems]

Do these REQUIRE refrigeration after finished like regular jello?

If so I wonder if there would be something you could add to make them refrigeration free and a little LESS wobbley so that they could last for some time on their own in the bathroom.

[mariana Kaos]

i like it !!!
:D
What kind of gelatine soul i buy?
were can i buy it?
or were do i look for it?
THANKS!
:D

[ELF]

Oh, sorry for the late reply :(

Ehm, any kind, anywhere :P
For sheets, just follow the instructable, for powder, see Cymru's comment further down

[takod]

Looks nice!

[Lance Mt.]

 I hate to sound rather deprived.. But isn't that last read heart arrangement similar to 4chan?

Anyone else seeing this?

[ELF]

Nope, it's similar to a four-leaf clover...
Which is also what propably inspired the 4chan-logo ;) Being green and all.. :P

[Lance Mt.]

 Hahaha, I don't think I'd clean myself with anything 4chanish. Anyways cool 'ible.

[Cymru]

Gelatin in the US is generally sold as a powder, not sheets.  http://www.baking911.com/howto/gelatin.htm  has some rules for substituting granular gelatin for leaf gelatin.  

http://www.gelatin.co.za/gltn1.html talks about gelatin bloom strength which can vary. http://www.sizes.com/units/bloom.htm is how the bloom strength is tested.

[ELF]

Aaah, thanks for clearing that up :)

[Cymru]

You're welcome. I've got a 5lb sack of plain gelatin powder that I use for making marshmallows. Nice to know there's something else I can use it for. Now the issue is finding a good soap (or looking for an Instructable here on how to make such. ;-)

[gia]

For the basic soap needs, Hobbylobby oer Michael's should have them :) 

[ELF]

I bet it's alot easier to handle in powder form, more surface area and less "lumping"... Still don't understand why we use the sheets here in DK.

[Cymru]

If I remember rightly, professional pastry chefs use leaf gelatin because it is more controllable.  I've never seen it except on Food Network much less used it.

Powder gelatin does clump unless you take care to scatter it carefully over the water in an even layer. Even then you can still find spots of unhydrated gelatin.

[a7xforlife]

I'm at culinary school for baking right now and we use sheet gelatin. It always dissolves better than powder.

[Corvis]

this is so weird and cool! i love the shiny jelly look of them, especially the hearts. do they hold up and not break when you use them?

[ELF]

If they are not too big, not too thin, and you use enough gelatine, yes :)
But they work the best in warm water.
No sticky effect or coloring of the skin though...

[xtremd]

 I used to make soaps with my mom, maybe I'll make one of these with her!

Awesome!

[Arbitror]

In the first picture on step five you say you don't have a picture of the heart shaped mold. But you do have one, right on the first picture of step one, behind the oils and colors! Great job on this 'ible by the way!

[ELF]

Actually, we don't. The one in the picture is for larger, not so tall hearts.
The ones not shown, is a deeper mold, made of pink silicone.

It is great for baking actually, and I just realised I already posted a picture inhere with it! I used it in a comment to the "5 min chocolate cake" instructable. Here's the picture :)

[Arbitror]

Sorry! Can't really tell from here...

[ChrysN]

They are so pretty!

[ELF]

Thank you! :)