Training the Youth on Making Liquid Soap (WFWP Nigeria)

During the heat of the Covid-19 in Nigeria, we considered ways to help make our women feel at peace in their homes. Soap making was an item we indicated an interest in and began on July 8, 2022.

These are some of the ingredients we used.

Sodium Laurate Sulphate (SLS) - 5-10 teaspoons; Carboxymethyl cellulose (C.M.C) - 480 g.; Texapon - 15 teaspoons; Sulphonic Acid - 2 l.; Caustic Soda - 165 g.; Soda Ash - 245 g.; Sodium Tripolyphosphate (S.T.P.P) - 10-15 teaspoons; Formalin - 7-15 teaspoons: Colorant and perfume.

First, make the caustic soda soft, mix with 2 liters of water and leave for one hour or a night. After that, add sulphonic acid, texapon and perfume for a pleasant smell. After this step, add 10 liters of water and stir. SLS and STPP should be softened with 1.25 liters of water. Add softened soda ash, and caustic soda, nitrosol and mix. If you desired to use formalin add it at this stage. Add soften SLS, soften S.T.P.P. You can correct the color of soap with a colorant. Add some more water to fix the texture of the soap. Then leave the soap for one day, and it is ready to use. If you decide to make a cosmetic variation of liquid soap you can add different types of oil or alkali solution to the soap.

Significance:
The training was to give our youth a chance to make suggestions, while creating the soap recipes, of other scents or colors that would make the soap unique. Shea butter extract was a good soap recipe we produced. As a large group activity, we asked the participants to brainstorm all the things soap is used for and the objective observations, (factors you can measure, see, hear, feel or smell).