| Ready for our second day of experimenting with snake oil? I am! Yesterday when we made a hand cream with snake oil, I told you I would also share my snake oil soap experience with you. Let’s go!
After a bit of research, I discovered that the snake oil Jerry had ordered for me had the same saponification value as Emu Oil. That made my lye (sodium hydroxide) calculations easy! I simply used our Lye Calculator and marked my desired amount of snake amount as Emu Oil for the calculation.When I made the soap, I was worried that the “meaty” scent of the snake oil would stay with the soap and make it undesirable. I was lucky! The soap didn’t keep the scent and even heated up to completely gel. The gelling is what caused the “artistic outer space” look of the soaps. It was hard to get a good picture of the soap, but I did a pretty good job! Let’s go make some snake oil soap! |
 Soap after being cut. |
Collect needed items:
Recipe:
*q.s. = Quantity Sufficient. This is an ingredient that needs to have the amount calculated to match the size of batch that you are making. Making Soap: Soap Notes: This soap had a light “soapy” scent that didn’t change after a few days of curing. The soap had a creamy lather that was mostly small bubbles with a few big bubbles that I made just using my hands. I liked the feeling that the soap left on my skin after washing. I tried this soap on my hands, body and face with no problems! I think I would use this soap as a gift for my elderly family members as I think they would like it most. What do you think? Would you try this soap?
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 Weighing the oils to be melted.  Completely melted oils.  Adding the lye solution to the melted oils.  My recipe with my notes. |
Wow….who would have thought? Very interesting experiment!
I’m having a hard time warming up to snake oil. This just seems…crazy! !!
I’m still having a “squ-ick” moment when I think too hard about the source of the oil. Most of the time, I just don’t think about it! 🙂 That being said, the extended family is extremely excited that I’ve made snake oil products. All in the perspective of the user!
My thoughts exactly, Carrie. Definitely interesting!
Snake oil, it just gives me the heebbie jeebies thinking about it in soap or cream. But then I don’t like using lard either. But what a fun experiment. What are the properties of snake oil? What is it used for in China?
According to Chinese Traditional Medicine, snake oil is used to relieve pain in joints that are affected by arthritis and other types of inflammation. It is also said to help keep skin younger, heal burns faster, work as a fever reducer, and to relieve headaches. Wow!
I agree. It does give one the heebie jeebies to think about using snake oil in cosmetics. However, its use could be worth considering if it helps with joint pain – my husband would try anything for arthritis relief. Interesting (but strange) fact: Opp, Alabama host an annual rattlesnake rodeo. One of the foods served at the event is rattlesnake……..talk about heebie jeebies. No, I have never attended.
You might get relief from the arthritis AND find rattle snake tastes like chicken. Taylor says scorpion tastes like popcorn. I wondered if it tasted like BUTTERED popcorn.
Too funny!!!
Still trying to wrap my head around snake oil bath and body products! Just goes to show that one country might think something is “normal” and another country thinks it’s the oddest thing ever. Makes me want to get out and explore the world!
Thank you for the “My recipe with my notes” form.
As for using snake oil…..nope
(I won’t use emu oil either…..poor thing!)
I would try avacado oil instead…..or jojoba.
I’m with Leilani, heebie jeebies. But, like you said, all in the perspective of the user. Hmm.. Yes, I would definitely try it though. Makes me wonder what other countries get oil from their native animal species and use it for the same kinds of uses. Time to search that. How interesting this has been! Thanks, Andee, for trying it! =)
Nice! I like that you explained about having the same lye calculations as emu oil. Very interesting post!
Oh My!
Snake oil conjures up images of ~ well conjuring .. and a wonderment– will something sell that boast Snake oil?
Andee you shed accurate light on the goodness of it all. Amazing! There are tons of benefits, yet it’s reputation prevents so many of us from benefiting from it. Maybe adding an Eastern touch .. a Chinese traditional medicine touch to it. — that would involve a medical claim so —- hhmm I would like to try this myself– but I’m still pondering about marketing strategies.
Thanks for being adventurous!