Want to learn how to make Turkish traditional hammam soap? Read on for guidelines that will help you to make your own Turkish style hammam soap…
The Turks were very particular about their bathroom accessories. The bathroom, known as the hammam, had a whole line of special products that were commonly used by the people. Amongst the important hammam accessories utilized by the people of Turkey, were hammam soaps.
Hammam soaps were specially developed to provide a pampering beauty treatment. It was an all- natural soap that the people could make at home by themselves. Today anyone can make Turkish traditional hammam soap at home using some basic ingredients and the traditional technique.
Making Traditional Turkish Hammam Soap
The traditional Turkish hammam soap was based on olive oil. This helped to create a very rich and creamy soap. They would make the soap by mixing oil with lye, following which they would add an array of colors and fragrances depending upon their choice.
In some cases moisturizers were also added to the recipe in order to provide a far more pampering treatment. Glycerin was the most commonly used moisturizing agent in Turkish hammam soaps. This old school soap is extremely mild and makes a great alternative to the chemically enhanced soaps available in the market, especially for people suffering from sensitive skin and allergies.
In order to make the traditional Turkish hammam soap you will need some pure olive oil. However, you can use a mixture of different oils in order to produce better quality soap. Adding different oils will help to reduce the slimy texture that is characteristic of pure olive oil soap.
Amongst the oils that you can add to your basic recipe is canola oil, which will add creaminess to the soap. Palm oil will help to make it hard, whereas coconut oil will produce a rich and bubbly lather. Choosing the right kind of oils is essential when looking to make the Turkish hammam soap at home.
In order to proceed with making the soap you need to have some vital supplies that include rubber gloves, safety goggles and soap molds. You will also require a scale, a large stainless steel pot, two plastic spoons, two plastic pitchers, two kitchen thermometers, a hand stick blender and a plastic measuring cup.
The traditional process utilized for making the hammam soap is a cold process. The precise ratio that you need to make use of consists of 60% olive oil, 20% coconut oil, 10% palm oil, and 10% canola oil along with lye.
Once the process is underway you will need to add fragrance or essential oil, which will help to give your soap a nice scent in the end. The most popularly used fragrance for olive oil based soaps is chamomile, but you always have the option to experiment with your own scents. You can also add some dried herbs to the recipe such as patchouli, lavender and rosemary to give it a rich fragrance and feel. All you have to do is sprinkle a small amount of these herbs into the soap mold prior to pouring the other contents in it.
