Lather Up!!

Sevren and I are constantly looking for new things to enhance the Appropriate Technologies (AT) Program. Sevren works closely with Southern Biofuels which grows Jatropha trees to use the seeds as clean energy source. But, there are many uses for jatropha and the oil that comes from the seeds, including using it to make soap. Here are a few snaps from our jatropha soap making experiment:

Jatropha oil pressed from the seeds

Caustic soda found at a local agriculture supply store

Add caustic soda to water using a plastic or glass bowl. Metal bowls will only add funky-ness to the chemical reaction happening

Add the jatropha oil and stir

Blending the mixture. The chemical reation should take your water oil and oil mixture and turn it into a solution with a mayonnaise consistency

Pour solution into a lined mold and wait. After two weeks it will have hardened and be ready to be cut into soap bars

We had to change our measurements around a bit, but it worked! The advantage to using jatropha oil is that it is a natural bug repellant. This helps us in two ways: cheap soap and a malaria combatant. BUT, going with the theme of Appropriate Technology, how can we make this cheaper and easy to make in the village? So we brought this idea to the Northern Province AT workshop where a team of designers made caustic soda by boiling down wood ash. Success!