What the Californians Vanessa Erskine, a jewelry designer and avid gardener, and Langdon Taguiped, her partner and a cyclist, did during the pandemic was make soap. Their compact and effective gray blocks, each 1.9 ounces, are made mainly from coconut oil, sand, activated charcoal and fir needle oil. Sodium hydroxide, or lye, is there, too, a necessary grease-cutting ingredient that’s been used in soap since ancient times. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.

Source: New York Times July 12, 2021 14:03 UTC