How To Make Soap

These are ingredients you will need.

1. Oil or fats. Any natural vegetable oil or animal fats can be used to make soap.

2. Lye (sodium hydroxide) - this is the one responsible for turning fats into soap.

3. Distilled Water.

4. Essential oil to add fragrance and other beneficial factors. You can find out more on essential at my essential oil lens

5. Other additives like oatmeal or spices, depending on what you want to achieve.

1. You will need a stainless steel mixing bowl. Do not use a plastic mixing bowl because plastic is known for its reactive nature. It may dissolve into your soap.

2. A heat resistant container. Make sure the container is large enough to contain at 2 cups of water AND not too large to retain heat.

3. A stainless steel pot.

4. Candy or meat thermometer

5. Be sure to protect yourself. Wear gloves, jacket, apron, goggles, etc.

6. measuring spoons and spatulas.

7. Scale accurate to grams.

Cold Process Method: This is the method you will be using if you are making soap at home. Basically, soap is made using oil or any animal fats. I recommend using coconut oil. See my coconut oil lens to see why. These oil or fats are blended with lye that has been diluted by water.

Boiled Method: Soap are prepared in a large container. It is then boiled neutralization and its by product is glycerin, which companies extract and sell as a separate product.

Transparent Soap. This kind of soap is very drying. Solvents such as alcohol are added to prevent crystals from forming when the soap cools. It contains no glycerin, despite the fact that it is called glycerin soap.

Malt and pour soap: This is equal to making soap using soap. Basically it is produced by solidifying liquid glycerin using plastizer chemicals. These soaps are toxic AND expensive.

You can get a recipe at the links below. Or I would recommend that you try it out yourself like I did when I first started.

1. Measure the oil required using the scale.

2. Heat oil before mixing with lye using a low fire. Heat slightly over what the recipe recommends to allow oil to cool.

3. Pour your distilled water into the container.

4. Wear a mask to protect yourself from the fumes. Slowly pour the lye into the container with water while you continue stirring. The water will become very hot. Stir until water becomes clear. Using your thermometer, measure for the required temperature in the recipe.

5. Now you can transfer the hot oil into another container. Use your spatula to get all the oil of the measuring cup.

6. When both the oil and the lye/water mix is at the right temperature, you can start pouring the latter into the former while you stir. Never add oil to the mix. Always add the mix to the oil.

7. Continue stirring until the soap "traces". This is when the liquid soap is thick enough and ready to pour into a mould. The mixture should be the consistency of liquid honey or pudding before it's poured.

8. When the soap traces, you can add any essential oil you might want.

9. You can then add your mixture into the mould and cover it up. Leave it for the amount of time specified in the recipe.

10. You can then press your soap out and carve it the way you like.

11. Wrap it with a plastic wrap and let it cure and age in a cool dark place. Do not use for at least three weeks. Using prematurely can lead to a spongy soap that cannot last long.

12. Your natural organic soap is ready!