Handmade Soaps

There are several types of soap creating methods but I will just go over some basic ones.

1) Melt-and-Pour (MP): Created from a glycerin soap base, cut into small pieces and melted using a microwave or a double boiler. Once melted, additives/colorants/fragrance are added and poured into molds. You can use the soaps immediately, once they have dried and cooled (4 hours or less sometimes)

2) Cold Process Method (CP): Created from scratch using oils, lye and water. Soaps must be cured for 4-6 weeks to ensure that in the finished product, there are no lye residues.

3) Hot Process Method (HP): Very similar to CP, but HP are heated, allowing the saponification process. Once poured into molds and hardened, they are available to use immediately.

4) Handmilled Soaps: Unscented soaps are grated and melted over the stove mixing it with water or milk. Once liquified, additives/colorants/fragrance are then added and poured into molds.

So...you want to make soap, don't you? :)

Are you tired of using soap that has ingredients only a person with a degree in Chemistry can read?

Then, making natural soap is for you!

Here are a few things you're going to need:

1) A mold, preferably one suitable for cold or hot process soap
2) A huge pot (no aluminum, please)
3) A very, very accurate scale
4) A couple of pairs of gloves
5) Wooden spatulas (I use three)
6) Goggles - very important!
7) A hair net (optional, unless you like hair on your soap)
8) Two candy thermometers
9) Hand blender (optional, but makes your job a whole lot easier)
10) Waxed paper (for lining the mold)

Now on to the ingredients part:

1) A container of lye (you can find some over at the cleaning stuff aisle of the market, though some places have discontinued it. Look for 100% lye such as Lewis Red Devil)

2) Oils! Whatever you wish to use. I like a combination of olive, castor, coconut and palm, but you can use a can of Crisco if you wish.

3) Essential oils - You can get a better deal on them online, but if you're anxious, like me, you can get those at your natural health food store or at supermarkets such as Whole Foods.

4) Additives - I personally love to add ground oats, ground almonds, ground coffee or apricot meal to my soap for exfoliation. You have plenty of options here.

5) Colorants - If you wish to make natural soap, you want to use natural colorants. Iron oxides are a good choice and they last a long time. You may also wish to use colorants such as chlorophyll for a beautiful green or beet juice for a pretty shade of purplish red. On my peach soaps, I use ground turmeric. The possibilities are endless.

This isn't to stress you, but instead to do the opposite. It's great to see how the combination of lye and oils create a beautiful bar of soap. You'll be delighted, trust me. Have fun with this.

Recipes coming soon! xo