Why handmade soap, anyway, when you can buy soap in practically any corner drugstore? The biggest reason is that handmade soap is so good for your skin. Commercial soap factories remove glycerin during the soap making process, because it is often worth more than the soap itself :-), and they sell that separately. In soaps that artisans make from scratch, all of this natural glycerin is retained, giving handmade soap that smooth silky feel. Plus handmade soap is usually made from luxurious oils and butters unlike their commercial counterparts.
Making soap yourself from scratch lets you control exactly what goes into it. At it's simplest, soap is the result of a chemical reaction, called saponification, between oils and lye. Beyond that, soap making allows for unbridled creativity and produces such wonderful results!Would you like to try soapmaking? First, make sure you understand the risks. Lye is DANGEROUS if handled improperly. A tiny crystal of lye can make your skin burn all day (ask me how I know), and it can cause serious injuries in so many ways - breathing in the fumes, touching your skin, or god forbid, splashing in your eyes or drinking it. Handling lye requires that you cover up every bit of exposed skin, and wearing goggles. Also, be very very careful with children and pets. Plus, any pots and pans, or any items you use for soap making should never ever be used again for food preparation or eating. Still interested? :-) OK, keep reading. If not, pop over to my shop, and get handmade soap the easy way :-) Shop for Handmade Soap
Soap making also needs a bit of initial investment in equipment. You can keep this to a minimum, but there are some items that are absolutely required. Accurate scales that measure to 1/10 ounce are a must. All soapmaking recipes are based on exact weights, and not volumes. You will need a thermometer that goes up to at least 150 degrees Farenheit. You need a selection of pots and pans, for measuring and mixing the oils and butters, for lye and for your liquids such as water. If you plan on using the microwave for your soapmaking, your pots and pans should be microwave safe. I prefer the stove, and so I use stainless steel for anything that has to go on the stove, and glass for the others. One definite no-no is Aluminum. Plastics should be avoided too, unless they are heavy duty and can withstand some abuse. You will also need a mold to hold the soap while it sets. Wooden soap molds are most popular, but when you are just starting out, you probably want to use something similar to a Rubbermaid shoe box.
Here's a simple recipe for starting out with Cold Process Soap
4 oz. coconut oil
8 oz. olive oil
4 oz. palm oil
6 oz. distilled water
2.25 oz. lye
Step 1: Lye Precautions!!! Wear clothing that cover every inch of your skin, tie your hair back if you have long hair, put on gloves and goggles. No matter how many times you've made soap, this is not a step you ever want to skip.
Step 2: Measure each ingredient and set aside. The water should be in a container that can withstand high heat, and has tall sides. Line your mold with freezer paper.
Step 3: Very very carefully, pour the lye into the water. NEVER ever do the opposite, it's always lye that has to be mixed into the water. The mixture starts to hiss and fizz, and emits foul fumes - do NOT breathe the fumes. I usually do this step outdoors, even in cold weather, so that the fumes are quickly dissipated. Stir the mixture very gently, without splashing any of the lye water, until you no longer see any lye at the bottom of the container. Leave this lye water alone, while you move to the next step. Make sure the lye water is in a place where children and animals cannot get to it, either intentionally or accidentally. In fact, your lye should always be stored very very carefully. I know I am harping on this a bit, but this is serious stuff.
Step 4: Mix the oils, and warm till all oils are melted. Stir constantly, to ensure that the oils are mixed together. Cool to a temparature of 110 - 125 degrees Farenheit.
Step 5: Cool the lye mixture to the same temperature. How to cool the lye mixture? I use an inch of cold water or ice in the sink, and place the container of the lye mixture in it. Don't do this until at least 10 minutes after mixing the lye and water together, or the sudden temperature change may crack your container, if you are using glass.
Step 6: After both the oil mixture and the lye mixture are between 110-125 degrees, you are ready for the next step, which is to mix these two together. Again, the order is extremely important. The lye mixture should be mixed slowly into the oil mixture.
Step 7: Once all the lye mixture has been poured into the oil mixture, you are now ready to beat it. You can either whip it by hand for 45 minutes to an hour, or if you are impatient like me, you can use a electric beater. Remember, if you use it for soap, you don't want to use it for food anymore. If you are using an electric beater, you only need to beat for about 5 minutes or so, until you reach "trace". Trace is difficult to describe, but basically this means that the mixture will thicken enough that if you draw a fork through it, the lines will stay in the mixture for about a minute. You can add colors or fragrances at this point, but I recommend that you get comfortable with this process first, for your first few batches.
Step 8: Pour the mixture into the lined mold, and cover it up. If you are using a Rubbermaid shoe box, that's as easy as putting the cover on. The mixture has to stay warm for the next 24 hours, so wrap the box in warm towels or blankets.
Step 9: After 24 hours, open the box and ensure all the soap has set. If the soap is still wet, cover back up, and let it set for a few more hours. Unmold the soap and cut into bars. The bars now have to cure for at least 4 weeks.
Step 10: After 4 weeks, your lovely handmade soap is ready!!
WHEW! Does that seem like a lot of work? Probably... but trust me, it's a lot of fun too, once you get the hang of it. Of course, you always have another option :-) Let ME have all the fun, and buy your handmade soap from Etsy.
