Organic Soap - How to Make Your Own Soap (Part 1)

When I started searching Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Soap, I happened to come across this website on How to Make Lye Soap by Shery Andrews. There is a series of video showing the entire process of making lye soap. It is quite a good soap making guide for beginners. You may want to take a look to have a better understanding the process of handmade soap.

Here is the summary of making soap using a process known as Cold Process.

Equipment you need:

1. For safety, you will need safety equipment especially goggles and rubber gloves because of the Lye or Sodium Hydroxide.
2. Measuring cups and a weighing scale to prepare the correct amount of your ingredients and additives.
3. Two kitchen thermometers that can measure over 100 degrees for monitoring the temperature of Lye solution and oil mixture
4. Two large stainless steel pots
5. A stirring spoon for lye
6. A stirring spoon for essential oils
7. A soap mold
8. Cardboard to act as a lid to the mold

Basic ingredients:

1. Lye or Sodium Hydroxide or caustic soda
2. Oils such as olive oil, coconut oils, castor oil, etc
3. Fatty acids like cocoa butter
4. Bee's wax
5. Additives such as oatmeal, buttermilk powder, oil fragrance and colorants

Steps:

1. To use your measuring cups and kitchen scale to prepare the amount of ingredients according to your soap making recipe.
2. To mix together your lye with water (Note: to put the lye into the water and not water into lye because the strong heat reaction may cause an explosion)
3. To slowly stir the water and lye because the temperature of mixture can go up to water boiling point.
4. After the lye solution is well mixed, place the thermometer into the container to monitor the temperature.
5. While waiting for the lye solution to cool down slightly, you can start mixing various types of oils and butters in a pot.
6. Then heat the oil mixture till the temperature is abou the same as the lye temperature.
7. To ensure both the oil and lye solution are at about the same temperature before mixing them together. (The stirring process can take an hour!)
8. Once the soap mixture is done, pour it into molds, cover it with wax paper and cardboard.
9. Let the soap mixture to cool down in the mold for forty-eight hours. Then remove the soap from the mold
10. Slice or grind the soap into smaller pieces and put it into a plastic bag
11. Add little distilled water into packet of soap and melt it in a pot containing hot water for about an hour.
12. Customize your soap by adding herbs and other natural ingredients together with the grated soap.
13. Mix the mixture well, pour it to soap mold and cool the mixture in a refrigerator over night
14. Finally, allow your soap to cure for serveral weeks before using it.

As you can see, the process of handmade soaps is quite simple, but it is not easy.

Hope you are inspired to try making your own organic soap.

Let's Learn & Experience Organic for Better Personal Health & Our Planet Wellness