How to make natural soap...What you'll need to know
The great thing about making natural soap is that the process is not rocket science. Typically, people who make their own soap enjoy smooth skin, great lather, and fragrances that are specific to their taste.
Soap making has become a popular hobby for people across the country. However, you also see a growing number of people that make soaps from home to give as gifts or to sell.
The key to successful soap making is to use the right ingredients, work with proper tools, and follow the correct method for the type of soap being made. A little information will go a long way when it comes to making your own soap. Typically, the majority of ingredients can be found at the grocery store, drug store, or health food store but you also have hundreds of great resources on the internet.
The old-fashioned method for making natural soap was to use ashes from the fire, which some people still do. However, you have more refined options today. For instance, to make a wonderful bar of homemade soap, we would recommend you use 24 ounces olive oil, 24 ounces coconut oil, 38 ounces vegetable shortening, 12 ounces lye, and 32 ounces spring water. Then, you want to include 4 ounces of your preferred fragrance and dried herbs if you like.
For equipment, you will need rubber gloves, safety goggles, a scale, one-gallon stainless steel kettle, two-cup glass measuring cup, glass wide-mouth pitcher (for the water and lye), wooden spoons, glass thermometer, and stainless steel wire whisk. To complete the process of making natural soap, you will need a plastic shoe box for the mold (sprayed with vegetable oil to avoid sticking), towels for covering the soap, and one jar of vinegar, just in case the lye were to be splashed on the skin, which helps neutralize it.
The most important aspect of making natural soap is working with lye, which is a caustic substance. For this recipe, weigh 12 ounces of lye into your measuring cup. Then, weigh 32 ounces of cold water in your glass container. Very slowly, the lye would be added to the water while you stir gently. Remember, as the lye is added to the water, it will heat and create fumes, although these do dissipate quickly. However, take care not to breathe the fumes in or get them in your face. In fact, it might be a good idea to do this process outside in the fresh air.
The lye and water mixture would be set aside to cool. Next, weigh 24 ounces of coconut oil and 38 ounces of vegetable shortening in the kettle. On low heat, melt the mixture while stirring often. Once melted, remove from heat and add 24 ounces of olive oil. With the thermometer, keep track of the lye/water heat and the oil mixture heat. Once both mixtures reach between 95 and 98 degrees, slowly add the lye into the oils. With the whisk, stir the two mixtures, usually about 10 minutes when you will notice the mixture starting to change. The mixture will begin to look almost like a runny cream, which is known as tracing. At this point, you would add in your preferred fragrances and/or herbs.
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The soap would then be poured into the plastic mold (you can choose other plastic molds if you like). Cover the soap with two towels; set aside for approximately 18 to 20 hours, which will begin to gel. After this time, remove the towels and let the natural soap sit for an additional 12 hours. To remove the soap from the mold, turn the mold over onto a towel. Then, simply cut the soap into bars. Before using your natural soap, it will need to sit in a cool place for four to six weeks to cure.
Unfortunately, sometimes soap does not come out well, which occurs especially for beginners. Although frustrating, do not give up. For instance, if you were to notice a greasy type film on top of the soap, the ingredients separated because of inaccurate measuring. Therefore, it is essential that you measure all your recipe ingredients exactly.
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