I’ve been making soap for a few years, but have shied away from blogging about it because I do not ever make anything more than the most basic recipe. My main reason for soap making is that I am sensitive to most scents in soaps, including essential oils. And a scent-free soap like Ivory dries my skin because they remove the glycerine from it. I’m making soap today and I thought, “if I can do this, anyone can do it.” And so I’m posting, not because I’m advanced in the art of soap making, but to encourage you to give it a try.
Seriously, the most difficult part of soap making is finding the ingredients, especially the lye. Grocery stores used to sell it, but not anymore – at least not in my area. So I purchase everything in bulk, online. Most items that you will need for soap making can be found here: Soap Making Supplies
A friend encouraged me to try soap making and recommended the book Handmade Soap: Recipes for Crafting Soap at Home and it’s the only one I use. Here are the basics:
It’s recommended that your equipment be used only for soap making. Most of it can be picked up inexpensively at yard sales or thrift shops. You’ll need:
- a scale to measure ingredients
- a stainless steel or enamel pot
- a glass or plastic pitcher for mixing and pouring the lye
- plastic containers for holding oil while it’s being weighed – I use 32 oz plastic yogurt containers
- 2 large plastic or wooden spoons – one for stirring the lye and one for the oils
- a spatula
- 2 thermometers – one for the lye and one for the oil
- soap mold – this can be as simple as a shoe box lined with plastic, a plastic tray with sides, or a plastic shoe box
- rubber gloves – wear these the entire time
- cardboard to fit over the molds
- a blanket to insulate the cooling soap
- vinegar – I have this under equipment, rather than ingredients because it is not used in the recipe, but is kept on hand to pour on your skin if you accidentally get lye on you
Ingredients needed:
- distilled water, room temperature
- lye
- oils, such as olive, palm, coconut, castor, wheat germ, cocoa butter, and jojoba
Each of the different oils has a different property – some are added as moisturizers (castor, wheat germ, cocoa butter, jojoba) and some help to create a rich lather (coconut and palm). Here is where I tend to stray and just use what I have, although my soap is always at least half olive oil. I use pomace olive oil which is the oil that comes from the last press of the olives and is odorless.
The method is simple, although precautions always need to be taken. Remember, lye is a poison, and can cause serious burns to your skin. The basic method is to add lye to water, and then to add this mixture to the oils. The lye mixture and the oil mixture must each be at 100 degrees. So let me expand on this. To make a basic recipe of soap, weigh the following ingredients (remember, these measurements are by weight, not by liquid ounces):
- 14 oz room temperature distilled water
- approx. 6 oz lye (For exact amount, see this lye calculator where you enter the other ingredients and the amount of lye needed will be given)
- 40 oz oils (for example – 20 oz olive oil, 10 oz coconut oil, 8 oz palm oil, 2 oz wheat germ oil)
- about 1 oz of essential oils, if you choose to use
Fill your sink with cold water and some ice to use as a water bath to cool the lye mixture.
Wearing your rubber gloves, place the water into your pitcher and slowly stir in the lye. I always do this outdoors since even the fumes are toxic. Stir slowly until dissolved. The temperature will rise very quickly to 220 degrees or so. Now place the pitcher into the cold water bath in your sink and begin to take its temperature. The goal is 100 degrees.
Place the oils into your pot and heat at a low temperature trying to reach 100 degrees. This will happen quickly. You now want to get both the lye and the oil to 100 degrees at the same time. Use the ice water bath to accomplish this.
When both the lye and the oils are at 100 degrees, pour the lye mixture into the oil mixture very slowly. Continue stirring until the mixture reaches a point called “trace”. The soap is traced when your stirring causes lines in the mixture that stay in place or when a drizzle of the soap mixture retains it shape on the surface of the soap. Trace can take up to 2 hours, but usually occurs within a half hour. If it is taking over 15 minutes, you may take breaks in stirring – stir for 10 minutes or so and rest for 10 minutes or so. If you are adding essential oils, now is the time to do so.
At trace, pour your soap into prepared molds. Cover with cardboard and then wrap in a blanket to hold the heat. You want your soap to cool slowly. You may remove the blanket after the first day, but the soap itself may take several days to harden. When it feels solid, you may cut the soap into bars and un-mold it. The soap is still very alkaline and should not be used until it has cured for 2 – 4 weeks.
This is as far as I have taken soap making, but there is so much more that can be done. As I mentioned, essential oils may be added to the recipe, but because the uncured soap is so alkaline it can destroy some of the aroma you are after. It is better to mill your soap if you are looking to add scent. I’m not experienced in this, but after curing, the soap is grated, remelted and then the essential oils are added. Fine soap makers mill their soap as many as 7 times! Milled soap also lasts longer. Other ingredients, such as oats, may be added as well. Another way to pretty up your soap is to purchase or be creative in making decorative molds. Me? I make soap ’cause I haveta.
For more information on lye, see my post Is Lye Soap Safe?
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I will definitely be trying this at some point. Thanks for posting!
Let me know if I can help, Kara.
As a non soapmaker but maker and seller of other beauty products I keep meaning to try soapmaking and you make it look so easy – I think I need to have a go!
I agree! With what you are already doing, this is a natural for you.
Thanks for posting this! I have been meaning to try soaps for several years, and even went so far as to buy All The Stuff – but I’ve kept chickening out! It just seemed so complicated…
Perhaps this will give me the needed impetus to get going on it.
My dear Erin, you have accomplished the hard part – buying the ingredients. This is almost as easy as making yogurt. You are already a hero to me, so I know you can do this!!!!!
I love the idea of soap making but am pretty nervous about the lye. Trying to figure out where I would store it safely out of reach of our little ones and figuring out a time when they wouldn’t be around to do it seems a bit tricky–it might be a goal that waits a few years until they’re bigger and I feel a bit braver! But I think it would be so lovely to take the soap out of the molds and know that you made it yourself.
Rosalyn! Yeah, you definitely do not want to do this with small children around. I just took yesterday’s batch out of the molds and cut them up. Sloppy! Funny, I like to be “artsy” about a lot of things, but soap making isn’t one of them.
Listing 6 ounces of lye to 40 ounces of ‘oils’ is a recipe for disaster. Different oils and fats require different amounts of lye. Use a lye calculator to get an accurate measurement.
Thank you. I’ve never had a problem, but this is good to know. I’ve added that info to the post.
We make soap ’cause we need it, too. So no fancy steps for us. I prefer hot process so it’s ready immediately, though. We do get disappointed b/c most of the scent fades away but I am waaaaaay too lazy for milling soap. we don’t even have molds or a soap box, but just use Pringles cans. Nice round soaps and yummy chips to eat first
Stevie@ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com
Hi Stevie! Can you explain hot process?
Thank you for a great post! I’ve been wanting to make our own soap and this looks really easy. I pinned it
thanks for your instructions. I am planning to start making my own soap in the near future. These are super easy to follow.
I am new to making homemade beauty products and have been viewing articles, blogs, and videos on this topic. You did a great job of explaining it, stopping by from the Wildcrafting Wednesday blog hop, pinning.
An awesome website for supplies is Brambleberry.com. They were a Godsend to me. And they have video tutorials.
Thank you for sharing this! I have the same skin problems and my little one I wrote about today has too. I have often thought about making my own but just haven’t done it yet.
I do not make soap. I do not make soap. …well, perhaps I’ll make soap. good on ya.
What an interesting post – I made soap many years ago but have never done it since.
)
After reading this I could really get into it again
I’m back in a soapmaking phase and enjoy trying new natural ingredients from the garden. It is rather addictive.
I love my homemade soaps. I’ve found some additives that are really good for those sensative skins by adding herbs like calendula, oatmeal or honey.
I would love to try making my own soap. Thanks for this! I’ve had fun looking over your blog. I would love to have you come share ‘Your Great Idea’ in my link party…it’s hosted on Saturdays, but you can still enter today. I hope to see you there! http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2012/09/hello-weekend-50-mikarose-giveaway.html
Wow…you make it look easy enough that I might try it! Thanks for sharing! We’d love for you to link this up at our party…http://housewivesofriverton.blogspot.com/2012/09/riverton-housewives-round-up-32.html
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I made soap like this with a friend last year, and your instructions are nicely done.
Found you through TALU, and I’m glad I did. My husband and I like making things from scratch, but we’ve never tried soap. (We usually stick to edibles). Soap would be a great gift though, so I’ll have to try your recipe!
Popping in through the #TALU. Have to say … after watching the lye scene in The Fight Club, I don’t envy you for having to deal with lye. I’d be nervous about that. Had to chuckle since the process made me thinking about making candy – waiting for it to trace is like waiting for something to come to a soft-ball stage. Then wrapping it and putting it away is just what I do when making yogurt LOL. Maybe I can handle this after all!
So awesome! I would love to try that sometime.
I’m from TALU
Hello! Came over from the TALU….and now I wanna go take a bath!
Seriously, interesting post, even more interesting photos!
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites
I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be helpful to read through articles from
other writers and practice something from their sites.
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“Basic Soap Making | learningandyearninglearningandyearning” ended up being
a really good blog, . Continue publishing and
I will keep reading! I appreciate it ,Janet
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Just popped in here from PRM.
Susan this is a very good tutorial for everyone. I have yet to give soap a try. I have several friends that make it and 2 of them sell their bars. Do you happen to use your bars to wash your hair also?
Hi, Pamela! Funny you should ask since I just published a post on shampoo bars I have recently made: http://learningandyearning.com/DIY-Shampoo-Bars#. But even before I made these, I was using my soap to wash my hair.
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