Make Natural Soap

When most people mention "natural soap," they are referring to soap made with natural ingredients. Vegetable oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil are just a few of the many oils available to the natural soap crafter. Additionally, animal fats like lard and tallow can be used to create wonderful natural soap. Making natural soap isn't difficult, but it requires attention to safety precautions, accurate measuring, patience, and a willingness to learn from mistakes and successes. After mastering the basic techniques of natural soap making, you'll be able to treat yourself, your friends and your family to a wonderful alternative to commercially made, drying detergent bars. Just see Step 1 below to get started.

Steps

Gathering Your Equipment and Ingredients

  1. Assemble your ingredients. To make one pound of basic, natural soap, you will need the following ingredients, precisely measured:
    • 2.3 ounces of lye (sodium hydroxide)
    • 6.1 ounces of distilled water
    • 4.8 ounces of 76 degree melt coconut oil
    • 4.8 ounces of palm oil
    • 6.4 ounces of olive oil (pomace, not virgin)
  2. Assemble your equipment. To make natural soap from scratch using the cold process method, you will need:
    • Scale that measures to the tenth of an ounce
    • Two commercial-grade heat-resistant pitchers (2 qt. capacity is great for beginners)
    • Two stainless-steel long-handled serving spoons
    • Digital food thermometer
    • 8 oz. disposable plastic cup
    • Stick blender (also known as an immersion blender)
    • Rubber spatula
    • Set of measuring spoons
  3. Prepare your soap mold. Once you have prepared your soap mixture, you will need to pour it into a mold to allow it to set. To make 4 rectangular bars of soap that are 1" thick, use a mold that measures approximately 4"L x 4"W x 3"H.
    • When it comes to a mold, a cardboard baby-shoe box with a lid is perfect. Just remember to line the box with freezer paper to prevent your soap batter from soaking into the box. If you are making a larger quantity of soap, a cardboard pizza box lined with wax paper will also do the trick.
    • Alternatively, you can use a cake tray lined with freezer paper, or a silicone mold (which doesn't require any freezer/wax paper). If you want to make individual, round soaps instead of bars, you can set aside a muffin or cupcake tin specifically for soap-making. Just be aware that lye is incredibly caustic and will ruin baking pans, especially if they're not protected (wax paper isn't sufficient, and the wax may melt due to the hot soap; freezer paper is thicker and will do a better job).
    • You will also need a couple of old blankets or towels to wrap around the mold while the soap sets.
  4. Keep safety in mind. Making soap at home is more dangerous than one might think, so it's important to take a number of safety precautions.
    • When you mix lye with water (as you will be doing during the soap-making process) the mixture becomes very hot and gives off a fume-ridden steam. Therefore, it's important that you mix the lye in a well-ventilated area and wear safety goggles throughout the process.
    • Lye is also an extremely caustic substance, so you also need to be very careful to avoid getting it on the skin. As a precaution, wear latex gloves during the soap-making process and keep the lye mixture well out of reach of children and animals.
    • Done incorrectly, making soap can result in the ruining of countertops, cabinets, floors, furniture, etc. Additionally, failure to follow instructions to the letter can result in injury, including blindness and burns. Take care to follow all safety guidelines as you work.

Making the Soap

  1. Mix the lye and water. The first step in the cold process soap-making is to mix the lye and water.
    • Place the disposable plastic cup on the scales and set it to zero. Accurately measure the correct amount of lye (2.3 oz) into the cup, then set it aside.
    • Place one of the pitchers on the scale and set it to zero. Measure 6.1 oz of distilled water.
    • In a well-ventilated place, slowly add the lye to the pitcher containing the distilled water. Use one of the long-handled serving spoons to slowly mix the two.
    • The water and lye mixture will get very hot and start to steam. Don't inhale the fumes. Once the water and lye are well-combined, set the pitcher aside to cool.
  2. Mix the oils. The next step in the process is to combine and melt the selection of oils used in your natural soap.
    • Place the second pitcher on the scales and set the scales to zero. Add 4.8 oz of coconut oil, then reset the scale to zero. Add 4.8 oz of palm oil, the reset the scale to zero. Finally, add 6.4 oz of olive oil.
    • Heat the oils in a microwave or over a saucepan of water until melted. Stir them well to combine.
  3. Add the oils to the lye. The next step is a little tricky. The lye and oil mixtures are not easily combined, so they must be brought to a similar temperature before you can mix them.
    • Use your digital food thermometer to periodically check the temperature of both the lye and soap mixtures. When they have both cooled to a temperature of between 100 and 105 degrees F, they are ready to be mixed.
    • However, some people do not use a thermometer to check temperatures at all, they simply place a hand on the outside of each pitcher and go by feel).
    • Set the lye pitcher in the kitchen sink and slowly pour the oils into the lye pitcher. Use the rubber spatula to scrape all of the oil from the sides and bottom of the mixture.
  4. Blend the lye and oil mixture together. Take your stick blender, submerge it in the lye and oil mixture and pulse for several seconds. Use the blender to stir the mixture a little, then pulse again.
    • Alternate between stirring and short bursts of pulsing (periodically scraping down the sides and bottom of the pitcher with the rubber spatula) until the mixture begins to resemble a thick pancake batter. This should take about three minutes.
    • Alternatively, you can beat the mixture using a handheld whisk (if you want to experience soap-making as it was in the old days) however it can take a very long time and lots of elbow grease to achieve the correct consistency this way.
  5. Look for the "trace". Continue pulsing and stirring the soap mixture until it reaches "trace" -- this is a sign that the oils and lye have emulsified, which means that the soap mixture is ready.
    • To test if your soap mixture has reached trace, dip a rubber spatula in the mixture, hold it above the pitcher, then let the soap mix dribble back in. If it sits on top of the rest of the mixture for a couple of seconds before sinking back in (leaving a "trace" behind), the soap mix has emulsified.
    • Once your soap mixture reaches this point, you will quickly need to add in any scented oils, herbs or colorings that you intend to use, before the soap becomes too thick and unworkable. Once these items have been added, you can pour the soap mix into the prepared mold.
    • Popular additions include 100% essential oils like lavender, chamomile, cinnamon and vanilla oil; drops of natural or synthetic food coloring to give a subtle or vibrant color to your soap; dried herbs and flowers such as lavender, sage, basil, mint and orange or lemon zest; and grains like ground oatmeal or wheat germ to give your soap texture. Experiment with different combinations to make your own unique soap!

Cutting and Curing the Soap

  1. Pour your soap into the prepared mold. Use the rubber spatula to pour the soap mix into the mold. Make sure it is spread in an even layer.
    • Replace the lid on the mold (whether it's the shoebox lid, pizza box lid, or a second baking tray) and wrap the box with the old towels or blankets.
    • This will help to keep the heat inside, allowing the chemical reaction to take place.
  2. Let the mold sit, undisturbed for 24 hours. The next day, remove the towel from around the mold and remove the lid. The soap should be firm and cool to the touch.
    • If your natural soap shows any signs of liquid pockets, an oily, separated layer on the top, or patches of crusty dry white crud (although, a thin, white, "ashy" dusting on top is most likely not a concern), do not use the soap. It most likely has un-reacted lye in it.
    • Try again, making sure to mix the lye and oil mixture thoroughly, and to scrape the sides of your pitcher often with the spatula.
  3. Cut the soap into bars. If your soap appears to be uniform and firm, you can cut it with a knife (provided it's not too thick).
    • Be careful when cutting the soap -- apply even pressure, and keep your fingers out of the way!
    • Soap can also be cut with a bench scraping tool (found in a kitchen shop) or even with a guitar string in the same manner that you would use a wire cheese slicer.
  4. Leave the soap to cure. After you've cut the soap bars, you need to set them aside to cure for approximately a month before you can use them.
    • Stand the bars upright on brown paper covered surface, or on a cookie cooling rack in a cool location -- it's important for air to circulate around the bars.
    • Leave them for 4 weeks to harden. After the minimum 4 week cure, you can finally try out your natural soap. Hopefully, you will find your natural soap to be worth the wait!

Tips

  • Look online for soap making supplies, molds, recipes, and more. There is A LOT of information available!
  • Have a plan for accidents. Know ahead of time what to do if you come in contact with lye. Flushing skin thoroughly with water is helpful, but seek medical attention or call poison control if necessary. Soap making is fun, but it is more fun when it is done safely.
  • You may find some supplies such as coconut oil, as well as interesting add-ins like ground rosemary powder and spices at health food stores or bulk food stores.
  • Get new recipes and learn about other natural ingredients by reading books about natural soap making or by searching the internet using the keywords 'handmade soap,' or 'natural bar soap.'
  • Do NOT use drain cleaner in place of Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide. Most drain cleaners made today are not pure NaOH.
  • If your first batch doesn't work out, try again! Or, if you decide you love natural soap, but don't love MAKING natural soap, visit your local craft fairs or search for natural bar soap online, and patronize other soap crafters!
  • Share your natural soap creations with friends and family for honest feedback- their comments will help you improve your recipes.
  • Be aware that vegetable oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil are just a few of the many oils available to the natural soap crafter. You can also use animal fats like lard and tallow to create wonderful natural soap.
  • Don't stress too much about temperature. I've had success with solutions that were as hot as {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, and also with solutions that were below 100 degrees. Aim to add your oils to your lye somewhere between 100-105 degrees for the easiest soap-making experience. Hot temperatures speed things up- cool temperatures slow things down. The worst case scenario is combining the oils and lye when things are too hot- the mixture will trace and thicken too quickly, which won't allow you enough time to properly blend everything or get your optional ingredients in.

Warnings

  • Holding a towel over your mouth and nose might be helpful in avoiding the "puff" of steam that is released when the lye and water are first mixed together. DO NOT inhale the steam!
  • Mix lye solutions only where you have good ventilation. I mix mine outside on the porch. Wherever you make it, be sure to keep your lye solution out of the reach of children and pets.
  • Always wear gloves and goggles. Use a tablecloth to minimize spills.
  • Making natural soap requires the use of lye, a dangerous caustic chemical that can cause serious injury.

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