Basics of making bar soap

Making bar soap is the result of chemical reactions. It usually requires lye, oils, and fats. Once you understand the basics, you can fully customize your own combination of oils, fragrance oils, coloring and hundreds of combinations.

There are 2 popular methods of making soap, Cold Process and Melt and Pour.

1.) Melt and Pour: This is a great method for beginners as it is very easy. It requires melting down soap bases, which are pre-made. Afterward it is easily customizable by just choosing the right amount of fragrance oil.

• Easy for beginners
• Faster to make

 

2.) Cold Process: This is the most common method used to make soap as it involves combining oils and lye. The chemical reaction from this combination is called saponification. 

• More customizable than Melt and Pour
• Making everything from scratch
• Longer Process

Check out this amazing cold process color customization done by
@lovelybodyproducts.

Homemade Goat Milk Soap Recipe (Without Lye)

Total Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Yield: 3 bars of soap (Around 3.5 oz each)

Process: Melt and Pour

Ingredients

• Silicone Mold
• 10 oz. Goat Milk Pre-made Soap Base
• 0.2 oz. Honeydew and Melon Essential Oil
• 2.5 grams of Coloring Powder
• 99% Isopropyl alcohol

 

Equipment

• Silicone Mold
• Heat-safe Container
• Chopping Knife
• Silicone spoon for stirring

Caution: All equipment used will only be for soap-making exclusively. Soap-base liquids and coloring agents may stain and stick to equipment. Do not use soap-making equipment for food or anything else.

 

Instructions

1. Chop 10 oz. of Goat Milk Soap Base into small, equal-sized pieces. Place pieces into a heat-safe container and melt in the microwave for 25-second intervals. Between each interval stir the melted pieces. Take out container once the soap is fully melted.
2. Chop off around 2.5 grams of coloring powder. Mix the coloring powder into the melted soap base. Mix until color is spread evenly and there are no lumps of powder.
3. Add 0.2 oz. of Honeydew and Melon Essential oil into container, and use a spoon to stir thoroughly.
4. Pour the soap mix into 3 cavities of the silicone Mold. Between each pour, spray the soap with the alcohol. Spray enough alcohol and get rid of any bubbles. 
5. Let the soap sit in the mold until its properly cooled and hardened.
6. Take out the soap bars from the silicone mold. Afterward, cover soap bars in plastic cling wrap.

Look at these beautiful colors of goat-milk soap done by @stoneriversoaps.

Handling Lye during Soap-making

What is Lye?

Lye is a highly corrosive substance. Be extra careful when handling this. Clear the room of anybody or obstacles that might be dangerous. Lye can burn through the fabric and your skin.

Some good safety steps to always follow are:

• Wear long sleeves and pants
• Wear a face mask
• Wear goggles that fully cover your eyes from all angles
• Wear rubber gloves.

 

Natural Castile Bar Soap 

What is Castile Soap?

This is soap made from the cold process method and pure olive oil. The name Castile is taken from the Castile region of Spain.

Olive oil is a common ingredient found in many cold process soap recipes, it adds moisture to many soaps, and gives the soap bars a more creamy feel to them.

Castile soaps are a great option for those with dry or sensitive skin.

 

Castile Soap Recipe

Total Prep Time: 2 hours

Wait time for the soap to be ready: 48 hours

Process: Cold Process

Ingredients

• Silicone Loaf Mold
• 24 oz. Olive Oil
• 3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• Sodium Lactate
• 6.1 oz Distilled Water 
• 1 oz. Cinnamon Leaf Fragrance Oil
• 99% Isopropyl alcohol

 

Equipment

• Glass Safe Container (for Fragrance Oil)
• Glass Mixing Bowl (for Lye and Water)
• Glass Mixing Bowl (for olive oil)
• Silicone Stirrer ( for lye)
• Stick Blender
• Thermometer

 

Safety Gear

• Goggles 
• Rubber Gloves
• Long-sleeve top
• Full-Length Pants
• Closed-toed shoes
• Face mask

 

Instructions

1. Create a safe environment and find a well-ventilated area. Wear proper safety gear (goggles, long-sleeved clothing, face mask, and rubber gloves).
2. Pour 1 ounce of Cinnamon Leaf Fragrance Oil into a safe container. Set this container aside for later use.
3. Slowly and also carefully pour the Sodium Hydroxide Lye into the water. Use the silicone spoon to stir the mixture. Keep stirring until lye is mixed in well, and mixture is clear.
4. Set aside this container of lye water to cool. 
5. Add 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate to the cooled lye water.
6. Pour the olive oil into your mixing bowl, and heat the oil in the microwave for 15-second intervals. Keep heating until the oil is 120-130 degrees. Use the thermometer to check.
7. Once the lye water and the olive oil have both cooled to about 130 degrees, add the lye water into the oils. Use the stick blender to mix until everything starts to thicken. 
8. Add the Cinnamon Leaf Fragrance Oil into the soap mixture. Use the stick blender to mix everything until there are no longer traces of fragrance oil anymore.
9. Continue blending until the soap mixture reaches a thin-medium consistency. This consistency is somewhere between a cake batter and pudding consistency. 
10. After you’ve reached a thin-medium consistency, pour the soap into the silicone mold. Use the silicone spoon to smooth out the top of the mold.
11. Slowly and gently knock the mold on a surface to get rid of bubbles. 
12. Spray the top with a bit of alcohol to help prevent soda ash. 
13. Cover the mold with plastic wrap, and keep the mold somewhere cool and dry. Insulate the mold for 24 hours.
14. After 24 hours, check if the mold can be pulled away easily from the sides of the soap. This should be able to happen after 48 hours of insulation.
15. Take out the soap and cut into bars of your desired shape.

 

How to achieve a Glycerin Effect on your Soap

Glycerin appears on the soap as small cracks or uneven texture on the soap. This usually happens when the soap mixture in the cold process gets overheated.

The appearance of Glycerin is more of an aesthetic choice. The appearance of glycerin doesn’t mean the soap quality is bad.

Check out the texture of this black soap made by Soft Soaps!