Soap making is like a science experiment- it’s exciting, fun, and a little bit unpredictable. But with this beginner’s guide to soap making, you’ll be able to make the perfect batch of soap every time, without all the fuss.
Inside, you’ll find just the right amount of information to get started quickly and easily- so you can learn the basics without all that noise about advanced techniques. Plus, we’ve included a great recipe for you to try out your new skills!
Handcrafted soap for beginners.
Soap making is an art that takes time and practice to master. Making soap is a very satisfying process! You get to be creative, use natural ingredients, and the end result is a beautiful and useful product.
As a beginner, there are a few things you need to know in order to make soap successfully. However, making soap is also a bit of a science. There are specific measurements and steps that must be followed in order for the soap to turn out properly.
But don’t worry! Your first batch of soap can be as easy as baking…which is also quite scientific!
This guide will help you confidently make your first batch of soap with ease. We’ll cover all of the basics that you need to know, including what supplies you’ll need, how to measure and mix your ingredients, and troubleshooting tips.
This guide will help you confidently make soap with little effort while avoiding the pitfalls of being a beginner.
There are many advanced techniques and understanding in the world of soap making. The purpose of this guide is to educate the beginner without overwhelming you with too much information.
We will be teaching the art of making cold process soap, informing you on hot process soap, and will not be addressing melt and pour soap in this guide.
Why should you make handmade soap?
Soap is one of those products that we all use on a daily basis, but rarely think about where it comes from or how it’s made.
However, there are actually many benefits to making soap by hand.
For starters, handmade soap can be free of harsh chemicals that can often be found in store-bought varieties. Additionally, making soap is a great way to learn a new skill that could turn into a great side hustle.
And finally, handmade soap makes an impressive gift for friends and family. Once you see the smile on someone’s face when you give them handmade soap….you’re hooked! It’s never a bad gift.
So if you’re looking for a fun and practical project, learning how to make handmade soap is a rewarding option!
How is handmade soap different than storebought soap?
Handmade vs store-bought soap – there are a few key differences that handmade soap contains that store-bought soaps do not.
For one, handmade soap has all-natural cleansing surfactants, which means it does not contain any harsh chemicals or artificial ingredients used to clean skin. Those chemical ingredients in store-bought soap actually classify them as detergent.
In addition, handmade soap often contains glycerin, which is a natural humectant (preserves moisture) that helps to keep your skin hydrated. Glycerin is often removed from store-bought soaps in order to extend their shelf life, however, this can leave your skin feeling dry and irritated.
Finally, handmade soap is typically made in small batches, which means each bar is carefully crafted and denser than store-bought soap. As a result, handmade soap often lasts longer than store-bought options.
The handcrafted industry is large, exciting, and filled with talent! Join a growing community and live the everyday satisfaction of this rewarding hobby.
Chapter 1: Cold process soap vs hot process soap.
First, both cold process and hot process soap produce a bar of true soap with identical skin cleaning characteristics.
Second, both processes of making handmade soap require the use of lye. Technically, all soap needs lye to be classified as soap!
However, when making soap from scratch you will need to mix and handle lye which can be intimidating or off-putting to some. Unlike melt and pour soap which is already a soap that can be melted and altered to fit your needs…no lye mixing is required.
But don’t be afraid of lye! There is a difference between fear and respect. With a healthy amount of respect for this caustic substance, safety and confidence are possible.
(As mentioned earlier….we will not be discussing melt and pour soap crafting in this guide, but the process of making soap from scratch.)
What are the differences between cold and hot process soap?
Cold process soap and hot process soap each have their own benefits.
Cold process soap is made by combining oils and lye, then pouring the mixture into molds. The soap is left to set for several weeks, during which time the saponification process takes place.
Hot process soap is made by combining oils and lye, then heating the mixture until saponification occurs. The resulting soap is typically softer than cold process soap, but it can be used as soon as it cools.
Many soap makers prefer cold process soap because it keeps a smooth and even surface. However, hot process soap is a great option for those who want to make soap without having to wait weeks for it to be ready to use.
So, which type of soap should you make?
It honestly comes down to personal preference. If you enjoy the science behind making soap and are patient enough to wait a few weeks for your bars to cure, cold process soap is a great option for you. If you want to make soap without having to wait or prefer a softer bar of soap, hot process soap is a great option.
This guide will teach you how to make your first batch of cold process soap. It is our opinion that it is an easier method for beginners. Once you have mastered the different stages of soap, moving on to hot process soap would be a rewarding endeavor.
Why do they call it cold process?
Cold process soap is a type of soap that is made without the use of external heat. All the heat needed to create a chemical reaction is produced by the ingredients themselves.
In other words, no outside heat source is needed to get the soap mixture up to adequate temperatures needed for saponification (the act or process of making soap).
However, this does not mean that the chemical reaction is “cold”. It actually gets quite hot! So hot sometimes that it can create a volcano effect once the mix is put into a large soap mold. (But that can be prevented.)
Once the oils mix with the lye solution there is an immediate thermal response. The temperature will continue to climb all the way through gel phase (the heating stage) which can last for several hours. This takes place after the soap mixture has been poured into the molds.
Why do they call it hot process?
Hot process soap is a method of soap making where external heat sources (crock pots, burners, etc.) are added to the soap mixture to accelerate gel phase to only a couple of hours or so. Once the soap has been heated/cooked it has saponified and can go right into a mold to be cooled and cut!
Because the temperature during hot process method can get much hotter than cold process…that is why they use the word “cold” for the latter. Rest assured. There is nothing cold about it and caution should be observed.
The cold process method is slower than other methods, but this method of soapmaking is perfect for those who are new to soapmaking, as it is very forgiving and difficult to mess up.
Successful cold process soapmaking does require patience, however, as the process can take several weeks from start to finish.
It’s also a better practice to “cure” hot process soap and the wait time between the two methods is marginal. Either way, the wait is definitely worth it when you end up with beautiful, handmade cold process soap!
Chapter 2: Cold Process Soap ingredients: keep it simple!
Handmade soap is a wonderful way to nourish your skin with natural soap ingredients. And, it’s not as difficult to make as you might think!
Soapmaking is an ancient art that has been passed down through generations. Today, true soap is still made by hand in small batches, using a few simple ingredients.
Here are the basic soap ingredients you’ll need to get started (a recipe will be supplied for amounts at the end of the guide):
- Fat or oil (olive oil, coconut oil, etc.)
- Lye (sodium hydroxide)
- Water, distilled
- Essential oils (optional)
With just these four simple ingredients, you can create a variety of different kinds of soap. However, it’s important to make a very basic batch of soap when you are first getting started!
With all the YouTube videos and soaping tutorials out there it is very easy to go down the rabbit hole of wanting to do something fancy. But don’t.
There are so many nuances to adding extra ingredients outside these four basics. If you are not familiar with the process of making soap, you’ll walk a fine line between disaster and success. Not to mention the heartbreak of costly materials going to waste.
It’s ok! Making soap is a skill you can progress in quickly. After a few basic batches, you can move on to more advanced techniques. Just take it a little at a time and the soap of your dreams will be a reality shortly.
Let’s go over each soap ingredient and discuss the need and purpose of each in a batch of soap.
Soap oil: the magic of fatty acids.
Soap is made up of two main soap ingredients: oil and lye.
The oil is what provides the soap with its cleansing properties, while the lye helps to turn the oil into soap.
Fatty acids are a type of oil that can be used in soap-making. They are derived from animal or vegetable fats, and they help to give the soap its cleansing properties.
Fatty acids are classified based on their molecular structure. The three main types of fatty acids are saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Each type of fatty acid has different soap-making properties.
For example, saturated fats tend to be harder and have a higher melting point than unsaturated fats. As a result, they often make soap that is more resistant to melting in warmer temperatures. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, are softer and have a lower melting point. They often make soap that is more moisturizing.
So, when you are choosing an oil for your soap, you’ll want to consider what type of fatty acid it contains. You’ll also want to think about what properties you want your soap to have.
What oils should you choose?
If you’re not sure what oil to use, a good place to start is with olive oil. Olive oil is high in unsaturated fatty acids, which makes it a good choice for making soft, moisturizing soap.
Coconut oil is another popular option for soap-making. It’s high in saturated fatty acids, which gives it a hard texture and makes it good for making cleansing bar soap.
There are many other oils that can be used in soap-making, each with its own unique properties. Experimenting with different oils is part of the fun of making your own soap!
Again, staying out of the rabbit hole of soap making, this guide will give you a basic recipe at the end with easy beginner oils that have cooperative characteristics.
Sodium hydroxide: the caustic substance that makes lye.
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, is a caustic substance that can be used in a variety of cleaning and manufacturing applications. When dissolved in water, sodium hydroxide produces an alkaline solution, lye, that can be used in the production of soaps, detergents, and paper.
Although it is a powerful substance, sodium hydroxide is safe to use when handled correctly.
Water as a soap ingredient is the solvent that makes it all happen! Water is a necessary ingredient in soap making, but it doesn’t actually become part of the soap.
Instead, water is used to dissolve the sodium hydroxide so that it can be mixed with the oils. This chemical process is called saponification, and it’s what turns the oils into soap.
Sodium hydroxide is necessary in soapmaking because it is what causes the oils to saponify, or turn into soap. Without sodium hydroxide, you would just have a greasy mess! Without water, saponification wouldn’t be possible either, and there would be no soap.
There is a lot of nonsense online about making soap without lye. This is not possible. Many people are afraid of lye or think that it is unsafe to use. For this reason, there has been a small movement of crafters that want you to believe that soap can be made without lye.
It’s important to remember: there should be no lye in soap when soap is completed. Only soap!
How to use lye safely.
When working with sodium hydroxide, always take precautions to avoid contact with your skin or eyes.
- Wear rubber or latex gloves
- Use safety goggles
- Work in a room that can be ventilated
- Work away from pets and small children
- Keep neutralizers nearby
- Rinse and clean your lye containers thoroughly when finished
If you do come into contact with sodium hydroxide, or mixed lye, immediately flush the affected area with water for 15 minutes.
The best practice is to have lemon juice or a small bottle of vinegar nearby. Either of these substances will instantly neutralize the lye and take the sting away.
However, working slowly and following all the precautions it is not only possible, but likely you can make soap without bare skin coming into contact with the lye.
A quick word about SAP values for soap calculations.
Different oils have different saponification SAP values, which means that they require different amounts of lye to turn them into soap. The saponification value is a measure of the amount of lye required to completely react with 1 gram of oil.
For example, if an oil has a saponification value of NaOH (sodium hydroxide) 0.138, that means that 0.138 grams of sodium hydroxide are required to completely react with 1 gram of that oil. Each oil will have a unique SAP value.
The saponification value is important to know because it allows you to calculate the amount of lye needed for a recipe.
If you use too much lye, your soap will be harsh and drying. If you use too little lye, your soap will be greasy.
To say it another way…each molecule of oil or fatty acid in your soap has to match with a molecule of lye to turn into soap.
You can have extra oil floating around in your finished soap, but it is NEVER good to have extra or free lye floating around in your finished soap.
This would be referred to as a lye heavy soap. It is not safe to use on the skin.
Superfatting: the soaper’s gift to skin.
In the world of making soap, extra oil in soap is permissible up to 5%. This is called superfatting. Not only does it add some skin-loving benefits to your soap, but it also ensures that all the lye will get eatin’ up!
Soap making has become so popular and advanced, that there are many soap calculators you can use to make a soap formula or soap calculation. Gone are the days of doing this math by hand!
With online soap calcs you can be confident in making a skin-safe bar of soap.
However, you do not need to know any of this to make soap with this guide. The soap formula has been made for you! Just follow it like a recipe.
Fragrance: the highlight of soap!
When it comes to soap, the fragrance is everything! It’s what makes your soap unique and memorable, and it’s what sets the mood for your entire experience.
Whether you’re looking for a relaxing scent to help you unwind at the end of the day, or an invigorating one to wake you up in the morning, choosing the right fragrance for your soap can make all the difference.
There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a fragrance for your soap. First, think about the overall mood you’re trying to create with your soap. Are you going for something refreshing and clean-smelling, or something warm and comforting? Once you’ve decided on the general tone you’re going for, you can start narrowing down your options.
Next, think about the specific scents that you love. What fragrances make you feel happy, calm, or energized? Once you’ve identified a few of your favorite scents, you can start thinking about how to incorporate them into your soap.
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment! Soap-making is a great opportunity to try out new fragrances and combinations that you might not have considered before. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of resources available to help you find the perfect fragrance for your soap. With a little bit of trial and error, you’re sure to find a combination that you love.
A word of caution about fragrance in soap making.
With all of that said….adding fragrance to soap can be tricky! Fragrance, natural or synthetic, can alter the chemical process of soap making. Many batches of soap have been ruined by difficult fragrances.
Here are a few things that fragrance can do when making soap:
- Seizes your soap. Soap can go from very fluid to cement in seconds with the wrong scent!
- Discolor your soap. Just when you think you have created the most beautiful bar of soap, it turns brown or yellow during cure (most scents that have vanilla in them).
- The scent morphs. Scents smell differently out of the bottle than they do in a cured bar of soap.
Avoid getting cheap fragrances or essential oils. Craft stores and grocery stores are not the best places to buy cosmetic fragrances from.
If you want to use essential oil, buy online or from your local health store.
As for synthetic fragrances, unless you have a fragrance manufacturer locally, buy online! Do not get your fragrance from craft aisles at the local hobby store.
Even though mishaps are possible, buying from reputable fragrance suppliers reduces your risk greatly. With that said, even if you have a quality fragrance, some of these things can still happen. Especially if you are new to making soap.
The recipe at the end of this guide will use a safe tried and true essential oil.
And, if you want to make your first batch scent-free just to concentrate on the soap-making method…all the better! (That is what I did. :o))
Chapter 3: Supplies that make soaping a cinch.
Now that you have the four basic ingredients of soap, there are several supplies you need to actually mix the soap.
First, you will need a basic kitchen scale. It is the most important tool you will buy. All soap should be made using weight and not volume measurements.
Although there have been a few well-intentioned bloggers online that have published “at home soap recipes” using volume measurements (cups, tbs, tsp, etc.)…it is not the safest way to make soap.
Above all, if you want to become a serious soap maker, learn by weighing your ingredients from the very beginning.
One of the reasons soap is made using weight measurements and not volume measurements is because it is a very precise process!
Soapmaking requires the use of specific ratios of oil to lye, and these ratios can vary depending on the type of soap you are making.
Lye is a very dangerous substance. It is highly corrosive and can cause serious burns if it comes into contact with your skin.
If you are using volume measurements, it is very easy to accidentally add too much lye to the mix, which can be dangerous. By measuring by weight, you can be sure that you are adding the correct amount of lye to the mix.
Soapmaking is a precision process, and using weight measurements instead of volume measurements will help you to create a soap that is perfect every time. So, ditch the cups and tablespoons, and invest in a good kitchen scale! Your soaps will thank you for it.
The second most important tool when making soap.
A kitchen scale might not be the most common tool in a typical kitchen. Investing in one will be necessary.
In addition, the second most important tool when making soap, and also less likely to have, is a handheld immersion blender. Not the kind, with a whisk on the end, but with blades.
When you invest in this tool, you should know upfront, that it can ONLY be used to make soap and not food once you have mixed soap with it.
The porous metal can absorb the toxic ingredients in raw uncured soap. Not something you want to use to blend a batch of yummy homemade soup!
For this reason, people wonder if they can make soap without one. The answer is yes. But it is not recommended and it will take much much longer to bring soap batter to what is called “trace”, which we will discuss later.
These blenders can be as cheap as $17 and go up to $99. A $17 blender is just right for a beginning soap maker with how many batches you will make.
Always check with your local thrift store to see if they have one there! You can get it for pennies on the dollar. Just make sure you plug it in and see if it works before you leave the store.
Basic kitchen tools you can use for soap making.
You probably are already familiar with most of the basic tools needed to make soap. If you do any kind of cooking or baking at all, you have them in your kitchen!
But!
You will want to get new tools that are dedicated to just soap making. After you use a rubber spatula to scrape raw soap mix out of a bowl, it is unlikely that you will want to use that spatula on a batch of brownies.
Since you will most likely be making many batches of soap, a quick trip to the dollar or hardware store will get you what you need.
These tools will become fragranced and discolored over time and not safe to use on food at all. It’s an initial small investment that is worth the money.
Here is a list of basic household items that can be found at thrift or dollar stores.
- 3 plastic spout bowls OR
- 3 plastic paint containers– 1 quart (Lowe’s or Home Depot)
- Rubbermaid liquid container/16 oz or larger (#2 plastic: High-Density Polyethylene)
- 2 cup glass measuring cup
- 2 rubber spatula
- wooden spoon
- plastic or metal hand strainer
- bottom of a cereal box OR
- silicone molds OR
- cut the bottoms off 6-12 small paper cups
- butcher or parchment paper (if you go with the silicone molds, you do not need parchment paper.)
- laser thermometer (optional)
Here is a list of supplies you probably will not need to buy and have laying around the house.
- rubber gloves OR
- latex gloves
- paper towels
- terry cloth towels
- safety goggles
- heating pad (optional)
- a long-sleeved lab coat or just a long-sleeved shirt
If you don’t have any of these items, many of them can be found at local hardware, variety, or dollar store.
Chapter 4: Safety guidelines.
When making soap, there are a few safety precautions to keep in mind.
First, when you are mixing the sodium hydroxide with distilled water to make lye, you should always do this in a well-ventilated area.
Toxic fumes are immediately created when the two elements are combined. Not to mention the immediate heat that is produced. A room with a window that can open is sufficient or outside if the weather permits.
I usually just crack a window and mix it right by the open window if there is counter space there.
Second, when mixing the sodium and distilled water together, add the sodium to the water NOT the water to the sodium. Adding water to the sodium causes splashing and you want to minimize coming in contact with the lye.
Lastly, have a small bottle of lemon juice or vinegar nearby on the off chance you spill the container of lye. If this happens, immediately pour the lemon juice or vinegar on the surface or the skin where the lye spilled.
Have a roll of paper or terry cloth towels nearby to soak it up and always wear goggles and gloves.
Put all the lye-soaked materials into a plastic bag and throw it away. Preferably in an outside trash receptacle where children and pets can not get into it.
Cleaning up after the project.
Once your soap is made, the soap batter is “raw”. Simply put, it has not gone through the saponification or gel phase. It will take several hours for this to happen.
The batter will be caustic, so touching raw soap batter will burn the skin!
With this in mind, any raw soap batter left on supplies or in bowls and molds should be put up away from small children and pets or cleaned out immediately.
Always wear gloves when working with raw soap batter or making soap!
Although you can wash out your bowls and containers right away, it is best practice to clean them up the next day when even the small amounts of raw batter have saponified.
This is for two reasons:
- It is safer and easier to clean it up because at this point it is soap! Just add hot water and wash it out with a rag.
- Until the soap has saponified, it is lye and oil. The oils are not good for your drainage systems. Unless you have a grease trap under your sink, washing out your raw soap bowls right away can be problematic for your plumbing. Especially if you are on a septic tank.
When should you clean your soaping equipment?
Once all the soap has been mixed, put all the soaping supplies… covered in raw soap…into a plastic garbage sack, or in a large box, and put it up and away from children and pets.
It’s actually very fun to come back and wash the supplies the next day and watch all that beautiful lather bubble up. That is the soap you made!
As a final thought, wash all surfaces with hot soapy water and spray with a little lemon juice for good measure.
Chapter 5: How to make cold process soap
It’s time to learn how to make cold-process soap! Making soap is by far one of the most satisfying and addictive hobbies available. Prepare to dream, eat, sleep and breathe soap.
Consider yourself warned!
At this point, you have bought all the ingredients and supplies needed from the previous chapters. You can choose a beginning recipe online or use the one I have provided. There is a full list at the end of this guide, along with the recipe that you can print out.
The steps below do not include particular recipe amounts. They are designed to show you the process of making a basic soap recipe…whichever recipe you choose.
Measuring the lye.
- Prepare your workspace by clearing it of anything that will get in the way. Make sure there is plenty of room to spread out your scale, bowls, and soap mold. If you will be working in your home kitchen or other high traffic areas, prepare your family and lock out your pets.
- Take out all your ingredients and get them ready to weigh. Everthing should be in front of you at this point.
- Put on your work smock, gloves, and goggles.
- Turn on your digital scale and set the measurement to ounces (oz).
- Place your glass or plastic measuring cup on the scale. Hit the “tare” button to clear the weight of the measuring cup. Your scale should say 0 with the cup sitting on it.
- Pour distilled water into the cup until you get to the desired weight. When you get close, start pouring slowly or in drops. If you go over, simply pour some out and set the glass measuring cup back on the scale. The scale will remember the weight.
- Pour the water into the Rubbermaid or other brand #2 plastic: High-Density Polyethylene plastic liquid container.
- Zero out the measurements on the scale, and place a paper cup or other small bowl or container on the scale. Hit the “tare” button to zero out the weight of the container.
- Pour the sodium hydroxide into the container until you have reached the desired weight. If you go over, gently take some out with a spoon a little at a time.
Mixing the Lye
- Slowly, and gently, pour the sodium hydroxide into the plastic container with the water in it. With a wooden spoon or handle of the wooden spoon, depending on the size of the opening, gently stir the mixture until it starts to dissolve. Set aside near an open window or away from where you are working to prevent spills.
- OPTIONAL: Take the temperature of the lye. Lye should be between 76-and 100 degrees before you mix it with the oils. When you first mix the lye it will rise quickly to a temp hotter than that. In this beginner’s guide, you will be soaping at room temperature which means you will be waiting for the lye to settle to room temperature before mixing it. As you become a more advanced soaper, you can study the varying temperatures to soap at, but soaping at room temperature to start is good.
- Wait for the lye to cool. Because you are working with a small amount of lye this should happen within 30 min or so. However, to speed things up, place the Rubbermaid container with the lye in a bowl of ice next to the open window. This will speed it up considerably.
- PRO TIP: Make your lye the night before you want to make soap! It will be at room temp right when you want to make cold process soap. Before you put your mixed lye away for the night, let it cool enough that you can put a lid on the container. This will prevent too much film from forming on the surface. If the film does develop…no worries! You’ll take care of it when making soap. Put the container up and away from children and pets until ready for use. Keeping mixed lye in storage requires a lot of precaution. For this reason, I have you use the #2 plastic: High-Density Polyethylene plastic liquid container. It is a plastic that can hold the caustic substance for long periods without deteriorating.
Mixing the soap oils
Measuring the oils will be done exactly the same as measuring the lye, just a different ingredient.
- Turn on your digital scale and set the measurement to ounces (oz).
- Place one of your plastic paint buckets or spout bowl on the scale. Hit the “tare” button to clear the weight of the container. Your scale should say 0 with the container sitting on it.
- Pour the first liquid oil into the bowl until you get to the desired weight. When you get close, start pouring slowly or in drops. If you go over, simply pour some out and set the container back on the scale. The scale will remember the weight. Set that filled container aside.
- Continue with the next liquid oil in the recipe. Pour it into a seperate bowl on the scale repeating the same steps. Set that filled container aside. Repeat these steps until you have measured all liquid containers in their separate bowls.
- Zero out the measurements on the scale, and place another bowl or container on the scale. Hit the “tare” button to zero out the weight of the container. Scoop your solid oil from its jar and put it in the container. Continue until you are at the desired weight. Set that filled container aside.
- Repeat these processes, weighing each oil in its own container until you have them all weighed. Make sure you “tare” the scale after each time you set an empty container on it and before you add materials to the container.
You should now have as many bowls as you do different oils sitting in front of you with the correct amount of oil in each one.
Adding Fragrance when you make cold process soap.
The fragrance is the most exciting part of making cold process soap! However, when weighing fragrance it can come out of the bottle quite strong. Some people like to wear a face mask or at the very least ventilate the room. This is in order to prevent any possible headaches that can be triggered.
In the event, you spill a bottle of fragrance, have some baking soda, flour, cat litter, or anything other absorbing materials nearby. You will be able to clean it up without spreading it everywhere while at the same time reducing fumes.
If you have chosen to make a scent-free soap your first go, then skip this part.
Weighing the fragrance.
- Turn on your digital scale and set the measurement to ounces (oz).
- Place a paper cup or the glass measuring cup (clean) on the scale. Hit the “tare” button to clear the weight of the container. Your scale should say 0 with the container sitting on it.
- Pour the first fragrance into the container until you reach the desired weight. Set the container aside.
- If you are using a small amount of fragrance and the weight of a small bottle is exactly what you will be using, there is no need to weigh it. You can pour it straight from the bottle.
Mise en place: everything in its place. Time to soap!
While many people think that French phrases are difficult to understand, this term, mise en place (MEEZ ahn plahs) is quite simple.
Mise en place means “to have everything prepared before you start cooking” and it’s used by experienced chefs who want their food cooked quickly with minimal effort!
So it is with the experienced soap maker! All the steps outlined above are mise en place. Prepping your soap ingredients as you go minimizes mistakes, accidents, and poor outcomes. For this reason, it also helps make cold process soap go very quickly once you have everything prepped.
With that said, it’s time to mix the soap.
Mix your cold process soap.
- Take your largest spout bowl or paint container and add all of your measured oils into it. Use a rubber spatula to thoroughly scrape every last drop of oil from each container. If your largest bowl or container already has oil in it, that’s ok. Just add all the other oils to it.
- Stir the oils around for a minute with the spatula.
- Wearing gloves and goggles, add the room temperature or cooled lye to the master container of oils. Pour out every last drop! Stir with a spatula for a few minutes and let the lye incorporate into the oils. You will notice an immediate chemical reaction as the oils become more viscous and the solution heats. If you opted to buy a thermometer it’s fun to check the temp every couple of minutes just to see how fast it is rising. It is also nice to observe and notate the data for when you make your next batch of soap.
- The oils will continue to heat, become more viscous, and the hard oils will melt. Traditionally, when you make cold process soap you would heat the oils over a burner for this step. However, this “heat transfer” method is adequate for beginner soap makers. Especially if you use the recipe in this guide. For this reason, it uses oils that are particularly responsive to the heat transfer method. As you make more soap and incorporate other ingredients like butter, you will work with higher temps and need a burner and a thermometer.
- Once the oil mixture is clearly combined and melted it is time to use the blender to bring the oils and lye to trace. There should be NO free-floating pieces of hard oils.
- !!!Place your stick blender into the bowl of oil and lye before you turn it on!!! Remember, you want to reduce splashing as much as possible. It’s also important to hold the stick blender upright…straight up and down….as much as possible. Again…splashing.
- Turn on the blender and gently move it around the container of oils and lye. Keep the blender head submerged to prevent splashing. Use a circular motion and go around the container a few times. You can also do blending bursts where you turn the blender on and off in spurts and then mix in circles with the blender off.
Read the next two paragraphs to understand what happens next and how long you need to mix.
What is “trace” in soap making?
As you make more and more batches of soap, it will be important to realize each stage your soap batter is in.
Equally important, you will need to know the difference between emulsion and trace. If you pour your soap into the mold when it is at the early emulsion stage, you will have soap that will not saponify. In other words…..a greasy sad mess.
On the other hand, the soap batter that has reached trace is the batter that has been mixed past the early emulsion phase. Early emulsion simply put means: mixed, but can still separate.
Trace means mixed to an emulsion, but it is stable, and can not separate anymore. Basically, it means the point of no return. The only place left to it to go from here is…soap!
It takes a trained eye and some trial and error to recognize the difference between a premature trace, or early emulsion, and a true trace. Be that as it may, this guide will help you get your soap to the proper phase of emulsion without worry!
Mix the soap for the right amount of time.
If you have gotten to this part in the soap-making process, you are about to take some of the most important steps to how soap is made.
Saponification is the chemical process of mixing everything you just measured, weighed, and turned into soap. Hopefully, everything to this point should have been done with accuracy and precision.
With that said, it is time to mix the soap to trace.
- Continue to blend your soap batter moving your handheld blender in circular motions. Keep the head of the blender submerged so as to not splash.
- Every few seconds stop the blender and check the thickness and emulsion of the soap batter.
- This is done by lifting the blender head out of the batter and letting some of the soap batter stream onto the surface of the remaining batter in the bowl. If lines and droplets of batter that just came off the blender head leave a “trace” of batter or outlines on top of the surface, your batter is at trace. It means the batter is stable and thick enough to support the weight of the dopped batter.
- If the batter disappears into the remaining batter in the bowl and leaves no trace of batter on the surface, or quickly falls into the batter and the surface becomes smooth again, then you are at early emulsion. The weight of the dropped batter can not be supported on the surface, and your ingredients can still potentially separate.
- STOP at early emulsion or early trace if you are adding fragrance! This is the ideal time to add fragrance. The batter can leave a trace on the surface but not be too thick. It also can sink in and still be good. (Soap batters can be mixed until the consistency of pudding which would be a thick trace. But don’t let it get that far before adding your fragrance.)
- Pour your fragrance into the mixed soap batter.
- With a rubber spatula, thoroughly stir the fragrance into the batter.
- Once the fragrance is mixed into the batter, take your blender and blend in 2-3 short bursts once more for just a few seconds to make sure the fragrance is fully incorporated.
- Stir once more with your rubber spatula until you are confident that your soap batter is smooth and at full trace.
One reason for not adding fragrance on your first batch!
You do not want to use your stick blender when you first add fragrances. This will speed up trace tremendously, and depending on the fragrance you use, can turn your soap batter into a solid mass in seconds. In time you will learn which fragrances will do that to your soap and which ones will not.
The fragrance used in the recipe at the end of this guide is a beginner-friendly fragrance that will not seize up your soap. Follow the directions as outlined and there will not be a problem.
Pouring the soap batter.
If you chose to use the bottom of the cereal box, which is supposed to mimic a loaf mold, then this is how to pour the soap into the mold:
- Take the container with the soap batter that has reached trace. With a rubber spatula handy, start pouring into the lined soap mold (cereal box).
- Hold the rubber spatula head over the mold towards the short end of the mold, at a downward angle.
- Pour the soap batter into the soap mold, over the spatula head, cascading off the spatula, and into the mold. This will reduce the number of bubbles the stick blender created while mixing the soap, and make your soap surface much smoother after cutting.
- Once all the batter has poured out, use the same spatula to thoroughly scrape all the batter out of the bowl and into the soap mold. Leave almost nothing in the bowl, a thin film.
- Fill the mold until 1/2″-1″ room is left at the top. If there is more batter, pour it into a paper cup.
- Gently pick up the soap mold and tap it on the counter. Do this several times until the batter has evened out in the mold and left a smoother top.
- Take a piece of cling or plastic wrap, and gently lay in on the surface of your soap.
- Wrap your soap mold in a towel to insulate it, and leave it in a corner away from pets and small children for 24-48 hours. Leave the towel on the whole time.
Pouring soap batter into silicone molds or paper cup bottoms.
If you chose to use paper cups or a silicone mold to make individual soaps, then pouring is a snap.
- Place your silicone mold or cut paper cup bottoms on tin foil, parchment paper, or a towel-lined cookie sheet. Make sure there is a little room between each paper cup if going that route.
- Slowly pour into each container and stop just before it reaches the top.
- Line the tops of the cups or the silicone mold with plastic wrap. Cover with a towel for insulation.
- If you have a heating pad, place the cookie sheet on top of the heating pad, on a low setting, for 1-2 hours. Then turn it off and put the cookie sheet in a safe place for 24-48 hours.
If you don’t have or did not buy a heating pad, the soap will still turn out. It will take just a little longer to unmold. I have made many batches of soap without a heating pad! It’s just a nice extra tool in your toolbelt.
Chapter 6: After the soap is made.
As a soap maker, the hours you have to wait to unmold your soap is tortuous! You’ll find yourself sneaking in and peeking at it like a resting baby.
Whatever you do, don’t lift the insulating towels off the soap during those first important hours. You want to lock in as much heat as you can. This moves the gel phase along quicker.
Once the gel phase has completed, you can lift off the towels or blankets, but it still might not be time to unmold the soaps.
- 12 hours remove the towels.
- 24 hours check to see if the soap is still sticky.
- 36-48 hours unmold.
If you used the loaf mold, wait the full 48 hours before unmolding. Even then, check to see how sticky the soap is by pulling the sides of the mold away gently. If it is sticky, then wait.
If it peels away effortlessly and the sides of the soap are smooth, it is time to unmold!
Smaller individual cavity molds are ready sooner.
Unmolding the soap.
By far the most exciting part of making soap is unmolding it! It’s satisfying and rewarding and addicting. You’ll find yourself making soap JUST so you can unmold and or cut it.
For loaf mold:
- Gently peel all four sides of the mold or paper away from the soap.
- Slowly lift the soap lof out of the mold by holding on to the overhanging paper.
- If for some reason the bottom of the loaf sticks, gently turn the loaf upside down and press all along the bottom of the loaf releasing the soap. Try again.
- Once out of the mold, gently pull the paper away from the loaf. Pull the loaf bottom off the paper.
For cavity silicone molds:
- Pull the mold away from the sides of each individual soap gently with your fingers.
- With your hand push up on the bottom of each cavity or mold until the soap pops out of the mold.
- If the soap budges it might be too sticky or wet. Wait another day.
For paper cup bottoms:
- Gently tear the cup away from each soap
Cutting a loaf of soap.
If you decided to go the way of a loaf of soap, then you will need to cut individual bars.
You can be very precise about this and use a ruler to mark 1″ segments down your loaf or you can eyeball it.
- With a ruler, take your knife and mark 1″ segments down your loaf mold. Make the mark on both sides of the loaf making your ruler as a straight guide.
- Using a large cutting or butcher knife, line up the blade evenly across the width of your loaf on the first soap marks. Keep the blade as straight up and down as possible so as not to slope the cut.
- Press down gently and slowly through the soap loaf.
- The soap bar will most likely stick to the knife. DO NOT PULL IT OFF. This will damage the bar of soap. Slowly, twist the soap off the knife.
Testing your soap for safety.
When you first start making soap, it’s important to familiarize yourself with how to test your soap for pH.
Simply put, you are just making sure that it is not lye heavy, and safe to use. Generally speaking, very lye heavy soap most of the time does not need a ph test as it is visibly dry and crumbly. But, it’s always best to test and make sure.
Although there are a few different ways to test the pH of soap, two of the most popular methods are the zap test and ph strips.
The zap test is the simplest and quickest way to test the pH of soap. To perform the zap test, simply touch a small amount of soap on your tongue. If you experience a tingling or numbing sensation, then your soap is too alkaline and needs to be adjusted. However, if you don’t feel anything, then your soap is fine.
If you’re using ph strips to test the pH of your soap, you should wet the strip and then touch it to the soap. The strip will change color, depending on the pH of the soap. Follow the graph on the side of the ph strip bottle to determine the number.
Most bars of soap are between 7-8 on the ph scale.
Now that you know how to test the pH of your soap, it’s time to cure it!
Curing the soap
Soapers use the word “cure” when we refer to letting soap rest and dry out. The curing process is not making the soap safe to use. The soap you made will actually be safe to use within 2-3 days of making it assuming it passed the zap or ph test after unmolding. It has been completely saponified and should be safe to use.
However, curing the soap is a step, albeit a lengthy one, that makes the difference between a good bar of soap and an amazing bar of soap.
Curing soap is the process of allowing it to sit for a period of time (usually 4-6 weeks) in order to allow excess water to evaporate and for the soap to harden. This results in a bar of soap that is long-lasting, has a good lather, and is gentle on the skin.
All things considered, soap needs to be cured because it contains a high amount of water.
Although curing soap is not absolutely necessary, it is definitely worth the effort!
How to cure soap.
There are a few different ways to cure soap, but the most common method is to simply let it sit out in a cool, dry place. Most soapers will cure their soap on wire racks, shelves, or even towels.
It’s best practice to cure the soap in a way where air can circulate all around it. The perfect home tool for this is a cookie cooling rack! Line them up on the rack and put them in an out-of-the-way place.
But not too out of the way! You will want to regularly admire and sniff them.
If you happen to live in a very humid climate, the drying out or curing process will take longer. Find the driest place in your home or consider using a dehumidifier if you will be making soap regularly.
Soap can be cured for as little as 4 weeks, but for best results, it is typically cured for 6 weeks.
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting
Despite our best efforts, sometimes things go wrong. It could be as simple as missing a step or not completing a step correctly. Here are some of the most common irregularities you might find in your finished soap, and a possibility of what went wrong.
Dry crumbly soap or failed the zap test
Most of the time dry and crumbly means there is too much lye in the soap. Especially with this guide since there are no other ingredients in our recipe that would cause it. It’s not even worth doing a zap test!
Other ingredients in advanced soap making that could possibly make this happen are too much sodium lactate, titanium dioxide, or mica colorant.
If your soap is smooth but failed the zap test, it is still lye heavy.
The best way to remedy this is to grate the soap into a powder or flakes and melt it in a pot with a little bit of water and some extra olive oil. Stir it up and put it back in the mold.
This is called rebatched soap and will not be as smooth as a cold process pour, but it is still really nice soap. The fun thing about this soap is it is light and airy and will float!
Oil sitting on top of the loaf after saponification.
This is a common troubleshoot for beginner soap makers.
First of all, the oil could either be your base oil or it could be fragrance oil.
If it is the base oils, then trace was not properly achieved during the mixing process. The soap is separating. If it is the fragrance oil, again, it was not mixed in thoroughly.
Secondly, it is still salvageable! Using the same method as lye heavy soap, scoop the soap out of the mold and put it over low heat until it is viscous again. This can be done over a burner or in a crockpot on low for an hour.
Stir up the soap, and put it back into the mold. It will have the chunky rustic look of rebatched soap but will be just as wonderful.
Soap does not set up in the mold.
If you have waited the full 48 hours and your soap is still liquid, give it another 24 hours. If after this additional time it has still not set up it could be for a few reasons.
First, it is possible that there was not enough heat generated to complete a gel phase. Although this is not a problem, the soap is still safe to use, it will take days to set. Possibly up to a week.
Second, there may not have been enough hard oils in the recipe. For instance, a straight olive oil soap takes several days to unmold. On the contrary, a straight coconut oil soap can unmold in just a few hours!
The recipe in this guide has the right balance, if this happens it is most likely a gel phase issue or not enough lye.
If after a week it has still not set up, place the soap in a freezer for a couple of hours then gently unmold it. You can also wait it out and it will set up in a few weeks.
Chapter 8: Conclusion
Making soap is a fun and rewarding hobby that anyone can enjoy. With a little patience and practice, anyone can make beautiful, unique soaps at home.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to making soap! I especially hope that you have fallen in love with making handmade soap.
If you follow this guide 2-3 more times and get the hang of it you’re well on your way to mastering soap. You can create your own recipes, and designs, and maybe even start to sell your creations.
The initial investment of time and money is noteworthy. However, one batch of supplies can make many batches of soap. Not to mention, the process gets faster and faster.
I would love to see a picture of your first soap! Post it on Instagram and tag @soapnittygritty.