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You can get goat's milk base, shea butter, glycerin, etc. but make sure you read the ingredients listed on the base before purchasing. All soap, regardless of the kind, goes through the saponification process and has lye in it. The pioneers of old used lye, which they made from wood ash and water until it formed lye, then it was mixed with either tallow or lard to form their soap. They didn't have the benefit of science like we do today to make sure it wasn't too harsh .
If you are not following an exact recipe, it might take a little trial and error to figure out how much fragrance to add to your soap. A general rule of thumb is to add about 1 teaspoon of fragrance per pound of soap. This base has already been saponified, so you can experiment with soap-making until you’re ready to make it from scratch. When adding lye to water, avoid touching the container with bare hands or breathing in the fumes.
How to Make Soap ~ Soap Making for Beginners
Some people move on from melt and pour to cold process soap making, but many are just fine with the ease and safety of melt and pour soap. In this project, you can get creative by choosing interesting molds or blending fragrances together. Who says you can't be creative with a melt and pour soap base? Loofah soaps are easy to make with this technique. Melt the base, add extras, and cut the loofahs in the color of your choice so they fit in the mold.
You can usually do this either in a pan on medium-low heat on the stove or in a heat-safe container in the microwave. If using the microwave, only heat the base in short bursts so you can keep an eye on when it starts to melt. Avoid stirring the mixture as it’s melting but at the point, all the base is fully melted. This soap recipe is so simple that it only requires four main ingredients, including a goat's milk melt and pour base, raw honey, soap colorant, and fragrance. Honey in any soap naturally benefits skin thanks to its antibacterial properties that can also brighten up a dull complexion.
Watch Now: 3 Ways to Make Your Own Soap
With a spatula, carefully stir the solution as you add the lye. It’ll become hot and release fumes, which is OK. On its own, this highly corrosive substance can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. However, when done properly, saponification turns lye into soap. Always add and stir lye into water and never water to lye. If you don’t stir and allow the lye to clump on the bottom, it could heat up all at once and explode.
If you prefer not to use a microwave, the soap base can be melted in a double boiler. If you don't want to use a commercial soap as the base for your laundry soap, you can substitute any bar of soap, though we do recommend one that's not got a lot of extra oil . Many folks use a 100 percent lard soap with zero percent superfat. (Extra oil is good for your skin, but not for your clothes.) If you don't mind that it's not a "natural" soap, the Fels Naptha Soap works great. It immediately gets as hot as boiling water and never pour your water into the lye, it can cause a chemical reaction like a volcano. Make sure all the soap additives in your recipe, such as color and fragrance, are ready to go.
How to Make Bar Soap Yourself
When I use homemade soap I notice a difference immediately. Soap is made when your base ingredients go through the chemical process of saponification. Today we have many oil choices, all of which allow you to custom your soap based on what you want from it. We'll be diving deep into those oil choices shortly. Using a rubber spatula, swirl the colored soap through the pot.
This makes it easy to lift the finished soap out of the mold by the paper. Soap Pot or Large Bowl—This is for mixing the entire thing together. It should be stainless steel, high-density plastic, enamel-lined or ceramic. Don’t use aluminum or nonstick surfaces; they will react badly with lye. Thermometer—A candy thermometer works well to measure the temperature of lye solution and oils.
Ingredients for making melt and pour soap
This means when you mix the two together they start a reaction that converts it into glycerin and your soap. After the soap has set for about 24 hours, it should be hard enough to unmold and slice. Slice it into the size bars you like and set it aside to cure. The soap is technically safe to use, but it is best tocure it for about four weeks before use. Pour the raw soap into amold, using a back and forth motion to spread the soap evenly. Scrape the last thick bits of soap out of the pot with a rubber spatula.
The melt and pour process is not soap from scratch. Instead, pre-made soap bases are simply melted and molded, and you don't have to touch any lye. Once the soap mixture has reached trace, stir in the fragrance oil, if using, until blended.
Additionally, using different molds to create the finished product can allow you to create themed soap that would fit your preference. Congratulations, you've entered the advanced world of liquid soap making. There are nearly as many recipes and variations with liquid soaps as there are with bar soaps. Though there are no preservatives, homemade liquid soap potentially has a longer shelf life than bar soap because of the difference in oil content. However, different oils and techniques will result in varying products, from liquid soap to shampoo to shower gel. Basic bath salts make an easy gift because they're fun to make and customize.
This recipe is only one of practically endless combinations and ratios of fats, lye, and other ingredients that you can use to make soap. Your work is now done, but the bars need to cure for 4 to 6 weeks (remember what I said about patience?) before being used. This time allows the water in the bars to fully evaporate, resulting in a harder and milder soap. Leave the soap to cure on a paper bag or baking rack in the same airy location. If you use a paper bag, turn the bars once or twice during the curing time to make sure all sides are equally exposed to air.
If you’re still not ready to take the plunge and work with lye, no worries. You can always start with melt and pour soap. Many citrus essential-oil scents fade too quickly, while other essential oils are too cost-prohibitive to use in soap.
Making soap with a melt and pour base is safe, easy, and convenient. The base has already gone through the saponification process, so you won't need to handle lye. First, purchase pre-made blocks of uncolored, unscented soap “base” from a craft store or soap supplier. The soap base is then melted in a microwave or a double boiler. When the soap is fully melted you can add fragrance, color, and additives.
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