As more people become aware of the long-term effects of antibacterial soaps, they’re opting for natural alternatives. This shift has brought soap-making back into popularity. If you’re new to the craft, get ready for a delightful experience! Although it might seem intimidating initially, the process is incredibly rewarding.
Farmer’s markets are vibrant with homemade soaps, but if they’re too pricey for you, don’t worry. You can easily move away from antibacterial soaps by crafting your own cold process soap at home!
Soap results from a chemical reaction when you mix an animal or vegetable fat with a base, like sodium hydroxide. This reaction, called saponification, involves breaking down triglycerides (which are compounds of glycerol and fatty acids) using an alkali. In soap-making, the alkali is sodium hydroxide, known as lye.
To start, you mix lye with water to create a basic solution, which you then blend with fats. As the reaction begins, glycerol separates from the fatty acids, which then bond with hydroxide ions in the lye. The outcome of this process is glycerin, great for moisturizing the skin, and soap. There’s no leftover lye after the reaction, just a new substance.
Some people worry about lye, but it’s essential in soap-making. While you could buy a pre-made soap base, crafting your own is more cost-effective. The choice of method is personal. This guide focuses on cold process soap, but you can adapt the recipe for hot process soap if preferred.
Both methods start the same. First, you make a lye/water solution and mix it with oils to begin saponification. In cold process soap, you add any extras and pour it into a mold once it reaches trace. With hot process soap, you let the mixture “cook” in a slow cooker, add extras, and then mold it. Cold process soap takes about 4-6 weeks to be ready, while hot process soap can be used almost immediately, though it benefits from a little time to harden.
I’ve tried both methods and appreciate each for different reasons. Cold process soap is easier to mold, especially if you want a patterned finish. I lean towards hot process for everyday use since it’s quick to finish when I’m in a hurry. Both methods yield lovely soap!
Your basic supplies will be water (distilled is best), lye, and some kind of fat, like olive oil or tallow. Using a lye calculator is smart to ensure correct ratios for saponification. There are endless combinations for soap recipes, each oil impacting the result differently—some for cleansing, others for moisturizing, with various lather characteristics.
You can stick to one type of oil or mix several. Olive oil soap, or castile soap, is very mild, while tallow soap is excellent for cleansing, ideal for laundry. I like using at least two oils for more depth in my soap, balancing different qualities.
A blend of olive, coconut, and castor oils is a good starting point. This combo produces a gentle soap with a nice lather. Optional ingredients can personalize your soap. Essential oils for scent, clays for silkiness, or sea salt for exfoliation are popular choices. You can also add textures with ground coffee, oatmeal, or botanicals and color with natural powders like cocoa or turmeric.
Experiment with different liquids like goat milk, herbal tea, or even beer as you learn more. Remember, all soap uses lye, including melt-and-pour bases. Despite common beliefs, soap made with lye can be natural and safe, especially when done correctly, as no lye remains in the final product. Many soaps add extra fat (super-fatted) to ensure no lye stays, also boosting moisture by about 5%.
Handling lye is a major concern for beginners, but with the right safety measures, it’s manageable. The first attempt may feel nerve-wracking, but it becomes easier with practice.
If you’re ready to dive into soap-making, especially the cold process method, keep a set of tools specifically for this purpose. While not necessary, it ensures your tools stay clean for cooking.
Most recipes suggest blending the lye/water and oils together until you reach trace. This means mixing until there’s no separation in the mixture. If not mixed well, oils can separate in the mold, creating lye pockets. At a light trace, the mix looks like cake batter; a medium trace is like pourable pudding, and a thick trace holds its shape, requiring spooning into the mold.
Have you tried making your own soap? Feel free to share your favorite recipe!
