How to Make Saponified Soap at Home
When making soap at home, use the cold process method to combine ingredients and produce a chemical reaction called saponification, which forms soap. The process of saponification involves the mixture of an acid, consisting of oils or fats, and an alkaline base, such as lye. These substances react to form a thick liquid that eventually hardens into homemade soap, leaving no traces of lye, a caustic chemical, behind. Use all-natural vegetable oils to produce a saponified soap rich in glycerin that both you and your family will enjoy using.
Things You'll Need
- 24 oz. filtered water, refrigerated
- 2-qt. heat-resistant glass measuring cup
- Rubber gloves
- Safety goggles
- Silicone spoon
- 12 oz. lye
- 4-qt, pot
- 44 oz. soybean oil
- 25 oz. coconut oil
- 16 oz. olive oil
- Soap-making thermometer
- 6-qt. pot
- Stick blender
- 2 oz. almond fragrance
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
- Soap mold
- Towels
- Soap cutter
- 2 baker's racks
Instructions
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1
Pour the cold, refrigerated 24 oz. of filtered water into a 2-qt. measuring cup made of heat-resistant glass. Put on rubber gloves and safety goggles. Slowly add the lye to the water, carefully mixing to completely dissolve it, using a silicone spoon. Place the hot solution aside so it can cool.
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2
Put 44 oz. soybean oil, 25 oz. coconut oil and 16 oz. olive oil into the 4-qt. pot. Warm the oils over medium heat until fully melted, stirring frequently. Monitor the temperature of both the liquefied oils and that of the lye solution with the soap-making thermometer; once each reaches approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the oils from the heat.
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3
Pour the oils into the 6-qt. pot you will use for soap making. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils, carefully using a silicone spoon to stir it in. Once you have combined the mixture with the spoon, switch to a stick blender. Use the blender for about one minute at a time, stirring in between with the spoon. Once the mixture becomes like a thick pudding or batter, it has begun to saponify or form soap, a state called "trace." This process should take less than 10 minutes.
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4
Mix in 2 oz. of almond fragrance oil and 1 tbsp. cocoa powder with a spoon until completely blended.
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5
Add the thick, liquid soap into a 7 to 8 lb. soap mold or other container. Cover the container. Wrap the mold in towels to insulate it. Set it aside for a period of 48 hours.
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6
Remove the soap from the mold and slice it into bars. Distribute these bars between two baker's racks to cool and cure for six weeks, during which time the soap will completely saponify. To ensure even exposure to the air, flip the bars over each week.
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Tips & Warnings
If you prefer, you can leave out the cocoa powder and add a fragrance oil of your choice.
This recipe makes approximately 7 lbs. of soap.
When weighing your ingredients, use a digital scale.
Combine the lye and water in a well-ventilated location in your home or outdoors; use a painter's mask during this time to avoid breathing in the fumes of the solution.
Lye and water combine to form a very hot liquid that can shatter normal glass, so always use a heat-resistant glass container to combine these substances.
Always pour lye into water, not water into lye which can cause a dangerous chemical reaction.
Make sure that your pots are made of stainless steel, not aluminum, as the aluminum can react dangerously with lye.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
