How to Make Handmade Soap to Give as a Christmas Gift

Nothing is more luxurious than old-fashioned handmade soap. These all-natural soaps (also known as cold-process soaps) take some time to make and cure, but if you have a soap lover on your Christmas list, they will be thrilled to receive these as presents.

Things You'll Need

• 11 oz. (311 grams) Crisco
• 2.2 oz. (62 grams) Lye
• 5 oz. (141 grams) Coconut oil
• 6.2 oz. (175 grams) Distilled water
• Sharp knife to cut soap
• Metal spoons
• Old newspapers or garbage bags to cover work area
• Eye protection
• Soap molds, individual or one large one (recommended)
• Proper clothes to cover up
• Pot to melt ingredients on the stove
• An accurate kitchen scale
• An old towel on which to lay the soaps when you remove them from the mold
• Gloves
• Thermometer
• A sturdy container to mix your lye and water
• Vinegar
• An old blanket to cover the soap

Instructions

1. Read the instructions thoroughly and double-check that you have all the necessary ingredients. You will be working with a product called lye, which is extremely caustic on its own and can cause severe burns if it comes in contact with your skin. This does not mean that your soaps will be harsh. In fact, natural handmade soaps are gentle on the skin, but only after they have properly cured. Be prepared to take all the safety precautions recommended or severe injury could result.

2. Put aside three hours in which you can uninterruptedly devote yourself to the creation of handmade soaps. Do not attempt to make soaps when young children are around.

3. Prepare a clutter-free workspace such as a well-ventilated kitchen. Place several layers of newspaper on the surface of the work area for protection.

4. Wear proper attire. Cover as much skin as possible to avoid lye burns. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, shoes, rubber gloves and eye protection such as goggles.

5. Keep a container of vinegar close and ready to use in case your skin comes in contact with the lye. Should this occur, immediately douse the area with the vinegar to neutralize the lye and avoid burns.

6. Carefully open the container of lye and weigh it.

7. Measure the water. It needs to be cold, as the addition of the lye will significantly heat it.

8. Slowly mix the lye with the water and stir thoroughly. Since fumes will result, do this in a well-ventilated area such as the kitchen sink. If your kitchen or work area lacks adequate ventilation, mix the lye in your back yard or driveway. Always pour the lye into the water-never the reverse.

9. If you have mixed together the water and lye outside, place a lid on the mixture and carefully bring it back inside to the work area. Be very careful to avoid spills. Once the mixture is inside, remove the lid.

10. Let the water and lye mixture sit and cool.

11. While the mixture is cooling, weigh and melt your oils in a steel pot on the stove, stirring while they heat up to quicken the melting process. Be sure all the oils have melted into a liquid state.

12. Once the oils are completely melted, wait until the melted oils and the water and lye mixture are the same temperature before blending them. You can place them in a sink filled with cold water to cool them or hot water to warm them. Let them cool to approximately 95 to 100 degrees F. Use a thermometer to determine the temperature.

13. Stir the oils and slowly pour the water and lye mixture into the melted oils. Continue stirring in the middle of the pot, not just around its edge.

14. The oils will start to change from clear to a whitish color. The raw soap is beginning the process called saponification, when the oils and lye begin to react with each other and neutralize. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough that when you take a spoonful of raw soap and pour it back on the rest, the spoonful takes a moment to settle back into the mixture. This stage is called "tracing" and can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. The handmade soap cannot be poured into the mold and begin curing without first tracing.

15. Upon completion of tracing, add coloring or fragrances specifically intended for cold process soaps. Liquid cosmetic colors purchased through a reputable soap supplier are best. Fragrances should be approved for cold process. Some essential and fragrance oils have a "flash point" that is lower than the temperature of the mixture and could cause a reaction if heated beyond this point. Buying fragrances from a soap supplier specializing in cold process soap will help eliminate this concern. See the resource box for a recommended cold process or handmade soap supplier.

16. Pour the handmade soap mixture into the mold and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the cover on the soap mold and wrap it with a blanket. Place it in a high, draft-free place, out of the reach of small children. Let the soap sit for 24 hours. Do not peek during this time. It is going to get really warm as it finishes saponifying.

17. After the 24 hours are up, carefully unwrap the soap and check to ensure that it has cooled to room temperature. If it is still warm, wrap it again and let it sit for another 5 to 6 hours. Wear gloves while handling the soap at this stage, as it is not yet cured and is still caustic.

18. Once the soap has reached room temperature, put on rubber gloves and remove it from the soap mold. Put the soap in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours to make removal easier. Once you take the soap out of the freezer, let it sit for 15 minutes to form some condensation. Do not touch the soap with your bare hands at any time.

19. Put an old towel on the kitchen counter and place the soap mold upside down on the towel. Give the mold a few gentle taps to remove the soap and then give the soap a few hours to thaw.

20. When the soap has thawed, use a large, sharp knife and cut it into uniform bars.

21. Place the soap on a towel and allow it to cure, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 weeks.

22. Use pH strips to test the acidity of the soap by following the strip's directions. If the strip indicates the soap is still too acidic, the soap will need to cure for another 1 to 2 weeks before it is ready.

23. Package the finished soaps with ribbon or place them in little gift bags. Label it to let the recipients know what it is.

Tips & Warnings

• For a completely natural bar of soap, use spices to color the soaps instead of liquid dyes. Try turmeric for gold soaps. Chlorophyll will make green soaps and alkanet root will make pink soaps. For the best coloring effect, add the dried spices to 4 tablespoons of oil (olive oil works great) and microwave on high for one to two minutes. Strain the mixture until you get an evenly colored liquid and add to the soaps at the trace stage.

• Always use extreme caution when working with lye. Cover all exposed skin and be very diligent if others are around when making handmade soap.