How to Make Olive Oil Soap at Home
Soap is made at home using a variety of formulas. These yield hard or soft soap, harsh or mild and clear or colored. The shapes are limited only by the mold used or the creativity of the soap maker through shaping or carving. Soap can be without a fragrance or incorporate a special blend combined just for a particular batch.
Formulas for soap can be experimented with, but the basic steps are the same. The steps shown here are for vegetarian olive oil soap, which is a soft soap.
Things You'll Need
- 2 lbs. 10 oz. olive oil
- 1 lb. 7 oz. solid vegetable shortening
- Enough extra vegetable shortening to grease molds
- 2 pts. soft water
- 1 lb. coconut oil
- 10¼ oz. lye
- 1½ oz. glycerin
- 1½ castor oil
- 2 qt. glass container
- 10 qt. enamel or stainless steel pot
- Wooden spoon
- Candy thermometer
- Rubber cloves
- Molds
- Blanket
- Newspaper
Instructions
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1
Spread newspaper over the work area. Grease the molds with the additional vegetable shortening and set aside.
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2
Pour water into the pot. Slowly stir the water while adding the lye to dissolve it. The chemical reaction causes the mixture to become very hot. Set aside to cool and then pour into the glass container. Place in a pan of warm water to keep the temperature at 95 degrees F.
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3
Clean the pot. Place the vegetable shortening and oils into the pot and heat to a temperature of 95 degrees F.
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4
Stir the vegetable and oil mixture in the pot. Continue stirring in a circular direction while evenly and slowly pouring in the lye solution.
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5
The mixture will become thick. Test to see if it's done by lifting some up with the spoon and dropping a little on top of the mixture. If the drop of mixture stays suspended for a moment before sinking, then the reaction is complete. Remove from the heat.
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6
Stir in the glycerin and castor oil. Pour the mixture into the molds.
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7
Set the molds in a warm place. Fold the blanket and cover the molds. Keep the molds covered for 24 hours.
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8
Uncover the molds and set them where air can circulate around them. Allow two to four weeks for the soap to set before removing from the molds. Test by pressing on the surface. The surface should be firm.
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Tips & Warnings
Designs can be pressed into the soap when it is set out in the circulating air. Essential oils can be added before the mixture is poured into the mold.
Work in a well-ventilated area. Don't lean over the pot or breathe in the fumes from the lye. The lye is added to the water, not the other way around. Lye is caustic and must be handled with care. Rinse with cold water if it gets on your skin.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Phanton
