How to Make Vegan Soap

Vegan soap is safe and gentle for babies and yonger children.

Vegans are those who, through their diet and their lifestyle choices, avoid the use of animal products or by-products. To satisfy vegan requirements, you would primarily have to shop at a natural foods store or a natural foods chain. Even many cosmetics, skin-care items and soaps are tested on animals or contain animal by-products. Soap sold in stores often contains tallow, an animal product. Making vegan soap at home makes sense because you can save money and customize it to your preferred scent (or lack of scent). It is fairly simple and a fun project to do with children. It is also safe and gentle for babies and toddlers.

Things You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Rubber gloves
• Scale
• Pitcher
• Canning jar
• Large glass measuring cup
• Liquid/candy thermometer
• Stick blender or wooden spoon,
• Metal pot
• Basic soap mold
• 19 oz. olive oil
• 19 oz. coconut oil
• 10 oz. palm oil,
• 7 oz. lye
• 16 oz. water
• Fragrance of choice (essential oils)

Instructions

1. Mix the lye solution. Lye is hazardous, so wear safety glasses and rubber gloves. Weigh 16 oz, of distilled water into the pitcher . Weigh 7 oz. of lye into a canning jar. Add lye to water, being careful to avoid splashes. Stir until mixture is completely dissolved. Note that the mixture will get hot. Set lye mixture aside to cool in a safe place (keep away from children!).

2. Mix the oils together in glass measuring cup. Pour into metal pot on the stove. Heat until all oils are around 100 degrees. While oils are heating, make sure the lye water and fragrance are ready to add. Turn stove off.

3. Add the lye water mixture to the oil blend. This makes the entire mixture appear cloudy. Mix well with stick blender or beat hard with wooden spoon. With stick blender, it should take around a minute or so to be properly blended; with the wooden spoon, it could take closer to an hourl.

4. Add the fragrance, approximately 2 oz., and mix slowly. If you do not wish to add a scent, skip this step.

5. When mixed, pour soap mixture into mold and set it in a safe, warm place to cure. After about 24 hours, it will have hardened enough that you can slice it into bars and use your homemade vegan soap.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be sure to add the lye to the water (rather than the other way around); it is safer that way.

References

• Soap making Supplies
• Soap making Kits

Resources

• About Veganism