How to Make Cold Process Organic Soap

When handling lye, be very careful to prevent serious burns to your skin.

When you make cold-process soaps, you will need to look at the saponification chart which gives you the value of different oils being used on a saponification chart. This will help you determine how much lye is needed to use with the oils you are using. Also, you will be able to avoid pouring too much lye to make the soap which can result in irritation to your skin and result in high pH levels. With the right equipment and ingredients, you are ready to start making your own soap.

Things You'll Need

• Heavy duty rubber gloves
• Safety goggles
• 2 1/2 gallon plastic pouring containers
• 2 large plastic spoons
• Thermometer
• Scales
• Roll of plastic wrap
• 1 Stainless steel large pot
• 1 plastic shoebox
• 1 pound hemp/coconut/olive oil batch
• 5 oz. coconut oil
• 5 oz. hempseed oil
• 6 oz. olive oil
• 2.3 oz. lye (sodium hydroxide)
• 6 oz. water

Instructions

1. Wrap the plastic shoebox with plastic wrap. You want to line the entire box with plastic wrap. Once you're done, set the box on the counter top under an old cloth. The plastic shoebox will be your mold for the soap and then later the soap will be cut into small bars.

2. Slide on your gloves all the way to your elbows. If you don't have long gloves, wear an old, thick, long-sleeved shirt. Put on your goggles. Add the lye to the water. You will heat up this mixture and then stir it being careful not to breathe in the fumes. Set the mixture a side to cool off for approximately 110 F. If the fumes are strong and your area is not well ventilated, place the mixture outside where others cannot access it.

3. Pour in the hemp-seed oil, coconut oil and olive oil into your stainless steel pot on low temperature. Place the thermometer into the pot. Make sure the temperature does not exceed 120 Fahrenheit. Melt the oils until it turns into a thick liquid. Remove the pot with the oils from the stove and set it aside. Let it stand until temperature reaches about 110 Fahrenheit or within five degrees of the lye water. Make sure the temperature matches correctly.

4. Add the lye water to your oil mixture carefully so that the hot water will not splash on you. Forcefully, but carefully, stir the mixture until you see that the mixture looks like a thin pudding which is called a trace. For a quicker trace, use a stick blender to speed up the process. This could take hours if you do this by hand. As an option, you can add essential oils and stir well. Pour your thick soap into your plastic shoebox for molding. Perform this step in a back and forth motion to spread out the soap and, then, smooth it out with a spatula.

5. Place the mold on the counter top to remove any air bubbles that are left inside. Warm up the soap by laying a towel over and around it. This will help the soap mixture to go through the saponification process. Place the soap in a safe place away from people. You may want to put away any leftover ingredients and equipment. However, do not remove your gloves or goggles. Keep them on.

6. Wash down all of your pots and utensils with soapy hot water. Your soap needs to be strong enough to remove the oily raw soap residue. Allow the soap to sit for 24 hours or so. Remove the soap out of the mold by sliding it or popping it out of the mold. Slice the soap into your desired size and then set it aside to cure. The soap needs to cure from the saponification process for about four weeks until it is safe to use and then you're done.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a book about safety issues associated with lye.

• Keep lye away from children and pets and any place they have access.

• Have a designated place for your soap making.

• The lye water mixture is always added to the oil and never the other way.

References

• Organics Soap: Making Your First Cold Process Soaps

Resources

• Organic Soap Factory: Cold Process Soap
• From Nature With Love: Saponification Chart