How to Make Wick Soap

You can make a wick soap to use in the shower.

If you are giving a spa gift certificate to a friend or family member, you can make the gift more exciting and profound by coupling the gift certificate with a symbolic token present, such as a handmade soap made to look like a candle. You can make this type of soap from basic materials, like pure coconut and essential oils, which can be purchased at health food or craft stores.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Protective goggles
• 36 oz. coconut oil
• 7 oz. lye
• 16 oz. water
• 2 tsp. essential oil
• Pot
• Glass jar
• 2 meat thermometers
• Wooden spoon
• Thick cotton wick
• Scissors
• Pencil or dowel
• Soap molds, square or rectangular

Instructions

1. Put on protective goggles and rubber gloves to keep your eyes and skin safe when using the materials.

2. Place 32 oz. coconut oil into a pot and heat it over medium heat. Place a meat thermometer into the pot to measure the temperature of the oil.

3. Pour 16 oz. water and 7 oz. lye into a glass jar. The combination will react chemically and will produce heat. Place a second meat thermometer into the jar to measure the temperature.

4. Pour the lye mixture into the coconut oil when both substances reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Pour in 2 tsp. of essential oil, using whichever scent you prefer.

6. Stir the mixture continuously and vigorously. This will make the mixture thicken to a pudding-like texture. The thickening may take up to an hour.

7. Cut three pieces of thick cotton wick to measure four inches longer than the depth of the mold.

8. Place the end of a wick in the middle of a square or rectangular-shaped soap mold. To help the wick stay upright, tie the other end to a pencil or dowel and lay it across the top of the mold.

9. Pour the soap mixture into the soap molds and over the wicks. Evenly distribute the soap mixture between the molds.

10. Place the soap molds in a dark room away from direct sunlight for about six weeks to cure. Once the curing time is complete, pop out the soaps from the molds to use in the shower or to give as a gift.

References

• Teach Soap: Easy Cold Press Recipe