But if you want to up your crafting and gift-giving game, learn to make soap at home. You can also build beautiful handmade soaps into a luxurious, destressing self-care practice.
You'll need a few special supplies and ingredients, but once you've learned the basics, you'll want to keep experimenting with scents, colors, and textures. Get ready for some rub-a-dub fun in the tub, and learn how to make soap from scratch.
Soap Making Supplies
Making soap requires several basic supplies, some of which are important for your safety, so don't skip any of them. You'll also want to buy new supplies to keep specifically for soap-making, rather than using the same ones you use for food prep.
Safety Gear
Gloves
Safety glasses
Long-sleeved clothing
Other Supplies
Microwave
Digital scales
Stick blender
Digital thermometer
1 plastic pitcher
2 smaller glass bowls
3 large plastic bowls
Measuring spoons
2 spatulas
Soap mold
Ice/ice-cold water
A plastic or cardboard box that's larger than the mold
Soap cutter or kitchen knife
Soap Ingredients
A few essential scented ingredients.
The specific ingredients you'll need depend on the kind you're wanting to make and the scent you'd like it to have. The following is a common ingredient list for making basic cold-process soap.
Distilled Water
Water for soapmaking needs to be as pure as possible, so distilled water is best.
Lye
Lye is the chemical sodium hydroxide (sometimes potassium hydroxide) that comes in the form of flakes, pellets, microbeads, coarse powder, or solution. It's essential for making soap. If a "soap" doesn't contain lye, then it's actually a detergent. Lye is usually available from hardware stores.
Oils
Palm oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Sweet almond oil
Castor oil
Other Ingredients
Rose clay
Kaolin clay
Fragrance oil of your choice
Instructions:
1. Cover your work area with newspaper, put on your safety gear, and measure your water and lye.
2. Combine the coconut oil and palm oil in a warmed saucepan and melt them. You can use several types of oils; however, keep in mind that the two oils you pick for this stage must be solids.
3. While the oil is melting, fill a bowl halfway with water and gently pour in the lye. Remember, there will be fumes and heat! Stir the mixture for about five minutes to ensure that it is thoroughly combined.
4. Now it's time to add your liquid oil. Add the olive oil to the melted solid oils after measuring it. Keep the temperature at around 11-120 degrees F.
5. Pour your lye mixture slowly into the pot with the oil mixture, but only once they've both reached around 110–120 degrees. Blend for five minutes with a hand blender.
6. Add roughly a teaspoon of your preferred essential oils. If you like, you may also add colorant and/or herbs.
7. Carefully pour the mixture into the mold.
8. Wrap your mold tight using plastic wrap and place a towel over the mold to seal the heat in.
