This is a beginners guide to making cold process soap. Learn how to avoid common problems and get your first batch of soap right.
Making cold process soap involves handling lye which is a potentially dangerous substance, if it’s used incorrectly. Please see lye for soap makingto learn how to stay safe while using lye.
Raspberry Soap
When you first get started with cold process soap making, choose a simple recipe so that you get a feel for the process and then you can progress to creating more luxurious soaps.
The basic ingredients for cold process soap making are oil, lye and distilled water. When essential oils are combined with moisturizers and colorants a truly luxurious soap is the result.
Equipment You Will Need
- wax, butcher paper or newspaper for covering your work surface
- safety goggles
- apron
- gloves – rubber or latex
- vinegar – to neutralise spills
- digital scale
- digital thermometer
- wooden spoon
- latex or rubber spatula
- Pyrex or other heat resistant glass container
- glass container
- 100% stainless steel pot (ensure the pot isn’t lined with aluminum – some are)
- soap molds
- towels or blankets
- stick blender (optional)
- wire rack
- ice
Instructions For Making Soap
Assemble your equipment and the ingredients that your recipe calls for.
Be sure to wear all safety gear and make sure that young children and pets are out of your work room.
Make sure your work room is well ventilated.
- Place glass container onto the scale and zero the scale. Add the quantity of lye specified in your recipe. Set aside.
- Place Pyrex container onto the scale and zero the scale. Add the correct amount of distilled water.
- Slowly add the lye to the water, gently stirring the whole time. Always add lye to water NOT the other way around. Set aside.
- Fill your sink with water and add ice to make an ice bath. Carefully place the glass container holding the lye solution into the ice bath. The lyesolution needs to cool to 90 degrees F – this should take around 30 minutes.
- While the lye solution is cooling, weigh out your oils into the stainless steel pan. Place it on the scale and zero the scale before adding the oils.
- Place the pan on a low heat and heat the oils until they reach 90 degrees F.
- When the temperature of the oils and the lye solution are both at 90 degrees F, you can begin to slowly pour the lye solution into the oil. Stir constantly during this procedure.
- Continue to stir in a figure 8 pattern. This could take a while – up to an hour. You can speed up this process by using a stick blender.
- When a small amount of the mixture can be drizzled across the surface, leaving a pattern before dissolving, the mixture has reached trace.
- If you are using essential oils, moisturisers or color add them now. Add color first, followed by moisturisers and finally fragrance. Solid moisturisers like the nut butters should be melted separately before adding to mix.
- Carefully pour the mixture into your molds. Wrap the molds in a towel or blanket and set aside for 24-48 hours.
- Remove soap from molds, cut into smaller bars if necessary, place on a wire rack and leave to cure for 3 – 6 weeks. Turn the soap once a week.
- Before you use your soap, clean off any white powder that has formed on the top of the bars.