Welcome to the second post in the Ultimate Series on Beginner Soapmaking. In this blog post, I’ll take you through the step-by-step process of making your first batch of soap at home even if you are a complete beginner.
Before diving in, have you read the previous post in this series? If not, here it is👇
A Beginner's Guide to Soapmaking at Home as this is a continuation from there
Simple Recipe for Making Soap
When you are just getting started making soap, I recommend trying out a very simple recipe with minimal ingredients. If you haven’t got one on your own already, you can find some easy cold-process soap recipes here for you to try out.
Let's Make Soap
Here is a step-by-step process outlined for you to make your soap come to life.
Gather your equipment and safety gear, including gloves, safety glasses, a long-sleeved shirt, and pants. Here are some more notes on safety.
Measure out the lye and distilled water separately into a plastic cup & stainless steel cup respectively.
Add the lye to the water and not the other way around. Set aside to cool.
Measure out the fats and oils. Melt the solid fats in a stainless steel pot and add the oils together with them.
When the temperatures of both mixtures are around 90-110F (32-43 C), slowly pour the lye mixture into the melted fats and oils.
Stir intermittently with a stick blender & spatula.
Continue blending until the mixture reaches "trace" - a stage where the soap reaches a fairly medium thick consistency.
Add any optional extras like essential oils, herbs, or colorants.
Blend well & pour the mixture into a soap mold and let it sit for 24-48 hours.
Once the soap has hardened, remove it from the mold and cut it into bars (if you are using a loaf mold).
Let the bars cure/dryfor 4-6 weeks before using them. This allows the soap to fully harden and the lye to completely react with the fats and oils.
That's it! You've just made your first batch of soap! Congratulations!!!
Making soap at home has numerous benefits for you, the society & the planet.
Following these steps, you can create your very own unique natural handmade soaps easily from scratch . So what are you waiting for, get started today and enjoy the benefits of a natural and creative lifestyle with soapmaking!