Buzz
Liquid soap tends to run out quickly, and store-bought versions can be expensive, especially when opting for those made with natural ingredients. Why spend money on soap when you can easily make it at home? Follow this guide to create liquid soap using bar soap or raw ingredients.
Steps
Making Liquid Soap from Bar Soap
Choose the type of soap to use. You can make liquid soap from any bar soap available at home. Use leftover or half-used soap bars, or select a soap based on its intended purpose. For example:
- Use facial bar soap to make liquid soap for your face.
- Use antibacterial soap to create hand soap for the kitchen or bathroom.
- Use moisturizing bar soap to make body wash.
- Use unscented soap if you want to add your own fragrance and create a custom liquid soap.
Grate the soap into a bowl. Use a cheese grater to grate the entire soap bar into a bowl. It’s best to use a fine grater to ensure the soap melts faster. You can cut the soap into pieces to make grating easier.
- You will need about 1 cup of grated soap (approximately 300g). If you don't have enough, you can grate another bar of soap.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled if you want to make a larger batch of liquid soap. It also makes a cute gift, especially when placed in decorative jars.
Blend the soap in boiling water. Boil 1 cup of water, then pour it into a blender with the grated soap. Blend until the mixture reaches a thick consistency.
- Blending the soap in a blender can be tricky to clean afterward, so if you'd prefer, you can melt the soap on the stove. Simply add the soap to the water once it starts to boil.
- You can also try using a microwave instead. Place the cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl, heat the water, add the grated soap, and let it sit for a few minutes until the soap melts. If necessary, microwave it for 30-second intervals until fully heated.
Add glycerin to the mixture. Glycerin is a moisturizing agent for the skin, making liquid soap gentler on the skin compared to bar soap. Add 1 tablespoon of glycerin to the mixture and stir well.
Include additional ingredients. This is the step where you can get creative with your liquid soap, especially if you're using unscented soap. Try adding the following ingredients to enhance the soap:
- Mix in honey or lotion to increase moisture.
- Stir in a few drops of essential oils to add fragrance.
- For natural antibacterial properties, add 10 to 20 drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil.
- Use natural food coloring to add color to the soap. Avoid using chemical dyes as they are not ideal for skin absorption.
Achieve the desired consistency. Continue blending the mixture once it has completely cooled. Gradually add more water to the mixture and blend until the soap reaches the consistency you want. If you're not using a blender, just stir the mixture vigorously after adding the water.
Pour the soap into a dispenser. Once the soap has cooled down, you can pour it into a bottle or container with a push nozzle. If you have a large amount of soap, you can store the remaining soap in a larger bottle or jar. Keep the extra to refill smaller bottles when needed.
Making Liquid Soap from Raw Ingredients
Prepare the ingredients. In order for the soap to react and foam, you need to mix the correct amount of oils and a chemical called potassium hydroxide, also known as lye. This recipe yields about 5.5 liters of soap. You can purchase the ingredients from supermarkets, cosmetic stores, or online:
- 310g potassium hydroxide flakes
- About 1 liter of distilled water
- 700ml coconut oil
- 300ml olive oil
- 300ml castor oil
- 90ml jojoba oil
Prepare the equipment. When working with lye, it's essential to have proper safety equipment and a suitable workspace. Work in a well-ventilated room with good lighting so you can clearly see what you're doing. Here are the tools you'll need:
- Slow cooker
- Plastic or glass measuring cups
- Kitchen scale
- Hand blender
- Gloves and safety goggles
Heat the oils. Measure the oils and add them to the slow cooker on low heat. Make sure to use the exact amount of each oil; adding too much or too little will spoil the recipe.
Prepare the lye solution. Put on protective equipment and open the windows in the room for ventilation. Measure the distilled water into a bowl. In a separate bowl, measure the lye and carefully add the water. Stir constantly as you add the water.
- Remember, always add the lye to the water, not the other way around! Adding water to lye will cause a dangerous reaction.
Mix the lye solution with the oils. Slowly pour the lye solution into the slow cooker, taking care not to splash it onto your skin. Use a hand blender to thoroughly blend the lye with the oils.
- As you blend, the mixture will gradually thicken. Keep blending until it reaches a consistency where you can pull a thread, meaning the mixture is thick enough that you can scoop with a spoon and create a trail when you lift the spoon.
- The mixture will slowly turn into a thick paste.
Cook the paste mixture. Keep cooking the mixture on low heat for about 6 hours, checking every 30 minutes and stirring with a spoon. The paste is ready when you can dissolve 30g of it in 60ml of boiling water, and the diluted mixture will be clear instead of cloudy. If the mixture is still cloudy, continue cooking it.
Dilute the paste mixture. After the paste is ready, you should have about 450g of it. Weigh it to confirm, then add it to the slow cooker. Pour in 1 liter of distilled water to dilute the paste. It will take a few hours for the mixture to fully dilute into the water.
Add fragrance and color. Once the paste is diluted, you can add your favorite essential oils and natural food coloring to give your soap a unique fragrance and color.
Bảo quản xà phòng. Rót xà phòng vào lọ có nắp vì bạn sẽ tạo ra nhiều hơn lượng cần dùng. Rót xà phòng mà bạn muốn dùng vào bình có vòi ấn.
Lời khuyên
- Cho chai xà phòng vào giỏ quà hoặc gói lại để tặng những người thân yêu.
- Cho xà phòng vào bình có vòi ấn sẽ hợp vệ sinh và bảo quản lâu hơn xà phòng cục hay những phương pháp làm xà phòng khác.
Cảnh báo
- Lưu ý an toàn khi sử dụng chất kiềm.
- Xà phòng nước làm tại nhà không có chất bảo quản nên đừng dùng sau 1 năm, nếu không sẽ tạo ra mùi khó chịu hoặc màu không đẹp mắt.
Essential Items You Will Need
Soap solution made from bar soap
- Unscented bar soap or grated soap flakes
- Cheese grater
- Water
- Blender
- Glycerin
- Funnel
- Small bottle with a pump
- Large bottle or container
Soap solution made from raw ingredients
- 310g potassium hydroxide flakes
- Approximately 1 liter of distilled water
- 700ml coconut oil
- 300ml olive oil
- 300ml castor oil
- 90ml jojoba oil
- Slow cooker
- Plastic or glass measuring cup
- Kitchen scale
- Hand blender
- Gloves or protective goggles
