How to Make Natural Soap

Natural soap is made entirely from natural ingredients like coconut oil and palm oil, making it a wonderful product for softening and healing the skin in a natural way. While this product can be easily purchased, with just a little effort in gathering the necessary ingredients and tools, you can make natural soap at home. The process requires patience, and a bit of trial and error to find the right ratios of additional ingredients. Learning and understanding the basic steps of the soap-making process can help you create unique natural soap varieties.

• 60 g of food-grade lye (sodium hydroxide)
• 130 ml distilled water
• 350 ml olive oil
• 45 ml castor oil
• 75 ml melted coconut oil
• 15 ml essential oil of choice

Yields 4 bars of soap

Use a food scale to measure the exact amount of ingredients. Accurately measuring the ingredients is crucial for successful soap-making. If any ingredient is not measured correctly, the ratio will be off, making it difficult for the soap to solidify properly.

• If you don't have a food scale, you can purchase one in the kitchenware section of a supermarket or order one online from major retailers.
• Do not use any containers, tools, molds, or bottles used for measuring or making soap for food preparation. Lye can contaminate and is not safe for food.

Wear protective gear when handling lye. Lye is a caustic substance, and you need to avoid getting it on your skin or near your face. To protect your skin while working, wear long-sleeve clothing, gloves, and goggles. Avoid inhaling the fumes by working near an open window or using a fan for air circulation.

• If you have respiratory issues or are concerned about inhaling lye fumes while working, consider wearing a gas mask. You can buy one at tool stores or online from large retailers.

Pour 130 ml of distilled water into a stainless steel container. If you don’t have a stainless steel container, you can use a sturdy, thick plastic one. Avoid using aluminum containers, as lye will react with aluminum.

Slowly stir 60 g of food-grade lye into the water. Pour the lye gradually into the water, ensuring it doesn’t fall directly into the water. Use a silicone whisk to stir the water while adding the lye. Keep stirring until the lye dissolves.

• Always pour the lye into the water, not the other way around. If you pour water directly into lye, a chemical reaction will occur too soon, and the lye will release heat.

Wait 30-40 minutes for the lye solution to cool down. Be careful when handling or moving the lye solution. The natural chemical reaction between lye and water generates heat.

• When mixed with water, lye can reach temperatures of up to 93°C. Even after cooling, the solution will still be relatively hot – around 38-43°C.

Heat the coconut oil in a double boiler until the solidified parts melt. Stir the coconut oil over low heat, ensuring it doesn't bubble or burn. Remove the oil from the heat once all the solidified parts have melted.

• A similar product to coconut oil is babassu oil, a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the South American babassu palm. If you're allergic to coconut oil or want to try something new, you can replace it with an equivalent amount of babassu oil.

Mix the oils in another stainless steel container. Combine 350 ml of olive oil, 45 ml of castor oil, and 75 ml of melted coconut oil. Castor oil will create bubbles in the soap, olive oil helps soften and nourish the skin, while coconut oil will aid in solidifying the soap.

• Coconut oil will be hot, so take extra care when mixing it with other oils.

Pour the lye solution into the oil mixture. Pour the mixture slowly to prevent spilling. Be careful not to burn yourself as both the lye and oil are hot.

• The temperature of the oil and lye solution will be around 38-43°C. Use a stainless steel thermometer to measure the temperature before combining the two solutions. If the oil is cooler, you will need to heat it in a double boiler until both solutions reach similar temperatures.

Use a stainless steel spoon to stir the mixture and blend the ingredients together. Any stainless steel spoon will do, but a spoon with a long handle will make stirring easier. Continue to stir gently for about 30 seconds to help the oils and lye mix together before you blend the mixture further with a hand blender.

• If you don't have a stainless steel spoon or the handle isn't long enough, you can use a hand blender (without turning it on) to gently stir the mixture.

Add clay minerals, sugar, flowers, or herbs to color the soap. Choose ingredients that will give the soap the color you desire. The olive oil you used to make the soap will create a yellow or cream color once the soap hardens. If you don't care about the color, you don't need to add any extra ingredients.

• You can add some cosmetic clay to achieve colors like pink, green, or white.
• Adding a bit of milk, cane sugar, or honey will give the soap a warm caramel color.
• If you want a more vibrant color, you can use flower petals or leaves from your favorite herbs. For example, alkanet root powder will give the soap a purple hue, while spinach will provide a green color.

Blend the mixture with an immersion blender for 1 minute. Immerse the blades of the hand blender into the mixture before turning it on to avoid splattering. Slowly move the blender around the container to evenly mix the ingredients.

• If your hand blender has multiple speed settings, use the lowest speed. A higher speed can cause unnecessary bubbles in the soap.
• You can purchase a hand blender at supermarkets or online retailers.

Alternate stirring and blending until the mixture thickens. Keep using the hand blender in short bursts, and avoid switching to a spoon to prevent spillage. Continue this process for 5-10 minutes.

• During the soap-making process, the mixture is said to be at 'trace' when it thickens. This means the mixture is thick enough that a small amount will leave a visible trail on the surface. Once the soap reaches this point, it no longer needs further mixing and is ready to be poured into molds.

Stir essential oils into the soap mixture for your desired fragrance. Start by adding 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of essential oil and stir thoroughly with a stainless steel spoon. The fragrance will be stronger when the oils are mixed into the soap than once it has hardened. If you find the scent isn't strong enough, add more oil in small increments until it reaches your preferred strength.

• Some common essential oils used in soap-making include vanilla, almond, lavender, lemongrass, geranium, and peppermint.

Pour the mixture into a 10 cm silicone soap mold. Use a rectangular mold that can hold 4 soap bars. A basic soap mold typically measures 10x10 cm and is 7.5 cm deep. You can find such molds at craft stores or online.

• Consider using silicone molds with fun shapes or designs to personalize your homemade soap. You can also use a long rectangular mold without divisions and later cut it into individual bars of soap.
• Avoid using muffin tin molds or baking trays, as the soap mixture will damage the metal and the soap itself.

Cover the mold with freezer paper and a towel to retain heat inside. Leave the soap covered for at least 24 hours, but occasionally check to ensure it doesn't get too hot or crack. If cracks appear, move the mold to a cooler place, such as a dark cupboard or a cool basement.

• Use freezer paper instead of wax paper, as freezer paper is thicker and less likely to melt due to the heat from the soap mixture. You can also use parchment paper.

Remove the cover and allow the soap to harden for 2-3 days. Check at least once a day to ensure the soap is hardening correctly and isn't disturbed. Over the course of three days, the soap will gradually firm up to a jelly-like consistency. By the third day, you should notice the soap becoming quite solid when touched.

Take the soap bars out of the mold and set them out to cure. Place the soap in a spot where it won't be exposed to direct sunlight, leaving it undisturbed for at least 6-8 weeks. The air will help the soap dry and become fully hardened. After this period, your soap will be ready to use and enjoy!

• If the soap has a higher water-to-oil ratio, it may only need 4-6 weeks to cure.
• If using a long rectangular silicone mold, you can carefully cut the soap into 4 even bars before curing.

• Be cautious of potential allergies or sensitive skin when making natural soap. If you know you are allergic to a particular ingredient, opt for a similar substitute. If you experience skin irritation while making soap, stop using it immediately.

• Food scale
• 10x10 cm silicone soap mold
• 2 heat-resistant stainless steel containers
• Double boiler setup
• Stainless steel spoon
• Stainless steel thermometer
• Hand blender
• Silicone spatula
• Freezer paper or parchment paper
• Cloth or rags
• Measuring cups and spoons