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A woman pours the soap mixture into molds, allowing it to solidify into soap bars. RUSS ROHDE/Getty ImagesGreat-grandma Betty didn't have the convenience of a drugstore on every corner, so she would typically rely on simple ingredients to craft her own soap from scratch. Traditional recipes often called for lard or pork fat. Though buying commercial soap is easy today, many people still prefer handmade soap because of its better fragrance and potential gentleness on the skin. You might even consider making soap yourself. Modern recipes have evolved to use everyday ingredients, yet the overall process hasn't changed much from centuries ago and remains quite enjoyable. Let’s first explore how the ingredients in a typical bar of soap come together to form the product. For many years, the process wasn’t fully understood.
Saponification: The Chemistry Behind Soap Creation
Soap is created by combining fats and oils with an alkaline solution (a base mixed with water). Fats might include substances like lard or shortening. Oils can be common cooking oils such as olive, peanut, corn, or coconut. The base could be a substance like lye (sodium hydroxide), which is easily found in hardware stores. Since water and oil naturally do not mix, these ingredients must be heated and stirred to combine them.
When the fats interact with the lye, a chemical reaction known as saponification occurs. This happens when the triglycerides (fats) and lye combine and react to form fatty acid metal salts (the soap) and a byproduct (glycerol). The base solution forces the soap to solidify without dissolving in water. After this reaction, the mixture can cool and solidify into soap. The soap's characteristics, including lather, fragrance, moisturizing properties, and performance, are influenced by how the unsaturated and saturated fatty acids are distributed.
Soap works as a cleaning agent by bridging the gap between water and dirt. It penetrates the surface being cleaned, allowing water to remove the dirt. Lye soap is favored for two key reasons: it's simple and effective. The soap is creamy, oily, and gentle on your skin. Plus, you can make it yourself at home.
Just follow these instructions, adapted from a recipe in "The Soap Book." Be sure to use safety gear, such as goggles and gloves.
3-Oil Lye Soap Recipe
Ingredients
*Yields a 2-pound (1-kg) batch.
- 3 ounces lye
- 7 ounces purified or distilled cold water
- 6 ounces olive oil
- 9.4 ounces Crisco vegetable shortening
- 6 ounces coconut oil
- 1 ounce fragrance or essential oil
Weigh all ingredients using a scale. Make sure to reset the scale. To do this, place the container(s) you'll use to pour the ingredients on the scale when empty. Then press "tare." Once that’s done, add the ingredients.
The Step-by-step
- Wear your safety gear. Make sure no children are present due to the fumes that can be produced during the soap-making process.
- Measure the cold water in a large container. Then carefully add the lye to the water (never the reverse). Mix slowly and thoroughly. The mixture will start to heat up and may even steam. Ensure the room is well ventilated, as the mixture can get very hot and release fumes. Set the solution aside to cool.
- Measure and combine the olive oil, coconut oil, and Crisco in a pot. Heat over a low-medium flame until fully melted.
- Once both the oil mixture and lye solution are between 100 and 110 degrees F (37 and 43 C), turn off the heat. Gradually add the lye solution to the oil mixture, stirring for five minutes with a wooden spoon and spatula until the mixture begins to thicken. You can also use a stick blender, alternating stirring and blending. Be careful to avoid splashing.
- Continue mixing until the mixture reaches a light trace, meaning no oil streaks are visible. The consistency should resemble cake batter.
- Using a whisk, stir in any desired fragrance or colorants.
- Pour the mixture into soap molds and let it harden for 24 to 36 hours. It must harden enough to be cut before removal.
- Remove the bars from the molds, cut into bars, and wrap them in cellophane. Allow the bars to cure for at least two to four weeks before using.
