Four Ways to Make Soap

There are four commonly-used ways to make homemade soap. Each method has its pros and cons and the method used is a personal choice.

Cold Process
Hot Process
Melt and Pour
Rebatch

Making Soap Using the Cold Process Method

The cold process method is used by many soap makers and involves the use of lye. A lye solution is mixed with oils and the ingredients undergo a chemical reaction called saponification. Once the process of saponification is complete, there is no longer a mixture of lye and oil, but rather, a new substance called soap. The general process for making cold process soap is:

Select a recipe or create your own using a lye calculator.
Gather equipment and ingredients.
- Equipment – It is recommended that the equipment used for soap making be designated solely for that purpose. The equipment needed includes:
  - Safety gear – lye is caustic and can cause burns and irreparable damage to eyes. Wear rubber gloves, long sleeves, and goggles when making soap. Also, make sure to mix the lye into liquids in a well-ventilated area. I do this outside, even in the dead of winter!
  - Medium-sized bowls – You’ll need at least two. One will be for mixing lye into water or other liquid (note: always add the lye to the liquid, not the other way around). The bowl used for mixing the lye solution should NOT be aluminum (lye reacts with aluminum) or glass (when lye is added to liquid, it heats up quickly which can cause glass to crack). Another bowl is needed for melting and mixing oils.
  - Small bowls for measuring and mixing essential oils – Dipping sauce bowls, ramekins, and measuring glasses work well.
  - Utensils such as spoons, spatulas, and skewers or wooden sticks for artistic effects.
  - Scale – A digital kitchen scale capable of providing tare weights in grams and ounces.
  - Thermometer – Ideally, an infrared thermometer gun (they are easy to use, don’t need cleaned after taking each temperature, and provide temperatures quickly.)
  - Immersion blender (aka stick blender) – without this device, bringing the lye solution and oils to emulsion and trace can take hours. An immersion blender cuts this time to mere minutes. Consider one with holes in the umbrella housing the blades to help reduce air bubbles in the soap.
  - Soap molds – these can be as simple or extravagant as you’d like. If you’re on a budget, consider empty milk cartons or a container lined with freezer paper. Silicone molds are easy to use and come in many different shapes and sizes.
  - Cutting device – a butcher knife will do the trick nicely. Straight and wavy scrapers are also convenient and work with wooden cutting boxes.
  - Spray bottle for rubbing alcohol (99% isopropyl) – This is optional, but recommended. Spraying the top of the soap once it’s been poured helps alleviate air bubbles and soda ash.
- Ingredients – Soap can be made with as few as 3 ingredients or it can be crafted with various blends of oils, natural or synthetic colorants, essential or fragrance oils, exfoliants, and decorative botanicals.