Large measuring cup Stainless steel pot Large bowl Spatula Handheld blender or mixer Meat thermometer Kitchen scale Rubber gloves and safety goggles (for handling lye) Lye crystals (these come in plastic containers, and you can store what you don’t use; you’ll need 4. 33 ounces (122. 8 grams) to make 10 medium bars of soap)
27. 2 ounces (804. 4 milliliters) olive oil 3. 4 ounces (100. 55 milliliters) coconut oil 3. 4 ounces (100. 55 milliliters) palm oil
Peppermint Orange, lemon or grapefruit Lavender Rose Vetiver Pine Sandalwood Bergamot
Molds are available at craft and soapmaking supply stores, and you can check online for a large variety of options. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of buying a mold, you can convert an old shoebox into an adequate soap mold. Just find a sturdy shoebox, reinforce the corners with tape to seal the edges, and line it with waxed paper. You can also make your own soap mold using wood, or turn an existing wooden box into a soap mold. [1] X Research source The mold should be as wide and deep as you’d like the finished soap bars to be.
Keep a bottle of white vinegar nearby. If you spill some lye on the counter, the vinegar will neutralize it. If you accidentally touch or inhale too much lye, immediately call your country’s Poison Control Center phone number, which you can find by doing an online search. The US National Poison Control Center number is 1-800-222-1222.
Never add water to lye - always add lye to water. Adding water to lye creates an explosive reaction. When you weigh out the ingredients, be sure to zero out the containers you’re using first so that they aren’t included in the measurements. If you’re creating a bigger or smaller batch of soap, use a lye calculator[2] X Research source to find the exact amount of water and lye to use.
Neglecting to make sure both the oil and lye are close to the same temperature will result in soap that doesn’t set up correctly. Be sure to use the meat thermometer to measure both mixtures and complete this crucial step.
You can use a spoon to blend the lye and oils, but it takes much longer to reach trace this way.
During the first 48 hours, the soap will set up and harden a bit. However, it’s not ready to use; it has to cure first, so that the water evaporates and the soap becomes milder. Don’t use the soap right away, as it will be harsh on your skin. Examine the top of the soap after 48 hours have passed. If it has a film on top, or looks as though it has separated, the soap won’t be useable. Either it has too much lye, which could hurt your skin if you use it, or the lye and oils didn’t properly blend. Unfortunately, there’s no way to save it if this happens - you’ll have to discard the soap and start again.
Use a sharp knife. Don’t use one with a serrated edge, unless you want to intentionally give the edges of the soap a wavy appearance. A bench cutter. This is a common baking tool used to cut dough, and it works well for cutting through soap. A wire cheese cutter. Make sure the wire is taught so that you end up with a clean, vertical cut.
You can technically start using the soap after a few weeks. When it’s ready to use, the soap should be hard, without a hint of chemical smell.
