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Prepare Your Area
Get your molds and work area ready first. Soap can move
quickly once the batch is started. Remember that cleanliness counts: keep your
counters and work areas clean from debris and dust.
Use plastic, stainless steel, ceramic or glass
containers and utensils only. Unbreakable containers are preferable because
they are safer. Wear long rubber gloves, an apron & safety glasses. Do not
allow any skin to be exposed to lye.
Prepare the lye water first, following the safety
instructions following. Weigh the lye very accurately. Higher amounts of excess
fat give softer soaps with more emolliency. Excessive lye can cause irritation
or burning from the finished soap. Excess fat ranges from 5 to 8 % are
recommended to prevent problems.
Lye Safety
Always wear safety glasses and gloves. Lye can cause severe burns
including blindness. Lye should be added to water. If water is poured onto lye,
the reaction can cause a volcano of lye water and serious injury. Avoid
breathing fumes. Label your containers. Never leave lye unattended & keep
away from children & pets.
Equipment
You
will need the following:
The Process
Pour the water in the large plastic or stainless mixing
vessel and carefully add lye to water & mix well.
Since this mix will become very hot and
give off strongly irritating fumes, it is best to mix in an open air setting or
a well ventilated room. Avoid breathing the fumes. Set
aside to cool in a protected area while preparing the oils.
Melt the solid oils, butters and waxes and combine with the liquid oils.
Temperature measurements are not necessary.
Add the oils to the lye solution. Mix well using a stick blender. Mix
for a few minutes to begin establish the emulsion. Do not worry if it takes
more than one try to establish the emulsion. Mix for 2-3 minutes then allow the
mixture to rest for 5 minutes; mix again. Follow with more
mix and rest cycles until trace occurs.
Prepare your fragrances and additives during the rest cycles. The soap
begins to thicken at trace. The blender will begin to work harder. The soap
will hold a trace of drop impressions or stir marks. Tracing soap appears like
a thickened cooked custard. Add your fragrances and other non-fragile additives
quickly. Give one thorough mix with the stick blender. Mix in
fragile additives such as herbs, with a spoon.
Pour into freezer paper-lined, plastic- or formica-coated molds.
Cover and allow to set up undisturbed. The soap will warm up and go through a
clear gel phase as it finishes curing. Cover the molds during the intial cure
to prevent soda ash from forming on the surface and to retain heat.
Clean your equipment with hot soapy water. Do not pour large amounts of
raw soap down the drain. It can cure in place and create plumbing problems,
particularly with septic systems.
Allow soap to cure for 1-3 days before demolding.
The soap should be loosely covered during this phase. Cut into bars and allow
to cure in a protected cool dry area. The bars will take 2 to 3 weeks to
finish curing and harden.
Get your molds and work area ready first. Soap can move
quickly once the batch is started. Remember that cleanliness counts: keep your
counters and work areas clean from debris and dust.
Use plastic, stainless steel, ceramic or glass
containers and utensils only. Unbreakable containers are preferable because
they are safer. Wear long rubber gloves, an apron & safety glasses. Do not
allow any skin to be exposed to lye.
Prepare the lye water first, following the safety
instructions following. Weigh the lye very accurately. Higher amounts of excess
fat give softer soaps with more emolliency. Excessive lye can cause irritation
or burning from the finished soap. Excess fat ranges from 5 to 8 % are
recommended to prevent problems.
Lye Safety
Always wear safety glasses and gloves. Lye can cause severe burns
including blindness. Lye should be added to water. If water is poured onto lye,
the reaction can cause a volcano of lye water and serious injury. Avoid
breathing fumes. Label your containers. Never leave lye unattended & keep
away from children & pets.
Equipment
You
will need the following:
| safety glasses apron long rubber gloves vinegar/vinegar spray for lye cleanup (neutralizes lye) accurate scale liquid measuring utensils long handled plastic or stainless steel spoons plastic bowl to weigh lye melting container for oils large plastic or stainless mixing vessel stick blender soap molds & freezer paper |  |
The Process
Pour the water in the large plastic or stainless mixing
vessel and carefully add lye to water & mix well.
Since this mix will become very hot and
give off strongly irritating fumes, it is best to mix in an open air setting or
a well ventilated room. Avoid breathing the fumes. Set
aside to cool in a protected area while preparing the oils.
Melt the solid oils, butters and waxes and combine with the liquid oils.
Temperature measurements are not necessary.
Add the oils to the lye solution. Mix well using a stick blender. Mix
for a few minutes to begin establish the emulsion. Do not worry if it takes
more than one try to establish the emulsion. Mix for 2-3 minutes then allow the
mixture to rest for 5 minutes; mix again. Follow with more
mix and rest cycles until trace occurs.
Prepare your fragrances and additives during the rest cycles. The soap
begins to thicken at trace. The blender will begin to work harder. The soap
will hold a trace of drop impressions or stir marks. Tracing soap appears like
a thickened cooked custard. Add your fragrances and other non-fragile additives
quickly. Give one thorough mix with the stick blender. Mix in
fragile additives such as herbs, with a spoon.
Pour into freezer paper-lined, plastic- or formica-coated molds.
Cover and allow to set up undisturbed. The soap will warm up and go through a
clear gel phase as it finishes curing. Cover the molds during the intial cure
to prevent soda ash from forming on the surface and to retain heat.
Clean your equipment with hot soapy water. Do not pour large amounts of
raw soap down the drain. It can cure in place and create plumbing problems,
particularly with septic systems.
Allow soap to cure for 1-3 days before demolding.
The soap should be loosely covered during this phase. Cut into bars and allow
to cure in a protected cool dry area. The bars will take 2 to 3 weeks to
finish curing and harden.