Basic Soap Recipe with Easy to Find Ingredients

Cold-process handmade soap can be daunting to make, yet with the proper equipment and safety precautions, it is very satisfying. Some say, and I’m included in the “some”, that soap making is addicting. So be forewarned. Once you start, it is hard to stop and it just may take over your whole house!

It's always fun to cuddle up with a favorite book when you start a new project. While the internet is a great resource, a book in hand can be your best friend.

Check out your local library or bookstore for resource books on soap making.

There are many good books available at your local library or book seller.

• Soap: Making It, Enjoying It by Ann Bramson
• The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch
• The Soap Maker's Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch
• The Complete Soapmaker: Tips, Techniques & Recipes for Luxurious Handmade Soaps by Norma Coney
• Transparent Soapmaking: A Complete Guide to Making Natural See Through Soap by Catherine Failor

The FAQ's page may address many of your questions also.

You can obtain these simple ingredients from your local grocery store. The difficult item to find will be the sodium hydroxide, which is due to increased activity by the illicit drug labs. If you can not find it in your grocery or hardware store under the name of Red Devil Lye, contact your local chemical supply store or do a web search for sodium hydroxide. Do not substitute Drano or any other type of caustic ingredient that is not 100% pure sodium hydroxide. You must use pure sodium hydroxide.

You can always contact me and we can set up a private class in my workshop using my ingredients.

Should you desire a fragranced soap, make a stop at the health food store or other reputable essential oil dealer. You will find fragrance oils at craft stores but they are designed for melt & pour soaps and will not withstand the rigors of cp (cold-process) and may indeed cause your soap to seize. This is not a happy event for a beginner.

Safety Precautions:

1. Always wear safety goggles, long sleeved shirts, apron, and industrial strength rubber gloves when handling sodium hydroxide. Think hazmat.
2. Add the sodium hydroxide to the water. Never, never the water to the naoh.
3. Do not breath the fumes that are generated from the water/naoh mix.
4. Mix in a well-ventilated area.
5. Keep children and pets out of your soaping area.
6. Use only stainless steel, non-chipped enamel, Rubbermaid or heat resistant plastic, or Pyrex type glass. I do not recommend canning jars due to breakage possibilities.

The question always comes up: Can’t I make soap without sodium hydroxide?

Answer: no Naoh, no soap. This is the emulsifying ingredient. Oil and water do not mix.

The Recipe

• 30% Olive Oil
• 30% Lard
• 25% Coconut Oil
• 10% Sunflower Oil
• 5% Castor Oil
• 100%

Now, how do you turn this formula into soap? Using a spread sheet is the easiest way. It is simple multiplication. First decide on the amount of soap that you wish to make. Two pounds is always a workable amount but I do recommend that when you work with smaller amounts, that you use grams for accuracy. Or use an online calculator such as the one found at www.thesage.com.

• 272 grams    olive
• 272 grams    lard
• 226 grams    coconut
• 91 grams      sunflower
• 45 grams      castor
• 249grams     distilled water (20% water discount)
• 125 grams    naoh (super fatted at 7%)
• 40 grams      fragrance (optional)

Equipment Needed:

• Safety equipment and clothing
• Stainless steel, pyrex, or rubbermaid bowls
• Digital scale that measures in both grams as well as ounces and has a tare feature. This is a must and can be found through the post office, office supply, or online at places like Old Will Knot or Ebay. Do a search and you will be able to compare prices.
• Stick Blender (optional)

Instructions:

1. Wipe your soap area down with a dryer sheet to reduce the static.
2. Always run your recipe/formula through a lye calculator. Type-o's happen.
3. Weigh the water in a rubbermaid container with a pour lid.
4. Add the naoh slowly and stir with a paint stick or stainless steel spoon.
5. Cool to room temperature.
6. Melt the hard oils.
7. Add the liquid oils to the hard melted oils and cool to around 120 degrees.
8. Add the cooled water/naoh mix to the oils and stir until you reach trace. Using a stick blender greatly reduces the trace time. Trace can happen in as little as five minutes with the blender. Without, it may take thirty minutes of stirring. Always keep the stick blender fully immersed.

Trace is the moment when the compound begins to thicken, just like pudding. You will notice a slight lack of gloss and when you dribble a small amount on the surface, it will stay for just a moment before it goes back into solution.

At trace, add slightly warmed fragrance and stir well. You can also add a bit of finely ground oatmeal or other herbs that are skin safe at this time. Pour into your prepared mold. Cover with saran wrap to prevent soda ash from forming. This is an aesthetic thing and is not harmful to the end product.

Depending on your choice of a mold, your soap may or may not go through the gel phase. Don't fret. Gelling is not necessary and is a preference. Personally, I think the soap is creamier if it does go through this stage, so I insulate my molds with towels to keep it warm, and it will indeed get quite warm. This is the fun, mad-scientist part of soap making!

Let it sit for 24 hours, unmold and cut. A broad knife works well for cutting. This is what is used to spackle or to apply the mud on drywall. Please use gloves during this process also. The saponification process can take up to 48 hours to complete and raw soap is still caustic.

Place in a dry area to cure and wait for 3-4 weeks to use. Excess water will evaporate from your soap and it will last much longer in your shower. The pH lowers a bit too with curing. Many people will do a tongue test to be certain their soap is not lye heavy.  A bit of a lick will tell you. If your tongue is zapped, you will know. Throw it out if you are in doubt. If it tastes like soap, it is soap.

Use your imagination for a mold. A Pringles can is commonly used for this amount of soap. Just line it with freezer paper, with the waxy side to the inside and the raw soap. Shoe boxes and other pliable containers work well also and can be lined with a plastic bag. No aluminum of course and unless you line your mold, you will have difficulty getting it out of the mold.

If you would like referrals to reputable web sites for more information and to purchase quality ingredients, please contact me.

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