The time has come to make your own soap. I am providing a basic soap recipe that can be built on as you get more comfortable with making soap. I have chosen olive oil for our oil. Olive oil makes a very hard bar of soap without the need to add other oils and butters.

The items you will need are.  

1. 16 oz/453.59 gms Olive oil                          

2.  6.08 oz/172.36 gms Distilled/  Filtered water                                        

3.  2.06 oz/58.38 gms Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)

You wil need three plastic bowls for your oils, water and lye. You will need a spoon/spatula for mixing. You will need a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil and lye water. You will also need a stick blender and a mold to pour the batter in after it is mixed. Oh, I almost forgot the scale to weigh all ingredients. Don’t forget you PPE personal protection equipment (eye goggles, face mask and glove).

First, you will weigh out your oil water and lye using the 3 bowels.

Second, you will pour the lye into the water Slowly while stirring at the same time to ensure that everything is disolved. Check the temperature of the lye water mixture. Set the mixture to the side and let cool down until it is between 100 – 102 degrees. While you wait for the mixture to cool down. Heat up your oils in the microwave or on the stove. Heat until you get a temperature within 5 degrees of the lye mixture.

Now that both the oil and lye mixture a similar in temperature. Slowly pour the lye mixture in the oil. Stir while pouring. The oil may change from clear to opaque. This is ok. Continue to stir until the mixture is completely blended together and has a consistency of cake or pancake batter.

At this point you will want to check the batter for trace which is just a fancy way of saying trace a line in the batter and if it holds for a while before it goes away you are ready to pour.

     Prepare your soap mold for the pour. If you are using a silicone mold just pour the soap in and pound on a hard surface to help eliminate air pockets.

If you are using something else other than silicone for your soap mold line the container with plastic wrap and pour.

Wow, guess what? You just made soap. Now cover the soap batter with plastic wrap. Wrap in a towel or old blank and set it aside for 24 hours away from children, pets and yourself to let the soaponification process take place.

In the next post I will cover unfolding, cutting and curing.

Thanks,

Monica