How to make a cold processed soap
Before I go on with how to make cold process soap step by step...
FIRST is SAFETY
- Prepare goggles, gloves, apron and face mask
- Long sleeved top, long pants and covered shoes
- Handle lye with extreme care
This is to prevent any accidents with lye
Wash immediately with vinegar/water if lye comes in contact with skin
Second -> Preparing ingredients
- Recipe (A.K.A the percentage of each oil you'd want as well as your choice of essential oil and additives)
- Equipment:
1 Stainless steel bowl
3 stainless steel cups (sizes may vary)
1 weighing scale (to measure your ingredients accurately)
3 spoons
1 spatula
1 whisk or 1 handheld blender
1 small measuring cup (for essential oil)
- Base oils
-Essential oils
- Sodium hydroxide (lye) - Distilled water
- Natural additives
Step 1: Calculate what you need
If you need a reminder of how to calculate,
here is the link to the post ingredients in soap making + calculating!
Below is the amount that I have calculated!
Step 2: Measure and melt oil
Using a weighing scale, measure out your oils
If the soap recipe calls for shea butter, like mine
Remember, add shea butter last
Why?
Shea butter is a solid oil/fat and it needs to be melted before it gets added with the rest of the oils.
Next!
Calculate and measure lye and water
First, measure out the water then in another cup, measure your lye
Note: both water to lye ratio needs to be accurate
Note: Before handling lye, put on your ace mask, goggles and gloves
After measuring both, add lye to the water
*Remember* Always add lye to water NOT the other way round
Note: If recipe calls for adding sugar or salt, add to water BEFORE adding lye
Step 3: Blending mixture
Mix lye solution with oil mixture
Before adding the lye solution to the oil mixture, both lye solution and oil must be the same temperature, best if it is in the 40 degree range.
Using a whisk to slowly stir the mixture to combine the two lye solution and oil together.
This next step is to help to make your soap formula thicker
Using a whisk - 30 mins
Using a handheld blender - 15 mins
Blend/whisk till soap formula has the consistancy of a milk shake!
Step 4: Adding essential oil
Add in essential oils
Amount of essential oil - 25ml
I added in grapefruit and sweet orange essential oil
the ratio of either oils can differ depending on your preference
you can also just use on essential oil or up to three!
Step 5: Add additive
Additives like; charcoal powder, coffee powder, clay colouring will be added in this stage of soap making.
Add in your chosen additive - 1 teaspoon
If you are using a natural clay colouring add your clay powder and mix with any oil (that has a low percentage) that you added in your previous oil mixture and stir till it becomes a liquid paste, making sure there are not lumps.
Like mine, I used Rose Clay as my natural colorant and depending on how you would want the colour to turn out (light/darker) I started off by mixing half a teaspoon of rose clay with a teaspoon of sweet almond oil
In the end, I ended up making another small batch of half teaspoon rose clay with sweet almond oil to get the colour I want
Step 6: Moulding
Pour mixture into mould, tap air bubbles out and draw figures of 8 like a design on the top of the soap to make a design (optional)
Place soap in airtight area and leave it to set for 24 hours OR if making soap with high content of soft oil, 5 days
Step 8: Cutting and curing
Unmold soap loaf and cut to size of choice (I cut mine 2cm thick)
(optional) choose a decorative stamp and stamp the soap!
Leave soap to cure for 6-8 weeks before using it!
Equipment needed: Soap, Soap cutter and stamps (optional)
Here is a video montage of me cutting and stamping the soap!