Easy Soapmaking Tutorial (Cold Process Step-by-Step)
Want to know how to make soap, quickly, easily, and naturally? I am going to show you how step-by-step! This recipe uses natural ingredients. I use a cold process soap, meaning no heating required.
Let Me Teach You How to Make Your Own Soap!
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I’ve chosen my favorite recipe from Anne L. Watson’s book, Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself
The type of soap I’m making here is called cold process soap. There are two different ways to make soap, one is through a hot process, which means heating or cooking it, and then the method we’ll use today.
Cold process soap doesn’t use heat at all. You will simply mix the ingredients, pour, and let it sit, or “cure” for a week or two. You will be checking it for hardness after a week.
The Ingredients that Make Soap
I’m not going to get into the technical chemical processes in this post…because I’m no chemistry student! I understand the basics, so I will share what is obviously happening when you make soap.
(If you want to learn more about the scientific process, a quick google search can really help you out! Or go to lyecalc.com to learn some terms and let it do calculations for you!)
You will have your oils. This can be literally any type of oil out there! In this particular recipe, I use olive oil, coconut oil, and lard from a hog.
Then, you will mix the oils with lye, or sodium hydroxide, and water. You will mix mix mix until you reach “trace” then you pour your soap into the molds!
Sounds easy, right?
Well…before we make it sound too easy, let’s see the step by step instructions and learn how to make soap!
Let’s Make Some Soap
1. Have all your ingredients out and ready to go. In this recipe, I use olive oil, coconut oil, lard, lye, and distilled water. I add essential oils at the end. (This is totally optional.)
Also, have your kitchen scale, big soup pot, two smaller bowls, plastic bowl for water, and plastic measuring cup for lye. (I bought the plastic lye containers at Goodwill! They were maybe .50!)
You will also need a plastic scraper and plastic slotted spoon, and immersion blender ready. Prepare your soap mold if necessary. I use an old 9×13 cake pan, and I line it with parchment paper. Lastly, make sure your recipe is out in plain sight so you don’t mess up! (Guilty)
Checklist: (This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the link to buy a product from this post, I will receive a small commission.)
–Lard
-Essential oil
–Lye
-Distilled water
-Big soup pot
-2 smaller bowls
-plastic water bowl
-plastic lye container (like I said, I use a measuring cup, any container will do.)
-plastic slotted spoon
-plastic scraper (to get all the oils out of the bowls)
–immersion blender (preferably plugged in and ready to use.)
-Soap mold (I prepare mine with parchment paper, or buy something cute like these molds.)
Cold Process Soap Recipe
Here are your ingredients. When we measure for soap making, the kitchen scale should be very accurate, because the details are very important. So please measure exact weights here!
Distilled water: 8 oz
Olive Oil: 9.8 oz
Coconut Oil: 9.8 oz
Lard: 8.4 oz
Lye: 4 oz
2. Time to measure ingredients! This is very important. Don’t skimp or eyeball measurements! You’ll be sure to mess up! I learned this the hard way. I almost burnt a hole through our wooden table a few years ago! Too much lye+not enough fat=disaster! All you need is your trusty kitchen scale. I put my container on the scale, zero it out, then measure my ingredient.
Measure distilled water in the plastic water container. 8 oz.
Measure olive oil in the big soup pot. 9.8 oz.
Measure coconut oil in a separate bowl. 9.8 oz.
Measure lard in separate bowl. 8.4 oz.
The lard and coconut oil may have to melt before you combine with the olive oil. If your bowls are microwave safe, it is ok to heat the oil until it is all melted.
3. Combine the fats. Once the solid fats have melted and they are warm, add to the olive oil. Combine with the plastic scraper. I put the big soup pot with all the oils into an empty side of my sink. Temperature should be between 90-110 degrees. (As long as the oils are warmed from melting in the microwave, it should be about right.)
4. Time for the lye! Now, put on gloves and eye protection, and make sure there are no little children hanging around underfoot! Measure the lye. 4 oz.
Disclaimer Time:
Ok. Listen, ya’ll. Lye is extremely dangerous if not handled properly. It is obviously listed on the bottle of lye. It’s a drain cleaner, for Pete’s sake, so please don’t touch it with your bare hands! If you accidentally breathe in the fumes, you won’t do so for long. It’s rather potent.
Please I beg you, use common sense when handling the lye! I already said it, but mix your lye away from children or pets that may bump into you!
I always mix my lye outside. So I am sure there is proper ventilation. I know many people just turn on their oven fan, so you could do that too.
I will repeat these warnings below, just so we’re clear!
I immediately take my lye cup and water cup outside. Once I’m outdoors, I slowly pour the lye into the water.
**Never ever pour the water into the lye, because there is greater risk of splashing and then you’d get burnt. Please use caution when dealing with lye water. I have personally never been burnt by it because I always be sure to use proper protection. I am extremely careful to make sure my kids are elsewhere. Please exercise common sense and mix your lye in a well-ventilated area. I just go ahead and do it outside because I don’t want to risk the fumes hanging around in my kitchen. If you have a reliable vent fan, that would be fine.
Mix the water and lye with the plastic slotted spoon. If the lye feels gritty on the bottom of the plastic bowl, just keep stirring and it will break up. Please don’t put your head right over the bowl, because this could end up burning your eyes or nose. Or your whole face. So just be careful.
I keep stirring until all the “steam” dies down. It will be cool enough by then, especially since I’m stirring it outdoors in chilly weather. But to cool it down quicker, some soap makers have a tray of ice water prepared to set the lye bowl in. I’ve personally never used that method.
Use caution when bringing the lye bowl back into the house.
5. Mix the lye solution into the fat bowl which is in the sink. Combine real quick with the plastic scraper. Your immersion blender should be plugged up and ready to go. Go ahead and start mixing with the immersion blender.
6. Keep mixing. It will turn from very clear liquid, to murky, to pudding-like.
7. You will keep mixing until the soap turns very pudding-y. This picture is of when the soap is done. This is called reaching “trace”. With my immersion blender on high, this takes 3-5 minutes.
See the trace?
8. If you have a scent, now is the time to add it. On this particular soap making day, I used lavender essential oil. You need about 17 grams of scent. I use a whole bottle of essential oil. This may seem like a lot, but you could possibly get by with half a bottle. I am happy with the smell when I do it this way; it’s all about personal preference with added scent. Just add it, and mix a moment more until it’s incorporated.
9. Pour into the mold.
10. Now you just have to wait for the soap to cure. After two days, it should be ok to cut into bars. In our house, it takes about a week for my soap to harden up to my liking. (Curing depends on the temperature and humidity of your house.) If you’re unsure that your soap is ready, just start to slice it. If it is still a bit soft, just wait a few more days. While it is softer, you can go ahead and cut into bars. Just set them on a towel on top of a drying rack, and let it finish curing for a few more weeks.
Now You Can Use Your Soap
That’s it! Your soap is ready to use or sell!
Once you perfect your recipe, the time frame will go much quicker. At first it can be a little time consuming, so set aside at least two hours. Since I make it all the time, I can get it done in twenty minutes.
Soap making can be easy, fun, and the results are so rewarding.
Resources: Smart Soapmaking, by Anne L. Watson, Shepard Publications, Olympia, Washington. 2007.
How To Render Lard – J&R Farms
[…] The jars will seal, and from experience, the lard will be shelf stable for a long time. However, since it is an oil, it is not considered safe on the shelf for consumption. I will use the shelf lard for soap. […]