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Natural Soap Colorants

There are many natural options for coloring your soap. Photo courtesy of Flickr user jules-stonesoup

There are many natural options for coloring your soap. Photo courtesy of Flickr user jules-stonesoup.

There are many options when it comes to coloring your homemade soap. Artificial colorants are often more vibrant than natural colorants, but many people like the idea of using all-natural ingredients in their soap. This post focusses on natural soap colorants, but you can read more about the various soap colorant options in our comprehensive post by clicking here.

There are also safety concerns with some artificial colorants, and they can have some unanticipated effects on the final soap product. If you decide to use natural colorants for your soap, there are endless possibilities to choose from, and you can give your soap almost any hue you desire.

Many of the natural materials you can use to color soap can be found in your kitchen, or local supermarket, and many are already used to color food and drug products. Continue reading “Natural Soap Colorants”

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Synthetic Soap Colorant Options

Synthetic soap colorants can be used to great effect. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Horia Varlan

Synthetic soap colorants can be used to great effect. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Horia Varlan.

Many soap makers prefer to use natural soap making colorants for their soaps, as opposed to synthetic ones. However, if the natural colorants don’t work for you, or are too expensive or unpredictable, there are a variety of synthetic colorants that can be used.

This post focusses on synthetic soap colorants, but you can read more about the various soap colorant options in our comprehensive post by clicking here.

Pigments, micas, and FD&C colorants are some of these.

Pigments are colorants that were originally mined, but now, due to FDA regulations, are manufactured in laboratories.

Many natural oxides contain toxic materials, so the FDA chose to approve only synthetic colorants for use in soaps and cosmetics.

The synthetically made pigments have the same molecular structure as the natural ones, but they have a low enough concentration of toxic metals that they are considered “safe” by the FDA. Pigments tend to be pretty stable, and the color that they will impart to your soap is predictable. The liquids are extremely easy to use, but the powders must be mixed with liquid before they are added to the soap batter, and they may clump.

The easiest way to liquefy the colorant powder is to: Continue reading “Synthetic Soap Colorant Options”

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Soap Making Method: Precautions For Working With Lye

Lye is an essential ingredient in soap making but it can be quite dangerous. Photo courtesy of Flickr user maoquai

Lye is an essential ingredient in soap making but it can be quite dangerous. Photo courtesy of Flickr user maoquai

In Lye Soap Making Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH), commonly known as lye, are essential ingredients for making soap.

However, lye in all its forms can be quite dangerous, and there are certain precautions which must be taken when working with lye.

Lye is very dangerous if spilled. It is a corrosive material, and can burn skin, or any other surface it comes into contact with. Continue reading “Soap Making Method: Precautions For Working With Lye”

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The history of soap making: taking a closer look

photo courtesy of flickr user aussiegall

In today’s germ conscious society, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without soap.

In prehistoric times, before the invention of soap, people bathed themselves with only water, and used flowing water, such as rivers and streams, to clean their clothes.

However, the practice of soap making was discovered almost three thousand years ago, and has become an indispensable part of modern civilized society.

The earliest evidence of soap making is a soap-like material found in the bottoms of Babylonian clay jars dating from about 2800 B.C.E. The recipe for this soap – water, alkali and cassia oil – was engraved on the outside of the jars. The Babylonians used this cassia soap to clean themselves, as well as to treat skin diseases, and to cleanse and nourish hair.

The Ebers papyrus, dating from about 1550 B.C.E., indicates that the ancient Egyptians also combined animal and vegetable fats with alkali, or lye, to create soap, and that they bathed regularly. Continue reading “The history of soap making: taking a closer look”

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How To Make Soap At Home: Learning The Soap Making Methods

There are various methods which can be used to make soap at home. Photo courtesy of flickr user trenttsd

There are various methods which can be used to make soap at home. Photo courtesy of flickr user trenttsd.

In our last post, we explained some of the basic foundations for soap making, including ingredients, equipment and method. We have previously gone into detail on soap making ingredients and soap making equipment, so now it is time to expand on the soap making process.

There are various methods which can be used to make soap at home. The basic process for making bars of solid soap is similar for each technique, but there are variations depending on the method used by the soap-maker. Continue reading “How To Make Soap At Home: Learning The Soap Making Methods”

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Soap Making Basics – How to Make Homemade Soap

Lye is one of the fundamental ingredients of soap making, so it's important to understand how to use it properly

Lye is one of the fundamental ingredients of soap making, so it’s important to understand how to use it properly. Photo courtesy of flickr user maoquai.

Soap making is not only a hobby, it can also be an addiction.

You will no doubt be hooked once you start making that first batch of soap (here’s our free suggested recipe).

Whether you choose to make soap for personal use or for holiday gifts, it is always better to be knowledgeable of the general process.

This post outlines the basics of the most popular soap making methods, but please click here to read our full, comprehensive post on the soap making methods available to you, or click here for our comprehensive post on soap making equipment.

The Soap Process

There are several ways to make soap. The method used depends on the products and materials available and the type of desired soap. Whatever it is, one thing is basic:

Soap is made from oil and lye no matter the method used. Once the basic soap is made, it can then be perfumed, colored, filled, shaped and packaged. Continue reading “Soap Making Basics – How to Make Homemade Soap”

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Making Your Own Herbal Soap With A Free Soap Recipe!

Anyone can make herbal soap at home, with ingredients that are readily available in any grocery store or supermarket. Photo courtesy of flickr user nico paix.

Anyone can make herbal soap at home, with ingredients that are readily available in any grocery store or supermarket. Photo courtesy of flickr user nico paix.

Herbal Soap Making has become very popular in recent times, although herbal soaps have been pushed out of the spotlight somewhat since the invention of synthetic soap making processes, which tend to yield a more consistent and cheaper product.

However, there are still many reasons to make your own herbal soap. You have control over the quality of the ingredients you use, so you know what the quality of your final product will be, and you can customize your soap any way you like. You can ensure that only natural ingredients are used, and minimize the environmental impact from waste materials for at least your own soap consumption. Handmade soaps make great inexpensive and unique gifts, and are a great alternative for people who find that commercial soap products are often too harsh for dry or sensitive skin. Perhaps most importantly, making your own soap will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Anyone can make their own herbal soap, with ingredients that are readily available in any grocery or soapmaking supply shop. With the ease and convenience of internet shopping, it’s now even easier to get the exact ingredients you want. Continue reading “Making Your Own Herbal Soap With A Free Soap Recipe!”

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Soap Making For the Holidays, And A Free Recipe!

Photo courtesy of Flickr user theogeo

Christmas is just around the corner! Have you found the perfect Christmas gifts yet? Why not make your own gift with elegant soaps your family and friends will love and cherish.

With simple soap making recipe you can easily create elegant soaps.

Here is a simple soap making recipe for those of you who haven’t tried making soap yet.

A lovely gift idea for friends and family would be to make your own homemade soap. A personalized gift that you made yourself would proclaim so much more thoughtfulness than just buying one.

Making olive oil soap is fairly simple and easy. Try out this homemade olive oil soap recipe.

Soap making ingredients:

One 18 ounce can of lye (Make sure the lye is labeled for soap making. Some lye are too harsh, while some others are not strong enough to make soap with)
Distilled water – 5 cups (plain tap water has chemicals and impurities that can cause soap making problems)
Heat proof container for mixing the lye
Large stainless steel pot for mixing soap
Spatula (rubber or silicon)
Plastic container with lid (which will serve as the soap making mold)
Blender or beater

How to make the soap:

1.Before starting, make sure to read carefully the Manufacturer Safety Data Sheet on the lye. Lye must be handled with extreme caution.

Please always note that when you are using Lye that Safety is top priority.

2.Pour the distilled water into the heat proof container. Then add lye carefully.
Always remember:

Add lye to the water and not the other way around.

Stir gently and with care. The mixture will get hot and will produce fumes for a few minutes.

Set the mixture aside to a safe place and wait for it to cool off.

3.Pour olive oil into the other large stainless steel pot and heat to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then remove the pot from the heat.

4.Once the container of the lye-water mixture is warm enough to touch, slowly pour the lye-water mixture into the warm olive oil, stirring the oil the whole time with your spatula.

Then, you can now use your stick blender or beater for short intervals, hand stirring in between.

You will notice the mixture starts getting thicker and more opaque which means trace is occurring.

Keep stirring until you see a pudding-like consistency.

5.Pour mixture into the plastic container with lid and cover with a blanket.

When it’s ready, pop it out from the container and stack it on brown paper lined shelves in a well ventilated area.

It takes approximately 4 weeks for soap to be aged and cured.

This recipe makes more than 10 pounds of soap.

Pack it any way you want it for a more personalized touch. Let your creativity run wild and don’t be afraid to use color and creative materials.

These handmade soaps will now be perfect Holiday gifts for your friends and family!

For more information on packaging and presentation of your soaps, be sure to check out our comprehensive Ebook package Soap Making Made Easy: Second Edition that reveals the best soap making techniques as well as recipes and tips on how to make your own soap at home.

It would also make the perfect gift for any friends and family who might be interested in soap making!

Take the next step

Download our FREE ebook, ‘How To Make Soap At Home’, by clicking here.

We also have a special offer on our Soap Making Ebooks range, with exclusive web bonuses and a risk free 60 day money back guarantee! Also available on Amazon Kindle, iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

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Scenting Your Soap – Fragrance Oils And Essential Oils

Fragrance oils are a great way to add a personal touch to your homemade soap. Flickr Markhillary

Fragrance oils are a great way to add a personal touch to your homemade soap. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Markhillary.

Scenting your homemade soaps is a great way to personalise your soaps, but with such a wide variety of options is a matter of personal preference.

There are two varieties of oils that can be used to scent soap: fragrance oils, and essential oils. Either can be used, according to the preferences of the soap maker. This article will give an idea of the benefits of each type of oils, but for our comprehensive post on essential oils, fragrance oils, example oils, their properties and quantities to add to your soap recipes, please click here.

Fragrance oils are made from a mixture of aroma chemicals. They are commonly used when there is no essential oil available for a particular fragrance, or when the essential oil is far too costly or environmentally irresponsible to use.

Unlike essential type oils, fragrance oils can be part natural and part synthetic, or all synthetic. Continue reading “Scenting Your Soap – Fragrance Oils And Essential Oils”

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Troubleshooting Your Soap Making Process

Making homemade soap is a challenging yet rewarding hobby. Flickr Slam Szapucki

Making homemade soap is a challenging yet rewarding hobby. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Slam Szapucki.

Producing your own homemade soaps is a fantastic hobby with a great range of healthy benefits.

As with anything however, the process is vulnerable to a number of difficulties, which can affect the outcome of the final product. Recently, a reader contacted us on Facebook with an issue on how to stop white bubbles appearing in her soap. Following on from this, we thought it would be a good idea to cover off on some other issues that you might be facing.

Below is a list with some of the most common difficulties that you might encounter while producing your soap, as well as a cause and solution for each. Continue reading “Troubleshooting Your Soap Making Process”