Yes, you’ve heard all about the advantages of making your own soap but have you ever considered making one all by yourself and just how do you make soap?
Making soap at home is far less complicated than you think.
It is easy, enjoyable and at the same time rewarding. Once you learn, you can then start to make glycerin soaps, herbal soaps or any kinds of soap you like. But first you have to know the basics.
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.
Here are the different ways of making homemade soap:
1.Cold Process Soap Making – This method is commonly favored by those who want to make soap from scratch.
It is so named cold process because after all the ingredients are combined,
no additional heat is applied.
It involves mixing a combination of natural soap making oils and fats with a
lye solution until it reaches a process called Saponification.
Once Saponification takes place, a trace forms. Then the mixture will then be poured into a soap making mold and allowed to cool and harden.
It is called cold process because after the water, lye and fat are mixed, no
more heat is added to the mixture. It is the most common method of soap making.
2.Hot Process Soap Making – This method differs from the cold process method in that in the hot process method, external heat is applied after the fats and oils are mixed together.
Unlike the cold process method, the hot process soap can be used immediately after it has cooled and hardened. Because it is completely neutralized, no curing time is necessary.
3.Melt and Pour Soap Making – By far the easiest soap making method. It involves creating new bars of soap by melting commercial bars or pre-made bars of soap, then adding your own soap making fragrance, oils and other additives.
Once the additives are blended with the soap, it can then be poured into soap making molds.
There is no need to wait for weeks for the soap to cure. Once it’s cooled and hardened, it is ready for use. There is no trace stage since the soap has already been saponified before you purchased it. This method is faster and more convenient especially for beginners.
4.Re batching Method – this process is useful if you have made soaps that are physically deformed or flawed but still useful.
It involves melting this soap and remolding them. It also helps to bring out the full medicinal or beautifying benefits from any herbs you may have added to the soap.
Now that you have learned the soap making methods, all you need next is a good soap recipe.
You can make your own soap using whatever soap making ingredients you choose. You can even add essential oils, natural scrubs and your favorite soap making fragrance.
Over to you: do you have any tips for the various soap making methods? Let us know in the comments below and share your favourite tricks for how to make soap with our readers!
Take the next step
Make sure you download our FREE comprehensive beginners guide, ‘How To Make Soap At Home’, by clicking here.
If you are ready to get serious about soap making, we have a special offer on our Soap Making Ebooks range, with a risk free 60 day money back guarantee! Also available for Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Android and all major Ebook reader platforms.