How To Make Soap

Making your own soap has several benefits. Saves money, it’s healthier and you can make money as a product for a side business.

The equipment needed is minimal. More than likely, you already own most of it!

Equipment: Double boiler* (pots* of different sizes can be substituted if a true double boiler is not owned), glass measuring cup, candy or meat thermometer, glass dish, whisk, gloves, goggles, mask and molds for the soap shapes.

*NOTE: Always use stainless steel pots when working with lye. Lye reacts with aluminum and produces toxic fumes*

Ingredients: 2 pounds lard (animal or plant based), 10.5 ounces water, 4.25 ounces lye (Sodium Hydroxide)* , Oils of choice for scent (Lavender recommended solely by preference!), herbs such as ground turmeric (type of ginger) for health benefits.

*NOTE: The gloves, goggles and mask are for working with the lye (sodium hydroxide). It is an inorganic compound commonly found in drain cleaners like Draino. It is caustic and can burn your skin. The mixture will also create fumes. Sounds intimidating; but, the basic safety tips are easy once you do it by the second time!

Instructions:

If you’re using a glass or wooden mold, line it with wax paper.
Put on your protective gear. Pour water into the jar until it reads 10.5 ounces. Then set aside.
Carefully pour 4.25 ounces of lye into the glass dish.
Put your goggles, mask and gloves on now. Carefully and slowly pour the lye into the water. Stir the mixture until the lye is completely dissolved. As you stir, the mixture will become quite hot so be careful if you need to move it. Let it cool to between 100-120 degrees.
Place the lard in a stainless steel pot and put it on the burner. Heat over medium heat until completely melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool to between 100-120 degrees. Use a candy or meat thermometer to test the temperature every 5-10 minutes until it reaches the desired temperature.
Heat the oils and herbs you choose for your soap, like lavender and turmeric (this is where you can get creative once you have the hang of making soap!) in another pot to warm up while the lye mixture cools.
Slowly pour the lye/water into the oils. Blend in the pot, with a whisk, until it resembles a cake batter (3-5 minutes).
Pour the soap into the molds you have chosen.
Put the mold somewhere warm (like an oven with the light on) and let it sit for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, pop your soap out of the mold and cut if needed. Stand bars up in a dry area with space in between each one to allow for air circulation. Let them sit and harden.
When you’re done (with your gloves still on) rinse any supplies that had lye or soap mixture in them with running water. Pour some vinegar in a sink filled with hot soapy water and wash everything in there, then set aside away from your food prep area to dry. Store all soap making tools in a closet or cabinet away from food making tools.

Now that you have mastered soap making; besides having your own supply, what to do with them all? Gift baskets for the holidays, set up a table in your driveway when there are yard sales on your block, set up a table at Farmer’s Markets, list them on eCommerce sites: Etsy.com, Amazon.com, eBay.com. Launch your own website (don’t know how? I am for hire!)

But now you know you can do it! And you further increased your self sufficiency!

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