The production of homemade soaps has grown famous over the years. This is because people have realized that commercial products are more expensive to buy than natural handmade soap. You don’t need to shell out a lot of money to make soap at home, because the materials needed are all organic. If you want to try making it yourself and if you wish to be more economical, listed below are a few steps you can follow. You’ll never know how a new hobby could turn into a possible business venture in the future.
There are three types of processes you can choose from in making your soap:
- Melting and pouring. Find your soap base and melt it in a heated pot. You can also mix the rest of the materials here, which will include a mix of fragrances and essential oils. After completing the melting and mixing process, find a mold you can pour your mixture into. Your mold can vary in shape, and you can get as creative as you can.
- Hot process. Unlike other processes, the hot process involves making soap from scratch, where the heat can increase the speed of converting fat, oil, and lipid into soap. This is commonly referred to as saponification.
- Cold process. This process takes a longer time to complete as it can take the soap four to six weeks to cure. It also involves making soap from scratch, but instead of applying heat, you just need to mix oils and sodium hydroxide lye and wait for it to harden.
After choosing the process you wish to use, you can now start making your natural handmade soap. Remember that you might need to skip a few of the instructions depending on the type of soap-making process you want to follow.
Prepare Your Materials
Of course, before you start doing something, you need to prepare all the materials you will be using. Ask people who have been making homemade soaps to know where you can get a good deal. Also, decide how you want your soap to smell like and what benefits you want for your skin. Make a run to the best stores, and pick out what you need.
Safety First
Keep in mind that you will be working with different chemicals during this process. Make sure to wear protective materials like a mask, gloves, and some protective glasses to make sure that you don’t inhale too much of the fumes, you don’t get too much irritating material on your hands, and you don’t get anything in your eyes. Otherwise, your intent to protect the environment by going organic might just put you in harm’s way. Also, find a safe space to conduct your activity.
Melt and Pour the Ingredients
Your lye should exactly be only ¼ of a cup. Recheck your protective gear as you pour the lye into the water. Keep in mind that lye should always be poured into the water and not the other way around. Be careful of the fumes. Always measure the temperature and keep it at 120°F. When cooling, keep it between 95°F and 105°F. If the temperature is too low, your soap will get crumbly. Remember that temperature is very important.
After the mixing process and when everything is set to the right temperature, pour the oils in the mixing bowl and slowly add the lye. You can stir using a spatula or do it by hand, whichever is more comfortable for you. Keep stirring until the mixture lightens and turns thick. You’ll know it’s ready when it finally looks like vanilla pudding.
Add Your Toppings and Designs
Some soap makers like adding dry flowers to their soap for aesthetic purposes. Likewise, you can do the same for your new batch. This will make your soap look more beautiful and admirable. Add them in when the mixture is a bit sticky so that it’s easier for the embellishments to sit. You can even do a few carvings!
Cooling
After all the preparations, it’s time for your soap to cool. Allow it to harden for 12 to 24 hours. Constantly check if it’s already firm. Once it is, turn it over from the piece of parchment and cut it into pieces.
Wrapping and Cleaning
After cutting the soap up, wrap it in wax paper. This is to prevent dust from sticking to the soap. Now that you’ve made your first batch, clean the materials you used. For those that were exposed to lye, you can neutralize them using vinegar.
That wasn’t so bad, was it? Once you’ve mastered the art of making soap, it will be easier for you to do it. Likewise, you can make this into a future business venture. For now, you can start using it for your consumption and share it to your friends until you gain more traction. In no time, people will flock to you to try out your new creation once they know that they work like magic.