Making Soap is Good, Clean Fun
Soap making has a long and illustrious history extending at least 5,000 years in written
history. It is likely that it was in use long before that period. Probably an accidental
discovery, soap has become a part of our daily lives.
The basic soap making process involves mixing lye, a base, with some fatty acid, such as
oil, grease or fat. By heating the combined ingredients, a chemical reaction takes place
converting the liquids to a foamy substance. This process could take six to eight hours,
or longer. When cooled, the gelatinous mass would be stored in a barrel and accessed
by a scoop.
Hard soaps, which were rarely made, could be created by adding salt to the mixture at
the end of the cooking process. Salt was simply too valuable to use for such purposes
for most homesteaders. Therefore, soft soap was the standard formulation. Hard soaps
were sold by the pound in town, occasionally scented with various essential oils to
attract high-brow clients.
Today Soap Making is much easier
The simplest way for a beginner to try soap making is to avail themselves of all the premade
soap making supplies available at the local hobby shop. Pick up a couple of the
“melt and pour” soap bases available and you are ready to experiment. The soap base
can be melted either in a double boiler or in the microwave, making it ideal for new soap
makers.
The tools you need to make your first bars of soap are as follows;
1. “Melt and Pour” soap bases
2. Plastic wrap
3. Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils
4. Colorant
5. Rubbing Alcohol
6. Soap Making Forms
Planning your Soapy Adventure
You will need to plan out how many soaps you want to make, in which forms and what
you want them to look and smell like. Gather up your tools and let’s get started.
1. Melt your soap base, either in the microwave or the double boiler.
2. Once the base is fully melted, add the fragrance or essential oil. With
essential oils you want to work quickly from this point, heat helps them
dissipate faster. Mix the oil in thoroughly.
3. Add the color. Use the rubbing alcohol to break any “mica bubbles” by
spraying the surface of the soap as you mix. Add colorants carefully and
slowly, especially if you opt to use food coloring. Some colors will dye
everything, including your hands and towel, when you wash. Don’t over do
it.
4. First stabilize your molds then pour in the liquid soap. Use rubbing alcohol to
break any surface bubbles.
5. Let the soap cool fully before you remove it from the mold.
Now, let’s get fancy!
Fancier Soaps that are Just as Easy
There are lots of ways to make your soaps appear fancier without needing to invest a lot
of money or learn a long list of additional skills.
The frst way to add some fun to your soaps is with a double pour. Mix two batches of
soap with different colors. When pouring into the mold keep each color as close as
possible to its own side. The soaps will meet in the middle and swirl together
beautifully.
Make a bar of soap with dried flowers embedded deep inside. Use a completely clear
soap base and several dried flowers. Using the melted base, fill the mold about 1/3 of
the way. Spray with alcohol and wait about 15 minutes for a thin skin to form, and then
place the flowers in a pretty pattern. Gently cover the flowers with more melted soap
base to fill the mold.
If you try out these soaps and catch the soap making “bug,” then take a look online. You
will find hundreds of soap making recipes to try; from the simple to the complex.
Making soap is good, clean fun!
Soap making has a long and illustrious history extending at least 5,000 years in written
history. It is likely that it was in use long before that period. Probably an accidental
discovery, soap has become a part of our daily lives.
The basic soap making process involves mixing lye, a base, with some fatty acid, such as
oil, grease or fat. By heating the combined ingredients, a chemical reaction takes place
converting the liquids to a foamy substance. This process could take six to eight hours,
or longer. When cooled, the gelatinous mass would be stored in a barrel and accessed
by a scoop.
Hard soaps, which were rarely made, could be created by adding salt to the mixture at
the end of the cooking process. Salt was simply too valuable to use for such purposes
for most homesteaders. Therefore, soft soap was the standard formulation. Hard soaps
were sold by the pound in town, occasionally scented with various essential oils to
attract high-brow clients.
Today Soap Making is much easier
The simplest way for a beginner to try soap making is to avail themselves of all the premade
soap making supplies available at the local hobby shop. Pick up a couple of the
“melt and pour” soap bases available and you are ready to experiment. The soap base
can be melted either in a double boiler or in the microwave, making it ideal for new soap
makers.
The tools you need to make your first bars of soap are as follows;
1. “Melt and Pour” soap bases
2. Plastic wrap
3. Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils
4. Colorant
5. Rubbing Alcohol
6. Soap Making Forms
Planning your Soapy Adventure
You will need to plan out how many soaps you want to make, in which forms and what
you want them to look and smell like. Gather up your tools and let’s get started.
1. Melt your soap base, either in the microwave or the double boiler.
2. Once the base is fully melted, add the fragrance or essential oil. With
essential oils you want to work quickly from this point, heat helps them
dissipate faster. Mix the oil in thoroughly.
3. Add the color. Use the rubbing alcohol to break any “mica bubbles” by
spraying the surface of the soap as you mix. Add colorants carefully and
slowly, especially if you opt to use food coloring. Some colors will dye
everything, including your hands and towel, when you wash. Don’t over do
it.
4. First stabilize your molds then pour in the liquid soap. Use rubbing alcohol to
break any surface bubbles.
5. Let the soap cool fully before you remove it from the mold.
Now, let’s get fancy!
Fancier Soaps that are Just as Easy
There are lots of ways to make your soaps appear fancier without needing to invest a lot
of money or learn a long list of additional skills.
The frst way to add some fun to your soaps is with a double pour. Mix two batches of
soap with different colors. When pouring into the mold keep each color as close as
possible to its own side. The soaps will meet in the middle and swirl together
beautifully.
Make a bar of soap with dried flowers embedded deep inside. Use a completely clear
soap base and several dried flowers. Using the melted base, fill the mold about 1/3 of
the way. Spray with alcohol and wait about 15 minutes for a thin skin to form, and then
place the flowers in a pretty pattern. Gently cover the flowers with more melted soap
base to fill the mold.
If you try out these soaps and catch the soap making “bug,” then take a look online. You
will find hundreds of soap making recipes to try; from the simple to the complex.
Making soap is good, clean fun!
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