Things you must know
Homemade soap is pretty easy to make. Before you start the making process you should know few things that will guide you to make a better soap at home. In the soap making process you need to use LYE. Well, it is a soap making process that uses the basic formula of soap making. The formula of soap making includes liquid, fat and lye. Here comes the question again, what’s lye? Theoretically, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide creates lye that is used in making soap. It creates the chemical reaction that turns fat into soap. If it don’t, then you will find washing yourself using a big pile of animal fat or something like that. In this case, we can call lye as our friend. Many people are afraid of lye but it can be prevented if the proper precautions are taken correctly.
Homemade soap recipe
There are two ways that soap can be made. One of them is the hot process and the other one is the cold process. Here comes a question that which process is ideal for soap making but it varies from individual perspective. But, first you have to know the difference between the two processes. The hot process the quick and effective on the other hand the cold process is rather slower than hot process and it is also efficient. The cold process approximately takes up to six weeks but in the hot process you can get your result just after one day. So, I’m going to give you some easy way that you can use to make your own soap at home.
The main problem of crockpot soap is that is does not produce a less-pretty bar that has some lumpiness. However, if you mainly interested in making soaps for family and friends then this article is just for you.
What do you need for hot process soap?
Actually you don’t need many things but there are few items that are less expensive will make your soap-making a lot easier:
- Crockpot
- Glass or Pyrex measuring cups and bowls (You must avoid metal dishes in your soap making process as lye reacts with some metals)
- A digital kitchen scale
- A stick blender
- Soap mold
- Safety gear (eye protection, gloves, and long sleeves, to guard you from the lye)
- Lye
- Fat/Oil
- Liquid
Okay then let’s get to the recipe process …
Basic Process of Soap Recipe
(An idea about the ingredients amount: This process of soap making recipe produces about 850gm of soap. You can choose your suitable amount by the size of your mold. However, you have freedom to play around with the oil quantity in any soap recipe, as long as you determine the final amounts through a lye calculator to make sure you are using a safe amount of lye. You should always run your numbers through the lye calculator before you make any soap recipe)
- 250 gm olive oil
- 550 gm coconut oil
- 250 gm distilled water
- 150 gm 100% pure lye
- Necessary oils for scent (this is optional)
- Other Equipments:
- Digital scale
- Safety gear (safety glasses, long sleeves, gloves)
- Stick blender
- Crock pot
Non-metal dishes and utensils
To start, quantify the olive and coconut oil. Insert the coconut oil into the slow cooker, and turn it on so it begins to melt.
As the coconut oil melts, measure the other ingredients, weighing every ingredients on the digital scale first for soap making. In soap making process, you should always measure by its weight, not by its volume.
You should measure your water into a Pyrex measuring cup, and the lye into a small glass bowl. Make sure you have your protective gear (gloves, long sleeves, eye protection) ready in place before you can start handling the lye.
After the melting of the coconut oil, add the olive oil to the crockpot allowing it to mix and heat up.
Now, mix the lye in the water. Be sure to do this in a place full of ventilation, just because the lye must create a reaction with the water and it will happen to emit fumes. You probably should prefer to do it outside, or under your stove hood with the turning fan on.
Dissolving the lye into the water
Slow and steadily mix the lye to the water, as you must continuously stir the water well. The chemical reaction will take place, and the mixture will heat up rapidly, so be sure that you don’t grab the water container without gloves or an oven.
**Note**
ALWAYS mix the lye to the water. DON’T add the water to the lye. Adding water to the lye will cause a result in an unpleasant type of reaction.
Once the lye is fully dissolved into the water add the melted oils in the crockpot. You should do this slowly, do this while stirring the soap mixture.
Now, get your stick blender. Stir and mix it with your stick blender properly. Stir and thick it over the course of 5-7 minutes.
You should do it until it comes to a pudding like stage. It’s called ‘trace’ and this will turn into your soap.
The pudding-like trace stage
Once trace has created, the hard part is finished! Simply place the lid on the crockpot and set the timer for about 50 minutes, and allow the mixture to cook on slowly.
The stages of cooking
While you wait, line up your soap molds with paper and prepare those as you like.
Once the 50 minutes is over, test the soap to ensure the lye has reacted with the oils totally and no longer remains in the mixture.
By mixing in any additives, turn off the crockpot and allow the mixture to cool slowly before mixing any essential oils. However, as the mixture will begin to prepare, so watch that carefully.
Pouring the soap mixture into the mold and making sure to press it into the all corners and smooth out the front as much as possible.
Set it aside for Overnight, or until it sets completely.
Remove the soap from the mold and cut those into bars, and dry those for another day to harden up a bit.
Now it’s ready for using.
You have successfully made your very own soap!
Congratulations!