Soap is one of the basic products we use daily. And often, we might not even realize how simple it is to make your own soap. Homemade soap production is becoming increasingly popular. Not only does it allow you to control exactly what goes into your soap, but you can also create your own fragrances and designs that suit you.
If you've ever thought about making soap at home but didn't know where to start, we have a complete guide for you. In this article, you'll learn how to easily and safely make soap in your own home. From the basic ingredients and tools you'll need to a step-by-step process, we'll show you how to create beautiful soap that you'll enjoy using every day.
What will you need to make soap?
Steps for making soap
- Cut the soap base into cubes or other smaller pieces about 1-3 cm in size.
- Melt the cut soap base in a water bath at 65-70˚C or in a microwave (50-70% of maximum power). Do not exceed 75˚C and avoid boiling the soap base.
- You don’t need to stir the soap base. Stirring can create bubbles, which are undesirable in the final product.
- You can keep the melted base at 65˚C if needed.
- Add ingredients like dyes, fragrances, herbs, other additives (oils, sea salt), or decorations (coffee beans, dried citrus slices, stones, and shells) to the melted base. Keep practicality in mind unless you are making decorative soap. Be careful with the amount added. When making soap, less is more. If you add too many ingredients or decorations, the soap may not harden properly.
- Dyes always appear different depending on whether you add them to transparent or white soap bases.
- Pour the melted base into molds. You can also place decorations at this stage, after pouring the melted base into molds.
- Spray the surface of the poured soap several times with alcohol spray, which will instantly remove surface bubbles.
- Let the soap harden at room temperature. Do not attempt to speed up the hardening process, for example, by placing it in the fridge. Doing so could cause the soap to lose some of its essential components.
- Each soap base hardens at a different rate, depending on the temperature to which it was melted. Hardening can take from 45 minutes to about 1 hour. Before removing the soap from the mold, carefully touch the surface or gently squeeze the edges. If the soap is hard, you can remove it from the mold.
Tips for making and storing soap
- What if you don’t have a thermometer and want to melt the soap base in a water bath? If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll reach the correct temperature when bubbles appear in the water, but it’s not yet boiling.
- If you let the soap rest for 1-2 weeks in a dry place at room temperature, it will become firmer.
- If you need to smooth the soap, heat a knife over steam and smooth the soap with the flat of the blade.
- Store soaps at room temperature in a place that is neither too warm nor too humid. If you’re making soap as a gift, wrap it in paper, fabric (preferably cotton), in an organza bag, or after resting, you can use cellophane.
Tip from Resin Studio
Store the soap base and soap made from it wrapped up to prevent water loss due to evaporation.
VIDEO: Soap-making guide for beginners
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