Cold Process Soap Bars

BASIC SOAP BAR
2.4 oz. sodium hydroxide
6 oz. water

10.5 oz. olive oil
5.25 oz. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. castor seed oil


LUXURIOUS SOAP BAR
2.4 oz.  sodium hydroxide
6 oz. water

2 oz. Shea butter
4 oz. sunflower seed oil
5 oz. olive oil
5 oz. coconut oil
1 Tbsp castor seed oil


PURE CASTILE SOAP
2 oz. sodium hydroxide
6 oz. water

​16 oz. olive oil
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​Simple Steps to Soap Making – Cold Process

What You Need

• Protection for your eyes and skin (safety glasses, rubber gloves with no holes, long sleeves to cover arms
• Large glass container
• Crock Pot
• Kitchen scale
• Silicone spatula/scraper
• Silicone moulds or parchment paper lined bread pan

 
To make soap, you need to have lye, aka sodium hydroxide Every recipe we showcase has the proper lye measurement for the specified oils so do not change out the oils or it will affect the end-result of your soap.

It is very important that when you combine the lye and water that you always add the lye to the water and not the other way around. The reaction between the lye and the water is immediate and intense – making the solution heat up to near boiling almost instantly.

It will create a chemical cloud so do not inhale it (I always lower myself so that I am under the fumes and not standing over them. If you can, make this solution outside.  If indoors, open a window and turn on a fan

You may see other recipes suggest you melt your oils and have both the oils and the lye at the exact temperature.  I have never done that.  I pour the lye solution into the glass cup holding the oils and butters, the Lye will melt the oils and butters so that you can start working on the next step.

Instructions
In your crock pot (slow cooker), measure your oils and butters (each time you add a new oil or butter tare the scale bringing it back to zero.  Turn your crock pot to low

Put on your gloves and goggles.

In the glass container place your water . Weigh the lye into a small glass container (large mouth mason jar works best). Stirring and leaning away from the steam, sprinkle the lye onto the surface of the water a little at a time. Stir until the lye is dissolved.

Put the container you used to measure the lye in the sink and rinse without splashing. Pour the hot lye solution in a stream into the oil/butter mixture, stirring constantly.

Place the empty lye solution Pyrex into the sink and rinse without splashing.

Go back to the soap and begin stirring with your silicone spatula or immersion blender.

Keep stirring with the spatula (immersion blender) until the mixture is the thickness of crepe batter or heavy cream, this could happen anywhere from right a way to over an hour.

You want to reach ‘Trace’

When you think it is getting thick, lift the spatula and let the “batter” dribble back onto the surface of the soap. If it sits on the surface of the batter for a little bit before sinking in, it is tracing.

You want to pour it into the mould before it gets so thick that you have to scoop and glop it. If you have gotten to the scoop and glop stage you are still good, it is just harder to get into the moulds, that is why I feel it is best to use the bread pan method until you have a few of these soap making sessions under your belt

Scrape all the mixture out of the crock pot, put the crock pot and spatula in the sink.

Spread out the towel on a surface where the soap can sit undisturbed. Fold the towel over the filled molds, and let it sit while you clean up.

Wipe any leftover soap out of your glass measuring cup with a cloth and put it in a sealed container. When the soap on the cloth finishes saponifying, you’ll have a nice soap-permeated cleaning cloth.

Be sure to never rinse blobs of raw soap down the drain, as it will make a terrible clog.

Be sure you wear your goggles and gloves during clean up. Very hot water and detergent will take care of the clean up in no time. Wash everything and set it out to dry.

NEXT STEPS
Your soap will get firmer as it sits and will probably cool off and heat up a couple of times over night.

Wait two days before taking it out of the mould. An easy way to remove the soap from your silicone mould is to put in the freezer for about an hour.  Wearing your protective gear (remember you soap is still lye activated) place them upside down on a cloth covered surface. 
Push on the bottom of the mould and the soap should come right out (if not place in the freezer for another hour)

When using the parchment and bread pan, it is much easier to remove.  Just grab the 2 long sides of the parchment paper and lift out.  Place on cloth covered surface.

Use a stainless steel knife to cut it into bars, choosing the size that appeals to you.
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Sit the soap to dry and cure for about 4 to 6 weeks (some say 2 weeks but I have always waited longer as it creates a longer lasting soap that lathers beautifully) on brown paper in an out of the way place, turning the bars every couple of days.