Basic Soap Making Method

Ingredients:
500 gm hydrogenated coconut oil (cohpa)or olive oil
200 ml purified water
70 gm caustic soda
Emolients up to 20 ml
Exfolients up to 20 gm
Colourants up to 20 gm
Pure essential oils 7ml up to 20 ml

Method

1. Weigh and measure your ingredients


2. Fill the pyrex jug with the water


3. Slowly add the caustic soda into the water stirring constantly. Ensure that it has dissolved properly. This solution is now called lye.


4. Leave the lye to cool until the temperature is 35-38 degrees celsius. It can be made the night before and left to cool as it is easy to heat it up quickly to the correct temperature. If you decide to do this, cover the container so that the solution is not weakened by contact with the air overnight. Otherwise, stand the jug of lye in cold water in the sink to speed up the cooling process.


5. Melt the oils and fats in the pyrex bowl and heat to 35-38 degrees celsius. Once again, place the bowl in a sink of cold water to adjust the temperature if required.


6. Once both mixtures reach 35-38 degrees celsius, pour the lye in a slow constant stream into the oils and fats while stirring constantly and smoothly at a medium pace.


7. The correct temperature is important to ensure a proper reaction occurs. If you see too much lye floating on the surface of the fats and oils, while you are pouring the lye solution, stop until the lye has been incorporated properly. Continue pouring and stirring. Do not whip or beat or stir the mixture erratically at this stage.


8. You will begin to see the mixture become opaque and thicken. Using the spoon, drizzle some of the soap muixture across the surface of the soap. When the soap is thick enough to momentarily hold the drizzle on the surface of the mixture, it is ready to pour. (This is known as 'tracing'.)


9. The stirring process can take from 15 minutes to around one hour. I always use an electric hand mixer as this speeds up the tracing time to just a couple of minutes. The mixture will still be warm. If you have been stirring for ages and the soap seems well mixed, and as though it has thickened but will not hold the drizzle on the surface, it should be ready to pour. Again, if using a hand mixer, it will always trace within a few minutes. This saves a lot of time and energy.


10. Add any colours, fragrances, emolients and exfolients in the following manner. Remove a small amount of the soap mixture from the bowl and mix your additives into it before incorporating it back into the main soap mixture. Ensure that the additives are mixed in thoroughly. Use an electric hand mixer to ensure an even consistency.


11. Once the additives have been incorporated, pour the finished soap mixture into the mould. Moulds which you would like to reuse should be lined with cling film.


12. Place a lid or cover on top of the mould and wrap in several thick blankets to keep the soap warm. Put in a warm place. You do not want a sudden drop in temperature as this will cause the soap to separate.


13. Leave your soap to solidify. This takes around 24-48 hours. Do not interfere with your soap during this time. Resist the urge to have a peek!


14. After 48 hours, remove the blankets from around the mould and check on your soap. Your soap should be firm but will still be a little soft. If it is too soft, leave it in the mould unwrapped for a day or so to dry and harden. You will then be less likely to damage your soap when trying to remove it.


15. Wearing rubber gloves, gently remove it from the mould. Be careful when doing this as there may be a small amount of the lye surrounding the soap.


16. Place the block of soap on a clean surface. The soap will become reasonably firm over the next seven days.


17. Leave your soap to air and finish curing for about four to five weeks. A reaction is still going on though considerably slower. You may notice a slightly powdery layer on your soap. This is sodium carbonate and can be drying to the skin. Slice this off once you have allowed your soap to finish curing.


18. Cut into bars.


19. You now have ready-to-use bars of soap!


20. Wrap soaps which you will not be using immediately in cellophane, waxed paper or cling film. This reduces the evaporation of any essential oils and keeps the soap fresher.

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