Soap

The Joy of Handmade Soap!

By Roma Christensen

Ririe, Idaho 83443

208-538-7882

Basic Soap Making Instructions

For Your Safety: Do NOT use Soap making tools for preparing food.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES: Get a copy of the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for lye (Sodium Hydroxide) and READ IT. Lye is a highly caustic chemical. When working with lye, always wear eye protection and rubber gloves. A long sleeved shirt, long pants and shoes that cover your toes are a must. If lye solution (or dry form) comes into contact with skin, flush the affected area immediately with vinegar and then wash the skin well with detergent and water. Lye can burn you chemically and thermally (remember the exothermic reaction, it can heat up to ~200 degrees F when it mixes with moisture, even the moisture in your skin). If you handle raw soap, the presence of lye on the skin can usually be detected as a slick feeling on the skin which will quickly dry your skin as excess lye tries to mix with the oils in your skin and make soap out of them!

Aluminum and cast iron should never come in contact with lye, as they will corrode. This means NO aluminum pans, foil, or utensils. Containers used for mixing lye solutions should clearly be marked as "Poison" and kept out of the reach of children and animals. These containers should not be used for any other purpose. Children and animals should be removed from the general soap making vicinity. When measuring out lye or stirring the solution, care should be taken to avoid breathing the dust or fumes created by the lye. Always work in a well-ventilated area. If lye is accidentally ingested, get medical care immediately.

Equipment you will need to get started.

¨ Two-quart glass measuring pitcher, stainless steel pan or plastic container to mix soap.

¨ Small glass containers for measuring fragrances, etc into.

¨ Microwave or Pan for heating oils on the stovetop.

¨ Glass, stainless steel or heat-resistant (212 deg. F) plastic container for mixing the lye solution.

¨ Long handled plastic spoon and rubber spatulas for stirring soap and the lye solution.

¨ Two thermometers (I like the glass ones, but make sure that the numbers are not printed on the outside of the glass or they will disappear in your soap!) (with a range of at least 90-200 deg. F) to measure temperature of the lye solution and oils.

¨ Safety Glasses or Goggles

¨ Rubber gloves

¨ Scale for weighing the oils, lye and water. A kitchen scale will work but a digital scale that can read both grams and ounces is preferred. (A digital postal scale is a good choice.)

¨ Stick or immersion style hand blender. (optional)

¨ Molds for soap (I have found that a (3"x15") Rubbermaid drawer organizer works well and is not expensive! You will need two of these for my favorite recipe.)

¨ Freezer Wrap (to cover your work surface area as well as your molds)

¨ Old towels or blanket to insulate soap after poured in mold.

¨ Wire rack, or plastic needlepoint sheets.

¨ DO NOT USE ALUMINUM CONTAINERS! (They will react with the lye)

First things First: Lay out a fresh layer of freezer wrap on your counter top to protect your work surface and make cleanup easier. Set up all equipment you will be using. If using a Rubbermaid plastic mold, brush a thin layer of petroleum jelly on it so that your soap will release easier.

Weigh your oils and place them in glass pitcher or pan for heating. Weigh out essential oils and other additives such as coloring and set aside.

Safety First! I cannot express enough the importance of adhering to all safety precautions when using lye. Put on your long sleeve shirt, pants that will cover your legs, shoes with toes, apron, SAFETY GLASSES or GOGGLES, and RUBBER GLOVES!

Measure water into your heat-resistant container. If you have a window by your kitchen sink, place the container in the sink and open the window. You can also do this step outside. Just make sure that you are in a well-ventilated area. Measure lye into a separate container and then slowly pour it into the water, stirring gently until the lye dissolves. When you add the lye to the water it will cause an exothermic reaction (meaning, it will heat up all by itself, to ~ 200* F) Lye is extremely caustic, it can cause severe burns. It can also cause problems with your lungs if you breathe the fumes… so hold your breath while you are adding and stirring the lye. It will stop fuming after about 30 seconds. Place a thermometer in the lye solution and set it in your sink to cool.

While lye solution is cooling, heat the oils till they are just melted approximately 110 to 120 degrees F. Do not overheat. Oils heat quickly so watch them and when you are within 5-10 degrees of the appropriate temperature, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner. If you are heating in the microwave, heat for only one minute at a time, stirring and checking temperature after each minute.

Allow the oils and lye to cool to the correct temperature* (95 to 100 deg. F if pouring into one mold or 110 deg. F if pouring into individual molds). (Note: both oils and lye solutions must be the same temperature when you combine them), (if one of your solutions cools too fast, you can gently warm it by placing the container in a sink filled with warm water. Or if it is too hot, place the container in a sink of cold water till you get the right temperature) pour the oils into the soapmaking container (I use the microwave, so I melt the oils directly in an eight cup Pyrex measuring pitcher. Stir the oils quickly but gently with the spoon, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils (a thin pencil stream). (Stir quickly and pour slowly.) Lye is caustic and the fats are acids so when you combine the two they have an affinity for each other and bind together, making soap!

Spoon method: Stir continuously, occasionally scraping around the sides of the bowl, as you stir, you will notice the soap getting a little thicker and when you lift the spoon you can drizzle a line across the mixture. This is called "trace". Trace can sometimes be so slight that you might not notice it if you aren't watching closely. Tracing time will vary depending on the types of oils and stirring method you use. After the soap traces, add the fragrance or essential oils and color if desired and pour in mold. Cover mold with freezer wrap (waxy side to the soap) and cover again with towel or blanket. Place in a warm area (I like to put mine on top of my dryer in the laundry room) and don't disturb for at least 24 hours. (If you have small children, put the soap out of their reach. You don't want them to get burned or hurt in any way!)

(Hand blender method: I like to use this method because it causes the mixture to trace rapidly and seems to blend everything together better. But, it can trace so fast that you may not get the soap in to the mold before it sets up!) Here is what I do, After I have poured the lye into the oil mix and have stirred well with the spoon, I place my hand blender in the mix and turn on for just a few seconds till everything is just blended together. At this point, the mixture has usually traced and I add my fragrance oil, color and extra fats if desired and pour the raw soap in to the mold ASAP! Cover the mold with freezer wrap (waxy side to the soap) and cover with a towel or blanket. Place in a warm area (again, I like to put mine on top of my dryer in the laundry room) and don't disturb for ~24 hours. And again, (If you have small children, put the soap out of their reach. You don't want them to get burned or hurt in any way!)

As raw soap mixture sits it will heat up again to approximately 180 degrees F. The towel or blanket allows the mix to cool slowly, which contributes to better texture for the soap. Soap should be firm with no excess fluids pooling in the mold.

To remove the soap from the mold, put on your rubber gloves and turn the mold upside down on a sheet of freezer wrap or butcher paper and press gently on top of the mold. The soap should fall on to the paper. If you have trouble getting the soap to release, put it in the freezer for a little while and then try again. It should come out of the mold easily. Cut the soap into bars. I like to cut it into two-inch slices (if you use the 15" Rubbermaid mold you will have a bit left over that you can use as a test sample.) For a little extra special touch, you can press designs into your finished bars with a rubber stamp while the soap is still relatively soft. Place soap on rack or plastic needlepoint sheet so that air can flow all around it. Turn the soap every few days. Cure time is important, if soap is used too soon it can be harsh and drying to your skin. Allow soap to cure for 3-4 weeks.

Best of Luck!

Roma Christensen