How to Make Homemade Soap – Step by Step with Video

If you have ever wanted to learn how to make homemade soap – now is the time! Between cold process, hot process, melt and pour, and re-batch – there is an option for pretty much everyone.

This article will help take you from absolute beginner through making your first batch of homemade soap. Here is how it works…

This post is divided into four short sections below. Each section is dedicated to a different form of homemade soap making. These processes are presented in order from least complex to most.

1. Melt & Pour
2. Rebatch
3. Cold Process
4. Hot Process

Each section starts with quick and easy basic instructions. This will let you know in a minute or two if that type of soap making is right for you.

After each set of basic steps is a detailed video demonstration by a soaper skilled in that process. Amazing recipes are included in the videos.

Together, these can help you find the type of soap you most want to make. And then actually make it!

Now let’s look at a few safety tips and make some soap!

Heads up!

You should note that all types of soap making has potential dangers and you should always wear appropriate safety gear.

Here are few things to always be aware of:

Lye heats fluids to a temperature of nearly the boiling point of water when it encounters moisture. This means that if you get a grain of lye on your skin, and there is any moisture, it can cause a significant burn.

Lye emits noxious fumes so only mix it in a well-ventilated area. I like to do this outside whenever possible.

Never work with lye when small children or pets are around. Also do not leave lye or lye solution unattended.

ALWAYS add your lye into water. Never the other way around. It becomes combustible and can spray you with flash-boiled lye solution. The fumes can also be overpowering.

When lye is added to liquid, it creates an exothermic reaction. This means it gets super-hot, instantly. When using room temperature water, the lye solution usually gets up to 195 degrees Fahrenheit – or higher!

The exothermic reaction mentioned above can lead to “volcanoing”. This is when the lye solution quickly rises from its container and can spill over of even “erupt”. Eruption means pouring over and even spraying burning hot liquid.

Be aware that some of these processes involve heating oils or soap to a high temperature that can cause burns. Hot process soap can easily reach over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It is often near this temperature when you stir it to reduce the “mushroom”.

I am not saying any of this to scare you. I just want to make you aware that there are dangers involved. As soap makers we need to respect all the tools and ingredients that we work with.

Safety First!

You also absolutely need to wear the proper safety gear. At minimum this includes:

1. Complete wraparound eye protection
2. Arm, leg, and hand protection
3. Protection for your body in general (such as a thick apron)

I have been splashed with 200° F soap. If not for my protective gear I would have been in real trouble.

Disclaimer:

While I am making every effort to share accurate information, it is based largely on personal experience. SoapStartup.com, Goodlife Goods, LLC. Their employees and representatives cannot be held accountable for your use of this information.

How to Make Melt and Pour Soap

Melt and pour soap is also known as glycerin soap. When it is made, it has the glycerin that came from saponification. Then it has even more glycerin added to it. This is so it will remain workable for you when you melt it.

Of all soap making type, this is the easiest. Here are the basic steps:

1. Starting with your block of melt and pour soap base, you cut off the amount that you plan to work with.
2. Next, you cut that large piece into smaller pieces. Each small piece should be about 1 in. square or smaller.
3. Once the soap has been cut into small pieces, place it in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl.
   1. Either method will work fine if you gently stir occasionally being sure to not cause bubbles.
4. Once the soap has fully melted and has reached a temperature below the flashpoint of your fragrance, yet is still melted, you can add your fragrances or other additives.
5. Now pour it into the mold.
6. Unlike cold process or hot process soap make, melt and pour soap is ready to use as soon as it has hardened.
   1. This typically means an average size 4-ounce bar is ready to use about two hours after the time of pouring.
   2. That is, assuming it has cooled at a typical room temperature of about 70°F, ± couple degrees.

Melt and Pour Soap Making Video (5 minutes)

https://youtu.be/sg6wEQjhe5Q

A Note on Heating

If you opt to use the microwave, be sure you do not let the soap staying for longer than one minute at a time. I usually start with one minute for a pound of soap.

Then I pull it out and gently stir it. Once back in the microwave I will continue to heat it for up to 40 seconds and then remove and stir. It takes a while, but it is well worth the time and effort. Allowing the soap to stay heating in the microwave, or on the stovetop for too long, can lead to burning.

Burnt melt and pour soap can result in discoloration as well as an unwanted order. It is best to avoid this situation.

Heads up!

Melt and pour soap can have the appearance of sweating in humid environments. This is because glycerin naturally attracts moisture from the air this is a great thing for your skin, however it can make the bar of soap look a bit odd.

To avoid having this glycerin dew, on your soap, it is best to wrap it in an airtight package, Shrink-wrap works great. You can also use plastic cling wrap. Just keep air from getting to the soap.

Inside Tip: Water-Jacketed Melting

Many large scale professional soaper who do large batches of melt and pour, use commercial grade water-jacketed soap melters. This is basically a standalone double-boiler with a spigot on the bottom.

Just imagine a giant pot full of water. Inside that pot is a slightly smaller pot that is mostly submerged in that water. In the smaller pot is your soap. It is heated evenly by the hot water surrounding it. This make the distribution of heat very even across the surface of the pot – unlike a pot on a stove burner.

Here is a link to a page on soapmelters.com showing a couple dozen models. These start at about $995 and can go over $5,000.

Save $$$! I make hundreds of pounds of melt and pour soap on a regular basis and have something that works just as well for one tenth the price. I use an electric commercial soup warmer that I bought for $95 on Amazon.

The model I bought is the “SYBO SB6000 SB-6000 Soup Kettle, 10.5 Quarts”. There are plenty of other models out there too. Just search for “electric soup warming kettle” on Google and you’ll find many options.

These do not have spigots. I just ladle the soap out.

>>> Get the Inside Edge

If you decide melt and pour soap making is right for you, here is a post on this site to check out. It will show you how to work in large volume to save hours or time and plenty of cash. Making Melt and Pour Soap in Bulk

A Word on Curing

Melt and pour soap is unique as it alone, of all soap making processes, does not require any curing time. It only needs the hour or two it takes to harden in the mold. For all other soap making processes, curing time must be considered.

People use the term “cure” to mean two things.

First, some people refer to completion of the saponification process, as “curing”.

Saponification is when the oils and lye solution combine and undergo an organic bio-chemical reaction that converts the lye and oil into  “alkali salts of fatty acids”. This results in glycerin and acts as the actual cleaning agent in “true soap” (soap without chemical detergents). Here is how the US Food and Drug Administration defines True Soap.

Secondly, and most commonly, “curing” refers to the hardening process of soap. Specifically this is when the bulk of leftover moisture leaves the bar.

This is best achieved by allowing the cut bars to dry properly. This can be as simple as placing the bars on a rack with adequate airflow in a cool dry space.

Full curing, to get a hard bar that lasts a long time, generally takes about:

• 1-2 weeks for Rebatch
• 1-2 weeks for Hot Process
• 4-6 weeks for cold process

How to Rebatch Soap

Rebatching soap is somewhat similar to making melt and pour soap. The key difference is, with rebatch, you start with existing bars or scraps of cold process soap (or hot process). Your goal is to turn this into beautiful new bars.

Rebatching Steps:

1. Gather your soap pieces and separate them how you like.
2. Next, weigh all of the soap that you plan to re-batch.
3. Next, cut your soap into small pieces or use a cheese grater. The smaller the pieces, the quicker and easier it will be to melt.
4. Place your shredded soap in your crockpot or microwave-safe bowl. Then add just enough distilled water to get all of the soap moist.
   1. I find that starting with 1 ounce of distilled water per pound of shredded soap works well.
5. Allow your soap to thoroughly melt, stirring occasionally.
6. Once the soap has melted enough to go into a mold, let it cool just enough to add in your scents or essential oils or whatever else you want. Stir it all in thoroughly and slowly.
7. If the soap is too thick for the mold you want to use, try adding distilled water. You will want to use about one tablespoon of water for every pound of soap. Be sure to stir gently. You are simply adding water to soap so stirring too hard will result in lather.
8. Spoon your soap into the mold of choice. You can tap the sides of a solid mold to help the soap settle and remove air bubbles.
9. Allow the soap to cure for 12 to 24 hours and then take it from the mold and cut it into bars.
10. Now let those bars harden, or cure, for some time. If the bar is very firm after a few days, it is good to go. If you added a lot of liquid during melting, it could take four or more weeks to get hard.

Insider Tips

1. It is best to use a digital scale that is accurate to two decimal places.
2. When gathering soap scraps, you can blend all of them together or separate them by unique qualities. Just be sure that any existing fragrances or textures, or visual attributes will work well together.
3. If you don’t have s digital scale that goes to two decimal places, try this. Switch a scale with only one decimal place to measure in grams. It will be much more accurate.
4. The soup warming pots mentioned in the melt and pour section work great for rebatching.

Rebatch Soap Making Video (16 minutes)

https://youtu.be/z-YLwvsbOkU

You are done!

Bonus Rebatch Info

Planned Rebatching:

Some soap making professionals love the quality of re-batched soap so much, they rebatch perfect loaves.

They are basically doing double the work and adding curing time to their handcrafted soaps. This is because they want the look and feel that rebatching produces.

Fixing Mistakes:

Two of the most common mistakes made in cold and hot process soap making are:

1.) Forgetting to add the fragrance or essential oil

2.) Having too much lye in the batch without enough oil

Rebatching can help you fix either situation quickly and easily. Simply add in what was originally left out and you are good!

Hand Milling:

From a marketing perspective you can use the term “hand milled” to describe your rebatch. This is accurate because cutting into tiny bits or shredding is a form of milling. Give it a try. How does this sound?

“Try our luxurious hand milled soaps.”

Shredding Shortcut:

If you do a lot of soap shredding it can be time-consuming and tiring. Consider repurposing a Salad Shooter or rotary cheese grinder. They work well for shredding soap in seconds.

How to Make Cold Process Soap

1. In cold process soap making you heat all of your oils and combine them without needing excessive heat. They just need to be in a liquid state.
2. You then combine your lye solution with your liquid oils and blend them with a stick blender or similar tool. Once the mixture has reached “trace” (a thin cake batter-like texture), it is ready to have any fragrance or exfoliates added.
3. After everything has been combined, pour it all into a mold and let it set for 24 hours.
4. You will typically cover the mold and wrap everything in insulative material such as blankets. This is because the soap will reach temperatures approaching 200° F while going through the natural saponification process that changes the fats and oils and lye solution into actual soap. The blankets help keep the heat in.
5. And finally, after the soap has set for 12 to 24 hours you can remove it from the mold and cut it into bars if needed.
6. The last step is allowing your bars of soap to cure in a cool, dry environment with low humidity and good air circulation. This will help any excess water in the bar to evaporate and make a much firmer bar that lasts a long time in the shower.

Cold Process Soap Making Video (3 minutes)

https://youtu.be/zVz6o08g5Po

Congratulations! You have made cold process soap.

A Note on Reaching Trace

Trace is a thick liquid state in which any droplets stay formed on the surface for an instant or more. That is a thin trace.

A thick trace is the same, but the droplets stay visible for longer.

Think of this as how a cake batter looks when the eggbeaters are removed and drip onto the surface of the batter.

How to Make Hot Process Soap

1. The steps to make hot process soap or similar to cold process, however you heat the oils to about 170°F or so. Heating can be done on the stovetop. It is, however, often done in slow cookers. A large crockpot can be ideal for this purpose. This is how hot process soap making gained the nickname “Crockpot soap”.
2. When the oils are heated, and your lye solution is at a temperature within 10 or 15°F, pour the lye solution into the hot oil.
3. Now you do the same thing as with cold process. Use a stick blender to blend the solution until it reaches trace.
4. Next you will cover the pot and continue to keep it at the same heat level while the soap undergoes its saponification process. Here you need to be careful because the soap will mushroom up and expand to two or more times its original height.
5. If it looks like it’s going to overflow, you can simply remove the lid and start stirring like crazy with a plastic, wooden, or silicone spoon. Just remember that at this point you are working with an active lye solution and soap that is likely over 200°F. That will scold you and can cause severe and painful burns. Stay protected with the right safety gear!
6. Depending on the hot process method you use, you may go through a second phase were the solution mushrooms (again). But after about 30 minutes in the pot, the soap usually starts to thicken and has completed most, if not all, of the saponification process.
7. Allow the soap to cool enough so that you can add any fragrances, exfoliates, or essential oils you wish. Just be certain the soap is below the flash temperature of any essential oils or fragrances.

Hot Process Soap Making Video (8 minutes)

https://youtu.be/scokYOkLcQo

Flash

“Flash” refers to maximum temperature fragrance or essential oil can withstand. When exposed above that temperature, it is damaged in some way. This usually results in a loss of potency of scent.

Hot Process Hacks and Finishing Touches

• If the soap is too thick and lumpy to fit into the mold you wish to use easily, you can add some distilled water to make it more fluid. I usually add in increments of about one tablespoon per pound.
• You can also add some liquid glycerin in place of water – or with it. This is readily available from suppliers like Brambleberry.
• Just understand that any water you add to the batch will result in needing days or even weeks of additional curing time for the soap to become firm. And that’s okay. That is how cold process soap cures. It’s worth it to have a firm bar so it will last a long time in the shower.
• Usually after 12 to 24 hours in the mold, I remove the soap and cut it. This is mostly because I use a lot of coconut oil, which is a hard oil that sets firmly. If I waited more than 24 hours to cut the bars of coconut oil soap, it takes a lot more effort. Pushing a knife or cutter with that much force reduces my accuracy of cuts.

Hot Process Soap Unique Advantages

One of the great advantages to hot process soap is that it usually takes only a fraction of the time to cure versus cold process. This is for two reasons…

First, hot process accelerates the saponification process. Saponification is the process of oils and lye solution coming together to make soap.

Second, most of the excess liquid evaporates out of the soap while it “cooks”.

I let my cold process soaps cure for 4 to 6 weeks per batch. My hot process soap is ready to use within a few days. I let it cure for two weeks anyway to maximize bar hardness.

In closing

I hope you were able to find at least one method of soap making you like here. If you ever need help with anything, please reach out to me. I would love to chat.

>>> Get the Inside Edge

If you are curious about why so many people choose to make homemade soap, you might like this article on this site. Why Make Homemade Soap? It is loaded with answers to that question from hundreds of people around the globe.

Happy soaping!