But lye can be hazardous to work with at home. If you do choose to make soap with lye, Rodriques, who has been making and perfecting her homemade soap for 15 years, says this is what to watch out for:. If you are a beginner, the simplest way to start is to purchase a soap base — a pre-mixed combination of the soap, glycerin, and a few add-ins like plant butters and extracts for skin benefits, along with additives for transparency or fillers for making opaque bars.
We recommend buying from a reputable website, like Brambleberry Handcraft Provisions , that offers a variety of supplies and has multiple recipes for making different kinds of soaps. All you do is melt it, mix in your favorite fragrance oil, and mold it. Pro tip: When buying fragrance oil online, make sure it is cosmetic grade or use one of your own favorite fragrances.
We like the Made Safe certified essential oils by Radiance. Most ready-made melt and pour recipes can be done either in the microwave or on a stove top in a double boiler over low heat.
Both techniques work well, but doing it on the stove top can give you more control and allows you to better see when the base starts melting. It also prevents hot spots or over-heating that can happen when melting in the microwave oven.
Have pot holders or heat resistant gloves or mitts handy when handling these hot implements. Here's how:. Instead, let the chunks melt on their own or move any solid pieces gently around in the container. If you are not following an exact recipe, it might take a little trial and error to figure out how much fragrance to add to your soap. A general rule of thumb is to add about 1 teaspoon of fragrance per pound of soap. Pro tip : The base will cool down and start to solidify within minutes.
Re-melt it by returning the container back to the microwave or stove top over very low heat for a few seconds and give it a quick gentle stir. Crafters purchase already made bases, melt them down, add colors and scents, and then pour the mixture into their preferred molds.
The benefit of this process is that the chemical reaction to actually make the soap has already occurred; all the maker is doing is putting their own fingerprint on the soap, essentially. Combining different oils will lend your final product different characteristics. Some oils will help make your bars harder or will provide a better lather. On the other hand, oils like olive and coconut will create the chemical reaction that actually turn all these liquids into soap.
Other materials like shea butter will offer moisturizing qualities. Just like with making bath bombs , you have a variety of creative options when it comes to soap molds. Image Credit: AliExpress. Cut small chunks of glycerin, place them in your microwave-safe container, and microwave for 30 seconds.
Use one of the stir sticks to stir the melting glycerin base and continue to microwave for short spurts until the base is fully melted throughout. Then stir in several drops of your chosen essential oil and combine. While those ingredients are combining, use a spray bottle to spritz rubbing alcohol on your molds to prevent any bubbles from forming in your bars of soap. Once the ingredients are combined and the molds are ready, pour the contents into the molds and allow to cool and set.
When the bars have hardened, pop them out of the molds and your bars are complete. From here, simply lather, rinse, and repeat. Want some ideas on ways to tweak this recipe to make it your own? Here are some options for different essential oils you can switch out to achieve a different scent and feel for your soap bars. There are plenty of digital channels you can use to get your handcrafted products in front of as many buyers as possible.
Want to learn more about how social media can help drive sales? Download our free, curated list of high-impact articles. Although selling your sweet-smelling bathtime treats online offers entrepreneurs the ability to market to a global audience, selling your homemade soaps in person helps you tap into unique markets as well.
Homemade soaps, particularly when paired with beautiful packaging, can be beautifully presented in person. If it's still warm or soft, allow it to sit another 12 to 24 hours. When it's cold and firm, turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper or baking rack. If using a loaf pan as your mold, cut into bars at this point. Allow soap to cure for 4 weeks or so. Be sure to turn it over once a week to expose all the sides to air, or put it on a backing rack to allow air to circulate.
Step 6 : When your soap is fully cured, wrap it in wax paper or keep it in an airtight container. Hand-made soap creates its own glycerin, which is a humectant, pulling moisture from the air. It should be wrapped to keep it from attracting dust and debris with the moisture. Clean your equipment that has been exposed to lye. You can neutralize the lye with white vinegar , then wash the equipment well as you normally would. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.
Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Women's Health. Primary Care. Mental Health. More Button Icon Circle with three vertical dots. It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. Kelly Burch. You can make soap at home with a few key ingredients. You'll need lye, along with your choice of oils; olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, or sunflower oil all work.
There are a few different methods for soap-making — here's an example recipe for the cold process. This story is part of Insider's guide on How to Kill Germs. Loading Something is loading. Kelly Burch is a New Hampshire-based freelance journalist writing about finances, health, family, and more.
Follow her on Facebook or Twitter , and or learn more here.
0コメント