Soap making can be extremely complicated. Oftentimes lye is involved, and since lye is a chemical it has to be handled very delicately. Lye can even cause chemical burns if it isn’t handled correctly. If you’re a beginner at soap making you might want to consider skipping the lye and going for something easier and safer. Here’s how to make easy soap that you don’t need to be an expert to make.
Soap Making Tips
1. Buy a Soap Base
Buy a pre-made soap base. This will make the soap making process infinitely easier because you won’t have to make your own. When you have to make your own soap base you need to use lye. This is hard for beginners to use. Buying a pre-made soap base means all the lye work is already done. You can buy all different kinds of soap bases. Some are made from goat’s milk and some from olive oil. Buy whatever you think you’d like, and if you don’t like it you can try something different next time you make soap.
2. Create the Scent
The fun part about making your own soap is that you can create your own scent. To create scents you’ll need essential oils. You can mix and match and see what smells the best. Lavender and mint essential oils, cinnamon and orange essential oil, or oatmeal and honey all make amazing soap. You can also add in dried flowers to add more texture and beauty to your soap.
3. Measure and Melt the Soap
Measure out one pound of soap base, then cut it into large chunks. You need to melt the soap without burning it. Use a double boiler or the microwave to melt the soap. If you use the microwave put the soap in for small increments at a time. Stir the soap in between microwaving to make sure it doesn’t burn. Be sure that you’re using a microwave safe container.
4. Pour the Soap into Silicone Molds
Once the soap is completely melted, add your customized scent. Add as many or as little essential oil drops as you’d like. Some like their soap very fragrant, others like the scent subtle and faint. When the soap has its scent, pour the melted soap into silicone molds. You can choose any shape you want. Use heart, flower, or star molds. Have your kids pick out a mold that they might like. There are dinosaur, airplane, or animal molds too.
5. Allow the Soap to Cool
The soap will be very hot so let it cool for several hours. Once the soap is completely cool to the touch you can pop the soap out of the silicone mold. Carefully and gently pop the soap out of the mold so that the soap doesn’t break. Store your soap in a cool, dry place so that it lasts longer. The benefit of storing your soap is that it makes storage spaces smell great!
Summing Up
Although soap making can be complicated, it doesn’t have to be. You can make it easy and have fun with it. Try different scents and be creative. Get lots of different molds so that you can have soap in all different shapes with all different scents. Keep the soap for yourself or give it as a gift.
Thanks for sharing, Denali!
I’ve been making coconut oil soaps with lye for quite a while. It should definitely be handled with extra caution. I have a few minor skin burns to back up this claim 🙂
Using a soap base is a great way for someone to enter the world of soap making!
Here are a few more cool ingredients/powders: cinnamon, coffee, and activated charcoal.
They all add interesting color and texture, PLUS coffee and activated charcoal cleanse the skin and remove toxic substances.
Thanks again and keep it up!
Where can I buy the soap base?
Check it out on Amazon. They have a diverse stock of soap bases.