Experience making your own soap using skin-loving ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil and natural additives. This guide will take you from start to finish and will give you the confidence to repeat the process again and again.
Let's get started!
What you'll need:
- 16oz Soap Mold (See our soap mold ideas and how to calculate the volume.)
- Plastic bowl
- Stick blender
- Spatula
- 36g Lye
- 98g Water
- 200g Olive Oil
- 60g Coconut Oil
- 13g Essentials Oils (if desired)
- 1% Natural Colorant of your choice. See how to color soap naturally here.
Safety First: Protect yourself! Make sure to work in a well ventilated area, and always wear gloves, goggles and a mask when making soap. Working with lye can be dangerous as it releases fumes and cause chemical burns.
Step 1: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and stir. Let it set until it reaches 100-120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Fully melt coconut oil before adding it to olive oil. Then, add the lye and water to the oils once they are both at 120 degrees or below.
*In this recipe, I infused yellow dock root in oil ahead of time and measured out how much oil was needed for this recipe. Depending on the ratio, the soap color may turn pink to reddish/purple. See how to make a cold infusion or hot infusion here.
Step 3: Use a stick blender to blend to a light to medium trace. Add essential oil to the soap batter and blend or stir.
Step 4: Pour the soap into the mold and tap down to release any air bubbles.
I repurposed a milk carton as my soap mold.
Step 5: Let the soap set for 2-3 days or until it will easily remove from the mold. Cut and allow it to cure on a rack for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!
*The freshly cut soap may not be pink all the way through, but once it begins to cure, the soap will change to pink.
I found this Savon de la Bonne Mère soap stamp on Etsy!