Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

There are several ways to make soap. These include: cold method, hot method, soap smelting from a soap base. Of these, the cold method is the most popular method for making soap from scratch.

Steps

1. 1 Get everything you need ready. You will need: safety goggles, rubber gloves, stainless steel saucepan, glass bowl, glass measuring cup, scales, rubber kitchen utensils for stirring, thermometer (if available, two thermometers - one for fat, one for alkali), recipe for a batch of soap, ingredients required for the recipe, molds for pouring soap.
2. 2 Fill the measuring cup with the required amount of water. Important note: The caustic nature of the alkali will eat into the glass, making the glass look like it has been frozen. It will be fine, but it will remain opaque.
3. 3 Pour in the right amount of alkali very slowly to make a water-alkaline solution and stir. Alkali and water will begin to interact with each other and will get very hot at first. Be careful: always add lye to water. If you do the opposite and add water to the alkali, you will cause a "volcanic" reaction.
4. 4 Set aside the lye and water mixture in a safe place to cool slightly.
5. 5 Weigh the fat and melt on the stove in a stainless steel saucepan over medium heat.
6. 6 Wait until the water-alkaline liquid and fat reach the same temperature (ideally about 43-44 degrees). Then slowly pour (while stirring) the aqueous alkaline liquid into a steel pan with the melted fat to create a soapy mixture. It is recommended to wear safety goggles and rubber gloves during this step to protect yourself from possible splashes of alkali.
7. 7 Stir the soap mixture thoroughly. Be prepared to stir for at least 15 minutes until the mixture is thick, like a pudding. This is called the "trace stage". There is a way to bring the soap to the "trace state" faster - use a blender, thus speeding up the mixing process.
8. 8 When the soap mixture reaches the "trail stage", add essential oils, other flavors or herbs, colors, and stir. Once again, the "trail stage" occurs when, when stirred, the soap retains the resulting curls and shapes (or when swept across its surface with a spoon, the soap retains a "trail", hence the name). It will remind you of pudding.
9. 9 Pour the soap into the molds. Make sure the soap is evenly distributed throughout the mold.
10. 10 Hide the molds in a warm place and let them harden for 24-48 hours. Wrapping the molds in a blanket or towel (to insulate and keep warm) will speed up the curing process.
11. 11 After the soap has hardened, there will still be a lot of water in it. Remove the soap from the mold, cut into bars, and let them sit and dry for 4-6 weeks.

Tips

• If the ingredients have cooled below the recommended temperature, it will be difficult to bring the soap to the trail stage. Both the water-alkaline mixture and the fat should be no colder than 43-44 degrees - only this way they will be ready for mixing.
• Using a hand blender instead of a rubber spatula (spoon, etc.) will greatly speed up the onset of the wake stage.
• You can use a glass bowl or a large plastic bowl to prepare the alkaline water mixture.
• Measure out the required amount of fat before proceeding - this will be more effective.

Warnings

• Lye is incredibly corrosive. Do not prepare soap with children or in the presence of pets. Keep vinegar handy in case the lye gets on your skin.
• Always wear protective equipment - safety goggles and rubber gloves.
• If an alkaline solution comes into contact with the skin, first wipe it clean with a brush, and only then rinse the skin under a large, immense amount of running water. Vinegar is good for surfaces such as a table or sideboard, but it will take time to neutralize. If you apply vinegar to your skin, continue the burn while waiting for neutralization. Running water will simply dissolve the remaining alkali and wash it off the skin. After you have thoroughly washed off the alkali, you can treat the skin with a cotton ball dipped in vinegar.
• The soap mixture will also be caustic when poured into molds. Handle it with care.