Table Of ContentContents
Introduction
Soap-Making Essentials
Ingredients
Techniques
Luxurious Lathers
Messy Play
Natural Living
Cutting and Curing Cold Process Soap
Decorating and Packaging Soap
Troubleshooting
Advanced Techniques
Suppliers
Resources
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Copyright
Introduction
For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with making my own
natural products. My early forays into perfumery consisted of a collection of
rose petals from my grandfather’s rose bed squirrelled away, and mixed with
water in an old jam jar on a sunny day. These were not successful, but enabled
me to while away a few hours in the sunshine as a child!
My early inspiration was a marvellous book of my mother’s entitled The Natural
Beauty Book by Clare Maxwell-Hudson. Within it I found recipes for skin
creams, lip balms and face masks; all made using ingredients found in the
kitchen or garden. I still have that book and I like to think that it started me on
the path to my career and a way of life that I love to share with others.
Although I made creams and lotions for years, it was only nine years ago that I
discoveredsoap making through another book given to me by a friend.
Traditional cold process soap is a far cry from the factory-made soaps that I
remember as a child, and once I started making my own I knew there was no
going back.
The History of Soap
Soap has a long and fascinating history, and certainly in Europe the Celts were
known to use a substance made from animal fats and plant ashes for bathing and
washing. The Romans originally used soap made from goat tallow and wood
ashes and there is evidence of an entire soap factory under the ruins of Pompeii,
complete with finished bars. Soap has been made in Europe since the 13th
century, and the countries with access to olive oil were able to produce superior
century, and the countries with access to olive oil were able to produce superior
soap for personal bathing. Northern France and England only had access to
animal tallow and this produced an inferior bar, mainly used for laundry and
textile cleaning.
Soap was originally used for personal bathing, laundry and all other
washing until 1916, when the First World War led to a shortage of fats that
inspired the production of the first detergents. Detergents have now replaced
soap in all laundry and cleaning products, and many body care products are
made from detergents rather than soap. Nowadays there are shelves and shelves
of shower gels, body washes and hand cleansers, and very little in the way of
soap sold in supermarkets.
What is Soap?
Soap is made by combining oils with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) – if you
know your school biology: acids and bases – to make a hard product that
cleanses with a pH of about 8.5. The reaction that takes place when oils and
sodium hydroxide are combined in water at a particular temperature is called
saponification, and this is what produces the end product. A harsh alkali
combined with oils makes a mild and creamy lathering product that is gentle on
the skin and has none of the caustic catalyst left.
In terms of how soap works, when water is added to it and agitated it makes
a lather, which suspends dirt in it and allows it to be washed away. There are
many people who feel that hand soap is unhygienic because of this, and there has
recently been a huge shift towards hand pump detergent soaps with antibacterial
products added. Sadly these are contributing to the problem of antibiotic-
resistant bugs and are not any more hygienic. Dirty hands still have to touch the
pump in the same way that they do the soap, except all the dirt is left on the
pump rather than washed away with the soap.
In its most basic form, soap is a combination of simple ingredients: once
you have mastered the basics there is a vast potential to change the texture,
colour, shape and fragrance to make your own personalized products that are
colour, shape and fragrance to make your own personalized products that are
suitable for a variety of uses.
Why Make Soap?
I started soap making because I was becoming increasingly sensitive to
detergents and commercial cleaning and body care products. Even
commercially-made soap lacks glycerine, which is a natural by-product of the
process and enables soap to soothe and clean without irritation.
Glycerine is extracted in commercial soap making and sold separately for use in
cough medicines and home remedies. Traditional cold process soap making
retains this marvellous ingredient, and this is one of the many reasons why I love
it.
About This Book
This book aims to give you a thorough grounding in the basic and essential
techniques that are needed to make a really good bar of soap. Each project builds
on previous techniques and allows you to learn at a pace that consolidates your
knowledge. In addition to old-fashioned soap-making techniques, you will also
learn about melt and pour soap, which is a quick and safe method of soap
making without the use of caustic chemicals, and is brilliant for children to learn.
The book is divided into three sections. Luxurious Lathers will introduce
you to a wide variety of irresistible soaps for every occasion, made by
combining basic soap recipes with exciting botanicals, fragrances and colours.
Messy Play provides a range of fun soap products to make with children, to get
them started on the path of natural product making. While soap is primarily used
for washing the body, it has a plethora of other uses around the home, and
Natural Living explores the ways that you can use up your soap scraps with
other natural ingredients to make your own cleaning products, dishwasher
tablets, washing powder and more.
Once you have made your soap you will want to show it off to its best
Once you have made your soap you will want to show it off to its best
advantage, and finally you will find ideas for how to package and wrap your
homemade items for gifts or to sell. Once you have mastered the basics, there are
plenty of top tips on troubleshooting and advanced techniques to inspire you.
I hope that you enjoy this book and it will bring you as much joy as soap
making has brought to me over the years.
Soap-Making Essentials
Soap making is very much like cooking and you may already have most of the
equipment you will need lying around the house. Once you start using something
for soap making, keep it just for that to avoid transfer of chemicals and essentials
oils to your cooking equipment.
Equipment and Materials
Here is a list of basic equipment and materials that you will need to have at hand
during the soap-making process:
1. Heavy-duty rubber gloves, apron, safety goggles and long-sleeved top: this
will protect the user from caustic spills and fumes.
2. Vinegar: essential to have on hand at all times. It neutralizes the sodium
hydroxide (caustic soda) – acid neutralizes an alkali – and if you manage to
get some caustic liquid or raw soap on your skin, a quick spray followed by
a wash will prevent any burns. If, like me, you have pets and children,
cleaning the floors and surfaces with vinegar alleviates any worry about
unknown spills.
3. Stainless steel saucepan: for making the soap in (3 litres (51⁄4 pints)
minimum). Do not use any other types of metal, such as aluminium, as it
will react with the soap.
4. Heat source for melting oil: your hob (stove) or a small electric camping
stove that can be used anywhere.
5. Moulds: pour raw soap into these to create the basic shape of your finished
soaps. There are many types available, ranging from cardboard lined with
greaseproof (wax) paper to custom-made silicone moulds that allow easy
soap release. The best moulds are silicone or heavy-duty plastic, which can
be lined or greased. If you are a keen recycler you can use drainpipes, juice
boxes, empty cardboard, plastic pots and cake moulds. There are various
websites selling commercial moulds that allow you cut uniform bars and
novelty silicone moulds (see Suppliers). Generally, the larger the amount of
soap you make at once, the better the end results. Although it is tempting to
pour soap into pretty little silicone-shaped moulds, they lose heat too
quickly and saponification will take much longer. To create small bars, wait
until you make a batch in a large mould and pop the smaller moulds on top
of the large mould before insulation to take advantage of the extra heat
generated.
6. Cling film (plastic wrap) or heavy-duty plastic: for covering the surface of
your moulded soap to prevent unsightly soda ash (a white powder that is
sometimes produced when air reacts with the soap during saponification).
Soda ash is not harmful, but a purely aesthetic issue that can be scraped off.
7. Greaseproof paper: to line cardboard or wooden moulds.
8. Towels or blankets and cardboard: for insulating raw soap once it has been
poured into a mould to prevent heat loss and ensure full saponification.
Place two large towels on your table followed by a sheet of cardboard, then
the soap and another layer of cardboard. Finally wrap the soap in the
towels. In a cold room, an additional blanket can be wrapped around the
soap.
9. Scales for weighing: accurate electronic scales that go down to 1g (1⁄16 oz)
and up to at least 3kg (6lb 8oz). (If you wish to go into commercial
production in the future, a set of trade scales will be required.)
10. Plastic or glass bowls and jugs: for weighing out sodium hydroxide and
dry ingredients, for mixing up sodium hydroxide and for measuring water.
11. Clean jam (jelly) jars: for storing essential oils. It is best to re-use jam jars
for particular blends of essential oils rather than washing the oils in a
dishwasher or the sink. I use a different jar for each essential oil blend and
keep them on a shelf for re-use each time; this also prevents
Technique Tip
If you have nice worktops in your kitchen, I advise making the soap elsewhere rather than ruining
your surfaces (don’t ask how I know that, but a very expensive lesson!). Otherwise, cover the
worktops with a plastic tablecloth or oil cloth before you start.
Basic Soap-Making Tool Kit
The following tools will be used again and again during the soap-making
process:
1. Soap-making thermometer and jam thermometer: the soap-making
thermometer is essential for use with the caustic liquid as it does not
deteriorate in sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) like a jam thermometer
would. (Believe me, it is not fun trying to pick floating numbers out of your
mix when you have forgotten and left it in the caustic liquid; funnily
enough a thermometer is not the same once the numbers are gone!) Jam
thermometers, however, are useful for hanging on the side of a pan of oils
to measure temperature.
to measure temperature.
2. Silicone whisks, spatulas, spoons and stick blender (optional): these are
ideal for use in soap making as they do not deteriorate in heat and caustic
mixtures. A good silicone spatula will also scrape off a surprising amount
of soap that would otherwise be wasted. Whisks are used to stir the raw
soap. Once you are proficient in soap making with a whisk and are moving
up to larger batches, a stick blender is much more effective (see Advanced
Techniques).
3. Cheese grater: for grating your finished soap to recycle it into a variety of
additional products and items.
4. Silicone or plastic ladle: to pour the soap into the moulds if the pan is too
heavy to lift when making large batches.
5. Sharp knife, cheese cutter, soap cutting tool, chopping board: to cut your
soap bars for drying once the soap is ready to cut.
6. Spray oil or paintbrush for greasing moulds with a spray or melted solid
oils.
7. Coffee grinder or pestle and mortar for grinding spices, herbs and oats.
8. PH strips for testing your finished soap once it has cooled and hardened.
Inexpensive litmus papers are easily purchased online.
Health and Safety Tips
By following a few simple rules, soap making can be a safe and enjoyable hobby:
Wear close-fitting goggles from the beginning to the end of the process and also for
cleaning up.
Wear long-sleeved tops and trousers, as well as heavy-duty rubber gloves. Surgical gloves
can be used for additional dexterity and when measuring out essential oils, however these
are too thin and short for soap making.
Keep pets and children out of the soap-making area until after clean up, and whenever you
handle raw or caustic soap.
Keep equipment separate and away from the kitchen when not in use
Have vinegar to hand at all times to neutralize spills and clean surfaces.
Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) is poisonous. If you ingest it, drink lots of water and
contact a poison control centre. If you get sodium hydroxide in your eyes, rinse them with
plenty of clean water for at least half an hour and get to hospital.
When making up your caustic water mix, fumes are released – keep your head away from
the bowl when mixing and make your soap in a well-ventilated room or outside, if possible.
Always pH test your soap before handling and leave it to cure for four to six weeks.
Ingredients
The basic components of handmade soap are the oils, sodium hydroxide (caustic
soda) and a liquid. Using these items, you can make a very simple bar of soap.
However there are a plethora of essential oils, fragrances, colours, exfoliants and
botanicals available that you can add to enhance and personalize your soap.
Oils
