How to Make Homemade Soap in 6 Easy Steps

You can make your own natural, affordable, beautifully scented soaps at home.

There are many reasons to make your own soap. It’s less wasteful than the plastic or paper-wrapped products you buy at the store. And unlike commercially produced soap, you can make it with natural ingredients and fragrances that are better for your skin and the planet. Plus, you’ll save money in the long run, and a batch will last you for months. Especially when you use a soap dish !

The recipe below uses coconut oil and olive oil as the base. We used coffee grounds and oat bran in this batch, which act as a natural scrub and also impart a lovely scent.

You can also make your own nourishing lip balm from three natural ingredients.

A Note on the Chemistry of Homemade Soap

Photograph taken using a Ring light ©

The key ingredient in soap making is lye, which issodium hydroxide (a salt). No commercial or homemade soap can be made without it. While it is caustic to skin and clothing, don't worry about its inclusion - it is necessary for all soap making, and soap is essentially a chemical reaction between lye and the oils used. When combined, the reaction is called "saponification ." Once the soap is made and hardened, there is no lye left in the finished bar, just the natural ingredients you used to make the soap.

Start making your own homemade soap

While the setup and all the equipment below may seem a little complicated, don't be afraid to follow through! With a few common kitchen tools and a few ingredients, it takes less than an hour to make enough soap to last a few months. Plus, you'll have the added satisfaction of making something yourself.

You can omit the coffee in this recipe and use finely ground walnut shells instead, or simply use oat bran in place of the coffee. You can also experiment with a few drops of essential oils, such as vanilla, almond, lavender, or peppermint. You can purchase soap molds at a craft store or online (you can get plain or patterned molds).

EQUIPMENT :

• Kitchen scale
• Stainless steel thermometer
• Gloves, goggles, face mask
• Hand mixer
• Stainless steel pot
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Stainless steel spoon
• Silicone spatula
• Soap mold
• Parchment paper
• Towel

INGREDIENTS :

• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Soda (sodium hydroxide)
• Coffee
• Coffee grounds
• Oat bran

*Note: Any container or utensil that comes into contact with sodium hydroxide should be kept for soap making only.

Measuring and mixing your homemade soap

+ Using a kitchen scale, weigh 250ml of coconut oil into a stainless steel pot.

+ In a bowl, measure 350ml of olive oil.

+ In a second bowl, measure 220 grams of coffee.

+ In a third bowl, measure 90 grams of detergent.

+ In a fourth bowl, measure 1 tablespoon coffee grounds and 1/3 cup oat bran; set aside.

+ Put on protective gear and make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Add the lye to the coffee and stir to dissolve. (Always add lye to liquid, not the other way around.) This will start a chemical reaction, and the mixture will get quite hot. Set aside. You can remove your goggles and mask at this point, but you should keep your gloves on.

Emulsify homemade soap

+ Melt coconut oil over low heat until no solids remain. Add olive oil.

+ Check the temperature of the oils with a stainless steel thermometer. Compare with the temperature of the lye solution, and adjust until they are within a degree or two of each other, or between 100 and 110 degrees.

+ Pour the lye solution into the oils and use a hand blender or stick blender to emulsify until the mixture begins to thicken and the texture resembles pudding. This process will take 5-10 minutes with a stick blender.

+ Once the soap has thickened, add the coffee grounds and oat bran, stirring with the stainless steel spoon or spatula.

Pour and let the homemade soap sit

Slowly pour the mixture into a soap mold . Lift and tap the mold against the counter several times to release air bubbles. Cover with parchment paper, then wrap the entire mold with a towel to insulate it.

Unmold the homemade soap

After 24 to 48 hours, remove the towel and remove the soap from the mold. If you used a large single mold rather than individual molds, let the bar of soap sit for an additional day to harden further before cutting into bars. Any sharp knife will do here. A vegetable peeler can be used to smooth the sides, if desired.

Leave your homemade soap alone!

After cutting the soap into bars, you will need to let them cure in a cool, well-ventilated place for four weeks. This allows the soap to finish saponifying and any excess water to evaporate. Before you know it, you will be enjoying your homemade soap!