Eco-Friendly and Handcrafted: How I Make My Natural Soap
Hello lovely readers! I often have people ask me about how I make my natural soaps, so I thought it would be fun to take you along with me through my personal process today! Making natural soap is such an interesting mix of science and artistry, and I’m excited to share my method with you. Each soap bar I create is packed with natural goodness, essential oils, and eco-friendly ingredients, all lovingly crafted by hand!
My method evolved after countless hours of research, weighing, mixing, and a lot of trial and error! The journey to perfect my Bare Natural soap recipe has been full of valuable lessons. Experimenting with different herbs and essential oils, discovering new fragrances, and creating skin-loving combinations has been incredibly rewarding! This blog isn’t a strict step-by-step guide as such, but more of a glimpse into the personal process I’ve fine-tuned over the years.
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s have a quick chat about what makes natural soap-making so special! The magic happens during a process called saponification – a fascinating chemical reaction between oils and lye. This reaction transforms the ingredients into soap, leaving behind glycerine, which is an amazing natural moisturizer. The result? Natural soap bars that are gentle, nourishing, and free from any synthetic nasties. Plus, with the addition of clays and natural colours, each bar is a unique piece of art. Now, let’s get to the fun part – making soap!
Step 1: Preparing the Lye Solution
First things first, I carefully weigh out the lye and slowly add it to cold water. This mixture heats up quickly, so I set it aside to cool down. Safety tip: always add lye to water, never the other way around!
Step 2: Melting the Solid Oils and Butters
Next, I measure out all my solid oils and butters, like coconut oil and shea butter, and gently melt them over a low heat. This forms the rich and luxurious base of my soap bars!
Step 3: Mixing in the Liquid Oils
Once the solids are melted, I measure and add my liquid oils, then, I let the entire mixture cool down to room temperature.
Step 4: Prepping the Extra Ingredients
While everything is cooling, I prepare my essential oils, clays, and any other natural additives I plan to use. Having these ready to go makes the process smoother and ensures they’re added at the perfect moment!
Step 5: Combining Lye and Oils
When both the lye solution and oil mixture have cooled, it’s time to bring them together. I carefully pour the lye solution into the oils and start mixing. This is where the magic happens! I mix until the soap reaches ‘trace’ – a consistency similar to single cream.
Step 6: Adding the Special Touches
At trace, I add my pre-measured essential oils, clays, and any exfoliants if needed. This step is all about customising the soap to achieve the desired scent, colour, and texture. Then I stir everything in well!
Step 7: Pouring into Moulds
Now, the mixture is ready to be poured into moulds! At this point I add a design to the top, then cover the moulds with paper and wrap them in a blanket to keep the heat in. This insulation helps the saponification process to complete.
Step 8: Unmoulding and Cutting
After 24-48 hours, the soap is firm enough to be removed from the moulds. I carefully take them out and cut them into bars. They already look and smell amazing, but patience is key!
Step 9: The Curing Process
The final step is curing. I leave the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks. This time allows the soap to harden and for any excess moisture to evaporate. The result is a longer-lasting, milder bar of soap that’s now ready to use!
And there you have it! A step-by-step journey through my soap-making process. I’ve been crafting natural soaps for just over 10 years now and I still absolutely love it; it’s so soothing and rewarding! Creating something clean, pure, and environmentally friendly brings me so much joy. I hope this glimpse into my craft has been as enjoyable for you as it is for me. If you have any questions at all, please comment them below – I’d love to hear from you!