How to make natural soap the cold process way

It's a piece of cake making soap the cold process way.  All you need are the ingredients, the equipment and plenty of time.  I mean Plenty of Time.   I make 100 bars of soap at one time in two batches, so that is 50 bars each batch.  I find I can manage this amount as I have the molds, the saucepans, the jugs and the space big enough for it.   

Ingredients for cold process natural soap

First of all let me talk about my preferred ingredients to go into the soap

• Olive Oil.  This make a lovely mild bar and a hard one at that combined with other ingredients.  50%
• Coconut Oil.  This is my second favourite and holds it place thus.  I wouldn't make a soap with only coconut oil as it is too drying.  But in combination with the olive oil afore mentioned, it gives a lovely lather and is very cleansing. 30%
• Sweet Almond Oil.  High in many vtamins , such as E, A and D and also Oleic and Linoleic fatty acids, it makes for a very soothing and conditioning bar.  20%
• Shea butter.  Highly softening and mositurising it gives back to the soap the moisture lost during washing  10%

Recipe for your homemade natural soap

Below is a recipe that you can make at home.  I haven't mentioned above that you need caustic soda.  And also you will need to use a fragrance.  I always use essential oils in my soap

• 500g Olive Oil
• 300g Coconut Oil
• 200g Sweet Almond Oil
• 100g Shea Butter
• 150g Caustic Soda (When mixed with the water it is called lye)
• 300g Distilled Water
• 10g Lavender or any essential oil of your choice

Equipment needed for making natural homemade soap

• The equipment you will need in the making of your handmade soap is:-
• A hand held blender for mixing the lye with the oils
• A saucepan big enough to carry the 1460g above with ample room for stirring
• A sturdy plastic, stainless steel or glass jug
• Sturdy tight fitting gloves (this is for when you're mixing the lye, and then when mixing the lye with the oils )
• A thermometer to calculate temperatures around 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit
• A good quality weighing scales capable of measuring to 10g accuracy
• Two milk cartons (cleaned to perfection and opened at the top and closed at the bottom (to allow to pour the mixture into)
• A spatula
• Goggles (It is very important to protect your eyes from possible splashes from the lye)
• A sharpish knife

How to make natural homemade cold process soap

• In your jug, weigh out the water first and then carefully add the caustic soda (make sure the room is well ventilated)  Stir well.  Allow to cool down to between 95 and 105 degrees Fahreheit (this can take a good 10/20 mins)
• Add the shea butter to the saucepan and melt under minimum heat until melted
• Weigh out and add the rest of the oils to your saucepan
• Gently heat up to between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit
• When both the lye and the oils are more or less between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit you can mix them together.  With your blender mix until a light trace happens (this is when you notice the mixture gets a little thicker and you can see a trail when you let the mixture fall off your blender stick. 
• Quickly add your essential oils stirring well.
• Pour half into one carton and the other half into the second one
• With a spatula.  Take out every last bit of the mixture and pour into the cartons.
• Leave to saponify in a warm place upright and uninterefered with for 24 hours.  Even put a blanket over them.  Be careful that these cartons don't topple over.  
• 24 hours later, with gloves on carefully cut off the carton from the hardened soap
• Cut these soaps into slices about one inch thick.  
• Leave the slices on their narrow side for 2.5 weeks at which stage you can turn them upside down for another 2.5 weeks (5 weeks altogether)
• Wash and clean thoroughly all equipment used with soapy water and lots of rinsing water
• Now you have totally cured cold process soap ready to use or to give away as perfect gifts for any occasion.  Wrap them up which ever way you would like.  Be inventive.  They make great gifts
• Head the warning below

WARNING

Caustic soda is used for cleaning drains so that'll tell you how dangerous it is.  Extreme caution is required.  I can't stress enough this point.  Keep goggles and gloves on during all processes and when cleaning out your equipment.  Use spatula to clean every last bit of the mixture out of the saucepan and use a large kitchen paper square to clean off the rest of the mixture left in the saucepan as this could block your drain.