Ingredients

Ingredients:

Fats and or oils - which oils and or fats you use are entirely up to you. Any fat or oil can be used in the soap making process. Please keep in mind that some of the oils used in soap making can be irritating to some people.

Lye - Also know as sodium hydroxide, if you are going to your neighborhood market for this only purchase Red Devil not Draino, Draino has other chemicals in it and is not 100% sodium hydroxide.

Water and or milk- you will need this liquid for your lye mixture.

Essential or fragrance oils Please remember to research the oils you will be using, some oils may cause skin irritations. Make sure they are made for soap making and safe for the skin. Approximate usage for fragrance- 1-2 Tablespoon for every pound of oil. Use more or less of the oils as you desire.

Additives if so desired some suggestions: oatmeal, wheat bran, spices, etc. Be sure to grind the additives, if not the additives will have a scratchy feel to the skin.

Once you have gathered all your equipment and ingredients it’s time to start making soap!

Lay some newspaper over the area you'll be working, in case of spillage. Put on protective gear.

2. Weigh your lye, set it aside. Measure the water, slowly add your lye to the water, (never the other way around) and remember the fumes emitted will be quite strong. I always go outside to combine these ingredients. The fumes will lasts a short while, but this mixture is highly caustic. Please be careful.

3. While the lye / water mixture cools, begin heating your solid fats and or oils, add the liquid oils. The ideal temperature we are looking for is anywhere between 95-100° for both mixtures.

4. When the temperature reaches our desired range, Slowly add the lye / water mixture into your melted oils.

5. Hand stir to combine the fats and the lye, proceed with the use of the stick blender. Keep stirring - alternating hand stirring with the use of the stick blender until you see the soap producing a light trace, add your essential oils, fragrance oils or additives. Light tracing is when the oils and lye begin to thicken and have a nice creamy appearance. The soap will continue to thicken.

6. Hand stir the soap, let some of the soap dribble over the mixture when it leaves an imprint in the mixture (resembles instant pudding) it is time to pour the soap into your mold.