Would you like to learn how to make your own soap?

There are a lot of soaps available on the market.   They come in any sort of color or fragrance you could imagine.  Manufacturers attribute several properties to their soaps.  If you’re the type of person that wants to know exactly what you’re putting on your body, and you want to choose the color, fragrance and properties of your soaps, keep reading this article and learn to make your own soaps.  It’s easier than you would think.

 

Types of soap

You can make your own basic soaps with the two following ingredients:

1. Oil Soap

Oil soap is the classic soap that your grandma used to make.  There’s a lot of talk about this kind of soap.

The primary ingredient used in this type of soap is oil, and in the past these types of soaps were made with used oil that was filtered to remove any sort of impurity.  It was then recycled and made into soap.

You can add different coloring and fragrances to this soap.  There are a lot of different options available on the market right now.

These artisan soaps are made using the process of saponification.  For this, you’ll need to use lye, a product that must be handled with care.  If you take the necessary precautions for use, you won’t have any problems, but you need to be careful while using it.

Some people say that this type of soap was the first to be created, and that it was discovered by accidentally mixing fat and ashes.  According to a Roman legend, animal sacrifices were performed at the based of Mount Sapo.   These animals were burnt, and rain water drug the ashes along with the fat remains into the Tiber River.  This is how, accidentally, the inhabitants of that area discovered that mixing these components would create a product that was useful in cleaning.

Other legends talk about different origins, as you’ll see later on.

Because this type of soap requires a little more experience in the world of natural cosmetics, I’m going to talk about how to make it in future posts.  But for now, we’ll move on to how to make glycerin soaps.

2. Glycerin soap

These soaps are easier to make and there are also a lot of different ways to make them.  You can create them with different colors and fragrances.

All of these materials can be purchased in the store, and although you have to be careful not to heat these materials too much.

How to make glycerin soap

For this soap, you will need the following ingredients.

1. Pan: A silicon pan, if possible.  If using a metallic pan you’ll need to apply a mold release agent to prevent the soap from sticking to the sides.

In stores, you’ll be able to find a ton of different pans, or if you want to try them out, you could also use a silicon ice cube tray.  If you do use the ice cube tray, remember that after that, it can no longer be used for food.

2. Glycerin

3. Coloring: You can choose whichever color you like best.  When you buy it, keep in mind that it has to be appropriate for glycerin soaps.

4. Fragrant essential oils: This is what is going to give your soap its aroma.  In stores you will find a wide variety of essential oils to choose from, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find a favorite.

5. Alcohol: Use this to prevent your soaps from getting bubbles in it.  If you have a spray bottle I would recommend using it here.

6. Two plastic containers

7. One wooden spoon to stir with, that you are not going to use for food later on.

Step by step, how to make glycerin soap

1. Cube the glycerin and place it in one of the plastic containers.

2. Heat it in the microwave making sure it doesn’t come to a boil.  If this happens, your soap will “sweat” later on.

In order to prevent it from boiling it’s best to take out the melted glycerin and place it in the other bowl, and then continue heating the rest.

3. Add a few drops of your chosen coloring and then stir.

In this case, there is no set rule as to how much to add.  The more you add, the darker it will turn out.  Remember to continue stirring as you add the coloring, if not, it won’t be evenly spread throughout the soap.

4. Add your essential oil and then continue stirring.

In this case, there is also no set rule, but 3 to 4 drops should be enough.

5. Pour into the pan and spray with alcohol.  If you don’t have a spray bottle, just sprinkle it on with your fingers.

6. Allow to cool, then remove from the mold and your artisan glycerin soap is ready!  As you can see, making your own soap is a lot easier than it seems.  You can use this recipe and make your own soaps in whatever shape, color, or fragrance you like.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post.  Next time we’re going to talk about how to make a moisturizing face cream for rejuvenating skin and protecting it from winter weather changes.

If you have any questions I would love to answer them.  Post a comment on this post and I will respond as quickly as possible.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 04/13/2017

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