Reading up about how the process of soap making really happens, your eyes will be opened. If you used to think it's complex and happens in industrial factories, think again. Learning how to make bar soap at home by yourself is manageable by anyone who is willing to put in some time.
This is what the basic idea is when you're making soap - you are combining an alkaline with fats or oils. In our case, this alkaline is a chemical called sodium hydroxide, or more simply, lye. These fats can be anything from olive oil to animal fat.
We say you combine a soap base with oil - however, not all oils are suitable for soap making. Olive oil is one of the most common ingredients used in soap recipes. But this is not to say that there is limited choice. On the contrary - there are so many choices that you won't ever run out.
Let's take two examples. To make a soap with a lot of lather, you would mix in coconut oil along with the other ingredients in your recipe. And if you wanted a very moisturizing soap, you would add in hemp oil or shea. Or you can add in both to get something in-between those two extremes.
There is no denying that there is an initial learning curve when you're just starting out. Namely, the soap base is a very caustic chemical. Spilling lye on your skin can cause chemical burns. It's very important that you feel comfortable using lye in your soap making.
To protect your hands, you should be wearing full sleeves and rubber gloves. In addition, you need to wear plastic goggles to protect your eyes. Other precautions include keeping vinegar handy since this neutralizes the lye if you spill it. Make sure you mark any lye containers with very visible marking saying danger".
There are a few other things you should know about lye. That's all a normal part of the process - getting informed. Once you have become confident in working with lye, then the rest is easy as A, B, C - no rocket science is involved.
If you have learned all these basics, you are free to start! Once you see how subtle changes can make for some really surprising differences between soaps and how healthy they feel on your skin, you won't want to go back! You will be addicted to using only natural soaps and enjoying the fragrances that you can put in.
This is what the basic idea is when you're making soap - you are combining an alkaline with fats or oils. In our case, this alkaline is a chemical called sodium hydroxide, or more simply, lye. These fats can be anything from olive oil to animal fat.
We say you combine a soap base with oil - however, not all oils are suitable for soap making. Olive oil is one of the most common ingredients used in soap recipes. But this is not to say that there is limited choice. On the contrary - there are so many choices that you won't ever run out.
Let's take two examples. To make a soap with a lot of lather, you would mix in coconut oil along with the other ingredients in your recipe. And if you wanted a very moisturizing soap, you would add in hemp oil or shea. Or you can add in both to get something in-between those two extremes.
There is no denying that there is an initial learning curve when you're just starting out. Namely, the soap base is a very caustic chemical. Spilling lye on your skin can cause chemical burns. It's very important that you feel comfortable using lye in your soap making.
To protect your hands, you should be wearing full sleeves and rubber gloves. In addition, you need to wear plastic goggles to protect your eyes. Other precautions include keeping vinegar handy since this neutralizes the lye if you spill it. Make sure you mark any lye containers with very visible marking saying danger".
There are a few other things you should know about lye. That's all a normal part of the process - getting informed. Once you have become confident in working with lye, then the rest is easy as A, B, C - no rocket science is involved.
If you have learned all these basics, you are free to start! Once you see how subtle changes can make for some really surprising differences between soaps and how healthy they feel on your skin, you won't want to go back! You will be addicted to using only natural soaps and enjoying the fragrances that you can put in.
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After you have an understanding regarding how to make bar soap, then you should begin trying it out by yourself. To see how I quite easily learned the basic steps using a video, read this article: How to Make Bar Soap.
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