You might worry that soap making will be too hard to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning soap making and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. Soap making might look complicated, but once you learn a few basic steps you can create soap with endless variations. You’re sure to be successful however you choose to apply your new skills.
What is Soap Making?
Making soap is a lot like a chemistry experiment. When you combine a fat or an oil with a base like lye it results in a process called saponification, which literally means “turning into soap.” This chemistry gives soap its unique cleaning properties. Soap molecules bind with the dirty oils on skin and the fatty membranes of viruses and bacteria and allow them to wash away.
Making soap from the resin of fir trees is described in ancient texts from Bronze Age Mesopotamia, and later Babylonians and Egyptians used the same techniques to make soap from plant ash, oils, and animal fat. Soap fell out of favor during the medieval ages, when unsanitary conditions contributed to the devastating plague called the Black Death. By the sixth century AD bathing with soap became fashionable among European royalty, and soap became widely available with the advent of factory-made products during the Industrial Age. While commercial soap is widely available now, you can make your own using a hot process or cold process method or the simpler melt and pour method. Customize your hand made soap with your preferred oils, fats, plants, and fragrances to create a soap tailored just for you.
Benefits of Learning Soap Making?
Making soap by hand is a unique pursuit that will both challenge your mind and enrich your creativity. You can incorporate nearly limitless variations into your soap formula to make products that are soothing to your skin, aid in relaxation, or smell divine. Pour soap into decorative molds, or spread it into loaves which you can cut into trendy rustic bars. You’ll luxuriate in the gentle, skin-nourishing lather of your all-natural soap, and delight your family and friends with one-of-a-kind gifts.
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Learning to make soap is a great way to live more sustainably, without excess packaging and unknown chemicals. Incorporate eco-friendly ingredients like coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil with organic botanical fragrances and plant materials. The Sustainability Project says that using bar soap is the easiest and simplest switch you can make to reduce your waste on a daily basis.
Learning soap making offers more than the joy of creating beautiful and functional products. Making soap is just plain fun, and fun is good for you. So is creativity – people who are creative every day report greater happiness. You can connect with a whole community of fellow soap making enthusiasts and even explore entrepreneurial ventures. The global handmade soap market is valued at nearly $148 million and growing, and the online marketplace Etsy features almost 158,000 handmade soaps for sale. Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild is a national community of handcrafted soap, cosmetic, and candle makers that offers skill-building, community, and financial resources. Their annual conference offers certifications and classes where you can grow your skills and get inspired by other soap makers.
Is Soap Making an Easy Skill to Learn?
Once you understand the basic chemistry behind soap, the process for soap making is simple. It’s important to accurately calculate the ratio of fat to lye, called the “saponification value.” This ensures that there is no caustic lye left in your soap. Different fatty acids have distinct characteristics, and each produces its own attributes like lather, bar consistency, and cleansing ability. You can learn to make soap from books or online sources, but it’s quicker and easier to master the process with the help of an experienced instructor.
When you take a class, you can get to know others who share your new hobby and try your hand at various techniques and styles. Melt & Pour Soap-Making Workshop at Love & Make in Houston teaches you the basics of the melt and pour method of soapmaking. You’ll learn basic techniques, some soap history, and methods for using different ingredients. Create your own designs using the fragrance, colors, and molds you choose, and add luxurious skincare ingredients like oils, clays, and botanicals.
Create a spa experience at home with organic, natural, and medicinal soaps. In Soap Making for Beginners at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, you’ll learn to use colors, molds, fragrances, essential oils, extracts, herbs, and novelties to make beautiful handmade glycerine soaps. Handmade soaps are gentle for your skin and make treasured gifts.
In online Soap Making from Los Angeles City College, you’ll create soaps from colors, molds, fragrances, essential oils, extracts, herbs, and novelties of your choice. Beautiful and fragrant glycerin soaps turn your bath into an at-home getaway.
What You Need to Know Before Learning Soap Making
Before delving into the world of soap making, you should know a few key things. Familiarize yourself with the basic principles of soap making, including the saponification process and different methods – melt and pour, cold process, and hot process. Soap making involves working with lye, which can be caustic and dangerous. Be sure you understand the necessary safety precautions such as wearing protective gear, working in a well-ventilated area, and proper handling techniques.
Making soap relies on careful measurements and timing, so ensure you have the proper measuring supplies and mixing equipment and you are familiar with how to use them. Even though soap making uses many common kitchen tools, the products you use for making soap should not be used again for food preparation. Gather essential supplies and equipment before you start, so you have everything you need for a safe and efficient soap making workspace. Remember, soap making is a skill that improves with practice, so be patient and embrace the learning process.
What You Need to Learn Soap Making
The tools and materials you need for soap making are common items that can be found at many grocery or hardware stores. When you are getting started, make sure you have a space to work in that is easy to clean and where you won’t be interrupted by children or pets. You’ll need a heat source like a stove or hot plate and a set of pots and utensils that you will only use for soap and not for food. If you take an in-person soap making class, the supplies and equipment will usually be provided for you. You can make soap with a melt-and-pour process, cold process, or hot process. Your equipment list will vary somewhat depending on which method you use.
Heating
All three methods of soap making require materials to be heated at some point in the process, whether with a microwave, stovetop, or crock pot.
- Microwave
- Stainless steel 8-12 quart pot
- Hot plate or stove burner
- Crock pot
- Instant read thermometer for lye water
Mixing and Measuring
Accurate measurements are essential for soap making. Always weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy. In addition, you’ll need mixing tools that can withstand heated ingredients. These are some of the items you’ll need for mixing and measuring soap:
- Two-quart container for mixing lye, made of stainless steel or heavy-duty plastic
- Containers for mixing the soap batter, made of any material except aluminum or non-stick surface; 2.5 quarts is suitable for 2.5 pounds of soap
- Several plastic mixing containers for color or add-ins, about 2 cup size
- Kitchen scale
- Small lightweight bowls for weighing liquid and solid materials on the scale
- Whisk
- Two silicon or rubber spatulas
- Immersion blender (stick blender)
- Silicone spatulas
Safety
While soap making is fairly simple, you are working with ingredients that can be hazardous if used incorrectly. Lye is a very alkaline product that can cause chemical burns and caustic fumes. These are some of the safety items you’ll need for soap making:
- Eyewear – Always protect your eyes while making soap with safety glasses; getting a splash of lye water or fresh soap in your eye can cause blindness. Safety glasses that wrap around your head and have a safety strap at the back are best because they won't fall off when you are looking down while stirring your soap. Look for goggles with ventilation channels so that they won't fog up.
- Full-face mask respirator – A full-face mask with a respirator will offer you the best face and lung protection when working with lye. It covers your eyes so you don't need to wear goggles with it, and the air is filtered.
- Face shield – If you are not wearing a full-face respirator, consider using a face shield to protect your face from drops and splatters.
- Gloves – Nitrile gloves protect your hands from lye solution, raw soap, and fragrance materials, and they are available in a range of sizes.
- Fan – Use a fan to disperse the fumes that result from mixing lye with water.
- Apron—An apron protects your clothes; choose a style without pockets that can hide little bits of lye.
- Hair ties and clips – If you have long hair, tie it back so that strands of hair can’t dip into your mixture and then rub against your face.
- Permanent Markers – Label your soap making equipment with a permanent marker so that no one will mistake their use. Mark your lye mixing containers all over with LYE DON'T DRINK in large letters.
- Shop Rags – Keep rags and paper towels handy just in case you need to clean up a spill right away.
Shapes and Bars
You’ll need to pour your soap into single or bath molds to give it shape. These are the materials you'll need at this stage:
- Soap molds—these can be individual shapes or loaves that you will cut into bars
- Thin, sharp knife to cut the soap
Special Effects
Some extra materials that make the task easier or offer creative effects include:
- Mesh teaspoon – make pencil line designs by sifting colorant over soap layers
- Strainer with funnel – for straining infused oils and herbal teas
- Coffee grinder – grind oats, dried herbs and flowers, and other soap making additives
- Steel wire soap cutter – ensures perfectly sized bars every time
- Soap stamps – a fun way to embellish your soaps
Key Takeaways
- Soap making is a chemical reaction between a fat or oil and a base like lye, which results in saponification.
- Making your own soap is technically challenging, endlessly creative, and environmentally friendly.
- You can make soap with the hot process, cold process, or melt and pour methods.
- Safety and accuracy are essential when making soap by hand.
- Contact CourseHorse to find options for online or in-person training, including private group sessions.