This recipe for homemade soap is a great one for beginners and can be modified to include extra ingredients for a special bar.
Author Kris Bordessa, National Geographic author/certified master food preserver
Ingredients
Lye Solution
9oz255 g distilled water
3.95oz112 g sodium hydroxide (lye)
Oils/Fats
14.5oz411 g olive oil
7.5oz213 g coconut oil
6oz170 g tallow or lard (*or substitute)
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Lye Solution
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye (sodium hydroxide) into the distilled until dissolved. Work in an area with good ventilation and be careful not to breathe in the fumes.The lye solution will get very hot, so set it aside to cool for about 30 or 40 minutes or until the temperature drops to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
Step 2: Prepare the Oils
Gently heat the coconut oil and tallow (or lard) on low heat until melted. When the solid oils are melted, take the pan off the heat and pour into the olive oil. This helps cool down the melted oil/fat, while warming up the room temperature oil. If you want to add powdered milk to your soap, blend it into the oils at this point.
Step 3: Mixing
Pour the cooled lye solution into the warm oils. Using a combination of hand stirring and an immersion blender, also called a stick blender, stir the soap batter until it thickens and reaches trace. Trace is when the soap has thickened enough so when you drizzle a small amount of the batter across the surface, it will leave a fleeting, but visible imprint or “trace” before sinking back in. Trace can take anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes, depending on how warm your ingredients are and how much you stir.If you plan to add honey and oats (see notes), blend them in well at this stage.
Step 4: Pour in Mold
Pour the soap batter into your soap mold. Cover lightly with wax or freezer paper, then a towel or light blanket for insulation. Peek at the soap every so often; if it starts developing a crack, uncover and move to a cooler location.
Step 5: Cut and Cure
Keep the soap in the mold for one to two days, or until it’s easy to remove, then slice it into bars when it’s firm enough not to stick to your cutting tool. Cure on coated cooling racks or sheets of wax paper for about four weeks before using. The soap is safe to touch without gloves 48 hours after making, but it needs the extra time to allow excess moisture to evaporate out so the bars are harder and longer lasting.
Notes
Tips & Substitutions* To replace tallow or lard, try using 4 oz of cocoa (or kokum) butter plus 2 oz of sunflower (or sweet almond) oil. The lye amount will stay within an acceptable amount and won’t need to be changed.One or more of the following add-ins can be included in the soap recipe, keeping in mind that the natural sugars in honey and milk powder can cause the soap’s final color to darken somewhat.½ tbsp powdered milk (cow, goat, coconut), stir into the oils before adding the cooled lye solution1 tbsp finely ground oats, stirred into the soap before pouring into the mold1 tsp honey diluted with 1 tsp water, stirred into the soap before pouring into the moldThe batch shown uses a repurposed empty milk carton as a soap mold, but a Crafter’s Choice regular silicone loaf mold will also fit the size of this recipe perfectly.Be sure to try your new soapmaking skills to make this homemade dish soap, too!