Here are the ingredients and supplies you will need:
1. A Stainless Steel stock pot to mix your soap
2. 5.3oz Lye
3. Scale to weigh all ingredients & spoon or stick blender to mix them.
4. 12oz Distilled Water, you can get this at any grocery store
5. 12oz each of Coconut Oil, Olive Oil & Palm Oil
6. 1oz of melted Coconut Oil for superfatting plus 2oz Sandalwood Fragrance Oil and 1oz of Patchouli Fragrance Oil. (You can substitute for essential oils but the EOs are more expensive, especially Sandalwood.)
7. Safety Goggles, rubber gloves (the big yellow ones that you scrub the tub with will work) and wear long sleeves, too!
8. Thermometer that measures between 80-200 degrees (candy thermometer works)
9. glass or stainless steel stirring rod or spoon to mix the lye
10. Stainless Steel, ceramic or glass container to mix the lye. I know some people who use plastic but I personally do not recommend that.
11. Soap Mold or any container to pour soap in. You can use anything really… I’ve used tupperware, drawer organizers, you name it!
12. White Vinegar, in case you spill lye on yourself you should pour vinegar over it to neutralize it, not water.
13. old towels or blankets to insulate your soap
NOTE: Lye can be hard to find in some areas. You can get it on ebay or from soap supply websites. It doesn’t take much to make soap but if you plan to make your own soap regularly it pays to order in bulk.
Instructions: (ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GEAR WHEN WORKING WITH LYE)
Step One: Measure the Oils in your mixing container and set in on the stove. Leave the heat off for now.
Step two: DO THIS IN THE SINK IN A WELL VENTILATED KITCHEN
Put the water into your lye mixing container, put on your gloves and safety goggles, now gently pour the solid lye into the water and mix. There will be fumes so hold your breath, wear a medical mask or pull your shirt collar over your nose. Mix, the fumes shouldn’t last too long. When the grittiness on the bottom is gone and the lye is completely dissolved into the water, let it sit and cool off.
Step Three: While your lye is mixed and cooling, go to your oils that are on the stove. Turn on the stove burner for a minute or two. If you have gas, you can turn it on and off so as not to overheat your oils (they take forever to cool down so you want to keep a close eye on the temp to avoid overheating).
I recommend heating to 100-110 degrees F and do not recommend working with oils hotter than 130.
Step Four: Pour the lye mixture into the oils and start mixing slowly. If you are using a stick blender, use the lowest setting.
After a minute or two, you can turn it up. Stir until the soap reaches trace.
Trace is when the soap starts to thicken. Check out my youtube video here that will show trace. You will know its at trace when you can lift your blender or spoon out like that and see it lift. You can also drizzle the soap over the surface and see it sit on the top.
At a light trace, add the 1oz of coconut oil and your fragrance oils and blend it up well.
Step Five: After your soap traces you can pour it into your mold or container. Have some kind of lid or if you don’t you can put the mold or container with soap into a cardboard box and close the lid. Throw towels or blankets on top. Just enough to keep the heat in. 1 or 2 bath towels is sufficient. Leave it for 24 hours.
Step Six: after 24 hours you can take the towels off and check out your soap. This soap recipe should be ready for unmolding and cutting after 24 hours but if you are not sure, you can leave it for an extra day to firm up.
Step Seven: Cut the soap into bars. Yield between 3-4 pounds of soap.
Step Eight: Enjoy your soap! If you followed the directions and measured everything by weight like I said then you should have a nice mild bar of soap.
