Cold Process Soap Making

On a daily basis, we use soap especially during a bath. This is what makes the soap an indispensable part of anybody’s life. But aside from knowing about the basic of soap, the brands, the ingredients that we read from the labels and benefits of using it, let us take a closer look at a process that is widely used in making soap known as cold process soap making. Along with that, there are the hot process and the melt and pour method but they are another story.

The cold process soap making is one of the most common methods of making soap. It is easy and fast that it can be done at the comfort of your home. The reason for the popularity of this process is the fact that it is very simple and needs little effort during the preparation. This is an ideal process when you want to produce soft and nourishing soap bars. Some people who have done this before can tell that this is their favorite among the processes. You can find it particularly creative when you can experiment while doing the cold process.

There are six steps in cold process soap making. First, read the instructions available. Your work area must be well ventilated with a spacious and flat working area. Provide a stove near you along with sufficient water supply. When the materials are completely assembled, prepare the insulation area for cooling and curing the soap. Second, prepare the additives and essential oils. Measure the colors and extracts that you want to add like rosemary. You can also prepare decorative bits.

Now place the colors, prepared mold, essential oil jar and decorative bits in the oven to create a bond between the soap base and bits. It will also reduce the shock of temperature difference which occurs while adding in additional ingredients to the base. The third step in the cold process soap making is measuring the base ingredients needed without mistake as it could result in acid soap which can affect the skin. Inaccurate quantity can also result to more lye and heavier oils causing improper soap tracing. Remember this: Add lye to the water but not water to the lye solution.

Heat the oils and lye solution. At this point, the cold process soap making procedure will involve mixing the oils and lye, thus the fourth step. Stir the mixture continuously till it begins to trace. The fifth step is to add the additive and pour the soap in the molds. Be sure not to mix the ingredients immediately as it will make the mixture very thick. Leave it for a minimum of 24 hours until the soap mold arrives at room temperature.

The final pace of cold process soap making is the cutting and curing part. Use a soap cutter in cutting the soap. Avoid mistakes which can cause damage then leave them for curing approximately 4 to 6 weeks in a cool, dry and dark place.