Soap Making Recipes And Soap Making Processes

Soap making recipes run the gamut from simple to complex, and as you experiment with them you'll find yourself learning several different methods for creating your own handmade soaps. You may start with a kit in which all the ingredients have been pre-measured and pre-packaged for you, yet eventually you are likely to move on to the more complicated ways of making soap. These involve what are known as cold and hot processes.

Cold process soap making is a method that is somewhat more complicated. The name is a bit deceptive, since any solid oils are first melted at low heat in a stainless steel pot before the liquid oils are added. The different types of oils, and how many are solid or liquid, will depend on the soap making recipes you are using. But once the oils are mixed, the lye and water solution as well as the oils need to be brought to the same temperature, through heating or cooling them with a hot or cold water bath. The lye is added slowly, whisking to combine the molecules, then any additives are put in and the soap is poured into the molds.

With hot process soap recipes, the solid oils are measured and placed in a crock pot, and once melted, the liquid oils are added. Once the lye mixture is ready, it is added directly into the crock pot and whisked as before, without worrying about achieving a similar temperature first. After stirring, the crock pot is covered and the soap cooks for awhile, until it has a clear gel-like consistency and feels waxy when rubbed between the fingers. At this point, soap making ingredients like colorings and fragrances are added. The liquid needs to cool below the flash point of any essential oils that will be put in. And once everything is mixed, the soap can again be poured into molds.

There are other processes designed to create special types of soaps. Glycerin soap making, for example, is done by boiling down the soap with alcohol, perhaps adding some extra glycerin and sugar. So as you choose your soap making recipes, you need to be sure you know how to perform the process they call for. If you encounter a method you haven't done before, then perhaps choose simpler recipes until you become more proficient. Soon you'll be an expert in all the different ways of making your own soaps.

Related topics about soap making recipes
Make Soap And Be Safe
For this reason, when you make soap, it might even be best if you isolate yourself so you're not distracted by a pet or by any kids in the house. Have all ingredients nearby before you start, so you don't have to leave the workspace unexpectedly, and perhaps lay down protective coverings on counters where you'll be working. Keep all your soap making resources, like pots, utensils, and especially the lye, well labeled and separated from normal kitchen supplies.

Making Soap And Working With Lye
The first thing to do when making soap from scratch, with original ingredients that include lye, is to ensure you have all the protection you need. This means wearing goggles to guard your eyes, wearing something with long sleeves so nothing harmful will splash on your skin, and using rubber gloves that you have made certain are free of holes. So when you buy soap making supplies, you aren't just going to be looking for the various ingredients that you will put into the soap itself, nor for the utensils you'll use, but you will also need to be sure you've got all the protective items that are required.

Using A Glycerin Soap Making Recipe
This type of soap is usually made from pre-existing soap, whether it's a handmade soap, shavings and segments from old chunks of commercial soap, or purchased flakes. This soap must be completely melted and dissolved in something with a high alcohol content. Where people get this alcohol will vary, and even depend on what alcohol mixtures are legal in their state.