Many people make soaps at home as a hobby, as they are very easy to make once you know the basics. Here are some simple homemade soap recipes.
Soap making is a fun-filled hobby. You can use soaps for your personal use or gift them to your loved ones.
If you become an expert soap-maker, you can even sell fancy perfumed soaps and earn some extra money. I am sure this will catch your attention and make you more interested in learning how to make homemade soaps.
There are two things that are required to make a soap, viz., fat and lye. The other ingredients that you may add will make it more luxurious.
If you are learning to make your own soap, keep in mind that the best and the safest way is to use the uncolored and unscented soap base so that you won't have to handle lye. Lye is a dangerous chemical and, if not handled with care, may lead to serious burns and even death.
Homemade Soap without Lye
Ingredients
Uncolored, unscented soap base
Essential oils of your choice (for adding fragrance)
Food color of your choice (for color)
Procedure
1. Take one bar of soap base and melt it in a double boiler. You can even melt it in a microwave oven. 2. Once the base melts, add ½ ounce of essential oil of your choice and a small amount of food color to it.
3. You can also add a tablespoon each of honey, oatmeal, and butter or beeswax (one teaspoon). 4. Mix well and pour the melted soap in plastic molds. 5. The soap will harden after several hours. Once set, wrap it up in wax paper or any other non-sticky material.
Once you get a fair idea of making homemade soap, you can attempt the other recipes using lye. Prepare the soap in a well-ventilated room, and do not breath in the toxic fumes of lye. Use rubber gloves when pouring lye to protect your skin from coming into accidental contact with it. Be careful when handling the lye container, as it may get extremely hot.
Homemade Soap with Lye
Ingredients
9 oz. of lye. Set this aside in a large measuring cup.
4 ½ cups of olive oil (use the very cheap kind, as it makes the best soap)
2 cups of coconut oil
2 tsp essential oils of your choice (for adding fragrance)
Procedure:
1. Warm the oil to medium heat. Wait till the lye gets slightly cooled. The oil and lye should be at the same temperature. Touch the side of the bowls and try to judge if both the temperatures are same. 2. Once they reach the same temperature (approximately 110°F), pour lye into the large bowl containing oil.
3. Mix the oil and lye thoroughly. You can use a hand blender for this purpose. 4. Add two teaspoons of the essential oil to this mixture and mix it well. 5. Pour the mixture into plastic molds. 6. It may take 24 to 28 hours for the soap to harden. 7. Once set, wrap it up in wax paper or any other non-sticky material.
You must have realized that it is very easy to make soap at home. You can use different essential oils not just for fragrance, but also to treat skin conditions such as acne, eczema, aging, etc. They also help in relieving stress and depression.
You can try using different mold shapes to prepare the soaps. You can use different animal-shaped molds for children and a rose-shaped mold for a gift. The possibilities are endless, and you can even turn your fragrant hobby into a sweet-smelling, part-time business.