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You are here: Home / DIY & Crafts / How to Make Soap ~ Soap Making for Beginners

How to Make Soap ~ Soap Making for Beginners

March 29, 2020 by Ashley Adamant 38 Comments

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Soap making is a fun craft that’s easy to master, provided you have good attention to detail and know-how to carefully follow directions.  Once you learn how to make soap, you can begin experimenting with your own homemade recipes, and truly make it your own!

soapmaking

Homemade soap is a real pleasure to make, and once you experience all-natural homemade soap I doubt you’ll ever go back to store-bought.

Making your own soap allows you to have complete control of the process, and knowing the exact ingredients gives you the peace of mind in our modern world of chemical additives.

The process may seem overwhelming at first, but once you’ve made your first few batches it’ll be second nature.  In truth, learning how to make your own soap is simple and only has a few steps from start to finish.

pouring soap into silicone bar molds

The following is reprinted with permission from The Big Book of Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health and Home by Jan Berry, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020. Photo credits: Jan Berry where noted.

Soap-Making Basics

Before you jump into the process of making soap, there are a few things to know.

In order to make soap, you need to combine a caustic substance with oils or fat. In days past, our grandmothers used potash, made from wood ashes and animal fats. The problem was that there was no way to know how strong or weak the potash was and how much fat should be used in ratio to it. The result was often a harsh bar that did well for cleaning laundry, but didn’t feel so great on skin!

Today, we have one standardized chemical for making bar soap. It’s called sodium hydroxide, or more commonly, lye. Because it never changes, we can use online lye calculators and figure out exactly how much we need to make a perfectly balanced bar of soap every single time.

In order to do this, it’s important that all ingredients, even water and oils, are measured by weight instead of volume, as inconsistent measurements will yield unreliable results.

Some people fear that because lye is a caustic substance, some might be left over in the soap and will hurt your skin. That’s an understandable concern, but it’s completely untrue.

Every single molecule of lye reacts with corresponding molecules of oil and they both turn into something new—soap plus glycerin. There is no lye left in a properly made bar of soap.

Store-bought soaps either contain chemical detergents or lye. Look on the label of your favorite soap. If it has the words “saponified,” “sodium cocoate,” “sodium tallowate” or “sodium palmitate,” that’s just another way of saying oils that have been reacted with sodium hydroxide, or lye.

Lye is a strong chemical that does require utmost caution and respect when handling. For safety, wear a pair of goggles, to protect your eyes from splashes, along with rubber or latex gloves and long sleeves.

Always add lye to liquids, and not the other way around, or it may have a volcano effect and make a mess. When mixing lye into water or another liquid, it gets very hot fast, and strong fumes will develop for a few moments.

Don’t breathe these fumes in directly. The ideal place to work is in your kitchen sink, with the window open for fresh air.

Handling lye is for grownups only. Make sure small children and pets are out of the area. Lye solutions should be clearly marked with both words and danger symbols for non-readers.

If you get lye on your skin, rinse repeatedly with copious amounts of cool water. For large-area burns or if you get it in your eyes, rinse and seek medical attention right away.

I know that all of these safety warnings make lye sound pretty scary! Keep in mind, though, that soap is made every day by many people without incident. If you can safely handle bleach, another potentially harmful chemical, you should be able to handle lye with the same amount of competence.

Soap-Making Supplies

There are a few basic things you’ll need for making soap.

Digital Scale—It’s important that soap-making ingredients, especially the lye, are measured precisely in order to make a balanced bar of soap. An accurate digital scale is a must. Check at your local big-box store, near the kitchen accessories section, for a reasonably priced one.

Thermometer—A candy thermometer works well to measure the temperature of lye solution and oils. Save it just for soap making, though, and get a separate one for making candy.

Small Measuring Container—This is for measuring dry lye. Mark it clearly with the words “LYE” and a symbol for nonreaders. I use a plastic cup.

Heatproof Pitcher—Use this for mixing the lye and water together. Use stainless steel or heavy-duty plastic. Some people use heatproof glass, but over time the inside develops weaknesses that make it prone to breakage, so it’s not recommended.

Soap Pot or Large Bowl—This is for mixing the entire thing together. It should be stainless steel, high-density plastic, enamel-lined or ceramic. Don’t use aluminum or nonstick surfaces; they will react badly with lye.

Rubber Gloves, Long Sleeves, and Safety Goggles—Use these to keep hands, arms and eyes protected.

Stick or Immersion Blender—This shortens stirring time considerably and is highly recommended. Don’t use a regular handheld mixer with beaters; it doesn’t work in the same way.

Heatproof Mixing Utensils—Use heavy-duty plastic or silicone spoons and spatulas for mixing and scraping soap into the mold.

Soap Molds—The soaps in this book will fit a Crafter’s Choice regular loaf silicone mold 1501, or approximately a 3-pound (1.3-kg) mold.  

Parchment Paper or Plastic— For lining soap molds.  (See notes on lining soap molds below)

A wooden soap mold lined with parchment paper (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

A wooden soap mold lined with parchment paper (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

How to Make Soap

Now that you have the basics down, you’re ready to make soap! Remember that all measurements are by weight, even the water portion.

STEP 1

Assemble your ingredients and don your safety gear of gloves, goggles and long sleeves. I like to lay several sheets of wax paper over my work area, to make cleanup easier. Prepare your mold by lining it, unless it’s silicone. (See more details below)

Lining a wooden soap mold

Lining a wooden soap mold (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

STEP 2

Weigh out the water or herbal tea part of the recipe in a heatproof container and set it down into your kitchen sink or another spot near a source of fresh air.

Weigh out the lye in a separate container.

Weighing out soap making ingredients

Weighing out soap making ingredients (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

STEP 3

Pour the lye into the water or tea and stir gently with a heatproof spatula or spoon until the lye is fully dissolved from the bottom of the container.

Always add the lye to water and not the other way around, to avoid a potentially dangerous, and messy, lye-volcano. Avoid directly breathing in the strong fumes.

Set the solution aside in a safe place out of the reach of children and pets, and let cool for 30 to 40 minutes. The temperature should drop to 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) during that time.

 
Combining lye with water

Combining lye with water (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

STEP 4

While the lye solution is cooling, weigh out the oils and butters you’ll need for your recipe.
  Melt coconut oil and any solid butters in a double boiler before adding to the other oils in your bigger soap-making pot or mixing container.

Heat the oils more, if necessary, until they’re 90 to
100°F (32 to 38°C).

Weighing oils and butters for soap making

Weighing oils and butters for soap making (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

STEP 5

Pour the lye solution into the pot or mixing container of oils. Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for 15 to 20 seconds, then turn on the immersion blender and mix the soap batter, alternating every 15 to 20 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out.

Continue mixing until trace is reached. This could take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.

A batch of soap that has "reached trace" meaning that it's been stirred until thickened so that lines trace across the surface.

A batch of soap that has “reached trace” meaning that it’s been stirred until thickened so that lines trace across the surface. (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

STEP 6

Once you’ve reached trace, you can choose to make either cold process soap or hot process soap.

For Cold Process Soap

Stir in any extra ingredients, such as essential oils, oatmeal, honey and such, then pour the soap batter into the prepared mold. At this stage, the soap is still caustic, so be sure to have your gloves on while handling it.

Pour the soap into your choice of soap mold, then cover the mold with a sheet of wax paper and then the mold’s top or
 a piece of cardboard. To retain heat, tuck a quilt or towel around it. Make sure it’s in an area where it won’t get disturbed or knocked over, then allow it to stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours.

After that time, remove the soap from the mold and slice into bars. Let the bars cure in the open air on sheets of wax paper or a coated baking rack for at least 4 weeks before using.

Cold Process soapmaking allows the soap to cure at room temperature for several weeks (hot process, on the other hand, cures the soap faster with heat.)

Cold Process soap making allows the soap to cure at room temperature for several weeks (hot process, on the other hand, cures the soap faster with heat.) (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

For Hot Process Soap

Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 
1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. The soap will go through many changes during
 the process.

At times, it will rise up higher and then fall back in on itself. Parts of the soap will turn dark and gel-like. This is all normal.

After 1 hour of cook time has passed, give the soap a final stir. It will have a thickened consistency reminiscent of mashed potatoes.

Hot process soap at 15 minute intervals through the one hour cooking process.

Hot process soap at 15-minute intervals through the one-hour cooking process. (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

At this stage, stir in any extras such as essential oils, oatmeal, honey and such.

Spoon the cooked soap into the prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars.

You can use hot process soap bars right away, although it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.

Hot process soap in a lined soap mold

Hot process soap in a lined soap mold, note that the finished texture is very different from cold processed soap. (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

Lining Molds

This is a step that can be done several ways. One method is to use two long sheets of parchment or freezer paper, one cut to the exact width of the mold and the other cut to the exact length.

Lay the sheets across each other so they hang over the sides of the mold. This makes it easy to lift the finished soap out of the mold by the paper.

Lining a wooden soap mold with parchment paper

Lining a wooden soap mold with parchment paper (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

For a quick and easy liner, buy a bag of unscented store-brand trash bags. Make sure they’re not the thinnest, flimsy kind that tears easily, but they don’t have to be expensive either.

Open the bag and press it to fit neatly into the bottom of the mold. You’ll find that you have a lot of bag left over when you’re done. You can tie it up, out of the way, or trim off the excess.

You can bypass the need for lining your mold in the first place by buying silicone molds or wooden ones with silicone liners. While they have the advantage of being nonstick, they often hold in moisture longer, so your soaps may have to sit in them a few extra days before they can be unmolded.

Unmolding & Slicing Bars of Soap

Soap often can be unmolded 24 to 48 hours after being poured into the mold. It should be completely cool and feel solid when pressed. Some silicone molds or very deep ones will hold in moisture longer, so they may take several extra days before the soap is firm enough to unmold easily.

If you continually have problems with unmolding soap, try reducing the water in your recipe by 0.5 ounce (14 grams) or adding around 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (7.5 ml) of sodium lactate (a salt, naturally derived from corn or beets). Both of these techniques will help the soap harden faster.

Once your soap is firm enough, remove it from the mold and place the loaf on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Slice evenly into bars using a soap cutter or sharp, non-serrated knife. How thick you slice the bars is a personal preference, but many soap makers like to cut them 1 to 11⁄4 inch (2.5 to 3 cm) thick.

Adding Natural Fragrance and Color

Essential oils can be added to soap for natural fragrance, although it does take a fairly significant amount, around 2 tablespoons (30 ml) per batch, to create a noticeable, long-lasting scent. (Use half as much for a lighter scent.)

If you plan on scenting your soaps with essential oils, you’ll find that online vendors of soap supplies are significantly more economical than local health food stores, where tiny bottles are often expensive.

Many citrus essential-oil scents fade too quickly, while other essential oils are too cost-prohibitive to use in soap. Some that I’ve found to work well include lavender, rose geranium, peppermint, spearmint, lime, 10x (ten-fold) orange, lemongrass, and eucalyptus.

To color soap naturally, try adding clays and botanicals, such as annatto seed powder (for yellow and orange), purple Brazilian clay, French green clay, rose kaolin clay and indigo powder.

*The preceding was reprinted with permission from The Big Book of Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health and Home by Jan Berry, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020. Photo credits: Jan Berry. 

Beginner Soap Recipes

I’m so happy that I was able to share the basics of soapmaking with you from Jan Berry’s new book.  Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of all the steps in the soapmaking process, and you’re ready to pick your first soapmaking recipe.

As you get started, I’d strongly suggest that you use tested soapmaking recipes from trusted sources.  

Soapmaking can be tricky chemistry, and the balance of lye to oils is very important.  Even when using established recipes, I’d strongly suggest putting the ingredients into a soap calculator to double-check the recipe before starting.

Jan’s book includes more than a dozen beginner soapmaking recipes, as well as recipes for shampoo bars, herbal salves, lotions, bath melts, scrubs, soaks, and salts.  It’s the perfect introduction to making all your own body products, and a great place to start for beginner soap crafters.

Beyond that, here are a few beginner soapmaking recipes to get you started right away:

  • Lavender Soap
  • Goats Milk and Honey Soap
  • Apple Cider Soap
  • Aloe Vera Soap
  • Yarrow and Witch Hazel Soap
All Natural Yarrow and Witch Hazel Soap Recipe

All Natural Yarrow and Witch Hazel Soap (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

If you’re still not ready to take the plunge and work with lye, no worries.  You can always start with melt and pour soap.

  • How to Make Melt and Pour Soap
  • Goats Milk and Honey Melt and Pour Soap
  • Spring Weeds Gardener’s Soap (Melt and Pour)
Gardeners Soap with Spring Weeds from Easy Melt and Pour Soaps

Gardeners Soap with Spring Weeds (Photo Credit Jan Berry)

Other Soap Making Resources

Want to learn more?  Here are some other wonderful soap making resources:

  • Natural Bath Bombs E-Book
  • Natural Soapmaking E-Book Collection

More Easy Homemade Body Products

Looking for homemade body product tutorials?  Read on…

  • Homemade Herbal Shampoo
  • How to Make a Herbal Salve
  • How to Make a Herbal Infused Oil

How to Make Soap ~ A beginners guide to soap making. Learn to make your own homemade soaps, using either hot or cold process.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah

    April 13, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    About a year or so ago I got interested in making my own soap. I did some research and read a few guides but I never actually got around to making any. This has reminded me of that and now I am going to make it my goal this year to start making my own soap. This was really helpful information and now I am making a list of the materials and supplies that I need.

    Reply
    • Corina

      January 10, 2021 at 6:54 pm

      Hi, I’m interested in making soap and came across this website for beginners soap making, and I’m reading the comments, saw your comment and wondering if you did start making soaps.

      Reply
      • Kimberly Yantis

        April 7, 2021 at 1:37 pm

        I’m wondering too

        Reply
  2. Chongkeni Mugana

    July 30, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Prettyasha

    August 18, 2020 at 10:29 am

    Thank u dear but after making my soaps can i sell it to any one

    Reply
    • Admin

      August 18, 2020 at 8:19 pm

      Go for it!

      Reply
    • Sharon

      November 9, 2020 at 12:05 am

      Hi Prettyasha!

      I don’t know where you are, but in the U.K., you need to have your recipes assessed by an independent registered chemist. You also need insurance, and to notify local trading standards officers that you’re in business.

      If you’re not in the United Kingdom, please check the regulations where you live. Good luck!

      Reply
  4. Adrienne

    September 18, 2020 at 2:27 am

    I made soap years ago, and have just started back in the craft. I let a few know what I was doing and received an outpouring of support in the form of non fat powdered milk. After reading up on using it, Iam a little gun-shy. My main concern is making a smelly milk bar and making a mistake, and I can’t afford to trash my treasured oils and lye. Any suggestions would surely help

    Reply
    • Administrator

      September 19, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      Hi Adrienne. Since you are using powdered milk, it really isn’t that difficult to incorporate this into your recipe. Jan Berry from the Nerdy Farm Wife has some great recipes and tips for this. Just keep in mind that one of the benefits of adding milk to your soap is that the added fat gives you a creamier bar of soap which you won’t get in a non-fat powdered milk. You can also try a smaller recipe with some less expensive oils to test it out.

      Reply
  5. Dodes

    February 6, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    I have started using those natural colorants in my Melt & Pour soaps: pumpkin powder, rose hip powder, hibiscus flower powder, safflower powder, kaolin rose & white clay, spirulina powder, spinach powder , indigo powder, beetroot powder, etc.
    However many soap makers on Facebook stated that these powders will rot in the soap (except the clay) and they are a health hazard in M&P, they make the soap like a petri dish, it is even worse than having the rose petals and lavender buds in the soap (Which I do not use).
    I am very confused as I have checked 4-5 large suppliers and all are recommending using these powders for M&P. Many of them have recipes and video tutorials with these powders in M&P. I have spent the last two evenings researching but could not find any reliable information about this. I have also emailed the suppliers, asked them about this….do you have any guidance for me? Many thanks ❤

    Reply
    • Administrator

      April 7, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      The recipe in this post is taken from one of Jan Berry’s books. Jan is an expert soapmaker and has taught many people, including myself how to make soap. She thoroughly researches and tests all of her recipes and is a very trustworthy source. She actually has a new book out specifically for melt and pour soaps. She only uses natural colorants in her soap whether it be cold processed or melt and pour.

      Reply
  6. Judite

    May 10, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    No quantities or measurements to use.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      May 11, 2021 at 4:29 pm

      This post gives you the general instructions and procedures for soapmaking. If you scroll towards the bottom, you will see links for other posts that have specific recipes for you.

      Reply
  7. Dave

    May 15, 2021 at 6:23 pm

    Hi Ashley, I have just begun to make Balm of Gilead products (very basic stuff) but I am interested in expanding to other scents. So far I have just used an olive oil base and have yet to try other oils. What I am wondering is: can you infuse Lilac blossoms or other items like herbs in olive oil or other oils using the same methods?
    I normally have very dry skin on my hands as I do a lot of woodworking and the Balm of Gilead works very well in this application but I would like to expand my product for my wife and other ladies. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave

    Reply
    • Administrator

      May 25, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      You can infuse your oil with blossoms or other herbs but typically the scent of those things doesn’t come through in the final product. You would still get the benefit from the herbs themselves but probably not the scent. Most people use essential oils for that.

      Reply
  8. Gor Rivenshield

    July 15, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    Excellent article! I’m wondering though… did you mean to say ” ..but many soap makers like to cut them 1 to 11⁄4 inch (2.5 to 3 cm) thick? Should it have been 1 to 1 1/4 inch?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      July 16, 2021 at 7:39 pm

      Thank you for catching that. We will try to get that corrected.

      Reply
  9. Rukayya mudassiru

    August 6, 2021 at 7:58 pm

    Thanks to this website

    Reply
  10. Bruce Delmont

    October 27, 2021 at 7:01 pm

    Hi, I’m a beginning soaper, and have a question:
    It seems that it matters if I exchange an oil in a recipe for a different oil, so, how do I know if a particular oil will work in a recipe? Thanks. Love your website.
    Bruce

    Reply
    • Administrator

      November 2, 2021 at 6:07 pm

      It definitely matters what kind of oil you use for several reasons. First of all, different oils have different saponification values and therefore require different amounts of lye to make soap. You can use one of the online lye calculators to determine the correct amount of lye. The other thing to consider is that different oils bring different qualities to the soap. So if you are swapping out one oil for another you want to be aware of those qualities and be sure that you are swapping it out with an oil that has similar qualities. If you are interested in learning more you can check out Jan Berry at thenerdyfarmwife.com She has great articles, books and courses that will help you.

      Reply
  11. Mustapha Musa Muhammad

    December 12, 2021 at 7:46 am

    I want make soap in simple way

    Reply
    • Administrator

      December 18, 2021 at 8:15 pm

      I’m not sure what you mean by making soap in a simple way. Did you have a specific question about the soapmaking process?

      Reply
  12. Branded Attar Online

    May 30, 2022 at 10:07 am

    I was really looking for this kind of blog. A blog which is very well written. Really Loved reading it! The writing Style is so engaging and informative at the same time. It really helped! Below i am sharing a page where you can find the blogs that you might find helpful.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      June 6, 2022 at 3:49 pm

      Thanks so much. We’re so glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  13. Veronica O Nkrumah

    June 9, 2022 at 3:06 am

    Please i really enjoy your experience that you share with us in soap making as a beginner. I hope you will continue to share more and more. Thanks

    Reply
    • Administrator

      June 14, 2022 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you. We’re so glad you enjoyed the post.

      Reply
  14. Sabastine Nuhu

    July 12, 2022 at 8:06 am

    This is very interesting, I love it. Thank you

    Reply
    • Administrator

      July 18, 2022 at 7:29 pm

      You’re very welcome. So glad you enjoyed the post.

      Reply
  15. Bwambale ismail

    July 30, 2022 at 5:42 am

    Thanks for the good article, in fact as abigginner in soap making I have learnt something new most especially on mixing the lye solution to the recipe. However I’d like to know ” Does palm oils is the same as coconut oil or olive oil”? Thanks

    Reply
    • Administrator

      August 9, 2022 at 1:23 am

      You’re very welcome. We’re so glad you enjoyed the post. No, palm oil is a completely different oil than olive oil or coconut oil.

      Reply
  16. Anna Paez

    August 2, 2022 at 12:33 am

    Which of the recipes shared goes to the front picture of your post. Absolutely love that type of soap. Clean and cut.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      August 9, 2022 at 2:31 am

      I’m honestly not sure which recipe this picture was for. I would recommend going to thenerdyfarmwife.com and you can find all sorts of great soap recipes. All of the posts there should show pictures of the finished soaps to give you an idea of what the end product will look like.

      Reply
  17. Karen McGavock

    October 31, 2022 at 9:49 pm

    Can you please tell me, if the soap doesn’t harden up and stays a little gloopy, can it still be used, for instance, as hand soap?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      November 2, 2022 at 2:16 pm

      If the soap didn’t set up, there is something wrong with the soap and it’s possible that it may not be safe to use. If you want to explain exactly what recipe you used and we can try to help.

      Reply
  18. Cindy

    November 16, 2022 at 8:45 pm

    I have liquid annatto for making cheese. Could I use that to color the soap?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      November 19, 2022 at 7:28 pm

      I’m not sure. I haven’t heard of anyone using the liquid form before. I think I would just save that for my cheesemaking and use the powder for soaps. I’m not sure how the liquid would react in the soapmaking process.

      Reply
  19. Marie

    January 20, 2023 at 3:35 pm

    Can I use shortening (like Crisco) as a hard oil in soap making? It’s not listed on my lye calculator and I don’t know how I would list it because it has a couple oils in it.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      January 31, 2023 at 6:50 pm

      No, I would not use shortening in soapmaking. I only use natural oils and butters in all of my soaps.

      Reply

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I’m an off-grid homesteader in rural Vermont and the author of Practical Self Reliance, a blog that helps people find practical ways to become more self-reliant. Read More…

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