Homemade Soap Made Easy

Recipe: (Makes 8 lbs.)

24 oz. olive oil
24 oz. coconut oil
38 oz. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
12 oz. lye
32 oz. distilled water
1 oz. any essential or fragrance oil

You Will Need

Scale that weighs in ounces
1 Large one-gal. stainless steel pot (use this exclusively for soap-making)

1 medium stainless steel pot (use exclusive for soap-making)

One 4-6 cup measuring glass (make sure it’s glass)

2 wooden spoons (with long handles)

2 identical thermometers (exclusive to soap-making)
Stick blender
Rubber gloves

Dust mask

White vinegar

Prepare your molds by lining cardboard boxes with wax paper. Place boxes on rag towels incase of spills because the lye will eat anything it touches. Make sure you place them in a spot they can remain untouched for up to 12 hours.

Then measure and place all your oils in a large pot. Put it aside. Measure out your water and place it in another pot and set outside. Get suited to handle the lye with rubber gloves, eye protection and a mask. Keep white vinegar near and use immediately on your skin if the lye comes in contact. Measure lye and pour into water very slowly (outside) and stir as you pour. Stir only until dissolved. Let it sit outside. In the mean time place the pot with the oils on stove put on low heat, stirring non-stop only until the oils are melted. Take it off the heat. Make a water bath in your sink filling it with ice & cold water half way. Bring the lye inside. By switching back & forth between the lye pot and oil pot in the water bath you need to get the lye and oils to come to the exact temp, anywhere from 100F to 80F degree’s but whatever the temp is they have to be exactly the same. You can also heat them back up if you have to. Once they are the same temp very slowly pour the lye into the oils as you stir quickly with a hand mixer. Once it begins to trace add your scents, spices or flowers. Mix it in and pour quickly into the molds before it begins to set. Pour enough into your mold to have it at least 2” deep. Let set untouched for up to 12 hours. (In winter months cover the soap with a sheet so that it doesn’t cool too quickly or it could separate. In summer months do not cover it because it could begin to heat back up and ruin your soap. If it begins to heat back up set it in a cool dry place with no towels under the box.) Depending on how much soap you’ve made, it could take longer than 12 hours but let set long enough that your finger can make a slight indentation but hard enough to hold together when you take it out of the mold and cut it. Once it’s set take it out of the mold and peel off the wax paper and cut as desired with wire or a knife. Place in a cardboard box with a slight separation between each bar and put it in a dark dry place (I usually put it under my bed) for 6-12 weeks to cure. When it’s cured you should be able to handle the soap and have it not leave an oil residue on your hands. Can be stored for up to 4 years. Enjoy!