Recently, soap making at home has overwhelmed those who like to do something with their own hands. This fascinating process quickly becomes a hobby. And there are much more benefits in natural soap than in store-bought soap, which is full of chemical ingredients. Therefore, our magazine suggests learning how to make soap yourself. Step-by-step instructions and an accessible explanation, which you will find below, will certainly help in this exciting matter.
The main thing in the article
Soap making is one of the modern trends that involves making useful things yourself. What should you stock up on before you start making soap?
1. Basic foundation. There are three basic options.
2. Oil included in the base. You can take any mineral or vegetable. The main task of this component is to nourish and moisturize the epidermis. Alternatively, the following oils are suitable:
3. Flavors. Their role is played by essential oils from fruits and herbs.
When choosing such a flavoring, you should pay attention to the needs of the skin, since, for example: orange oil helps to saturate with vitamins and get rid of cellulite, but tea tree copes well with excess oily skin.
4. Pigment (dye). There are two options for coloring soap:
5. Auxiliary elements. These include:
6. Equipment for work. These are the dishes in which the soap mass will be boiled and the molds where it will harden.
As we have already found out, essential oils are used as flavoring agents. The effect of the main oils on the body is given in the table below.
As for natural dyes, the following products can be used for coloring:
There are three ways to make soap:
Cold process soap making can create patterns and fuzzy swirls.
We offer a detailed master class on how to make peeling soap in two colors, which even a novice soap maker can handle.
To begin the soap making process, you need to prepare the ingredients:
Soap is made according to the instructions below:
To make transparent soap from scratch, we prepare:
It is prepared like this:
It is not recommended to place clear soap in the refrigerator to harden, as the cold temperature will cause the base to become cloudy.
Every mother takes care of her child, trying to give him the best. Therefore, we suggest preparing environmentally friendly soap for your children. You will need the following components:
Baby soap is made like this:
To ensure that the surface of the finished soap is smooth, without accumulation of bubbles, the mold and visible parts are sprayed with alcohol, which is first placed in a spray bottle.
Scrub soap easily removes stubborn dirt and also helps remove the upper dead layer of the epidermis. Prepare the ingredients:
The scrub soap is quite easy to prepare:
The following recipe is suitable for a gift. You need to prepare:
Instructions:
Characteristic for soap making cold method is the lack of heating of ingredients. The reagents are water and alkali.
At hot method After mixing the alkaline solution with a base of oils, the resulting mass is sent to simmer under the influence of temperature and only after that pigment substances and flavors are added. Hot process soap lathers better and can be used immediately after hardening.
We’ve sorted out how to make soap using different methods, now we’ll give recipes for the best homemade soap options according to our magazine.
Chocolate
Olive
Honey
Dairy
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From pieces of old soap that constantly remain in the soap dish and are eventually thrown away, you can make good soap for washing your face. To work you need to have:
Do the following:
We invite you to try a lazy recipe for making liquid soap. Preparing the components:
Do the following:
It is difficult to imagine a modern person who would not use soap. Since ancient times, it has been used to cleanse the skin of dirt, wash clothes and even style hair. Previously, it could only be made from improvised means - for example, from soot or plants like soapwort. Today, the soap-making industry is in full force and impresses with its diversity, however, more and more people prefer homemade soap of their own.
Anyone can make their own soap at home. The recipes are simple and accessible to everyone. For children from 5 years old, ready-made soap making kits with the most natural ingredients are offered; they are also perfect for beginner adults. Entire specialized stores operate for artisans - the flight of imagination is not limited by anything, except perhaps funds. But for the first experiments you won’t have to spend money – you’ll probably have everything you need at home.
So, what do you need to make scented soap at home?
The simplest fragrance-free baby soap can be used as a basis at home - an excellent option for first experiments. It is safe in its composition, melts easily, and can be enriched with oils, vitamins and dyes.
To make multi-layer masterpieces or transparent soap, a ready-made composition is used, which is found in specialized stores and on the Internet. It is sold both in solid and liquid form, and even in creamy form. Contains water, glycerin, sodium stearate, sorbitol, lauric and steric acids and other safe components.
Or you can do without a base at all. For those who want to create homemade soap from scratch, you will need water, lye, superfat and oils (linseed, palm, coconut, olive, etc.). But the most important “ingredient” of such soap is patience, because making it at home will take from a week to a year.
To make the soap fatty and nutritious, vegetable oils are added to the base. In home-made conditions, it can be olive, sea buckthorn, cocoa oil, cherry seed oil, almond, peach and others.
This is the main secret to the aroma and purpose of your soap, and just a few drops are enough. When choosing this component, keep in mind that tea tree oil is ideal for problematic or oily skin, orange will help fight cellulite, and geranium, lavender and ylang-ylang do an excellent job with wrinkles.
These ingredients help make your soap unique. Dyes can be special for soap making, food or even natural. Feel free to use fruit and vegetable juices, chocolate and other foods to add color and flavor to your soap.
Herbal infusions, dried flowers, honey, coffee, and oatmeal can be used as additives that will enrich and diversify your soap.
You can add pharmaceutical herbal infusions to your homemade soap, after grinding them into powder - and it will have antibacterial properties.
For beginner soap makers, it is good to use clay, adding it to the composition 1:1, which will give the soap a pleasant shade and increase its foam.
On an industrial scale, the soap making process is quite labor-intensive and requires special equipment. Making soap by hand is accessible to everyone, and all the tools can be found in every kitchen.
So, to make soap, you will need:
Also useful at home is a knife and a thermometer. You can’t do without a heating element - it can be a gas burner or an electric stove, and you can also make soap using a microwave.
The very first soap known to scientists was prepared as follows: water was mixed with wood ash, boiled, and then animal fat was melted in this composition. This is the kind of soap that Sumerian tribes used about 4.5 thousand years ago.
How has the technology of making soap changed in our time? Let's look at the sequence of its creation step by step for beginner soap makers.
The readiness of soap is determined by its hardness - it should not be inferior in hardness to store-bought soap.
That's it, now soap made with your own hands can be used for its intended purpose, or we can make beautiful packaging for it and give it to friends.
Before we start making unique handmade soap, let's dispel the main misconceptions of novice soap makers.
Making soap at home is a creative process that does not limit the flight of imagination. But if you don't want to risk experimenting, use proven recipes for amazing handmade soap.
For 200 g of soap base you will need a decoction of 1 tsp. coffee grounds, 1 tsp. sea buckthorn oil, 0.5 tsp. sea buckthorn and cocoa oils. As an essential oil - a few drops of ylang-ylang. Additives – finely ground coffee, cinnamon (just a little bit, otherwise the soap will sting).
For 150 g of transparent soap base, take the juice and dried zest of 2 oranges (make the zest in advance), 1-2 tsp. peach base oil, 4 drops of orange essential oil, 1 drop each of tangerine and grapefruit oils, yellow food coloring for a richer color (optional).
For preparation you will need 100 g of transparent and white base, 1 tsp. parsley oil (or it can be made from 1 tsp dried parsley leaves and 2 tsp vegetable oil), 4 drops each of rosemary and pine essential oils.
If you take dry parsley leaves, then 2 days before soap making, make an extract from them - crush the greens and pour hot oil.
Each base is melted separately, and parsley oil heated to the same temperature is added to it. Rosemary oil is dripped into the white base for aroma, and pine oil is dripped into the transparent base. The bases are poured into the mold one by one with a break of 30 minutes.
Homemade soap making is an interesting and useful hobby that is accessible to everyone due to its budget. By making your own soap, you always have the opportunity to fill it with the ingredients you like best and create a soap that is perfect for your skin.
Soap making is a fun and creative process that allows you to get a product with the properties that your skin needs. Homemade soap contains a maximum of natural ingredients and the fragrance you like. This is also a great gift for loved ones, bringing the warmth of your hands.
Experienced soap makers make soap from scratch. In cosmetic stores you can buy soap base for making. But for beginners it is better to take baby soap as a “base”.
You will need:
Other ingredients - as you wish.
Grate the soap on a fine grater. Do this wearing safety glasses and a medical mask to prevent particles from getting into your eyes and respiratory tract.
Pour base oil and glycerin into a saucepan.
Place the pan in a steam bath and heat the oil. Gradually add soap shavings and add boiling water, stirring constantly. You can use a mixer, but only at medium speed. If there are any lumps left, you can crush them with a pestle to make mashed potatoes. You should get a homogeneous mass, similar to shortbread dough.
Remove the mass from the steam bath and add ingredients that will determine the properties of the soap, its color and aroma. These are essential oils, dry herbs, clay, salt, seeds. Mix thoroughly.
Grease the molds (you can take children's plastic ones for Easter cakes, or latex or metal ones for baking) with olive oil and spoon the soap mixture into them, tamping down well.
Once formed, remove from the molds and place on paper. It should lie at room temperature for 2-3 days and dry a little.
To make the soap happy with color, aroma, and benefit the skin, you can add:
Natural dyes
An overdose of essential oils is typical for beginners. It may cause allergies or irritation. If you are making soap for a child, it is better not to add essential oils at all.
Many people, wanting to get red soap, use red rose petals or hibiscus tea for coloring. In fact, the first ones give a dirty gray color, the second - dirty green.
If there is too much oil base, or it becomes greasy to the touch.
If you add too much dried herbs, the soap will irritate your skin. The same thing will happen if the dry herbs are not ground enough.
If you add salt to a hot soap mass, it will decompose into fractions: water and soap flakes.
Be creative, experiment and don't be afraid to make mistakes.
You will need:
- soap base;
- essential oils;
- glycerin;
- various additives;
- dyes;
- deep enamel bowl or pan;
- molds;
- alcohol.
First you need to decide what your soap will be, what aroma it will have and what additives you will add to it. There are transparent and opaque soap bases on sale in specialized stores. It can also be made from baby soap.
If you use a soap base, cut it into cubes and grate the baby soap on a coarse grater. This is necessary so that the soap quickly melts and turns into a homogeneous mass.
Place the pieces in an enamel bowl and place in a water bath. Heat the base, stirring until the soap has completely melted. Add a little glycerin and mix everything thoroughly.
Add a few drops of essential oil to add scent to the soap. It will not only give you a pleasant smell, but will also have a healing effect on your skin and body as a whole. For example, peppermint or lavender oil can help you relax, while grapefruit or orange essential oil can help make your skin firmer. Add the necessary additives.
If you add coffee grounds to the base, you will get an excellent scrub soap. You can also add a variety of dried herbs, honey, cream or milk, crushed oatmeal, cosmetic clays, and so on.
Give the soap the desired color. Nowadays a huge number of dyes for soap are produced, which can be purchased in specialized stores, with the help of which it is possible to give soap any desired shade.
Soap can be colored using only natural dyes. For example, saffron will give a yellow tint, beet juice will give a red or pink tint, and spinach puree will give a green tint.
Next, pour the prepared mixture into molds. To do this, you can use any plastic containers, for example, yogurt or butter containers, toy molds for playing in the sandbox, or silicone baking molds. Pour the cooled mixture and spray the surface of the soap with alcohol (this will help prevent bubbles from appearing).
Leave to cool for 10-12 hours. After this, take out the soap and let it dry completely for a week. During this time, turn the soap over periodically so that it dries evenly.
Very beautiful and beneficial for the skin - soap with lemon zest. To prepare it, melt 100 g of transparent soap base in a water bath, add 7 drops of lemon or orange essential oil, pour 1.5 teaspoons of sea buckthorn oil and add 1 teaspoon of dry lemon zest (if you use fresh, the soap will spoil very quickly , so dry is necessary). Stir the melted mass with all the ingredients and pour into the mold. Let the soap dry.
To make wonderful soap and olive oil, take 100 g of opaque soap base or baby soap. Also melt it in a water bath and add:
- 1 teaspoon of unrefined olive oil;
- 5 drops of lavender oil.
Mix the mixture thoroughly and add lilac dye for soap. Please note that the color of the finished product will be slightly lighter. Pour the soap into molds and let dry.
Beginner soap makers are recommended to train on ordinary children's soap without additives or fragrances. If you are confident in yourself, then purchase professional soap base in specialized stores. They sell white, transparent and multi-colored bases with the addition of oils in packages of 250, 500 and 1,000 grams.
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It can be anything: coconut, almond, olive, castor, grape and apricot seeds. The oil consists almost entirely of organic compounds: fatty acids, vitamins, waxes, microelements, which are extremely beneficial for the skin.
Add no more than ½ teaspoon of oil to 100 g of soap base. An overdose of essential oils can cause severe allergies, and the soap will stop lathering.
There are many varieties of base oils, each of which has its own therapeutic effect and imbues homemade soap with skin-beneficial properties.
Base oil | Skin type | Property |
From apricot kernels | Any | Saturates the skin with vitamins: A, B, C, E, F. Moisturizes, softens, increases elasticity, normalizes the function of the sebaceous glands |
From grape seeds | Oily and mixed | Regulates the function of sweat glands, restores the natural oiliness of the skin |
Castor | Dry and mixed | Removes pigment spots well, whitens and nourishes the skin, fights fine wrinkles |
Almond | Any | Saturates the skin with vitamins E and F, moisturizes, normalizes the function of the sebaceous glands, prevents expansion |
Coconut | Any | Protects skin from ultraviolet rays, smoothes and makes it softer |
Eucalyptus | Oily and mixed | Used for skin whitening, treatment of furunculosis and acne |
Sage | Oily and mixed | Smoothes wrinkles, normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands. An excellent remedy for combating acne and other skin problems |
Palm | Any | Is an antioxidant and natural source of vitamin E |
cocoa | Any | Accelerates the process of restoration of damaged skin cells, eliminating various cosmetic defects |
Single-color handmade soap can be made using water-soluble food dyes.
Do not use red rose petals (gives a dirty gray color) or hibiscus tea (gives a dirty green color) to create red shades.
Natural dyes have low light fastness and fade quickly in the sun. Therefore, such soap must be stored in a dark place.
For multi-color pour-over soaps, liquid or dry pigment is used in standard and neon shades. Pigment dyes give a bright, rich color and make the soap slightly matte. Before adding to the soap base, the dry pigment must be ground with oil or glycerin.
Mother of pearl, a mineral dye in powder form, gives homemade soap a beautiful shimmer and shine. It perfectly emphasizes the relief of the product. Mother of pearl is used in soaps with a transparent base and is applied to the surface of the product with a brush or fingertip.
This dye does not need to be pre-dissolved and is added dry to the molten base.
To give homemade soap additional properties, various additives are used: glycerin, cream, honey, herbal infusions, dried flowers.
For example, during the preparation process you can add finely ground coffee, oatmeal, and ground nut shells to the scrub soap. Some of these compositions are easy to prepare yourself. But, for example, you will have to purchase bamboo or baobab fruit powder.
Prepare all the necessary components in advance: dyes, oils, fillers, and so on. Cut the soap base into small cubes and melt it in a water bath. Make sure that the base temperature does not rise above 60 °C. Otherwise, bubbles will form in the soap and its quality will deteriorate.
When the soap base is completely melted, add any base oil you like, dye and one teaspoon of filler, for example, ground. In this case, coffee will act as a dye and give the product a deep chocolate shade.
Pour the mixture into the mold, after sprinkling it with alcohol from a spray bottle. If you are working with several layers, then when pouring a new one, do not forget to spray the previous one with alcohol and lightly scratch its surface for better adhesion of the layers. The surface of the soap can be decorated with whole coffee beans.
Place the mold in a cool place for 2 hours (never in the freezer!). Then remove the soap from the mold, immerse it in hot water for a few minutes, and place it on paper to dry for 1-2 days. The finished soap must be stored in breathable packaging. For example, in cling film.