Soap Making 101 - 4

Lesson 4 - Soap Making: Cold Process Method

One of the most common mistakes soap makers make is not weighing the ingredients carefully. Make sure you use an accurate scale to weigh your oils and your Lye.

1. The lye/water phase. Measures the cold/room temperature water in plastic bowl (amount specified by recipe) then pour into a clean plastic/glass container. Measure lye (amount specified by recipe). Stirring, slowly add lye to the water. NEVER ADD WATER TO LYE, (this will cause a volcano effect and may cause serious burns to skin.) This mixture will quickly become very hot. Continue stirring until the water turns clear. Do not inhale the fumes. Place a candy thermometer in the cup, do not rest it on the bottom as it will give you a false reading — keep it somewhere in the middle. Let this mixture cool to 120°F - 130°F.
2. The Oil Phase. While the water is cooling. Measure in plastic bowl all hard oils/butters (amount specified by recipe). Add the oils/butters to the stainless steel pot. Use a rubber spatula to get all the oil out of the measuring cup. Gently heat hard oils/butters on a stove burner: Be careful not to burn oils. After the hard oils/butter have melted, measure the soft/liquid oils in the plastic measuring cup and pour into the melted hard oils/butters. When both oil phase and lye/water phase have reached their required temperatures (120°F - 130°F), slowly pour the lye/water mixture into the oil mixture gently stirring in small circles.Note: Always add lye/water to oil, not the other way around.Continue to stir this mixture even after you have finished combining the two parts. Use a figure 8 pattern for stirring — being careful to incorporate the sides as well, or you can use a stick blender to acquire a faster trace.
3. Stir the soap mixture until it “traces”. This is a term to describe the consistency or thickness, and the stage where the soap mixture is ready to pour into molds. Tracing is easily recognized. Using a plastic spatula, drizzle a small amount across the top of the soap mixture. If a mark or trail remains for a few seconds before disappearing again, your soap has traced. The mixture should be the consistency of liquid honey or pudding before it’s poured. If your soap takes a little longer than normal, don’t worry — just keep stirring and it will eventually trace. Tracing time for formulas can vary greatly; affected by room temperatures, humidity levels, and the speed of stirring.
4. After the soap traces, you can add your own herbs and/or fragrance/essential oils. Do not use perfume or extracts of any kind as the alcohol content may interfere with the soap making process.
5. After adding any additional ingredients, pour your soap mixture into the mold. Keep out of pets and children’s reach. Let set undisturbed for 24 – 48 hours. Molding tip: Lining your mold with parchment paper or mineral oil can make the soap easier to un-mold.
6. When removing soap from the mold, wear gloves to protect your hands. The soap may be slightly caustic at this stage and can irritate your skin. Gently press the back of the mold. You may find twisting the mold slightly works as well — same technique as removing ice from ice cube trays. If your soap will not release easily, try placing the mold in the freezer for one hour. Freezing causes moisture loss and the soap will contract and pull away from the edges. Use a large knife to cut your soap into desired size bars.
7. After soap has been cut into bars, place them on a piece of parchment paper in a cool, dry, dark place to cure 4 to 6 weeks. This time is necessary for the moisture to evaporate. Using the soap prematurely will lead to a spongy bar that may not lather or last very long.
   Note: Within 1/2 hour of pouring your soap into the mold you should notice it becoming hotter and turning dark in the middle. It can become quite dark and somewhat transparent. Bubbles may also come to the surface. This is a sign that your soap is properly neutralizing. It should stay hot like this for several hours before cooling and becoming light in color again.
   If formulating your own soap recipe, my favorite soap/lye calculator - to help figure your water and lye is – Majestic Mountain Sage