Making handmade soap at home. Homemade soap: step by step instructions

Recently, soap making at home has overwhelmed lovers of doing something with their own hands. This fascinating process quickly becomes a hobby. Yes, and the benefits in natural soap are much greater than in the purchased, full of chemical components. 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 business.

The main thing in the article

Making soap at home: what do you need?

Soap making is one of the modern directions, which involves the manufacture of useful things by ourselves. What do you need to stock up before you start soap making?

1. Basic basis. There are three basic options.

• baby soap, which is grated and is the base for all other ingredients. This option is perfect for those who are starting to try their hand at this business. Having stuffed your hand, you can move on to other materials.
• Special soap base. It is commercially available in needlework stores and is a ready-made base for work.
• Soap professionals use oil and lye while preparing soap. The consistency of the future soap will depend on the amount of alkali added.

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:

• almond;
• castor;
• olive;
• cocoa butter, etc.

3. Flavors. In their role are essential oils from fruits and herbs.

When choosing such a fragrance, 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 does an excellent job with excessive oily skin.

4. Pigment (dye). There are two options for dyeing soap:

• food coloring or special dye for dyeing soap, sold all in the same needlework store;
• natural, here decoctions of herbs, juices of vegetables and fruits come to the rescue.

5. Auxiliary elements. These include:

• liquids for diluting a soap base (milk, water, herbal decoctions);
• decorative elements (poppy, flowers);
• scrubbing particles (coffee particles, oatmeal);
• vitamin supplements;
• glycerol.

6. Inventory for work. These are dishes in which the soap mass will be boiled and molds where it will solidify.

Fragrances and color additives for homemade soaps

As already found out, essential oils are used as flavors. The effect of essential oils on the body is shown in the table below.


As for natural dyes, the following products can be used for coloring:

• turmeric and mustard powder will give yellow tint ;
• calendula, carrot juice, sea buckthorn oil will make color orange;
• beet or cherry juice will help get the color from pale pink to burgundy ;
• paprika and red ground pepper will give soap bright red color ;
• nettle decoction, chopped herbs will contribute to the appearance green tone;
• coffee, cocoa, chocolate, make soap brown;
• added poppy or activated charcoal will give grey colour.

How to make soap at home

There are three ways to make soap, these are:

1. Base Meltdown with the addition of various ingredients.
2. Hot way. The whole process that takes place on the stove, after the reaction of alkali with water.
3. Cold way. It is characterized by the mixing of ingredients, in which heating occurs due to chemical reactions.

When making soap with a cold process, patterns and blurry swirls can be made.

Cooking soap at home: step by step instructions with photos

We offer a detailed master class on how to cook peeling soap in two colors, which even a novice soap maker can handle.

In order to start the soap making process, you need to prepare the ingredients:

• transparent soap base - 0.5 kg;
• chamomile oil - 5 tsp, it is suitable for sensitive skin (you can take another, if desired);
• food coloring, we have blue;
• black or yellow French clay - 1-2 tsp;
• flavoring: choose any essential oil that you like, but since the soap will be in a marine theme, it is better to give preference to fresh ocean scents;
• alcohol, needed to get rid of bubbles;
• pebbles, to create decor;
• mold for soap, we have a square silicone.

Soap is made according to the instructions below:

Clear soap recipe at home

To make transparent soap from scratch, we prepare:

• Castor oil - 120 g;
• Coconut oil - 150 g;
• Pork fat - 30 g;
• Glycerin - 210 g;
• Alkali - 45.7 g;
• Water - 90 g.

It is prepared like this:

1. Introduce alkali into very cold water.
2. Melt coconut oil and fat, add castor oil.
3. When the oils have cooled well, introduce an alkaline solution into them through a sieve.
4. Whisk all ingredients with a mixer until smooth.
5. Send the mass to a water bath. Cover and, stirring occasionally, simmer for 2 hours.
6. After this time, measure the pH with an indicator strip. It should turn light green.
7. Now pour in the glycerin. Continue to simmer until the soap becomes homogeneous. This will happen in about 40 minutes.
8. Pour the mass into the mold and leave to harden.

It is not recommended to send transparent soap to the refrigerator for hardening, as the base will become cloudy under the influence of cold temperature.

How to cook baby soap at home?

Every mother takes care of her child, trying to give him the best. Therefore, we offer to prepare environmentally friendly soap for your children. You will need the following components:

• Organic soap base - 250 g.
• Almond oil - 6-8 drops.
• Carrot or beet juice for coloring - 10 drops.
• Strong decoction of chamomile - 1 tsp. You can take any decoction, but for children, chamomile, succession, sage are best suited.

Baby soap is made like this:

1. Grind the organic base, melt in a water bath.
2. Introduce a decoction of chamomile, almond oil, dye juice. Mix everything well.
3. Pour into moulds, let cool. Choose fun molds for kids to enjoy using this soap.

In order for the surface of the finished soap to be smooth, without accumulation of bubbles, the mold and prominent parts are sprayed with alcohol, which is first placed in a spray bottle.

Scrub soap: how to cook at home?

Scrub soap easily removes stubborn dirt, and also helps to remove the top dead layer of the epidermis. Cooking ingredients:

• Soap base - 200 g.
• Water - 4 tbsp.
• Almond oil - 60 ml.
• Honey - 60 g.
• Finely ground coffee - 2 tbsp.
• You can also apply the dye of the desired shade.

Preparing soap scrub is quite easy:

1. Chop up the base.
2. Boil two cups of water and pour boiling water over the base.
3. Beat the mass with a blender.
4. Add honey, almond oil, finely ground coffee. If you want to add dye, then put it in. Mix, leave for 20 minutes.
5. Add the remaining water and beat with a blender until smooth.
6. Scrub soap has a creamy consistency, so it is best to store it in a bottle with a dispenser.

Cosmetic soap as a gift: how to cook at home?

The following recipe is suitable for a gift. Need to prepare:

• Soap base - 80 g.
• Grape seed oil - 30 g.
• Cinnamon oil - 3 drops.
• Cinnamon powder - 10 g.

Instruction:

1. Melt the soap base under the influence of temperature (microwave, water bath).
2. Pour oil into it, mix.
3. Add cinnamon powder, stir.
4. Pour into moulds. After 8-10 minutes, stir the mass so that the cinnamon powder does not settle.

Soap with your own hands in a cold way

Characteristic for soap making cold way is the lack of heating of the ingredients. The reagents are water and alkali.

• The water must be ice cold, the presence of ice is allowed.
• The ingredients must be measured strictly according to the recipe, otherwise you can harm the skin when washing with such soap.
• After the reaction has taken place, other components (oils, pigments, flavors) can be added.
• The temperature of the oils and the base must not differ by more than 10°C. Everything should be thoroughly whipped with a blender and poured into a mold.

Hot soap making

At hot way, after mixing the alkaline solution with a base of oils, the resulting mass is sent to languish under the influence of temperature, and only after that pigment substances and flavors are added. Hot-made soap lathers better and can be used immediately after hardening.

Photo ideas for making soap at home

The best homemade soap recipes

How to cook soap using different methods, we have sorted it out, now we will give recipes for the best homemade soap options according to our magazine.

Chocolate

olive

Honey


Dairy


Tar

How to cook soap at home from remnants?

From the pieces of old soap that constantly remain in the soap dish and are thrown out over time, you can cook a good soap for washing your face. To work you need to have:

• Remnants - 5 pcs. Instead, you can take 1-2 bars of soap.
• Lanolin - 2 tbsp.
• Almond oil - 1 tsp.
• Avocado oil - 0.5 tsp.
• Oatmeal - 1 tbsp.
• Almonds (powder) - 1 tbsp.
• Tea rose petals (dry) - 1 tsp.

Perform the following steps:

1. Grind remnants, you can do this with a grater. Melt them in a water bath, add lanolin.
2. When everything melts, remove from heat, add oils, oatmeal, almonds, rose petals.
3. Stir until a homogeneous mass comes out.
4. Pour the soap into a mold, preferably a silicone one. Cover with cling film and forget for three days.
5. After three days, take out and cut into bars.

How to make liquid soap at home?

We suggest trying out a lazy recipe for making liquid soap. Preparing the ingredients:

• A piece of baby soap - 50 g.
• Herbal decoction - 800-1000 ml. Perfect celandine, chamomile, calendula.
• Glycerin - 1 tbsp.
• Oil - 1 tbsp. You can take any.
• If desired, pigment and flavoring.

Perform the following steps:

1. Rub the soap.
2. Boil the grass. Strain the decoction.
3. Combine decoction and soap. Hide for a day.
4. Add glycerin, oil and other ingredients to the resulting mass, mix until smooth.
5. Pour into a bottle with a dispenser and you can wash.

Laundry soap at home: a simple recipe

Common mistakes of soap makers: what not to do?

1. Do not melt the base on an open fire, this is done using a steam bath.
2. You do not need to add a lot of oil to the base, as oil drops will appear on the surface of the mass.
3. Do not replace alcohol, which removes bubbles in soap, with vodka, as the desired effect will not be.
4. Do not use fresh flowers; dry ones should be preferred.
5. When applying layer to layer, you need to slightly scratch the bottom with a toothpick and treat with alcohol, then the finished soap will not exfoliate.
6. Do not add essential oils more than 10 drops.
7. When making clear soap, minimize the addition of base oil, which can make the end result cloudy.
8. Add menthol diluted in alcohol, as the menthol itself in the soap base can crystallize.
9. Be careful when mixing scents, as the result may not be very pleasant.

Videos homemade soap

Do homemade soap very easy, and for all the simplicity of its manufacture, it will make your skin look much better, depending on the elements that you can choose yourself. Handmade soap will be a great gift for family and friends, because. you can use their favorite colors and flavors.

Recipe #1

Soap connoisseurs can make soap from scratch with only fat and lye. Beginners should take the most common baby soap as a base.

Ingredients

• baby soap - 100 grams
• herbal decoction of nettle, sage, chamomile, parsley - 250 grams
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon castor oil
• 1 teaspoon. honey
• half a teaspoon of vitamin E
• half a teaspoon of vitamin A
• mint oil - 5 drops

If you have a lot of remnants left, then you can save money and use them instead of a whole piece of baby soap.

Also, instead of ready-made soap, glycerin base can be used as a base which is sold in specialized stores. In this case, you can get a transparent, beautiful soap and present it to your family and friends.

Cooking

1. Grind the soap on a grater
2. Add castor and olive oils to it and dissolve the resulting mixture in a water bath
3. put honey, peppermint oil and vitamins.
4. Mix thoroughly
5. Distribute the soap by molds

When rubbing soap, it is better to protect your eyes from getting soap chips into glasses.

Recipe number 2

You will need:

• 180 g of baby soap;
• 4–5 st. l. oils(olive, almond, coconut, cedar, palm, grape seed, cocoa butter, rosehip, sea buckthorn - any, depending on your needs);
• half a glass of boiling water(100 ml);
• 2 tbsp. l. glycerine.

Other components are optional and may vary depending on your wishes.

During cooking, it is better to use a measuring glass or electronic scales. With their help, you are more likely not to violate the proportions of the ingredients.

home technology

• Grind baby soap on a fine grater
• Pour oil into container and glycerin
• Heat oil in a steam bath and gradually introduce soap chips and add boiling water, while constantly stirring the mixture. As a result, we get a mass that resembles in consistency a homogeneous shortbread dough without lumps.
• Take the soap off the fire and enter optional ingredients of your choice (essential oils, herbs, salt, etc.)
• Lay out the soap on greased molds with olive oil.
• After cooling remove the almost finished soap from the mold and let it rest for 3 days at room temperature.

For soap molds, you can use whatever you want: sand molds from your children, silicone molds for cupcakes, pudding or yogurt cups, specialized molds for homemade soap, etc.

Recipe #3

We will need:

• dyes (you can food),
• aroma oils,
• base oil (almond, apricot kernel, grape seed, etc.), molds,
• some milk,
• baby soap,
• wooden spatula for stirring

The process of making homemade soap

1. Grind bar of soap into a metal container, add milk (about 2/3) and let stand.
2. Put the mixture in a water bath and constantly stirring, wait until the mass acquires a homogeneous consistency, then reduce the heat to a minimum.
3. Add 2-3 base oils. If you add honey and oatmeal, you get a soap with a scrub effect.
4. Mix the mass well and pour into molds.
5. Dye can be added to each container the color you want, so we get several bars of soap in different colors.
6. Leave blanks overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning we move the soap into cling film and leave it alone for a week.

In order for the surface of the soap to be absolutely smooth, it is necessary to sprinkle the mixture with alcohol from a spray bottle immediately after pouring into the mold - alcohol destroys small bubbles that can spoil the appearance of our product.

Homemade liquid soap, not surprisingly, is made from solid soap.

Cooking it is not more difficult than usual:

1. Grate a bar of soap (229g)
2. Mix in a blender with 235 ml of boiled water
3. Add 1 tsp. glycerine
4. Add additional ingredients (oils, food coloring)
5. Add water to the perfect consistency
6. Pour soap into containers

The container for liquid soap should be dense so that it does not absorb foreign odors.

Useful Supplements

To make the soap more useful and fragrant, you can add the following ingredients to it:

• oatmeal, ground sesame seeds(2-3 tablespoons) - these ingredients will give your soap the properties of a scrub;
• dry medicinal herbs or infusions instead of water(oregano, chamomile, celandine, yarrow, string) - will contribute to the disinfection, softening and regeneration of the skin.
• milk powder, coconut flakes, chopped almonds(2-3 tablespoons) - perfectly moisturize the skin;
• ground coffee- will serve as an excellent scrub and give your product a unique aroma;
• honey (2–3 tablespoons) and propolis tincture (1 teaspoon)- relieves redness and irritation;
• cosmetic clay- enhances the cleansing effect of soap;
• essential oils from chamomile, sage, vanilla, neroli, eucalyptus, pine, fir, cedar, vanilla, lemon, orange, etc. - give a pleasant aroma

Soap on herbal decoctions is not subject to long-term storage, because it quickly deteriorates. Use it for a period of no more than 2 months.

What natural dyes are used to obtain color?

Beige or white:

• Powdered milk
• White clay

Yellow:

• Saffron
• Chamomile
• marigold flowers
• Curry
• Turmeric

Orange:

• Sea buckthorn oil
• carrot juice
• pumpkin juice

From pink to red:

• red clay
• beetroot juice
• pink clay

Green:

• Cucumber
• Seaweed
• Spirulina
• Sage
• Spinach
• Dry parsley or dill

Brown:

• Cinnamon
• Clove crushed
• Cocoa
• Ground coffee beans, coffee grounds
• Rosehip crushed
• Grated chocolate
• Burnt sugar

Soap making mistakes

• Excessive addition of essential oils can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation. If you are preparing soap for a small child, then it is better to do without it altogether.
• Using rose petals and hibiscus for coloring. In reality, they give a dirty gray or green color.
• Too much oil. Under this condition, the soap stops foaming.
• Lots of dried herbs, not ground herbs. Soap with such a defect can severely scratch the skin when lathering.
• Adding Salt to Highly Heated Soap Mixture. In this case, it will turn into soap flakes and water.
• Soap overheating. Leads to lumps and makes it too soft.

Experiment and share your experience in the comments!

Are you looking for an interesting and useful hobby? Try DIY soap making at home: recipes for beginners, informative video instructions, and detailed description of the process you will find on our website. Read, cook and enjoy the results.

Just a decade ago, making soap with your own hands was almost impossible. There were not enough components, materials for work and elementary practical knowledge. To date, soap making at home has become a pleasant hobby that allows create natural and affordable cosmetics at home, as well as the opportunity to show their creative ingenuity.

For many, the process of making soap has become a source of additional income, because organic cosmetics are extremely popular today. But before you move on to the mass production of homemade soap, study the main points of making natural cosmetics, familiarize yourself with the components, consider the technology in detail.

Homemade soap can be made in many ways:

• from a soap base;
• from ready-made baby soap;
• from remnants;
• you can prepare the base yourself.

Soap can also have a different consistency and shape.:

• solid soap, which should be given a round, oval or rectangular shape, or pour it into a special figured container;
• liquid soap with various essential additives.

Homemade soap is also convenient because you can independently select the ingredients for it according to your skin type, add natural scrubs, flavors and essential oils. In fact, it all depends on your imagination, possibilities and mood. Next, we propose to study and repeat simple soap making tutorial at home.

Soap making for beginners: homemade baby soap

In order to take your first steps in soap making, it is not necessary to buy special bases and expensive ingredients: you can get by with improvised means: natural additives, herbal decoctions, essential oils, etc. The base will consist of baby soap, which can be purchased at any household store.

So, let's take a closer look at such a fascinating and useful process as soap making for beginners - recipes with photos will help you do everything yourself and without any extra effort.

In addition to 100 grams of regular baby soap (without fragrances and additives), you will need:

• 100 ml of milk;
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
• essential oil of your choice (just add a couple of drops of cinnamon or vanilla oil to get a rich aroma);
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar.

When preparing, you should also tinker a little with the dishes:

• prepare a steam bath;
• pick up a spoon or wooden stick for stirring the soap mass;
• remove a metal grater from household use;
• prepare containers for pouring soap: these can be silicone molds for cupcakes (which you no longer use for food purposes), any plastic boxes, low glass jars from which you can easily get the finished product.

Let's move on to the process of making homemade soap

How to make natural soap with your own hands?

Soap making is a very creative process., allowing you to reveal your full potential and give pleasant moments spent doing your favorite activity. The approach to making homemade soap is completely different. In addition to baby soap, as the main ingredient, you can use a special soap base diluted with milk, cream, herbal decoction and “seasoned” with base oil.

Also soap base can be made from scratch using natural coconut, castor, olive, cocoa, grape seed oils, as well as palm, mustard, sunflower oils. Also, the composition of natural oil includes alkali, water and overfat (SF). The secrets of homemade soap magic are in the right proportions and the harmonious combination of all ingredients. When making homemade soap, you can safely use any essential oils and flavors, connect natural dyes and your imagination.

Fresh ideas for making homemade soap

Natural soap today is not just a hygiene product. This is a beautiful work of art, a fragrant adventure, a celebration of tenderness and harmony, as well as a lot of pleasant emotions. You can add any ingredients to your cosmetic creation and create a unique bouquet of aroma and texture.

Beginning soap makers are advised to train on an ordinary children's soap without additives and fragrances. If you are confident in yourself, then purchase a 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.

Mylce.com

What to buy:

base oil

It can be anything: coconut, almond, olive, castor, grape and apricot seeds. The oil is almost entirely composed of organic compounds: fatty acids, vitamins, waxes, trace elements that 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 soap will stop lathering.

There are many varieties of base oils, each of which has its own therapeutic effect and saturates homemade soap with skin-friendly properties.

base oil	skin type	Property
From apricot kernels	Any	Saturates the skin with vitamins: A, B, C, E, F. Moisturizes, softens, improves 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	Well removes age spots, 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 the skin from UV rays, smoothes and makes it more tender
Eucalyptus	Oily and mixed	It is used for skin whitening, treatment of furunculosis and acne.
sage	Oily and mixed	Smoothes wrinkles, normalizes the sebaceous glands. Great product for acne and other skin problems
Palm	Any	It is an antioxidant and a natural source of vitamin E
Cocoa	Any	Accelerates the process of restoration of damaged skin cells, eliminating various cosmetic defects

What to buy:

One-color handmade soap can be obtained using food-grade water-soluble dyes.

• Cocoa and coffee will make the soap chocolate.
• An infusion of chamomile will give the soap a yellow tint.
• Saffron and curry - bright yellow.
• Spinach, dill and parsley - green.
• Beetroot juice - red or pink.
• Essential chamomile oil - blue.

Do not use red rose petals (gives a dirty gray color) or hibiscus tea (gives a dirty green color) to get red shades.

Natural dyes have low light fastness and quickly fade in the sun. Therefore, such soap must be stored in a dark place.

Layered multi-color soap uses liquid or dry pigment 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 rubbed with oil or glycerin.

varimylo.ru

Mother-of-pearl, a mineral dye in powder form, gives a beautiful shimmer and shine to homemade soap. 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.

varimylo.ru

Such a dye does not need to be pre-dissolved and is added dry to the molten base.

What to buy:

Additives

Various additives are used to give homemade soap additional properties: glycerin, cream, honey, herbal infusions, dried flowers.

For example, finely ground coffee, oatmeal, ground nut shells can be added to scrub soap during the preparation process. Some of these recipes are easy to make on your own. But, for example, bamboo powder or baobab fruit will have to be purchased.

delaina.ru

What to buy:

What tools are needed

1. Heat-resistant containers with a spout that can be heated in a microwave oven or in a water bath.
2. Silicone 2D and 3D soap molds.
3. Alcohol for lubricating the surface of the molds and for better bonding of the soap layers. Alcohol must be kept in a 30–150 ml spray bottle.
4. Glass or wooden sticks for stirring the soap base.
5. Thermometer for liquids.

What to buy:

How to make homemade soap

Step 1

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 substrate temperature does not rise above 60 °C. Otherwise, bubbles will form in the soap, and its quality will deteriorate.

Step 2

When the soap base is completely melted, add any base oil you like, dye and one teaspoon of filler, for example, ground, to it. In this case, coffee will act as a dye and give the product a deep chocolate shade.

little-sparrows-garden.blogspot.ru

Step 3

Pour the mass into the mold, after sprinkling it from the spray bottle with alcohol. If you are working with several layers, then when pouring a new one, do not forget to sprinkle the previous one with alcohol and slightly scratch its surface for better adhesion of the layers. The surface of the soap can be decorated with whole coffee beans.

little-sparrows-garden.blogspot.ru

Step 4

Place the mold in a cool place for 2 hours (never in the freezer!). Then remove the soap from the mold by immersing it in hot water for a few minutes, and lay it on paper to dry for 1-2 days. Finished soap should be stored in a breathable container. For example, in cling film.

lachat.ru

Bonus: 4 homemade soap recipes

Homemade face soap

• soap base white;
• 2 tablespoons of lanolin oil;
• 1 teaspoon of any aromatic oil;
• 1 tablespoon crushed oatmeal;
• 1 tablespoon ground almonds.

Chocolate and vanilla

• soap base;
• a few drops of vanilla essential oil;
• 1 teaspoon of almond oil;
• 1 teaspoon ground coffee;
• a few drops of honey and ylang-ylang oil.

Strawberries with cream

• opaque soap base;
• ½ teaspoon olive oil;
• ½ teaspoon strawberry seed oil;
• red or pink dye;
• 2 tablespoons of cream;
• strawberry and cream flavors.

pink dream

• white soap base;
• 1 tablespoon pink clay;
• 1 teaspoon apricot essential oil;
• 5 drops of vanilla oil;

7

Dear readers, I think you will agree how nice it is to pamper yourself with something as pleasant and fragrant as natural high-quality cosmetics. And how can ordinary, familiar soap please! But why does he have to be ordinary? And even more so, we can make it completely unusual if we cook it ourselves.

Svetlana Sarycheva will tell you how to make handmade soap today. Like many needlewomen, she took up soap making on maternity leave and began to regularly make homemade cosmetics, take orders, participate in fairs and conduct master classes. I think we will have a lot to learn from her. I give her the floor.

Hello, dear readers of Irina Zaitseva's interesting and useful blog! I hope my recommendations and a step-by-step master class with photos will help you master a new exciting business - how to make soap.

Where to begin

Natural soap is useful. In addition, handmade soap is the same hand-made that does not have to collect dust on distant shelves.

For a while, it will stay a decoration of the bathroom, but in the end it will certainly go into business.

Making simple homemade soap is easy. I will tell you how to take the first steps in soap making without any special expenses. After that, you will be able to decide for yourself whether you are ready to seriously engage in this and whether you should purchase everything you need to create more complex options for soaps, peels, scrubs and other types of home cosmetics.

What do you need for handmade soap?

• cutting board;
• knives;
• cup or mug (plain inside);
• spoons for stirring;
• microwave oven or two saucepans for a water bath;
• the form;
• soap base (or grated baby soap);
• powdered sugar (optional)
• food coloring;
• spices or cosmetic clay;
• oils, honey, tea broth, milk for adding to soap.

Soap base

In principle, kits for beginner soap makers can now be bought even in a children's store. However, I advise you to start differently. To make your own soap at home, purchase a small piece of soap base from a craft store.

This soap base is made from vegetable fats. It is not tested on representatives of the fauna. There is no free alkali in this base, which can irritate the skin.

In fact, this is a semi-finished soap without fragrance, which can be white or transparent.

Now more and more widespread are solid bases that already contain certain additions of natural origin (oils, crushed plants, etc.). There are also soft bases, suitable primarily for the manufacture of shampoo, gel, mousse, milk, etc.

Carefully examine any base soap base before purchasing. If it was carefully transported, stored and packaged, then the blocks should be clean, without adhering small specks. Opaque bubbles in a transparent base mean that it is spoiled (most likely, the base was kept in the cold).

The highest quality brands of solid homemade soap bases melt evenly and quickly and fully absorb fragrance oils.

Which soap base is best? What to choose?

The handmade soap made from them freezes and foams perfectly. Experienced soap makers include English Crystal, Belgian Tensianol and German bases Activ and Zetessap to such basic bases of high quality. As for the latter, it should be borne in mind that it is produced exclusively in a transparent form and without any additives.

Some vendors offer a white solid Zetessap base, but it's actually the same transparent base that those who bought it at the factory melted down themselves in combination with titanium dioxide. This substance paints the base white and is practically insoluble in water.

The level is slightly above average - Chinese basics. For the authors of complex cosmetics, they may not be suitable, but for soap makers working with fatty oils, everything will work out. If the right amount of oils and fragrances are not added to this handmade soap, then it will noticeably smell of the “original” soap and dry the skin a little. However, foam will still appear.

Malaysian soap bases are also considered quite satisfactory for handmade soap.

However, I do not advise buying Russian-made bases (Myloff, DS-CLRC, ProLab, etc.) and Bulgaria (Re-St, Relina MSDS, etc.). These cheap bases can shrink or, on the contrary, release moisture, and also not fully solidify in molds.

The best temperature for storing a solid base is +15..+20 ˚С.

You can save on soap base by using crushed baby soap instead. Although rubbing hard soap with a grater is a rather laborious process. And you need to melt it in the same way as a soap base.

How to make soap

And now my master class with a photo on how to make soap yourself. Here's my recipe, let's get started! Cut a 100-gram piece of soap base (I have white, without any additives) into cubes.

Prepare molds. Since I am talking about the first experience, including in terms of cost savings, existing silicone cupcake molds will do just fine. Rinse them with cold water first.

Let's get back to the soap base. The cubes should be melted in the microwave or in a water bath. Perhaps a microwave is better. Just remember that you need to take not just durable dishes, but one that does not have drawings, shiny stripes, etc. inside.

Don't melt the base all the way. At high power, a couple of minutes is enough. The base must not boil! Otherwise, the moisture will evaporate, and the required ph level (acid-base balance) in homemade soap will be disturbed.

If there is no microwave, make a water bath. To do this, take two pans - a larger one and a smaller one. Pour water into a large one and heat it up. Place the soap base cubes in a small one.

Important points:

Take a large pot with a thick bottom - this will help to avoid a strong boil;
at the bottom you can lay a linen or cotton napkin;
do not put a small saucepan in a large one until the water boils;
cover the small saucepan with a lid.

When placing the second saucepan in the first, pay attention to the fact that its bottom only slightly touches the water. This is how a water bath will turn out: the future soap that you put in a small saucepan will heat up and soften due to the action of hot steam rising from the water from a large saucepan.

The rest of the cubes will dissolve on their own in the process of further stirring.

Stir the mass and let it cool slightly. If your kitchen has food coloring, add a couple of drops.

We supplement the base with natural oils

Now you can add oil to the base. I have hard cocoa butter.

You may have previously bought solid or liquid pharmaceutical oils for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. For soap, a small piece or a few drops is enough. Olive oil and glycerin will also work.

Glycerin moisturizes and protects the skin from adverse environmental factors.

Softens the skin and makes it soft. Forming an airtight barrier on the skin, it prevents it from drying out by retaining moisture. This oil is hypoallergenic and suitable for children.

Cocoa butter has softening and regenerative properties.

Apricot kernel oil has a regenerating, rejuvenating, tonic effect. It helps to restore the firmness and elasticity of the skin.

Nourishes and softens dry skin.

Grape seed oil reduces pores, tones and refreshes.

Gives a rejuvenating effect.

Calendula oil has an antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, softening and moisturizing effect.

Suitable for supporting dry, damaged or aging skin. It promotes cell regeneration and strengthens capillaries, relieves swelling and redness, and eliminates skin flaking.

Other soap additives

Also, tea broth, honey or milk can be added to handmade soap for smoothness and softness of the skin.

If you add a mixture of spices to the soap (cinnamon, ginger, etc. - choose according to your taste and desire) or a small amount of cosmetic clay, then it will have a slight peeling effect.

After all the additions, mix again so that there are no bubbles and lumps. If in the future you will be preparing several pieces of soap at once, then a mixer or blender will come in handy. Fear not: the soap base and other ingredients are easy to clean!

Pour the mass into the mold.

In a silicone form, homemade soap will harden quickly (you will have to wait a maximum of an hour), but after that, be sure to dry your fragrant product for another hour or two.

How to make liquid soap at home

From the remnants of solid soap, you can make liquid soap, which will last for a long time. Dry the remaining soap and rub it on a grater. Boil water and mix it with soap. Add a few drops of glycerin (for gel consistency) and lemon or orange juice (for flavor).

Stir the solution again, and then pour it into a container with a dispenser. Infuse for three days, not forgetting to shake occasionally.