by Ruby Huffins

Created on: February 10, 2010

Making your own soap is easy with the melt and pour method.  It's the perfect method if you don't want to use lye (sodium hydroxide plus water).  When you do use lye the most common method is the cold process method.  With the melt and pour method you buy the base soap and melt it adding the extra ingredients you want.  I am a crafter and I use the melt and pour method simply because I don't feel I have the correct facilities to deal with lye.  Lye is toxic for a number of seconds so you have a means of ventilating it out or wear a gas mask.  With melt and pour you don't have to do this.

There are soap machines you can buy, but I prefer a double boiler.  You can find one in some department stores.  However, I found mine an antique and craft store.  It was sort of like a flea market.  And flea markets are good places to look as well in case the department stores near you don't have one.  I love my double boiler.  I feel it's much more efficient than the soap machines.  I can make more soap in it than the soap machines and faster.  When using your double boiler, put water in the boiler and then your second fit into the first.

You can obtain your base soap from a craft supply store.  I use Hobby Lobby since there is one nearby.  You can also buy plastic molds from there.  Plastic molds don't last long so you'll have to replace them when they wear out.  But, they make beautiful professional looking soap that looks like what you buy in the stores.

You can buy some oils from the craft store as well.  You can buy many fragrances and essential oils from craft stores too.  Another source for buy various oils, butters, and essential oils are natural food stores.  You can usually buy your oils in larger quantities and lower cost than at the craft stores.  The essential oils will about the same price but you have more to choose from at the natural food stores.

Once you have bought what you need then you're ready to make your first soap.  The procedure is easy.  (Keep a spoon to use exclusively for soap making and keep it separate from your cooking utensils.  I keep all my supplies in a cabinet I use only for my craft.)  When you have placed your water in your outside boiler and your second is in your first and put on to heat.  I use medium heat, then lower the heat when it gets hot enough to melt the base soap.  Place a few pieces of your base soap and let it melt.  Next add your oils, scent and fragrance oil, and your color if you use any (craft stores carry dyes especially for soap making).  Stir.  Add more base soap and let melt.  Continue until you have all you want to make.  Pour into your molds (Be careful the soap is hot).  Let the soap cool a good thirty minutes or longer.  When soap is cool enough to come out, you can take them out of their molds.  It's good to use a mold release so they can come out easily.  I use vaseline.  Before you pour the soap, lightly spread vaseline in the molds.  I prepare them beforehand so that everything is ready.

There are good books you can buy on soapmaking and I would recommend that you buy at least one.  You might find one in the library.  These books have good recipes to get you started.  However, when you have learned the basics you can make your own recipes.  That's what I did.  In making your own soap you get the benefits of saving money since you don't have to buy any from the store.  You also get the benefits of using natural soap that's good for your skin and helps your skin to be healthy.

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