We’re starting off with the basics! What even is cold process soap? Soap at its core is the product of a chemical reaction (called saponification!) This is when sodium hydroxide a.k.a. lye reacts with fats and oils. This exothermic reaction (read: creates heat) leaves you with a salt (soap!) The only ingredients you NEED are water, lye, and fat. But of course we like to include extra additives and fragrance to make the fun, beautiful bars you see. Different oils also contribute different properties to the final product such as hardness, lather, and moisturizing properties, but we’ll get into that later!
Many people may worry about “lye soap” but rest assured, there is NO lye remaining after the chemical reaction is complete. Just like how oxygen and hydrogen completely reform to make something new - H2O! Soap makers use careful calculations to ensure the right amount of lye is used. We’re like tiny chemists!
So just how is it made? The sodium hydroxide (lye) is mixed with water and then dissolved before adding to your chosen oils. Once it’s all combined, it’s time to mix mix mix until it’s completely combined and emulsified. At this point, you can usually add your fragrance, colorants, and any additional additives. Mix some more and you’re ready to pour into your molds! Let that bad boy rest for 24hrs (give or take) and you’ve got yourself some soap!
You’re probably wondering now, “how is it different from store bought soap?” The answer is it depends! Much of the soap at a drugstore or big box store is made with detergents and other ingredients to make it gentle and give it properties that cold process soap already has. It’s typically also made with lower quality ingredients (read: cheap) to make it economical. That’s why you can buy a 12 pack of “beauty bars” for the same price as one bar of handmade cold process soap. I’m not going to tell you which is better for your skin, but I’ll let you guess which one I would use any day of the week (and do!)
Note: This is NOT a tutorial by any means and is for basic education only. Only attempt soap making after LOTS of research on safety and methods!