The First Batch of Homemade SoapPosted by Campbell North on April 22nd, 2021 The first batch turned out great, then the next, but the next after that was a dismal failure. So what did I do wrong? I wasn’t sure, so I decided to take a class. I contacted the local adult education center and found the instructor had left the area. Would I be interested in teaching? I got talked into it and started the following January. I taught people how to make soap for a total of 11 years in Minnesota. When I came to North Carolina in 2004, I had to hunt around a bit to find a venue, but ended up at a local college in 2007 and have been there ever since. I now teach classes on how to make soap, along with several other natural products. I also sell my soaps and other products online, at local tailgate markets, and at the state fair each year. Soap Making: The Basics Soap making can be very simple or you can make it as complicated as you like. First, the beauty of making your own is that you can make it with the ingredients that you choose and the fragrances that you like. And adjustments aren’t hard but do take some practice. Further, most homemade soap recipes use ounces or grams and ingredients must be weighed to get good results. But I’ve found a way to simplify the process by converting the ingredients to cups and portions of cups. Consequently, it’s much easier and you get the same results time after time. Lye in Homemade Soap The one thing in homemade soap you can’t substitute is lye. You should always use 100% sodium hydroxide, or lye in crystal form. Don’t substitute liquid lye or drain cleaners such as Drano. These may cause inaccurate measurements or have bits of metal in them. You don’t want either. Cold Process Soap is caustic. It can eat holes in fabric and cause burns on your skin. Always be extra careful when using lye. Use gloves and eye protection and a mask if desired. When you mix the lye with water, it will heat up and fume for about 30 seconds to a minute. It may cause a choking sensation in your throat. Don’t worry, it’s not permanent and will go away after a few minutes. Always add lye to the water (not water to lye), and start stirring right away. If allowed to clump on the bottom, it could heat up all at once and cause an explosionLike it? Share it! |