Cold Process Soap

This is the craft that started it all. The thing that I looked at and said, “I’ll bet I can do that.” And if I can do it, so can you. No idea where to start? That’s fine. Start here.

1. Do a Google search.

I’m not going to lie to you, this is always going to be the first step. Do a Google search, and then notice what the results are. If you’re struggling for key words, try phrases ranging from “cold process soap” to “soap making” to “different ways to make soap”. As you find terms you’re unfamiliar with, add those to your searches. You don’t need to save these searches or tabs. Just follow the links, absorb the content, and move on.

While you’re exploring, I recommend keeping an eye out for three key things: tutorials, examples, and debates. For tutorials, I like platforms like Youtube, Tiktok, and personal blogs. For examples, I tend more towards places like Pinterest or Etsy. Then, if you really want to get a grasp on the ins and outs of a craft, the next place to check is the forums.

People have opinions on their craft. They have advice, and horror stories, and words of caution. Find at least one soapmaking forum, and look through it until you find two people having a disagreement. That’s where you’re going to get the real scoop.

2. Gather your supplies.

At this point, you’ve probably got a pretty good grasp of what’s going on, what soap makers use, what tools people like or dislike. I’m just going to cover the basics here, the absolute essentials you need in order to make cold-process soap:

Gloves (I like surgical gloves, but you do you)
Eye protection (that goes all the way around your eyes, not just glasses)
A large, flat surface (soap batter will eat through stain, so be careful of wood tables/counters)
Scale (something that can measure in grams)
Oils (Olive, coconut, babassu, almond, cocoa butter, whatever - buy twice as much as you think you need)
Lye (I buy bottles of crystal lye drain cleaner from my Lowe’s in a pinch)
Distilled Water
Lye-safe container (with a LID)
Mixing bowl (I use a plastic dollar store one)
Spatula
Stick Blender
Mold (use a loaf mold for your first soap, I promise it’s easier)

You might have some of these already; in fact, I hope you do. If you don’t, buying them all at once can be pricey. If you’re watching your budget, I recommend checking out your local dollar store. I spent about $100 all told in order to make my first batch of soap. If you want a fragrance and colorant too, that’s going to cost more - but there’s absolutely no reason not to find things as cheap as you can. Coconut oil from the grocery store works just fine. A $10 stick blender might break, but it’ll get you through this batch. Don’t skimp on the gloves, though - you’ll need those.

I do have one word of caution. Don’t use kitchen implements and expect them to go back to the kitchen when you’re done. It’s just not safe. In the words of Patrick Rothfuss, “Measure twice, label clearly, and eat somewhere else.” Or something like that. I know it’s rare, but in this case, Kvothe is right.

3. Decide on your recipe.

The world is your oyster. Cold-process soap recipes are a dime a dozen, and you will no doubt encounter a few you like in your initial Google search. I’ll provide one here, my recipe’s not a secret - but I encourage you to find one you like on your own. For your first batch, I recommend sticking to a recipe that someone else has already used, but if you’re like me, you’ll want to make your own. I’ll talk about that in step 3a.

Tabletop Craft Co.’s Soap Recipe:

54% olive oil

33% coconut oil

10% babassu oil

3% castor oil

Filtered water

Lye

1 Fragrance Oil Sample (about 1 oz)

Mica Powder to preference

That’s it. That’s the recipe. These quantities are for the purple loaf soap molds you can get on Amazon for cheap, but the percentages are the same.

3a. Make Your Recipe

You’re going to need a lye calculator. You might think you can math it. You can’t. You definitely can’t wing it. Use a lye calculator. I like Brambleberry’s, but you can use any lye calculator you can find. Decide what oils you want to use, research what percentage they can be used in, and then toss that bad boy into the lye calculator.

Another piece of advice? Write your recipe down. Write it down somewhere where you will remember it. If you’re neurospicy, this goes double for you. I know you think you’ll remember it. You won’t. Write it down.

4. Mix & Pour Your Soap

It’s time. You have your recipe. You have your ingredients. You have your tools. You’re ready.

This part is both easier and harder than you expect. If you’ve ever made brownies, it’s not unlike that - only the brownie batter is caustic. The first time I made soap, I tried to set my stick blender against the side of the mixing bowl and flung soap batter all over the kitchen. It was awful. So take your time, be slow and meticulous, and pay attention. The soap will eventually start to harden, yeah - but it takes longer than you think. You have time to slow down.

Put on your gloves and eye protection.
Measure your water into your lidded, lye-safe container. Use a scale.
Pour your lye into the water, slowly, a few grams at a time. If you have a mask, this is a great time to use it - the fumes smell bad. I’ve never seen any evidence that they’re a hazard, but I sure don’t like them.
Stir CAREFULLY, until the lye is incorporated.
Put the lid on the container. Yes, it’s steaming. It will be fine.
Let your lye cool until it’s at least not hot to the touch. There’s a lot of advice on what temperature to soap at, and it’s good advice! Follow it if you’d like! I just let my lye and oils sit overnight so they’re both room temperature. It’s why I get soda ash on every single soap I make. You do you.
Melt your hard oils and put all of your oils together in a bowl. Mix ‘em up really well.
Once cooled, pour your lye mixture into your oil. Stir with a spatula to incorporate.
Add your fragrance and mica, if you’re using them.
Stick blend! This is the only really tricky part of soap making, in my opinion. You want to blend until the mixture is fully emulsified - meaning it is all one consistent texture throughout the whole bowl. You’re aiming for a pudding-like texture, more or less. If you stick blend too much, your soap will saponify very quickly and heat up, causing cracks. If you don’t stick blend enough, it won’t saponify. Trust your instincts, watch a YouTube video, and follow your heart. Most importantly, don’t be afraid of failure.
Pour your soap into the mold.
Clean up. Use vinegar for any soap batter or lye spots that you need to clean up ASAP. Stick your dishes in a garbage bag and let them saponify, then clean them in the sink or dishwasher.
Wait. Probably 72-ish hours, or until the soap is not liquid at all. Resist the urge to poke the soap to discover if it’s set - lye is still caustic!
Soap!

5. Revel in Your Failure (or Success)

Congratulations! You made soap! Or maybe you didn’t make soap, and you ended up with a weird mold full of unidentifiable liquid. In that case, congratulations! You failed!

My first soap batch was a disaster, and it’s okay if yours is too. The only thing I ask is that you try again. Please, I am begging you to try again. In fact, I am going to edit this tutorial to specify that you should buy twice as much material as you need, so that you can try again. If you’re nervous, write down what you think went wrong, and then write down what you think you could do to fix it.

If you fail again, that’s okay! You know more about soap making than someone who did it right the first time. Consider if you want to try again. It’s okay, now, if you don’t - you didn’t let the failure stop you. If it’s too much time or energy or effort, that’s okay. Find something else to do. If you want some inspiration, stick around for more tutorials!

Hey. Great job. Thanks for making soap with me.