Cold process soap making is an old traditional slow skill that teaches us the value of patience. There are lots of ideas on how to make soap online, but this is the best way I make my own.
When it comes to making soap, it may look easy especially when you watch videos of soap makers creating soap. But there’s math, there’s using a soap calculator if you want to tweak recipes, there’s brewing, there are chemical reactions, there are infusions that last weeks, then after making soap, there’s curing period another couple of weeks.
Soap making was one traditional skill I was very intimidated to learn. The more I read and researched, the confused I got. Some people make soap making look very intimidating. It’s not I promise.
Then I settled and decided to go for melt and pour, it sounded easy, just melt the soap, add oils then pour.
I tried it and didn’t really like the process. for one, the melt and pour was very limiting, I couldn’t tweak the recipe or add what I wanted, and the images didn’t look as good as the amazing images I saw online.
It wasn’t as fulfilling, I naturally prefer to make things from scratch, the emptiness of oil on its own to something beautiful that’s a whole different product from what you started with. But that’s just my thought process, I digress.
What has cold soap making got to do with patience?
You start planning to make cold process soap a month or two before making soap plus you need another month after the soap is made for it to completely cure and for you to use or sell.
If you prefer a cold infused oil to use in your soap, start the cold process by drying herbs from your backyard garden, they may take a week or two depending on the weather.
When the herbs are dry, add oil to your herbs in a clean glass jar.
Let it infuse for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake your jar every other day. You need patience to let the herbs infuse completely so that you get all the beneficial properties of the herbs into the oil.
After 4 to 6 weeks, strain the oil. Next, you will need to measure all the oils and butters, place them on the stove in a double boiler pot to melt. Depending on what oils and butters you choose, they may take 10 to 30 minutes to melt. Patience.
While the oils melt, measure your lye and distilled water. Add your lye to water, mixing thoroughly. Set aside to cool.
When the oils are melted, set aside to cool. More patience is needed, as the lye water solution and the oils need to be about the same temperature before you mix them.
When cooled, add your lye solution to the oils. Blend, Blend, Blend. Another 15 minutes of waiting till the mixture becomes a thicker yogurt-like consistency.
Next add your essential oils, mix, mix, mix, then pour into your Moulds. Add embellishments on top of the soap or designs.
You need to wait patiently for it to harden for 24 to 48 hours. After this you may cut your soap pieces.
Your soap will be ready to use after 4 to 6 weeks. At least 21 days of curing. Because the consistency of soap hardens and gets better bubbles after all the water has evaporated and it has reached its cure.
The hard soap bar lasts longer than when you tried to speed up the process and create a mushy soft soap bar.
The cold process of soap making is satisfying, fulfilling and teaches you the value of patience.
If you would like to buy some of my handmade Natural cold infused soap scented with natural essential oils, go have a look in my shop & buy some. Please, & thank you. I post the different processes i use on Instagram as well.
Shalom and Thank you Jesus.
Following His Ways,
Natasha Chetty.
