Avalon Soapworks: How to Make Cold Processed Soap

     Making your own homemade soap is not only providing your family with a great natural product, but it is also really addictive. I love making soap. The only thing I love more is teaching other people how to make soap for themselves. So I am going to try and teach you how to make a very basic soap. It is really simple.

**Always wear disposable gloves to protect your hands, sodium hydroxide is dangerous.
**Keep vinegar around to neutralize the sodium hydroxide (lye)

Step 1
              Measure your water and lye accurately.

Step 2    Mix the lye into the water, carefully. This solution will get very hot and will burn you badly if it gets on your skin. Use the vinegar if you spill on yourself..

Step 3 Measure you solid oils, (coconut oil, shortening, palm oil, shea butter, etc.) and melt in stainless steel pan over low heat. Remove from heat when barely melted.

Step 4 Measure liquid oils, (olive, sweet almond, castor, apricot kernal, etc. ) and mix with melted solid oils.

Step 5 Allow all oils and sodium hydroxide (lye) solution to reach the same (100 degrees) temperature.

Step 6 Mix the lye solution into the oils. Stir with stainless steel wisk or stick blender until soap reaches trace, (trace is when the soap becomes a pudding like consistency) You will know that it has traced when a drizzle over the surface will set on top of the soap and not sink down inside. Add any additives ( fragrance, herbs, etc.)

Step 7 Pour soap into a prepared mold ( anything will do, I have used pvc, a new kitty litter box, disposable rubbermade containers, soap molds, wooden molds). If you use a plastic type mold make sure you spray it with Pam. If you use wood make sure you line it with waxed paper, a white garbage bag, or butcher paper.