A Handmade Soap Recipe For Beginners

Soapmaking Then

To see whether the lye water was strong enough, they would dip a feather into the liquid. If the feather dissolved, the lye-water was sufficiently strong. Otherwise the water was poured back into the barrel to seep a while longer. This method did produce soap, but it was soft and it stunk. It wasn't until the invention of caustic soda in 1791 that soap-making really improved.

Soapmaking Now

Fortunately, there are some great handmade soap recipes out there that not only get the job done, but also look great, feel nice and - yes - smell good, too.

Soap Making For Beginners

Try this simple recipe first, and then when you get the hang of making handmade soap, try one of the trickier vegetable oil recipes.

About the Lard...

Where to Find Lye

Lye Depot

Camden Grey
Read the label to make sure you have nothing but pure sodium hydroxide.

Some Words of Caution About Lye

Always wear rubber gloves and safety glasses when working with lye. The last thing you want is for the lye to splash onto your skin or into your eyes when making your handmade soap. The fumes are toxic, so be careful not to breathe them in. Work in a well-ventilated area, preferably near an open window.

Buy utensils specifically for soapmaking and never use them for food preparation. Lye mixed with fat does not turn completely into soap for 48 hours, so once you have made your handmade soap be sure and clean all your utensils and countertops thoroughly to remove all traces of the mixture.

What You Will Need

• A glass measuring cup 16 - ounce or greater
• 2 spoons, either plastic or stainless steel
• 1 2-quart stainless-steel saucepan - use this to mix the lye
• 1 8-quart stainless-steel pot - use this to melt the fat
• 1 plastic spatula
• 1 plastic ladle
• 1 paring knife
• 1 scale
• Plastic wrap and newspaper - to cover your working area
• Glass candy thermometer - crucial for accurate temperature control
• A mold - this can be as simple as a cardboard box lined with plastic
• Spray-on corn oil, mineral oil or petroleum jelly

Never make handmade soap in aluminum containers. If you do, both the container and the soap will be ruined. Also, don't use a wooden spoon; as eventually the lye will eat away at the fibers in it.

If You Have Hard Water

Easy, Basic Soap Recipe

• 6 pounds of rendered animal fat
• 4 ½ cups of cold, soft water - either rainwater or from a water softener
• 12 ounces pure lye

Heat the Fat

Prepare the Lye

Mix 'Em Together

Continue stirring for at least 30 minutes to one hour. The mixture will begin to thicken and resemble a thin pudding. When your spoon feels like it can stand on its own and a few drops leave a pattern on the surface of the soap, pour the mixture into the mold. Set it aside in a draft-free area for 24 to 48 hours. It will take up to two days for the entire mixture to convert into soap. After 24 hours, check your soap. When you can easily make a dent in the soap by pressing firmly with your finger, the soap is ready to cut. Don't wait until your soap is too hard or it will be impossible to cut.

When your cut bars are hard enough, remove them from the mold and allow them to cure for six weeks.

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