Cold
Process Soap Making Supplies:
Basic
Cold Process Soap Making Directions:
Cold Process is the gold standard in soap! Made from a variety of natural oils
and butters, there is no end to the possibilities when making Cold Process
Soap! The process is fairly simple and straight forward and although many
people fear working with lye, a little common sense and a good dose of caution
go a long way to make this process simple and safe to do at home.
First thing first, safety! I will preach this one over and over, when working with lye ALWAYS protect yourself! The things every CP Soaper needs are:
- Respirator or Face mask
- Safety glasses to protect your eyes
- Rubber Gloves
- Apron
When
mixing lye ALWAYS use ICE COLD distilled water, weigh your water, add it to
your pitcher, weigh your lye (use glass or throw away paper plates, never
plastic to prevent static strays!) and always wear your safety gear. Never move
a pitcher of lye, you don't want to risk spilling it and be sure your area is
well ventilated and free from pet and people hazards. I mix and cool in my
kitchen sink. When mixing lye, SLOWLY mix your granular lye into the ice cold
water, stirring constantly. With the basics down on safety let's move on to the
big stuff and make some soap! If you do spill on yourself, IMMEDIATELY rinse in
ICE COLD RUNNING WATER for at least 10 minutes. For spills elsewhere, vinegar
will neutralize the lye.
Supplies
& Equipment list:
*Bitter
Creek Lye (refer to list above for safety gear when handling soap and lye!)
*Bitter Creek Base Soap Oils. 24 oz. Olive Oil, 8 oz. each Coconut & Palm
Oil
*Bitter Creek Soap Stable Colorants (dye, mica or glitter)
*Bitter Creek Fragrance Oils Safe for Soap making (not all safe scents soap )
*Bitter Creek Soap Wood
Mold for Cold Process Soap
*A large plastic spoon
*A silicone spatula
*A digital scale to weigh your soap and fragrance
*A stainless steel stock pot to make the soap in (DO NOT USE ANY ALUMINUM!)
*A digital scale to weigh your soap and fragrance
*Freezer paper to line your mold or a plastic bag
*Wire Whisk or Hand Blender (Emulsion Blender aka Stick Blender)
It is now
time to put this all to use and make some soap! Be sure to follow the
instructions closely for the best results.
1. Weigh
out and mix your lye to make a lye/water solution, for this recipe. Allow this
to cool to room temperature. For a single batch in our wood mold, this will be 6.7
weight ounces lye and 12 weight ounces water.
2. In a microwave, melt the hard oils in 60 second intervals, gently stirring
between to be sure you're not overheating them. For this recipe you will need
24 ounces Pomace Olive Oil and 12 ounces Coconut Oil and12 ounces Palm Oil. (You
can also melt this in the stock pot on the stove) allow this to cool to room temperature.
*All ounces are in weight
3. Once both the oils and lye solution are at
room temp, slowly pour the lye into the stock pot stirring with the wire whisk.
4. You can use the stick blender at this point to bring to light trace, a runny
pudding consistency. You can also achieve this using the Whisk.
5. Now add your fragrance. Most people use 1 weight ounce per 1 pound base
oils. For this recipe that is 3 weight ounces. (Be sure to check the safety of
any oil before using it. Also be sure they work well in CP soap before using
them if this is your first try!).
4. Now add your color. For your first batch keep it simple, a single, solid
color will accomplish this. Add the colorant until you are satisfied with the
hue.
5. Set the soap aside to cool and harden overnight.
6. Remove from the mold and cut
7. Cure for 3-4 weeks before using for best results.
Your masterpiece is complete! You have now made
a basic cold process soap! Enjoy!
Bitter Creek offers FREE Technical Support to all
our customers! Online help is available 9am to 5pm Central Time Monday
through Friday. Click here to
contact Tech Support by phone, e-mail or through our Live Online Chat
Application! Real candle and soap making advice from a working crafter with two
decades experience in the business!
Cold Process, Hot Process and Liquid Soap Making Supplies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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