How to make homemade soap with just three ingredients

Making a bar of soap at home is not a very simple thing, because it requires a very precise procedure and because some of the ingredients that are used are quite dangerous, if used badly or without attention. However, if you stick to the simple tips that follow step by step and have a little patience in taking some important precautions, you can get a great result and be really proud of your work!

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Making a bar of soap at home it is not a very simple thing, because it requires a very specific procedure and because some of the ingredients that are used are quite dangerous, if used incorrectly or without attention. However, if you stick to the simple tips step by step that will follow and you will have a little patience in taking some important precautions, you will get a great deal outcome and be really proud of yours homemade soap

You will need:

fats and oils of animal or plant origin
sodium hydroxide (it seems anti-ecological but it is not!)
distilled water or tap water (only if chlorine-free and without limescale)

All these ingredients are to be considered fundamental, because, if only one is missing, the soap does not come.

1) Fats and oils of animal or vegetable origin

To make soap at home you can use any grease: it is good to know, however, that each type of grease will give the soap a different appearance, scent and peculiarities. We recommend starting with a vegetable fat, very simple, such as olive oil, or those of sunflower, peanut and corn, which can be found in grocery stores. You can then combine more particular fats such as shea butter, coconut oil and many others. Remember that each fat requires a specific amount of caustic soda to be turned into soap, which means that you can't just use one instead of the other or combine it haphazardly into a recipe.

2) caustic soda

Caustic soda - as you know - is a fairly dangerous substance, because it is definitely corrosive. It might even seem anti-ecological, but in reality it disappears completely in the saponification process, transforming the fats into a "special" salt (what we know as "soap") that no longer contains any trace of the caustic substance that generated. To self-produce soap, buy sodium hydroxide (the proper name for caustic soda) 98-99% pure and always handle it wearing rubber gloves and a protective mask for the eyes and face. Remember that even fresh soap paste is caustic and should be treated with the same precautions. Spend some time reading up on the safety measures needed to work with caustics before starting your experiments.

3) The liquid in which caustic soda dissolves

Among the liquids in which caustic soda dissolves we find thedistilled water, tap water (as long as it does not contain chlorine or limestone), but also infusions of flowers and herbs, fruit juices and milk. The liquid in the soap has the function of the solvent, that is, it serves to dissolve the caustic soda and make it ready to react with the fats.

In addition to the three basic ingredients for preparing soap at home, you can indulge yourself with your imagination and enrich your soap bars with all the scents and colors you want: cinnamon, coffee, paprika, honey, but also flower petals and essential oils, provided they are not synthetic. Remember that each ingredient requires experience to be dosed and used correctly.

As tools you will need:

an electronic scale
a stainless steel pot
a kitchen thermometer ranging from -10 to +110 degrees centigrade
a stainless steel or wooden spoon to mix
a wooden spoon for mixing
a Pyrex or steel container to prepare the liquid and soda solution
a hand blender to mix and make with the caustic solution
old blankets or rags to cover the molds in which you will put the fresh soap
silicone or hard plastic shapes (such as ice cream tubs) that will shape your soap bars

The preparation of olive oil soap

To make soap, reserve an area of the house all to yourself: a garage, a room or a kitchen, as long as there are no distracting people or children around.