Learn how to make soap at home!  Soap making is an art. It is fun and rewarding to make soap and the result is a wonderful natural body care product. Soap can be used for personal use, to give as gifts, or to sell. Cold Process Soap is the traditional way that soap has been made for many years.

What is Soap?

Soap is made from three basic ingredients; oils (fats), lye and water. All soap is made with a caustic soda such as lye. In order for it to be soap, caustic soda must be used, if not, it is not soap. The caustic soda such as lye is not present after the soap has cured.

Cold Process Soap creates natural soap unlike most “melt and pour soaps” as they usually contain glycerin and other synthetic ingredients. These synthetic ingredients can often be harsh and drying on the skin. Cold Process soap is made by mixing oils with lye which creates a chemical reaction, called saponification, which creates soap.

Lye Safety

Many people shy aware from making soap due to concerns about handling lye (sodium hydroxide). Lye is very caustic and needs to be handled with care. It can be fatal if swallowed and will burn the skin on contact. Children and pets should never have access to lye. With this said, by taking simple safety precautions, one can work with lye safely and create amazing, natural, cold process soap.

Curing Soap

Once soap has been made and poured into molds, it will need time to cure, typically 4-6 weeks. Curing allows the extra moisture in the soap to evaporate which produces a harder and longer-lasting bar. Curing also helps to neutralize any residual lye.

Resources to Make Soap

Are you interested in making your own soap? At Joan Morais Naturals, we offer a Cold Process Soap Making Online Course.

In this online course, you will learn all about making natural, homemade soap, including how to color naturally, adding in herbs, clays, oatmeals, etc., and how to naturally scent the soap using essential oils and botanical extracts. Lye safety is discussed, as well as materials needed, how to cure your soap, and resources on where to purchase ingredients and materials.

The class includes a 37 minute video on the soap making process, which you can watch over and over again. You will also receive our ebook on How to Make Soap along with 2 bonus simple ebooks on How to Make Swirled Lavender Cold Process Soap and How to Make Pot Swirled Soap.