Crafting Your Own Soap: A Beginner’s Guide
Making soap at home is a rewarding and creative process that allows you to customize your skincare routine. With just a few ingredients and some basic equipment, you can create beautiful, natural soaps tailored to your preferences.
To get started, you’ll need:

Ingredients:
Oils (such as olive, coconut, and castor)
Lye (sodium hydroxide, NaOH)
Distilled water
Essential oils (optional)

Equipment:
Mix bowls
Soap mold
A digital scale
5ml Graduated Cylinder
Spatula
Thermometer

The basic process involves carefully mixing lye (NaOH) with distilled water, then blending this solution with your chosen oils until it reaches “trace” – a pudding-like consistency. At this point, you can add the essential oils before pouring the mixture into molds to harden.
Caution: Always add lye to water (never the reverse). The lye will heat the water to ~ 150F. Also, lye is caustic and will irritate your skin.