Making homemade soap seems a little overwhelming, doesn’t it? You’ve seen many beautiful soaps at craft fairs and festivals, haven’t you? Well, I decided to try my hand at making some lovely scented soap. Since I have an affinity for lavender, a lovely lavender soap is my first attempt.
Want more lavender ideas? You can click here for my posts on Lavender Macarons recipe, Sparkling Lavender Lemonade with lavender ice cubes, and How To Make A Lavender Wand.
Researching how to do this, I find that there is an easy way using a soap base, which you can buy online or at a craft store. I know. Some people will argue that using a premade base is not really ‘making soap’. It’s kind of like using a cake mix instead of measuring your own flour, sugar, flavorings, and leavening. Let’s just say it’s kind of like making semi-homemade soap, right?
If you are a beginner like I am, using this method is a nice first step just to see if it’s a craft you really like and it doesn’t involve handling lye. Making your own from scratch involves lye, which is caustic. We’ve all been warned about the dangers of lye and probably have a little healthy fear of it. You definitely want to attempt this when the kids and pets are not around.
[ctt template=”8″ link=”_ty8X” via=”no” ]Making homemade soap with a soap base is easy! You skip right to the fun part of adding scents, color, and getting creative![/ctt]
About the Homemade Soap Process
As with most things, educating yourself and taking the proper precautions will make you less fearful. After watching videos and reading a book on making soap, I think it would be fun to try making soap from scratch this spring when the windows can be left open. Having proper ventilation is imperative. You don’t want to breathe in fumes from the lye mixture!
The idea of mixing ingredients and watching the process of saponification sounds a bit exciting, doesn’t it? Saponification is simply turning fat or oil into soap by reaction with an alkali. When mixed together at the right temperature, the fat and the sodium hydroxide, or lye, react, creating soap.
But, today, I’m making a semi-homemade soap with a melt and pour soap base. The soap base has already been through the saponification process. Unlike the cold process soap making, which requires curing for a time, the ‘melt and pour’ soap base is ready to use as soon as it hardens. You skip right to the fun part of soap making and anyone can make their own soaps using this method!
Making Homemade Lavender Soap Using A Soap Base
Supplies You’ll Need:
- 2 pound Goat Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base
- Lavender Essential Oil 1 teaspoon
- (32 drops = 1/4 tsp.)
- Soap Mold
- 1 teaspoon lavender Mica Powder
- *Stainless Steel Spoon For Mixing
- 99% Rubbing Alcohol in a Spray Bottle
- rubber or latex gloves
*You can use a silicone spatula, which I used at first. The soap base started setting up on it and it dawned on me that the metal spoon would retain the heat better so I ditched the silicone and used a large stainless steel spoon.
I bought this 24 box of mica powder on Amazon. (We are an Amazon affiliate and may receive a small percentage of any sales through the links on this post at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting this website.)
There is enough colorant here to make many batches of soap, bath bombs, lip glosses, and other crafts. There is a perfect lavender color and that is the one I used.
Before Starting The Soap
Before I started making the soap, I filled a measuring cup with 1 cup of water. Then, I poured water into the mold to see how much it would take to fill the individual molds. 1/2 cup of water filled the mold up to about 1/4-inch from the top.
This soap base is 32-ounces. It would take 48-ounces of soap base to fill all of the molds. That means that I can fill 2/3 of the rectangular molds or make 8 bars of soaps. The wells in this mold measure 2″ x 3″ x 1-1/2″ deep.
Directions:
First, sanitize your counter by spraying it with 99% rubbing alcohol. It’s a good idea to sanitize by misting your mold, measuring tools, and spatula with the alcohol, too.
Melting The Soap Base
Begin by opening the goat milk base and cutting the block into 1-inch cubes for easier melting. This base is already divided into 32 sections, about 1-ounce each. Just cut along the indentations with a sharp kitchen knife. (You can heat the base in a microwave but I chose to melt the blocks over simmering water using the double boiler method. I enjoy the slower process, especially when I’m taking pictures!)
Place the cubes in a glass or stainless steel heat-safe bowl.
Fill the bottom of a saucepan with 2-inches of water.
Place the bowl with the soap cubes on the saucepan over the water and bring the water to a low simmer.
Allow the cubes to melt, stirring occasionally after mostly melted.
When the soap base is completely melted, remove the bowl from the pan, set the bowl on a silicone potholder or a heat-safe surface. I read that the soap base should be at a temperature of 120°F before adding the mica colorant. It took about 15 minutes for the cubes to melt after the water came to a simmer.
I checked the temperature of the soap base after the last few pieces of base melted. It read at 120°. Perfect.
*Caution: Be careful. Melted soap is hot! It's a good idea to wear protective gloves.
Turn off the burner. Leave the soap base over the simmering water while preparing the mica powder and measuring the lavender essential oil.
(I read that if you add the color and fragrance to soap that is too hot, it can affect them negatively. After the soap base is melted, you have a short amount of time to add the coloring and the essential oil before the soap starts to set or forms a skin on top. If a little skim forms, stir the base to melt it. Don't walk away; you need to be prepared.)
The Lavender Essential Oil
Quickly, measure the 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil, set to the side, and have the oil ready to add to the melted soap base.
Add The Mica Colorant and Essential Oil
Moving quickly, once the soap base is completely melted, mix 1 tablespoon of 99% isopropyl alcohol with 1 teaspoon mica powder color, and stir gently until the color is completely dispersed. Mix in 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture at a time to the soap base until you achieve the depth of color desired. (I used the entire mixture and love the color!)
The recommendation from Dibble Dabble is to add 1/2 teaspoon of the mica – alcohol mixture per pound of soap base. I started with 1/4 teaspoon, stirred, then, poured half of the mixture, stirred, and then, poured the rest of the mixture into the base.
After adding and mixing in the mica colorant, add the lavender essential oil and stir quickly to completely mix the color and the oil into the base.
Filling the Molds With the Soap Mixture
While the soap base was melting, I sprinkled a little dried lavender into some of the molds before pouring the soap into the cavities. In my mind, I realized that the seeds might float to the top and they did. It is better to sprinkle the seeds on top of the soap in the molds, but you have to do that very quickly. By the time I tried this method, there was already a skim and they just sat on top of it.
Pour or spoon into the molds. I used the large spoon to fill the cavities. It would probably be easier and faster if you had a spout on the bowl but the large spoon worked pretty well. Gently tap the sides of the mold to release air bubbles.
If bubbles form on the top of the soap, spray some of the rubbing alcohol over the surface. Repeat if necessary. This worked like a charm!
Wait for 30 minutes, then, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent glycerin dew.
I read on one blog that you should allow the soap to harden for 24 hours. Then, on the goat milk soap base instructions, it said to allow it to sit for at least 40 minutes.
The last bar I poured ended up being a little smaller and it was firming up pretty well at 45-minutes. The other bars still felt a little warm and not as firm. Patience…
We had to run out to pick up the grandkids and I covered the soaps with a sheet of plastic wrap and left. Four hours later, when we returned, they were completely set. I’m sure the bars were set much earlier.
Obviously, the time it takes to completely cool depends on the molds you use. One large block would take much longer.
Be patient! Don’t try to expedite the hardening process by placing it in the fridge or the freezer! Just step away.
Unmolding The Homemade Soap
Gently push the sides of the mold away from the soap bars, turn upside down, and push the silicone bottom to release the bars from the molds. If the edges are damp, place the bars on a wire rack and allow them to dry for an hour. Drying time will definitely be affected by humidity.
A great thing about using a soap base is that the soap can be used as soon as it is unmolded. There is no need for curing like in the cold process method.
Do store the soap bars in plastic. See the answered questions below.
Sharing Your Soap
For gift-giving, add an ingredient label. I was surprised that the goat milk base did have some chemicals in it, which are listed on the soap base label. This is one reason you might prefer to make the soap from scratch, especially if your skin is sensitive. You can control what is in your soap.
I’ll be making some labels for giving some of these to friends and family. There are so many different ways to personalize your labels. I have some ideas…
Wow! This was so much fun and I love this soap! It feels so luxurious! I’m already planning to make some other scented soaps. We have plenty of colorants! Lol! Check back for the labels and future soaps.
Questions You Might Have About Homemade Soap Can I use food dyes for soap making? Food dyes may not mix well into the soap base and, when using, may stain your skin. Can I use candle making fragrance? Candle making fragrances might be irritating and are not designed for soap making. You should use essential oils that are safe for skin or fragrances specifically made for soap making. Do I need to store the soap in plastic? Yes, storing the soaps in plastic will keep it from sweating and forming glycerin dew. You don't have to go out and buy special shrinkwrap for this! Just use regular plastic wrap. Click here for a video on how to ►Shrinkwrap with plastic wrap. Can I combine two soap bases to create a combination? Yes, just melt the two together to combine. An example would be half goat milk and half shea butter. What is Mica powder and what can I do with it? Micas are oil-soluble pigments and do not mix well with water-based products. Mica powder, aside from soap making, can be used for making slime, epoxy resin, lip gloss, and bath bombs.
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You made it seem so easy. I love lavender!
It is so easy, Dee! I’m beginning to get requests for different scents from the kids!
I asked my granddaughter if she wanted to give her friend a bar of lavender soap for her birthday and she said adamantly, “No.”
Then, she saw the soaps, which I had shrink-wrapped, and she said, “Can I give one of these to Jayden, too?”
That said everything! Lol!
Yep, that was it when she saw how pretty they were!!
Oh goodness! Your soaps look so amazing and beautiful. When would I be able to make such beauties? I tried soapmaking earlier but failed miserably and my mother banned me from using her utensils. Now, this guide has given me confidence again and I hope to get, not as beautiful as yours, but similar results.
Thank you! If I can do it, so can you! Can’t wait to hear how your soaps come out. I really love using these soaps, too. Thanks for visiting!