The complete guide to making natural soap at home

The Complete Guide to Making Natural Soap at Home - From Your Kitchen for Healthy Skin

Let's start from the end - why even make bar soap at home?

How many times have you stood in the shower, read the list on your soap bottle, and just couldn't understand half the words? Us too. In an era where almost every product comes with an endless list of unreadable ingredients, going back to nature has become not just a trend—but a real necessity.

Regular industrial soap contains quite a few preservatives, synthetic fragrances, and ingredients that can dry out your skin or damage it over time. But when you make your own soap, you know exactly what goes into it. It’s a way to connect with the material, create with your own hands, and give your skin exactly what it needs – high-quality vegetable oils, natural fragrances, and true cleanliness.

The chemical magic behind soap - what happens during the saponification process?

You don't have to be a scientist to understand the magic that happens when you make soap. Making natural soap is actually a simple and beautiful chemical reaction that occurs between a fat (like olive oil or coconut butter) and a base (caustic soda).

When combined at the right temperature and with good mixing, a natural soap with a rich, pleasant texture is created. This process is called saponification – and it really happens right before your eyes.

And don't worry – once the reaction is complete (after an aging period of a few weeks), there is no trace of this caustic substance in the soap – only cleanliness and softness for your skin.

What do you need to prepare in advance? (Spoiler: It's less complicated than you thought)

Basic equipment:

• Stick blender - it makes the mixing process fast and safe (and without tiring your arms)
• Digital kitchen scale - accuracy is everything in soap
• Cooking thermometer - so that the temperatures are exactly in the right place
• Stainless steel pot - important: never aluminum! It reacts with the soda
• Thick gloves and goggles - safety first
• Silicone spatula - for gentle mixing
• Litmus paper - to test the acidity level (pH) of the prepared soap
• Molds - silicone or high-quality paper is recommended and easy to remove from.
• Cling film + blanket - for the initial aging process

The ingredients for our basic recipe (for 1 kg of finished soap):

• 450 g high-quality olive oil (the best base)
• 170 g organic coconut butter (for rich lather)
• 130 g almond oil or cocoa butter (to soften)
• 107 g caustic soda (this is the only chemical we need)
• 235 g distilled water (regular water will do the job, but distilled is better)
• 15 ml essential oils (recommended composition: 9 ml lavender, 4 ml orange, 2 ml mint)

Let's get started - the step-by-step preparation process

Step 1: Preparing the Baking Soda Solution (This is where it gets serious)

Before you begin - safety is everything! Working with caustic soda requires maximum caution. It is a strong corrosive substance that can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with the skin or eyes. But don't panic - if done correctly, it is completely safe.

Mandatory safety measures:

• Ventilated area - Work in the kitchen with windows open or a fan on. The reaction produces hot fumes that need to be dispersed.
• Thick gloves - rubber or nitrile, that reach up to the elbow
• Goggles - not regular glasses! You need full eye protection
• Closed clothing - long sleeves, closed shoes (no flip-flops!)
• Vinegar on hand - if we splash something on the skin, vinegar neutralizes the soda
• Children and animals - keep away from the work area!

How to prepare the solution: Pour the distilled water into a small saucepan, and gradually add the baking soda while stirring. Be careful – the temperature rises very high! The solution will heat up to about 80 degrees in a few minutes.

Important tip : Always add soda to water, not the other way around. This is the golden rule of every chemist.

Step 2: Massaging the oils (the moving part)

In a separate saucepan, heat the coconut oil and cocoa butter until completely melted. Turn off the heat and add the olive oil. The smell is already starting to be wonderful.

Step 3: The Temperature Game (Patience is Key)

This is the part where we wait. Both ingredients (the baking soda solution and the oil mixture) need to reach a temperature of 38–42 degrees. This can take 20–30 minutes, but it is critical to success.

Stage 4: The Great Reunion (The Exciting Moment)

The correct mixing technique: Gently pour the baking soda solution into the oils - not the other way around! Create a thin, steady stream, like pouring oil into a salad. Yes, it looks strange at first - like a thin soup that's falling apart.

How to mix properly: Start mixing with a stick blender on medium speed. No need to rush - mix for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat. The process can take 5-15 minutes, depending on the oils and temperature.

Mixing steps:

1. Initial stage (1-3 minutes) - the mixture looks like a thin soup, separating when you stop stirring.
2. Intermediate stage (minutes 4-8) - begins to thicken, remains mixed even when stopped
3. Trace stage (8-15 minutes) - the soap is thick like pudding, leaving "traces" on the surface

What happens if we make mistakes:

• Mixing too quickly - the soap will solidify too quickly, turning into a lump before you have time to pour it.
• Mixing too slowly - the mixture will not reach the trace and the soap may separate
• Spilling oils into soda - a violent reaction that could throw hot material
• Inappropriate temperatures - the mixture may separate or solidify too quickly

How do you know you've reached the perfect trace: Lift the blender and drip a little mixture back in. If the drops "sit" on the surface like a thin line that doesn't immediately disappear - that's it! The soap is ready to pour.

Step 5: The "Trace" Moment (This is the moment we've been waiting for)

When the paste thickens – try dripping it back onto the surface. If the drop “sits” on the surface of the soap like a thin line – that’s it! This is called a “trace” and it means the soap is ready for the next step.

Step 6: The Delicious Toppings (This is where you become the artists)

Add the essential oils (and sometimes dried flowers, lavender seeds, or oatmeal). Mix quickly! You have about a minute for the soap to start to solidify.

Step 7: Pouring into molds (homemade)

Carefully pour the soap into the molds. Tap the molds lightly to remove air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap, then a blanket. The soap needs a nice, warm "sleep."

The Waiting Period - Aging, Cutting, and Enjoyment

The first 24 hours

The soap will solidify and warm itself – let it “sleep” covered and calmly. This is a natural process where the chemical reaction completes.

After one day

Remove from the molds and cut into shapes to your liking. You can make classic cubes, or get creative with different shapes.

The long aging phase

Place the pieces on a ventilated tray for 4–6 weeks. This is a very important step in completing the soap making process and maturing the soap. Yes, it takes a long time, but it is worth every minute.

A few more tips from the field

How do you know when your soap is ready to use? After 4-6 weeks, your soap should be hard and dry to the touch. But the most accurate test is with litmus paper - check the pH level of your soap. The perfect value is pH 7 (neutral). If it is still soft, sticky or shows a pH higher than 7 - give it more time.

What do you do if the soap hasn't solidified? Sometimes this happens. If after 24 hours the soap is still liquid, perhaps the temperatures weren't accurate or the measurements weren't correct. You can try "cooking" it again in a water bath.

How do you store the soap? In a dry, ventilated place. The natural soap can last for many months if stored properly.

Ideas for cool variations

Oatmeal and honey soap: Add a teaspoon of honey and a quarter cup of ground oats before pouring - perfect for dry skin.

Pampering coffee soap Add teaspoons of ground coffee - the caffeine stimulates the blood and the coffee gently exfoliates.

Soothing lavender soap adds dried lavender flowers and lavender essential oil - perfect before bed.

Clay and charcoal soap: Add a teaspoon of green clay and a tablespoon of activated charcoal - perfect for oily skin.

What do we do if something goes wrong?

The soap came out too hard . Maybe there was too much baking soda. Next time, remember to check your calculations.

The soap came out too soft. Maybe there was too much liquid or the temperatures weren't accurate. Give it more time to age.

The soap has broken down. This sometimes happens if the mixing was not enough. You can try melting again and mixing again.

The conclusion - why is it worth all the effort?

Congratulations – you have created a natural soap with your own hands! It is pleasant, fragrant, full of goodness – and most importantly, yours. You can use it, wrap it as a gift for friends (and it is truly a gift that makes you happy), or even think about a small business with a great scent.

Making natural soap is much more than just an activity - it's a way to connect with the material, create something truly good for your skin, and feel in control of what you put into your body. And once you try it, you'll realize there's no going back to regular industrial soap.

So what do you say? Let's start creating!