How to make hand soap at home. Do-it-yourself fragrant soap: features and recipes for cooking at home

Anton Smekhov

Reading time: 6 minutes

A A

Modern housewives, including myself, bake bread at home, make mayonnaise, and salt fish. This provides access to quality products and savings. I was interested in the question of how to make soap with your own hands at home.

This is not to say that the savings on the use of homemade soap are large. But we take baths and wash ourselves every day, and we want to use healthy and safe hygiene products. In these properties lies the secret of the success of homemade soap.

Do-it-yourself homemade soap is a high-quality, environmentally friendly and beautiful product. It satisfies the hygiene requirements of family members and is suitable as a gift to a close friend, for example, on March 8 or a birthday.

Soap making recipes at home

Many people are engaged in making soap with their own hands. For some it's a hobby, for others it's a way to make money at home. Even a beginner will master this art.

The work uses a ready-made soap base, which is often replaced with baby soap or soap is brewed using solid oils, additives and other ingredients.

Regardless of homemade soap recipes, the end result is a beautiful and healthy product.

How to make classic soap

Ingredients:

• Purified water - 700 ml.
• Lye - 270 g.
• Olive oil - 1 l.
• Coconut oil - 500 ml.
• Grape seed oil - 500 ml.

Cooking:

1. The oils indicated in the recipe, as well as the alkaline mixture, heat individually to 40 degrees.
2. Slowly add alkali to the oil mixture, lower the blender into the container and, using short approaches, mix the contents for three minutes.
3. Pour ten milliliters of cinnamon oil into the resulting composition. After additional mixing, pour the mixture into a mold, wrap it in a warm blanket and leave for a day. This will retain heat and help complete the chemical reaction.

Video recipe

We make our own chocolate soap

The following recipe will appeal to those with a sweet tooth. Let's make a chocolate soap characterized by a seductive look and an appetizing smell.

Ingredients:

1. Soap base - 100 g.
2. Almond oil - 1 tbsp. a spoon.
3. Coffee - 1 tbsp. a spoon.
4. Cocoa - 2 tbsp. spoons.
5. Essential oil (vanilla).

Cooking:

1. Melt the soap base first. It is allowed to replace it with baby soap, which is recommended to be passed through a grater or finely chopped. Mix the resulting mass with almond butter, cocoa and ground coffee.
2. Fill the molds with the composition and wait until it hardens. I advise you to use small forms in the form of flowers, shells or animals. As a result, each piece of homemade chocolate soap will resemble candy.

milk honey soap recipe

At home, you can make a wonderful milk-honey soap. The manufacturing technology is simple and understandable, and the output is a product that will give odds to many store goods.

Ingredients:

• Baby soap - 100 g.
• Honey - 2 tbsp. spoons.
• Milk - 0.66 cups.
• Sea buckthorn oil - 1 tbsp. a spoon.
• Citrus essential oil - 15 drops.
• Glycerin - 1 teaspoon.
• Chamomile flowers.

STEP COOKING:

1. Combine the baby soap passed through the grater with warmed milk, wait a bit, and then hold in the bath until it melts. Enter the remaining ingredients.
2. Add honey to the mixture, then sea buckthorn oil with glycerin, then chamomile flowers with essential oil. Keep the mass on fire and stir, not allowing to boil. When it becomes homogeneous, distribute into forms.

How to make handmade cleansing soap

I bring to your attention the recipe for making handmade cleansing soap. If you regularly care for your skin, it will help in this matter.

Ingredients:

• Baby soap - 0.5 bar.
• Camphor alcohol - 0.5 tbsp. spoons.
• Ammonia - 0.5 tbsp. spoons.
• Glycerin - 0.5 tbsp. spoons.
• Citric acid - 0.25 tsp.
• Hydrogen peroxide solution - 0.25 cups.
• Water - 1 glass.

Cooking:

1. Pour the baby soap passed through the grater into a container of water and wait a few hours until it swells.
2. Place the dish with soapy water in a container of water and heat slightly.
3. Enter alcohols into a homogeneous mass along with citric acid diluted in a spoonful of water. After stirring, remove the mixture from the stove and stir until cool.
4. Continuing to stir, add hydrogen peroxide. Handmade soap is ready.

Video instruction

I think while reading the material you noticed that in all cases the basis is the same, but the recipes differ in additives. If you wish and have imagination, you can easily create your own soap recipe, which will be characterized by excellent composition, wonderful color and unique smell.

How to choose a soap base and not make mistakes

In conclusion, I will talk about the intricacies of choosing a soap base and the mistakes that beginner soap makers make. The soap base is an almost finished product, neutral in properties, colorless and odorless. The base is needed for making homemade soap.

It is not difficult to buy a soap base of Chinese, Latvian, German, English and Belgian production. Bases from Belgium and Germany are very similar in properties. This transparent composition is odorless and gives a large amount of foam.

Products from England and Latvia are characterized by a low content of surfactants. As a result, soap made from them lathers worse. But these foundations contain more natural ingredients.

Chinese soap base lathers beautifully but smells. Fortunately, with the help of a fragrance, it is not difficult to drown out the smell. Some bases can be mixed if desired. The main thing is that they match each other in fat content.

I recommend using an organic base. It does not harden so quickly and foams worse, but it benefits the skin. And this is important, especially if you care for your skin.

The main mistakes of beginners

While staying true to the theme of homemade soap making, we can't help but mention the mistakes and challenges newbies face. All errors are related to the aesthetic side of the issue. Soap thickens slowly, breaks or breaks into pieces when cut. Keeping proportions and using quality materials helps to avoid such problems.

• If the soap breaks when cut, then it contains a lot of caustic soda. This defect does not affect the quality of the product, only the appearance suffers. In some cases, essential oils cause excessive brittleness.
• If a soft soap is obtained, and when cut, the briquette breaks into pieces, then the gel stage has failed. To solve the problem, leave the product to ripen for two weeks, and then cut it with a guitar string.
• Often, the finished soap block is coated. The quality does not suffer from a visual defect. To fix the problem, cover the soap after placing it in the moulds. Plaque is removed with a knife or water.
• If the soap does not thicken, be sure to use the correct amount of lye. Often this effect is associated with a high percentage of soft oils. In this case, prolonged mixing of the solution with a conventional mixer will help to change the situation.

There are health hazards. In some cases, white spots appear in the soap. They are formed by alkaline crystals that are poorly soluble in the liquid. Test several of these crystals with a special strip. If it's really lye, throw away the soap.

I went over 4 step by step recipes for beginners, homemade instructions and gave advice on choosing a base. Now I will tell you some interesting information about the origin of soap.

What do we know about soap?

According to historians, primitive people bathed regularly so that potential prey would not smell. They used water and sand as a detergent. The invention of soap was facilitated by the low efficiency of washing using sand. It is difficult to say when soap appeared and who created it. One thing is known for sure, it is older than paper and gunpowder.

Later, people began to rub the body with fat or oil, and then scraped off the dirty film from the skin. Clay was also used for this purpose. According to one of the Roman historians, the first liquid soap appeared in Gaul. The inhabitants of the ancient state added ash to melted goat fat, and the resulting mixture was used to wash their hair and when washing.

Later, the Romans borrowed the product from the Gauls, who used it to create fashionable hairstyles. In 164, the Roman doctor Galen found out that soap washes and launders.

Arabs are considered to be the creators of solid soap. For its manufacture in the 7th century they used ash, seaweed, lime, olive oil, goat fat and potash. The Spaniards brought this recipe to Europe. As a result, the development of soap making began in European states.

In those days, Christianity struggled with pagan values, among which was the tradition of washing. Therefore, baths appeared in Europe only in the 15th century through the efforts of the crusaders. The knights of those times presented soap to the ladies as a gift.

In the seventeenth century there was a revolution in soap making. Then came shaving foam, and stubble became the conscious choice of men. Scented soaps were produced for women. In almost every wealthy house there was a washbasin.

These revolutionary changes bypassed the rules of hygiene. People of those times did not completely lather, saving an expensive product.

Two hundred years later, water pipes appeared in European cities along with sewer systems. Every wealthy home had a tin bathtub. Class!

For those who have decided to make soap in their kitchen, I would advise you to start learning the basics by creating soap from a ready-made soap base. This option soap making for beginners will not discourage your desire to engage in creativity, will give results immediately. The fact is that novice soap makers often confuse making soap from the base and making soap from scratch. If you want to know how to make soap at home, then first “dissolve” these two concepts in your head.

“From scratch” means that you have to remember some basics of chemical processes. You will work with alkali and fatty oils, the soap making process in this case is long. And it’s better to switch to it after you get used to soap making from an industrial soap base.

That was the introduction, now my Photo master class. To watch the video of the master class, go to the very end of the article.

To make your own soap, you will need:

• soap base transparent, about 100 g;
• liquid dyes;
• fragrances or fragrances;
• cosmetic oil (apricot seed, grape seed, etc.);
• a glass for melting the base;
• a glass in which you will mix all the ingredients;
• microwave or water bath;
• spoons or sticks for stirring;
• soap molds.

Step by step instructions with photos

Base melting

Cut the soap base into small cubes. This is easy to do with a regular knife.

Melt in a water bath, stirring constantly so that the base does not stick together. Even if this happened, do not be afraid - just here, in the container in which you melt the base, cut the sticky layer with a sharp knife and continue melting.

Many soap makers use the microwave, I also like to speed up the process. And cleaner in the kitchen. You can put a porcelain, glass cup with a base in the microwave, even a simple plastic one will do if you have already gotten used to the temperature regime and can adjust the power.

Set the "Defrost" mode, the weakest to begin with. Put the glass with the base in the microwave and turn it on for half a minute. Check how the base melts, if you didn’t see any changes, the cubes didn’t even melt, you can do it in two ways. Either increase the power by a little, or increase the time to 1-2 minutes.

Depending on the brand of your device, choose one or another option. It only seems incomprehensible and scary at first, then it will be easy - you already know your microwave inside and out!

So, the base melted and turned out in a glass of jelly. Be sure to stir well so that even a small piece of unmelted base does not remain.

Addition of oils, fragrances and dyes

Pour into a glass in which you will mix. It is convenient to use disposable plastic cups. I use them, of course, more than once, they are easy to wash after the process.

Put a few drops of base oil into the liquid base and stir.

Add the dye drop by drop, stirring constantly. Depending on the concentration of the dye, one to several drops will be required.

Sometimes I dilute a very “dense” dye with a little water.

And lastly, pour in the fragrance. I pour about half a teaspoon per 100 g so that the aroma is well felt.

Soap shaping

Pour the liquid soap into the prepared mold. Silicone does not need to be lubricated with oil or alcohol. If you work with plastic and are afraid that it will be difficult to remove from the mold later, then wipe the mold with oil.

Leave the poured soap to harden. As soon as it hardens, and this happens within half an hour or an hour, the soap can be used.

If you let it lie down for a few days, it will be much more pleasant, this has been noticed by many soap makers. Pre-wrap the soap in cling film.

1. Read the article before going to the store
2. Soap base is commercially available from different manufacturers and of different quality. Some people like it more “fat”, someone likes it that quickly hardens. Only by trying, you can find your own basis that is convenient for you. To understand better, read the article about the soap base from Russian manufacturers.
3. Do not pour more than one third of a teaspoon of oil per 100 g of soap base. Otherwise, your soap will not lather, there will be no foam, alas.
4. Food colorings are usually sold very concentrated. Therefore, they sometimes need to be diluted with water. And do not make a very saturated color, the soap should remain transparent, like jelly. Yes, and colored foam is useless to you.
5. Start working with silicone molds, there are no problems with them, they do not break, they do not melt at high base temperatures.
6. Buy goods for soap making for beginners can in or search in nearby geographically.

Good luck with your soap making!
Your Helga.

You will find other soap making recipes at.

You might also be interested in these articles:

How to make soap with a picture

Soap making: Beige to dark brown color and small details

Beautiful, fragrant, natural, healthy handmade soap - what could be better? This soap is good in every way: healthier, cheaper, and more aesthetically pleasing.

Handmade soap is also a great gift that can be created for a specific person.

In every sense, homemade soap making is a positive, exciting, interesting and not particularly difficult process.

A bit of theory

It is known from the school chemistry course that soap is made from alkali and fat. Approximately 2.5 thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians not only used soap, but also wrote down recipes for its preparation on clay tablets.

The modern process of making soap at home is much easier, it is not necessary for beginners to make soap from scratch.

Handmade soap: recipes, photos

The solid soap in question (and there is also, as we know, liquid soap) can be made by yourself using the so-called “base” and using the “hot” or “cold” cooking method.

Advice. To gain experience and fill your hand, it's easier to start with a soap base and a hot method.

A simple recipe for homemade soap using the hot method is available to all beginner soap makers. How to do and in what way? As a basis for your future soap masterpiece, use either a store-bought base or regular baby soap. It is advisable to take baby soap that is not colored, odorless - ideal if you decide to make cosmetic soap for washing your face.

Purchased base, as a rule, can be white or transparent. Transparent is used for cooking glycerin soap, it also turns out transparent. Beginners are advised to start soap making with an opaque base.

Tools and utensils

To create the simplest soap and dishes, you need ordinary. You will get a water bath using two saucepans - a larger one and a smaller one. An immersion blender, a measuring cup, a stirring spoon, an ordinary kitchen fine grater for vegetables will come in handy.

You may also need:

• scoop;
• sieve;
• plastic bags;
• syringe;
• alcohol thermometer;
• work dressing gown, apron;
• newspapers, paper towels.

Important! Dishes for soap making should remain so - it will no longer be possible to cook food in it!

The saucepan in which the soap is prepared must be made of stainless steel or enameled. Aluminum, copper, pans made of other metals will not work.

The raw material for making soap should fill your saucepan by at least 8 centimeters. But a particularly large amount of raw materials in the dishes is not needed. Make sure that the soap mass does not splatter when cooking or mixing with a blender.

To give shape to the future author's soap, take any molds, jars, trays- what is at hand. You can also use silicone confectionery molds and children's molds for sand cakes and even Lego elements. Do not limit your imagination, use whatever you see fit.

About safety

There are a lot of recipes for making soap on the Internet. Often, the authors do not pay the attention of users to what kind of soap - from scratch or on the basis - they will cook.

Read recipes carefully and pay attention to how soap is made.. This is important because making soap from lye and fat can be harmful to health. Safety precautions, no matter how it sounds, must be observed.

Also, when preparing ordinary soap in a water bath, so that air bubbles do not form, the soap poured into molds is sprayed with alcohol. Here, too, it is necessary to observe safety so as not to accidentally burn them. And, when preparing soap, cover, if possible, all surfaces with newspapers. Otherwise, soap splashes will have to be scrubbed with vinegar for a long time.

Types of soap that can be brewed

It is possible to prepare any soap, with any additives, components, soap for various purposes. Its composition, shape, color and smell will depend only on your imagination.

You can create:

• simple natural healthy baby soap;
• soap-peeling, scrub;
• soap-shampoo;
• shaving soap;
• soap for beard and mustache;
• beer and wine;
• with seaweed;
• medicinal tar;
• dressing fruit and vegetable;
• many other types of homemade hand-made detergent.

Soap for babies

It is commonly referred to as Castilian, or Castilla. Cooked as “zero”, or taken with a base of baby soap, as well as with a standard base, adding olive oil, chamomile decoction. You can add shea butter or tea tree oil.

For children, do not put herbs in soap. And decoctions are brought in the form of herbal tea bags or in gauze bags, “rinsing out” the bag in an almost finished soapy mass.

Also, essential oils and fragrances do not go into this soap.

Soap peeling

Use it to eliminate dead cells exclusively on intact skin. It is possible to add ground grains, seeds, various herbs, honey, clay, crushed coffee beans and even sea sand. It is recommended to add no more than a teaspoon per 0.5 kg of base soap.

Loofah is used as a scrub(natural washcloth). This soap looks very impressive and works effectively.

Remember! When entering the loofah into the soap, it should not be wet!

Shampoo soap

It is known that soap cannot properly wash hair. But this does not apply to homemade soap.

For it, oils with improved foaming are used. They do not leave a film, do not dry the skin, and have a beneficial effect on the hair.

The basic oil components in such homemade soap are castor, coconut, olive.

It is also possible to use the following types of oils, which are introduced at the end of the melting of the soap mass:

Shaving soap

Suitable for men and women. When cooking, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of glycerin to the thickening soap. It softens the vegetation, making it easier to shave.

As one of the main oils take:

• olive;
• coconut oil;
• Palm;
• sunflower oil;
• castor;
• almond oil;
• avocado.

The last two have a caring effect. Pouring such soap into molds, they are filled by 2/3, leaving room for foam.

Important! When cooking soap for a beard and mustache, an increased content of wax is introduced into it. Soap with wax allows you to shape a mustache or beard, wax fixes the desired shape.

Wine or beer soap

Alcohol - beer, wine and even champagne are also appropriate in homemade soaps. Before entering the mass, alcohol is boiled so that its vapors evaporate. When making soap, use large containers, as the mass with wine or beer may foam. Usually such soap is brewed from scratch, adding drinks as a liquid component.

In the finished soap, you can hear a slight smell of beer. Wine in color and smell is felt weakly. The color of wine soap is brown. For a red tint, dyes are used.

Seaweed soap

Algae can be found in specialized stores.

They are added in crushed form and dry in a thickening soap base. It is also possible to add sand. The finished product has a slight smell of algae.

Tar soap

When cooking soap, essential oil is introduced into a ready-made, slightly cooled mass.

It is recommended to cook soap with similar components from scratch, using the main components in the form of caustic soda (alkali) and some kind of fat. In this case, each of the vegetable or fruit additives will not spoil, but only improve your soap, giving it its color, smell or useful qualities. Due to the high pH level in fresh soap, this component will play the role of preservatives for plant elements.

When cooking soap using a ready-made base, which is more convenient for beginners, adding fruit and vegetable components will not give the desired result. It does not matter how long, for example, tangerine slices will dry. By introducing them into the soap mass during cooking, after a while, already in the finished bar of soap, such a component will be covered with unwanted mold. Soap will be spoiled, its positive effect is zero.

Making soap from the base for beginner soap makers

Fascinating homemade soap making is a certain technological process that has to be mastered at the initial stage.

It will require:

• soap base (base);
• basic essential and cosmetic oils;
• dyes and flavors;
• soap molds;
• hydrolates (floral waters);
• scales with the smallest division value;
• thermometer, kitchen whisk or stirring sticks.

Foundation preparation

1. Weigh - exactly according to the recipe - the desired amount of soap base.
2. Grind the base by cutting with a knife or grating.
3. Dissolve the base in a water bath or in the microwave. Do not allow the base to boil. The temperature of the main soap mass should be no higher than 60 - 65 degrees. Use a thermometer.
4. The base should dissolve well, “bloom”. Use a stirring spoon, stick, whisk, or mixer.

Introduction of additional components

Remember that citrus smells disappear especially quickly from the bouquet. More persistent - lavender, mint, ylang, benzoin, bay. The aroma of patchouli is well heard and retained.

Mint, lavender, lemongrass are suitable for herbal soap. In shampoo, it is good to use bay, ylang essential oil.

Final stage

After the introduction of all the necessary ingredients into the composition, the soap making process is considered complete. The soap mass is poured into prepared molds.

Regardless of the origin of the mold, it is recommended to line the inside with a cellophane film. A regular package will do.

Remember: to remove air bubbles on the surface of the finished soap, it is sprayed with alcohol from a spray bottle. Cellophane in the form - before placing soap in it - is also sprinkled with alcohol.

At room temperature, the soap is left to ripen for a day. If after that it is not possible to remove the product from the mold painlessly, the molds can be wetted with a stream of warm water, the pieces of soap should come out.

If this does not help, cool the finished soap to room temperature and move it to the freezer for several hours. The soap will come out of the mold well. If the piece is large, after removing it from the mold, it is better to cut it, so it will ripen faster.

After two to three days, your soap will be completely ready for use.

Homemade soap recipes

And now - some affordable recipes for making soap at home.

"Mountain Lavender"

Subtle lavender aroma will calm, help fight insomnia, helps with migraines.

Need to take:

• soap base - 100 gr.;
• butter (butter) cocoa (base) - 5 gr.;
• almond oil - half a teaspoon;
• lavender essential oil (EM) - 3 - 4 drops or fragrance (flavor) "lavender" - also 3 - 4 drops;
• lilac gel food paint (blue can be) - 1 - 2 drops;
• dry lavender flowers for decoration;
• mold for the finished product.

Soap making progress:

1. Chop up the base. Melt in the bath or in the microwave in a heat-resistant bowl.
2. Add base oil, mix quickly.
3. Add dye, mix the mass.
4. Let the base cool down a bit. Introduce lavender EO, ​​almond oil, flavoring.
5. Pour the finished liquid soap mass into a mold, fill it with dry lavender color.
6. Leave to dry at room temperature.
7. Remove the cooled soap masterpiece from the mold, shake off non-stick dried flowers.

Technology nuances:

1. Instead of flavoring, you can take lavender hydrolate. This is a more delicate composition. Good for sensitive skin.
2. Sprinkle with dried flowers after the soap has thickened a little. But have time to decorate with flowers before a film appears on the surface of the soap.
3. Dried flowers should not fall directly into the base. In this case, they will lose their natural color, become dirty brown.

Soap "Tar" medicinal

It will ideally help dry small wounds on the skin, cope with pustules, acne, inflammation.

Need to take:

• soap base transparent - 100 gr.;
• jojoba oil, base - a third of a teaspoon;
• birch tar - 1.5 teaspoons.

Soap making progress:

1. Grind and melt the base.
2. Introduce birch tar and jojoba base oil. Mix well until a homogeneous mass.
3. Pour the brewed soap into the prepared mold.
4. After half an hour - an hour to get the soap out of the mold. Let it ripen for another day. After ripening, it can be successfully used for hygienic and medicinal purposes.

Technology nuances:

1. Remember that meltable soap base should not be allowed to boil.
2. The mold for soap and the surface of the finished product are treated with alcohol from a spray bottle to prevent the formation of air bubbles. Alcohol cannot be replaced with vodka, it does not remove air bubbles from soap.
3. When cooking tar soap, EO and fragrances are not needed, because the tar itself has a strong smell that cannot be interrupted.
4. The process of cooking medicinal tar soap will take no more than 1 hour. It is necessary to store this soap in polyethylene, out of direct sunlight.

A piece of soap made for a specific person is both a pleasant gift and a hand made product, which is especially appreciated on the market today.

At home, on your own, you can prepare an environmentally friendly and healthy soap for your own health according to simple and affordable recipes. Hand made soap is always a fascinating, useful activity and a wonderful form of relaxation.

Video

Watch an interesting video below - this is a small master class on making two types of handmade soap:

It would seem that the need to make soap at home has disappeared thanks to the huge selection of this cosmetic product in stores. But soap making is gaining more and more popularity. Soap makers show off their own masterpieces to one another, invent new recipes, conduct master classes, and even earn good money from their hobby. There are also special departments and shops for soap making, which once again proves the growing need for soap making. Is it easy to make soap with your own hands?

Why is homemade soap better than store bought?

Soap, which is sold in ordinary household chemical stores and supermarkets, does not contain natural ingredients. In fact, it is difficult to call it soap, since soap is saponified vegetable fats, and not processed petroleum products. A store-bought product often dries the skin and can cause allergic reactions.

When making at home, you can use only natural ingredients that are suitable for your skin type. And if now it's just a hobby, then later it can become a profitable business.

Handmade soap can be of different colors, with beautiful streaks and splashes of scrubbing elements

What ingredients are used

You can make soap from scratch, or from a ready-made purchased base. As the latter, you can also use natural, fragrance-free baby soap. And for the thrifty, there are ways to digest remnants and turn "waste" into fragrant soap.

It is much easier to work with a ready-made base. It is transparent and white. Also commercially available are organic bases for making natural soaps. You can buy them at soap shops. Working with the base is not difficult, but some skills will still be required. As for making soap from scratch, in this case you will also need knowledge in the field of chemistry, since you will have to work with alkali. Before you start making soap, be sure to familiarize yourself with the safety precautions when working with alkali.

The amount of ingredients will depend on how the soap is made and the recipe. Consider the list of necessary components for each case.

Soap base ingredients

All the main ingredients can be bought in a specialized store, and additional ones in a regular supermarket. Some are sure to be in your home. You will need:

• finished base;
• base vegetable oils;
• dyes;
• flavors;
• essential oils;
• herbs, petals, honey, ground coffee - optional;
• medical alcohol.

Bases from different manufacturers differ in price, hardness, hardening speed and other characteristics. There are organic bases that are used to make all-natural soaps.

A transparent soap is made from a transparent base.

Base oils are used to enrich the soap, they give it such beneficial properties as moisturizing, nourishing and softening. Without them, the product dries the skin, and also quickly “dries out”, cracks and exfoliates. For the same purpose, you can add body cream or milk, cream or pasteurized milk.

Important! Do not overdo it with moisturizers and oils. If you decide to add full fat milk, reduce the amount. Soaps that are oversaturated with fats don't lather well.

Dyes come in liquid and dry form. It is most convenient to use liquid ones, since it is very easy to measure the right number of drops. Dry dyes are pre-mixed with oils or liquids and only then introduced into the finished mass. Try not to overdo it with dyes, because because of this, the lather will also be colored when lathering. To get started, it will be enough to purchase three basic colors: red, yellow and blue. By mixing them, you can achieve almost any shade.

In addition to purchased artificial dyes, natural dyes can also be used. These can be spices (turmeric, curry), the same base oils (sea buckthorn, pumpkin), different fillers (colored clays, ground coffee, cocoa, strong decoctions of herbs). Of course, with their help it will not be possible to achieve bright, saturated colors, but the soap will be as environmentally friendly and natural as possible.

For decoration, you can also use mother-of-pearl pigments, sparkles and various decors.

With the help of special dyes, you can give the soap any shade

Fragrances are responsible for the beautiful aroma. You can use confectionery fragrances, or you can look for special flavors for home cosmetics. Instead of artificial fragrances, essential oils, honey, chocolate, coffee, dried zest, herbs, flowers and petals are used. The disadvantage of essential oils is that they fade faster. They are usually added at the very end.

Alcohol is also used in soap making. It eliminates air bubbles from the surface of the soap and connects the layers in a multilayer colored soap. To do this, alcohol is poured into a fine spray and sprayed onto the surface of the product.

You can add a decoction of medicinal herbs, dried chamomile flowers and natural essential oils to homemade soap.

In order for soap to acquire such properties as scrubbing, anti-cellulite effect, smoothing wrinkles, etc., various fillers are added to it. These are ground coffee, nutshell powder, clay, oatmeal, crushed sea salt and much more. All these are additional caring elements that will give the soap the desired beneficial properties.

Do not use fresh fruits, berries, cucumbers, ginger root and similar ingredients. They will rot and quickly render your enriched soap unusable. Instead, use dry herbs and leaves, petals and small dried flowers, ginger powder, dried fruits.

Tools and devices

You will also need:

• pan enameled or stainless steel;
• any other saucepan for a water bath;
• plastic or glass microwave container;
• a spoon;
• whisk;
• measuring cup;
• kitchen electronic scales;
• spray for alcohol;
• soap molds.

Forms can be bought in the same specialized stores or you can use confectionery silicone molds. Also suitable are children's plastic molds for playing with sand, containers for yogurt or sour cream, and other small containers made of flexible plastic. Purchased molds are made of plastic or silicone. For beginners, it is best to use the latter, since they are the easiest to get ready-made soap from.

Soap molds are available in plastic and silicone.

As for dishes, you can not use aluminum pans, cast iron dishes. For these purposes, stainless steel containers with enamel coating, as well as heat-resistant glass and plastic containers for use in a microwave oven, are suitable. For the exact amount of ingredients, you will need a measuring cup and scales.

What ingredients are used to make soap from scratch?

The soap base is prepared independently, using only three components:

• alkali;
• oils for saponification;
• liquid - distilled water, herbal decoction, milk.

To make hard soap, you need caustic soda (NaOH). It is sold in the form of flakes or small crystals. Alkali is needed for saponification of fats, namely base oils.

Caustic soda is also called caustic soda.

In the preparation of soap from scratch, the so-called overfat is of great importance. Since fats cease to be useful after reacting with alkali, it is recommended to add more oils at the end of cooking. This will be overkill. As a rule, valuable and expensive oils are used for it.

Vegetable oils use any. Rarely add pork fat. The liquid is needed in order to pre-dissolve the alkali and prepare it for combination with fats. Using decoctions of medicinal herbs, you will give the soap useful properties, as well as a natural aroma and shade.

To improve the soap, its coloring and aromatization, the following components are used:

• plasticizers - sugar, sorbitol, fructose, honey;
• acids - lactic, succinic, stearic, citric;
• lanolin;
• glycerol;
• oils for enrichment (overfat);
• dyes;
• flavors;
• various useful supplements.

Dyes, flavors and fillers use the same ones. Plasticizers are needed in order to make soap more plastic, as well as improve foaming. The acids will harden the soap and give it bactericidal properties. Lanolin will have a softening effect on too dry and rough skin.

With the help of different base oils, you can give soap caring, beneficial properties.

Auxiliary tools

You will need:

• two pans (one can be made of heat-resistant glass);
• hand blender;
• measuring cup;
• a glass stirring rod or a regular spoon;
• container for working with alkali;
• forms.

Important! Tools that were used to make soap should never be used for cooking!

When working with alkali, great attention is paid to safety measures.

Ingredients for different types of soap: for face, hands and body

To give the soap of different qualities, you will need the appropriate components. Some of them have emollient properties, others are moisturizing and nourishing, and others are bactericidal and drying. It is worth noting that it is better to use the appropriate soap for each part of the body. Washing your face with body or hand soap is not recommended. Also, not all components are suitable for every skin type.

Table: Recommended Soap Ingredients Based on Use

For aging skin, geranium oil is recommended because it helps to smooth out wrinkles. Mint will save you from dryness, and juniper will saturate the skin with useful substances. For rough, overdried skin, it is recommended to use lanolin. Orange oil, algae, loofah and ground coffee have an anti-cellulite effect and make the skin supple.

Essential oils give a beautiful aroma, and also “enrich” the soap with useful properties.

Making solid soap at home

First, the base is melted in a water bath or in a microwave oven. With the first method, the base melts longer, but a uniformly melted mass is obtained. In addition, you will be able to independently control the entire melting process. When heated in an oven, there is a risk of the base boiling. Therefore, set the power to the very minimum and heat for 1 minute, checking the condition of the base every 5-10 seconds.

Soap base

Having prepared all the necessary ingredients and appliances, do the following:

1. Cut the base into small cubes and place in a suitable container.
   

   The cut soap base is put into a glass container.

2. Melt in the microwave.
3. Add all fillers to the melted mass.
   

   This is what the melted base looks like after adding oils

4. Mix well.
5. Fill molds with soap.
6. Eliminate air bubbles by spraying with alcohol.
7. Leave the soap to dry for 24 hours.
   

   Soap should be in the molds until completely solidified.

8. Take the soap out of the molds after one day.
9. Wrap in foil or use immediately.

   Such a beautiful soap can be obtained from the finished base, oils and pigments

This is the standard algorithm of actions. The amount of ingredients and fillers mainly depend on the recipe.

• base oils - 1/3 tsp;
• essential oils - 3-7 drops;
• flavor - 3-4 drops;
• liquid dye - 1–7 drops;
• dry pigment - 1/3 tsp.

Other additives (herbs, clay, scrub components) can be added at will, as well as in accordance with the recipe.

Important! Esters are added at the very end to a warm, but not hot, “soapy” mass. They are quite volatile, evaporate quickly, and their properties are lost.

Video: How to make soap from a finished soap base

Cold and hot manufacturing from scratch

This is the real soap making. You can only prepare the base and use it in the future as a ready-made purchase.

Soap making from scratch is not the safest activity. You have to work with alkali, and, as you know, it is capable of leaving burns on the body. Therefore, much attention is paid to the means of protection and familiarization with the properties of alkali, its reaction with water, as well as the chemical reactions that occur during the saponification of fats and their transformation into the same soap.

Alkali, reacting with water, emits a pungent odor and is very harmful to the mucous membranes. Contact with alkali on the skin causes severe burns, so be extremely careful when working with this substance.

Safety rules for working with alkali

• Be sure to use protective equipment: goggles, a respirator, rubber gloves.
• Clothing and shoes should be as closed as possible.
• Utensils and tools that are used for making soap are not used for cooking.
• It is best to work with lye outdoors. If this is not possible, open the windows and turn on the hood.
• Food should not be prepared in the kitchen. Children and animals should also not be present.
• Reacting with water, the alkali heats up very much, as a violent reaction occurs. Make sure that the water is as chilled as possible, and preferably with ice cubes.
• The container should be glass, ideally a special container for working with alkali.

This is the minimum list of requirements to keep you safe while making your soap base. Next, follow the general rules for making soap from scratch.

Another important point. An alkaline solution is poured into liquid oils and not vice versa! You also need to strain the solution to avoid getting whole soda crystals.

To make sure that the oils and lye have fully worked and that the soap is absolutely safe for the skin, we recommend using special indicator strips (litmus papers). Just dip the tip of the strip into the soap and wait for the reaction. Next, compare the color of the paper with the color chart on the package. The darker the shade, the higher the pH level. Soap with a pH level above 10 is considered immature and not ready for use.

To prepare the base, they use ready-made recipes or develop their own using a special soap calculator. The latter can be found on the Internet at many soap making sites. The trick is that you have to calculate the amount of oils and alkalis for the correct ratio. It is difficult for beginners to do this, so we recommend using ready-made recipes from the Internet.

This is how an online calculator for calculating the amount of ingredients for soap looks like

Soap base is prepared in two ways:

• Cold way. More simple, but it takes a long time for the "ripening" of soap.
• Hot way. More difficult at first, but the soap is ready for use within a day.

Let's consider each of them.

cold way

1. Measure the correct amount of alkali.
2. Pour ice water into a special container.
3. Slowly pour the lye into the water and stir immediately.

   Alkali is added to the liquid gradually, gently stirring

4. While the mixture is cooling, proceed to the oils.
5. Melt solid oils in a water bath or in a microwave.

   Solid oils are heated in a water bath until they are completely melted.

6. Blend all oils until smooth.
7. Measure the temperature of the alkali and oils - one should be approximately the same and be 37-38 ° C (use an electronic thermometer).
8. Add the alkaline solution to the oils while straining it through a strainer.
9. Stir gently.
10. Turn on the blender and start whipping the mixture of oils and lye. Alternate beating and stirring in the off mode.

    The oils are whipped with an alkali solution using a hand blender.

11. When the mixture becomes viscous, you can start adding various benefits, colors and flavors.
12. At this stage, fat, essential oils, and other natural ingredients are added.

    When the soap base becomes viscous, you can start adding various fillers and utilities.

13. Pour the finished mixture into molds and leave to harden.
14. Remove soap after 24 hours and remove from mold.
15. Wrap in cling film and leave to ripen for at least 4 weeks.

A long maturation stage is needed in order for the soap to pass from the “trace” stage to the “gel” stage. In simple words, during this time it will become what it should be.

Video: Soap "from scratch" in a cold way

At the “trace” stage, when the mass begins to thicken, you can stop and leave everything as it is. The frozen mass will be the soap base, which can then be melted and made into fragrant homemade soap.

hot way

Up to the “trace” stage, soap is prepared in the same way as with the cold method. The most interesting begins later.

So, the viscous base is ready. Let's move on to the next step:

1. We put the container with the soap mass in a water bath. The water level in the pot should reach the level of the mass in the container.
2. Cook over low heat for 3-4 hours covered.

   The soap base is cooked under a closed lid over low heat.

3. We monitor the water level in the pan and stir every 30 minutes.
4. The mass should become gel-like and not stick to the fingers.
5. When the base is ready, you can safely proceed to its "filling".

   A litmus test (pH indicator) will help determine the alkalinity of the finished soap base.

6. We add the overfat in the same way, at the very end.
7. Soap is poured into molds and allowed to thicken completely during the day.
8. Your homemade, natural soap is ready to use.

Video: Hot soap from scratch

As you can see, the hot method is much more complicated, but it has the advantage that soap can be used almost immediately after it is made.

Soap Recipes

There are a huge number of recipes for the preparation of different types of soap, differing in their purpose, properties, fillers and appearance. Let's consider several recipes using the base, but if desired, they can also be used in the manufacture of soap from scratch.

baby

• organic base - 250 g;
• carrot juice - 1/2 tsp;
• a decoction of string and chamomile - 1 tsp;
• almond oil - 8 drops;
• tangerine oil - 1-2 drops;
• funny baby molds made of silicone in the form of animals.

It's very simple: melt the base, mix with the rest of the ingredients, pour into molds and leave for 24 hours to harden the soap.

These cute teddy bears can be made from a soap base and other ingredients.

Tar

• transparent base - 100 g;
• calendula oil extract - 1/3 tsp;
• birch tar - 1.5 tsp (sold in a pharmacy);
• mint essential oil - 6-8 drops.

In a melted and slightly cooled base, add the ingredients in the following sequence: oil extract, tar and finally essential oil. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into molds.

Birch tar has antiseptic and antifungal properties, so this soap will be useful for problem skin.

It will look like tar soap from an opaque natural base

Two-layer colored soap with honey

According to this recipe, you can make a beautiful decorative soap from layers of different colors.

First layer:

• transparent base - 50 g;
• yellow food coloring - 3 drops;
• flavor "Honey" - 10 drops;
• natural honey - 1 tsp;
• grape seed oil - 1/3 tsp

Second layer:

• white base - 100 g;
• avocado oil - 1/2 tsp;
• pasteurized milk - 2 tsp;
• pearlescent pigment - 1/2 tsp;
• honeycomb shape.

First, prepare the first layer of a transparent base, pour it into a mold and sprinkle with alcohol. When the layer has cooled, sprinkle it again with alcohol and cover the prepared white base.

This yellow-white soap has a unique aroma of honey.

The use of remnants

Agree, sometimes it is a pity to throw away the remnants of soap or the so-called remnants. We offer a simple way to "resuscitate" remnants and make soap from them, which in the end can even surpass its "original source". From the "soap" residues, you can make both solid and liquid soap.

In addition to remnants, you will need the following ingredients and tools:

• remnants - 200 g;
• water - 5 tbsp. l.;
• glycerin - 2 tbsp. l.;
• alcohol tincture of calendula - 2 tbsp. l.;
• essential oils and fragrances for fragrance - optional;
• grater for rubbing remnants;
• containers for a water bath;
• a spoon;
• forms.

Remnants can be used in a variety of ways, except, of course, the remains of laundry soap for washing and various stain removers. Fillers and fragrances can take any. With their help, you "enrich" the soap, give it new useful properties and flavors.

Glycerin is needed to obtain a more viscous consistency, it helps the components dissolve faster and retains the desired moisture. Instead of alcohol tincture of calendula, you can use medical alcohol.

The remnants will need to be melted in a water bath. Thus, the contents will be evenly heated and melted to the desired consistency.

So, having prepared all the necessary ingredients and tools, get to work:

1. Set a pot of water to heat for a water bath. Reduce heat when water boils.
2. Rub the remnants on a grater.

   To make soap, you must first grate the remnants on a coarse grater.

3. Transfer the chips to a suitable container.
4. Pour in water, glycerin and calendula tincture.
5. Mix everything and let it heat up.
6. Stir the soap and make sure it doesn't boil.
7. Remove the pot from the heat when most of the leftovers are completely melted.
8. Let the mass cool down a bit.
9. Add your desired fillers.
10. Fill in the forms with the finished mass.
11. Leave the soap to harden in a cool place for a day.
12. Take the soap out of the mold and let it dry for another two days.
13. The finished product is stored wrapped in cling film or used immediately.

    So-called "marble" soap can be prepared from unevenly melted colored pieces.

In the same way, soap can be made from the remains of a soap base and baby soap.

Video: How to make solid soap from remnants

How to make liquid soap

To prepare liquid soap from scratch, another type of alkali is used, namely KOH (potassium hydroxide). This type of soap is also called potassium soap. Liquid soap can be made from the same remnants, from baby soap, from the remnants of a soap base, or from any solid soap. Consider the cooking process.

From remnants

To prepare 1 liter of liquid soap you will need:

• remnants - 50 g;
• distilled water - 1 l;
• tincture of calendula or medical alcohol - 2 tbsp. l.;
• essential oil - 3 drops;
• liquid food dye - 3 drops;
• glycerin - 4 tbsp. l.

Put a pot of water on the fire and do the following:

Video: how to make liquid soap from remnants

Liquid laundry soap

It is used for washing clothes and washing dishes. You will need one bar of laundry soap (200 g), 1 liter of water, essential oils and fragrances - optional. How to cook:

1. Rub the soap on a grater - the finer the chips, the faster it will dissolve.
2. Pour the shavings into a stainless steel saucepan and add water.
3. Mix the ingredients and cook over low heat until the chips are completely dissolved.
4. At the end, strain the mass through a sieve and cool slightly.
5. Add about 20 drops of essential oil or fragrance.
6. Pour the finished liquid soap into a plastic bottle.
7. Concentrated washing gel is ready.

The finished product is stored in a closed container.

Photo gallery: beautiful handmade soap

Loofah soap has a scrubbing and anti-cellulite effect on the skin Soap brewed with a decoction of herbs is always a pleasure to use. Coniferous soap has extraordinary healing properties and a beautiful aroma. Soap in the form of a jelly dessert looks very appetizing This soap is almost indistinguishable from a natural mineral This soap not only looks beautiful, but also smells delicious. The main thing is not to confuse such soap with a real cake! Natural soap without artificial dyes and additives, the most beneficial for the skin Soap in the form of a snowflake will be a great gift for the New Year Homemade colored soap with various additives will decorate the bathroom Handmade soap can have a wide variety of shapes and colors.

Video: how to pack soap beautifully

Now you know how to make soap with your own hands from the finished base and remnants, as well as how to make soap from scratch. We hope that thanks to our tips and step-by-step instructions, you will successfully make your first soap and, thanks to the experience gained, you will have a new, exciting activity.

Air foam, charming aroma and thin jets of water - all this, like nothing else, can cheer you up in the morning and relax before a good night's sleep. But double pleasure will bring the understanding that the bar, gently sliding over the body, is made independently and exclusively for itself. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the simplest technology of how to make soap at home in accordance only with personal preferences and needs.

To make the same thing, only your own unique soap, you need not so much. In fact, the recipe is very simple: the main thing is to follow the instructions clearly.

Step one

We buy components. The base will be baby soap. It is advisable to purchase its hypoallergenic version, without fragrances. In addition, you should choose an oil base. As a rule, for beginners it is recommended to take sunflower or olive oil. But, having worked out the technology, you can start experimenting with other oils, for example, rosehip, grape seed, coconut or sea buckthorn. The third ingredient needed to make soap is glycerin. Its presence is highly desirable, because it is thanks to it that a special moisture-saving layer is created on the skin. And, finally, boiling water.

step two

We are preparing a "working" toolkit. Before you make soap, you should prepare a kit for creating at home. So, you will need a grater for the formation of large flakes, medical goggles and gloves, three containers (for creating a steam bath and forming soap chips), a whisk and molds.

Step Three

Mystery of soap making. For this basic recipe, you need to grate 180 grams of baby soap on a coarse grater. Needless to say, in the process of making soap flakes, it is necessary to protect the eyes and respiratory system? If yes, then before starting the soap making process, it is worth protecting your own vision and breathing with glasses and a mask.

Once the cereal has been cooked, you can proceed directly to cooking. To do this, five tablespoons of oil are mixed with two of the same spoons of cosmetic glycerin and heated in a steam bath to about 40 degrees. Then gently add soap flakes and boiling water. By the way, the volume of the latter should be 100 ml. In the process of cooking, the mass must be constantly stirred, and this is best done with a whisk, which will help avoid lumps.

As soon as the consistency of the mixture began to resemble mashed potatoes, it is removed from the bath and proceed to molding. To do this, pre-prepared molds for future soap are lubricated with the oil on the basis of which it was prepared. And only then the mass is carefully placed for solidification.

By the way, you can use almost any container: these are children's pastries, and silicone baking molds, and special professional molds of soap makers. As soon as the mixture hardens, it should be taken out and transferred to paper, which should be dried in the open air for three days.

As you can see, both the recipe and the process are so simple that they are accessible even to those who have never tried themselves in this type of creativity. However, unfortunately, the result will be the same if you do not include additional ingredients in the recipe.

Different soap is needed, different soap is important

And in order for the soap to become the most beloved, but, in addition, to be distinguished by practicality and aesthetic appearance, additional ingredients are added to it during the creation process.

Scrub soap

Making it is not as difficult as many people think. Just a little addition to the basic composition is enough. So, the best properties of soft exfoliation of dead skin cells are considered to be ground coffee, ground cherry or apricot pits, oatmeal, chopped dry medicinal herbs and inflorescences, culinary poppy.

There is another feature of this type of homemade soap - its oil base. It is worth abandoning the types proposed above, replacing them with grape seed oil (soften and tone the skin), shea and sesame (rejuvenating and tonic effect), almond and cocoa (regenerating and anti-inflammatory effect).

How to make homemade scrub soap?

In general, the process is similar to that presented above. Only instead of the traditional oil base, they choose the oil that best suits the functions of the future soap. But it is worth adding scrubbing substances only when the mixture has been removed from the bath, but before pouring into molds.

cosmetic soap

Favorite soap can become a kind of mini-salon. To do this, it is enough to add certain additives to the already prepared mixture. So, to remove excessive redness of the skin, honey is introduced into the soapy mass. At the same time, it is enough to add three tablespoons of a sweet product to the basic recipe presented above.

In order to gradually even out the skin tone and partially whiten it, it is enough to add white clay powder. Also, do not forget that the essential oils of many plants are excellent ingredients. For example, orange beauty is suitable for those who have an uneven skin surface. Bergamot and eucalyptus are suitable for those who suffer from reduced immunity.

But you can just add your favorite scent and enjoy its notes on the skin. To do this, it will be enough just to add a few drops of perfume to the finished, but not frozen mixture. Only perfume should be used, and not perfumed and, of course, not eau de toilette. The most common of them is to add more oil base than necessary. Such a volume will not only make the soap too greasy, but also stop lathering. Therefore, it is best to strictly follow the recipe: one tablespoon of oil per 90 grams.

The second mistake is the misunderstanding of staining processes. To create shades at the very beginning, it is best to use food coloring. But with natural ones, it is best to “work out” the cooking process by sampling. So, if you add turmeric, you can really get different shades of yellow. But the petals of hibiscus instead of intense red will give the soap maker a dirty green tint. After all, some plant components, when reacting with glycerin, “behave” in an unpredictable way.

But do not despair, because making soap is so exciting that even mistakes can turn into good luck in creating a new recipe.