Cold Pressed Soap Making Notes
I hope everyone enjoyed the soap making workshop :-)
I have put together this page so you have easy access to some information that you might find useful ..........
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Equipment needed: A heatproof plastic container for mixing lye and water. A large heatproof container for mixing the soap. A saucepan for heating up the oils, large enough to fit your heatproof container in! A mould for your soap, silicone moulds work best but you can use other specialised soap moulds as long as they are not made from metal. Thermometer. Hand/sticking blender. Goggles and rubber gloves.
When working with lye/caustic soda; put on protective eyewear and gloves, work in a well ventilated area away from pets and children, make sure it is safely stored in a proper child proof container away from humidity. Basic Soap Making Instructions: Choose your oils/fats/butters and enter them into a lye calculator to find out how much water and lye/caustic soda you need. (I use www.thesage.com) Weigh your oils/fats/butters and put them into your heatproof container. Place an inch or two of water in your saucepan and put it on the hob on to a medium heat. Place your heatproof container with the oils in into the saucepan to melt. While your oils/fats/butters are melting you can get the lye/water mixture ready: Weight your lye/caustic soda. Measure your water in a heatproof container and carefully pour the lye into the water (never pour water onto the lye in case it 'volcanoes') Leave away (somewhere safe and ventilated) to cool. When your oils/fats/butters have melted take them out of your saucepan and leave them to cool to 100 - 120 °F When both the oils/fats/butters and the lye/water solution reach between 100 - 120 °F you can mix them together and blend using your blender. Keep blending, with pauses in between, until the mixture starts to trace (trace is when the mixture thickens enough to hold a drop on top!) When the mixture 'traces' it is now ready to pour into your soap mould. After pouring, cover the mould with clingfilm or baking paper and an old towel to keep the heat in. Leave for 24 - 48 hrs or until solid enough to take out of the mould. When out of the mould it will now need to air/cure for at least 3 weeks - choose somewhere dry and dust free, a shoe box with holes in works well! You will be able to use your soap after the curing time is complete.
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Common Oils, Butters, and Waxes used in Cold Pressed Soap Making:
- Avocado Oil (Persea americana)
- Properties: Avocado oil is rich and nourishing, making it ideal for dry or sensitive skin.
- Benefits: Packed with vitamins A, D, and E, it helps soothe and hydrate the skin. It provides a slightly softer, gentler soap.
- Recommended % Usage: 5-15% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Beeswax (Cera alba)
- Properties: Beeswax is a natural wax that helps solidify soap bars, it speeds up trace in the soap making process.
- Benefits: Beeswax creates a firm, long-lasting soap bar with a smooth, glossy finish. It helps retain moisture in the skin by forming a protective barrier. It is also naturally antibacterial and soothing.
- Recommended % Usage: 1-8% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Castor Oil (Ricinus communis)
- Properties: Castor oil helps create a creamy, luxurious lather.
- Benefits: It has humectant properties, meaning it draws moisture to the skin. Castor oil enhances the lather and contributes to the soap’s mildness. It is also soothing and hydrating. Works well as part of a shampoo bar recipe.
- Recommended % Usage: 2-10% of the total oils in the recipe. Too much can make the soap overly soft and sticky.
- Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera)
- Properties: Candelilla wax is a plant-derived wax that is hard and brittle.
- Benefits: It contributes to a firm, durable soap bar and provides a smooth finish. Candelilla wax is also beneficial for adding a bit of gloss and sheen to the soap.
- Recommended % Usage: 1-3% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao)
- Properties: Cocoa butter has a firm texture and provides a solid bar with excellent moisturising properties.
- Benefits: Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, it helps improve skin elasticity and hydration. It’s especially beneficial for dry or damaged skin.
- Recommended % Usage: 5-15% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Link to Cocoa Butter: https://amzn.to/43MoGlo
- Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera)
- Properties: Coconut oil provides a hard bar and a bubbly, fluffy lather.
- Benefits: Known for its cleansing and antibacterial properties. It contributes to a soap with excellent lather, making it a popular choice for bubbly and effective cleaning. It also contains fatty acids that hydrate the skin.
- Recommended % Usage: 15-30% of the total oils in the recipe. Too much coconut oil can make the soap too drying, so balance it with moisturising oils.
- Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
- Properties: Jojoba oil is a liquid wax that closely resembles the skin’s natural oils. In soap it contributes to a very stable and long-lasting bar.
- Benefits: Jojoba oil helps balance the skin’s sebum production and is beneficial for all skin types. It’s highly moisturising, making it a great addition for dry or mature skin.
- Recommended % Usage: 2-10% of the total oils in the recipe. (higher amounts can weigh down the lather)
- Mango Butter (Mangifera indica)
- Properties: Mango butter is a light, non-greasy butter that melts easily and adds moisture to the skin. In cold pressed soap it adds to the hardness and creaminess of the bar. It also adds conditioning properties to the bar.
- Benefits: It’s rich in vitamins A and C, providing antioxidant and moisturising benefits. Mango butter has a smoothing effect and is excellent for softening the skin and preventing dryness.
- Recommended % Usage: 5-10% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Olive Oil (Olea europaea)
- Properties: Olive oil is highly moisturising and has a gentle, mild lather. It’s one of the few oils you can use 100% of in your soap recipe. It slows down trace and curing time, can take months to harden properly.
- Benefits: Rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and E, and squalene. It is nourishing for the skin and promotes soft, supple skin. It’s ideal for sensitive skin types and can help with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
- Recommended % Usage: 40-70% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis)
- Properties: Palm oil helps make a firm bar with a stable lather.
- Benefits: Offers skin-conditioning properties due to its high levels of Vitamin E and antioxidants. It is widely used for a firm, long-lasting bar of soap. However, make sure to source sustainable palm oil.
- Recommended % Usage: 10-20% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Rice Bran Oil (Oryza sativa)
- Properties: Rice bran oil is a mild oil with a slightly emollient texture that offers a good balance of moisturising without being overly greasy. Can be used at 100% in soap recipes but the bar will be soft and have little lather.
- Benefits: Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids, rice bran oil has anti-ageing properties and helps to rejuvenate the skin. It is highly moisturising and helps enhance the soap’s smoothness. Rice bran oil also contributes to a mild, creamy lather.
- Recommended % Usage: 15 - 30% of the total oils in the recipe. It can be used in moderate amounts to improve skin benefits and give a gentle lather.
- Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii)
- Properties: Shea butter is rich in fatty acids, making it deeply moisturising.
- Benefits: It has anti-inflammatory and healing properties and is great for dry, cracked skin. Shea butter adds a creamy texture to the soap and helps produce a mild, moisturising lather.
- Recommended % Usage: 5-15% of the total oils in the recipe.
- Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus)
- Properties: Sunflower oil is a light, non-greasy oil that’s rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E. It produces a lather that is incredibly conditioning on the skin.
- Benefits: It has excellent emollient properties, helping to soften and smooth the skin. Sunflower oil is rich in linoleic acid, which helps support the skin’s natural barrier and retains moisture. It’s also soothing and suitable for sensitive or irritated skin.
- Recommended % Usage: 5-30% of the total oils in the recipe. Can be used up to 100% but recommended up to 30%
- Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus amygdalus dulcis)
- Properties: Sweet almond oil is full of vitamin A, E and B2. It can be used in cold process soap up to 20% more than that will create a soft bar with a shorter shelf-life.
- Benefits: It is rich in antioxidants and excellent at helping the skin moisturised.
- Recommended % Usage: 1 -20% of the total oils in the recipe.
Additional Considerations
- Superfatting: Superfatting refers to the practice of leaving a small percentage of oils unsaponified in your soap, which can further benefit the skin. Oils like olive oil, avocado oil, and shea butter are often used for superfatting.
- Balance is Key: Different oils and butters have different effects on the final soap bar. It’s crucial to balance cleansing properties (from oils like coconut) with moisturising properties (from oils like olive or avocado).
- Lather and Hardness: Oils like coconut, palm, and castor oil increase the lather and hardness of the soap, while butters and heavier oils like avocado and olive oil contribute to moisturising and softening properties.
Soap Recipe made in recent workshop:
Rice Bran Oil 300g
Coconut Oil 200g
Sunflower Oil 200g
Shea Butter 70g
Caustic Soda 107g
Water 250ml
Essential oil/fragrance 16ml
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Useful links:
Bomar.ie for base ingredients
thesage.com for lye & fragrance/scent calculator