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Handmade SoapHomemade soap with sodium hydroxide and oil

Written By: Vishal Bhatt

Handmade Soap Release: 1.3 [minor] 2019-11-04Guide ID: 409 -

This document was generated on 2019-11-04 01:08:01 AM (MST).

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INTRODUCTION

Saponification is a process of making soap using a basic solution of lye (sodium hydroxide) alongwith different types of fat. The science behind soap making is in the structure of the fats, theproperties of the lye, and the chemical reaction that produces cleaning molecules. Saponification notonly involves science, but is also a fun activity to make your own soap with the properties of yourchoice.

TOOLS:Stove (1)Spoon (1)

Steel/Wooden/PlasticDropper (1)Container (1)

Metal container/Plastic containerIce Cream Stick (1)Bowl (1)

any shapea small bowl to make the mould

Half cut bottle (1)plasticcut bottle or glass or steel cup (for making Lye)

Glove (2)Rubber

PARTS:Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (1)

crystals6 g

Water (1)13 ml (13 g)

Coconut Oil (1)12 g

Palm oil (1)6 g

Sunflower Oil (1)16 g - Can be any Vegetable Cooking Oil

Castor Oil (1)6 g

Essential Oil (1)Any fragrance2 ml

Butter Paper (1)20 cm X 20 cm

Turmeric (1)1 g



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— Precautions

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is a highly reactive and caustic substance. Handle the flakes andsolution with extreme care and caution.

Extended skin contact with NaOH can lead to ulceration and scarring.

Gloves are compulsory while handling NaOH. Add NaOH flakes to water; not water to NaOHflakes.

Please do not ingest any of the materials.

— Step 1 - Preparing the Mould

Select a suitable container, to be used as a mould for your soap. You can choose a small plasticcontainer or a small bowl.

Take a piece of butter paper. The size of the butter paper should be more than that of the internalsurface area of the mould.

Press the butter paper into the mould so that the butter paper takes the shape of the mould andcovers it from inside.

Stick the excess butter paper to the outer surface of the mould using tape, or trim some of theexcess butter paper off,before sticking.

You may smear some cooking oil on the butter paper, to eventually remove the soap from themould easily.



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— Step 2 - Making Lye Solution

Measure 13 ml of water, using a dropper, and pour it into a container. Add the given sodiumhydroxide (NaOH) flakes into the container containing water.

Add the NaOH flakes to water. Do not add water to NaOH.

The reaction is exothermic and the vessel will become hot. Exercise caution when you touch it.

Do not shake or move the vessel, as it may cause some of the liquid to spurt/spill and causeinjuries.

The mixture of NaOH and water is also called Lye.



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— Step 3 - Adding Turmeric to Lye

Add ~1g (a few pinches) of turmeric to the lye solution and observe the colour change.

Turmeric is known to have health beneficial properties. It also aids in changing the mixture'scolour, from the time of mixing the oils with the lye solution until the soap is ready.

Stir the mixture with the ice cream stick initially, and let the reaction happen while mixing it andsubsequently heating the oils.

— Step 4 - Pouring the Oil Mixture

Open the cap and stopper of the plastic container containing the mixture of oils carefully, withoutspilling any oil.

Pour the given mixture of oils into a small steel container.



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— Step 5 - Adding Cooking Oil

Select any vegetable cooking oilsuch as groundnut oil, sunflower oil,olive oil, mustard oil, sesame oil orsoybean oil.

Do not use coconut, castor or palmoils as they are already included inthe given oil mixture and maychange the nature of the soap.

Each oil provides different propertiesto the soap and you can experimentwith them.

Measure 18 ml of the chosencooking oil using the dropper. Youcan also measure 16 g of thecooking oil, if you have a weighingscale.

Pour the measured cooking oil intothe steel vessel containing themixture of other oils.



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— Step 6 - Heating the Oil Mixture I

Heat the mixture of oils on a low flame, for only about 10 seconds, to get the desired temperatureof 50-60 degrees C.

Do not heat the container before adding the oils into it.

It is essential for the temperature of the oils and the lye solution to be approximately the same,when making the soap.

The lye solution takes about 5 minutes to reach 60 degrees C after stirring it. So, keep the heatedmixture of oils ready, within two minutes, after making the lye solution.



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— Step 6 - Heating the Oil Mixture II

A hot water bath can be used as an alternative method to heat the mixture of oils.

Heat the mixture of oils in a plastic container using a water bath, for about 5 minutes, to get thedesired temperature of 50-60 degrees C.



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— Step 7 - Making the Soap

Add the lye solution to the heated oil mixture,when their temperatures are approximately the same.

After the entire lye is added, stir the mixture vigorously using a steel spoon.

Keep stirring the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes till it thickens or the trace sets in.

Use only steel or wooden cutlery since other metals will corrode.

Trace is a stage in the soap making process, when the mixture suddenly changes from a liquidstate to a thick viscous mass.

The best test for the trace is if you gently drag the spoon on the surface of the thick solution, tonotice a trace of the path, left behind.

You can also test it by putting a drop of the thick soap solution in water. The drop forms a lumpand settles at the bottom.



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— Step 8 - Adding Fragrance

Add four to five drops of essential oil to the prepared thick solution to enhance the fragrance of thesoap.

You can use any essential oil of your choice.

— Step 9 - Stirring the Mixture

Stir the mixture well,for the essential oil to blend with the soap.



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— Step 10 - Moulding the Soap

Pour the thick paste into the mould that is already prepared.

You can write your name or message, using a pointed object, after two hours of setting.



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— Ready to Use!

Keep the moulded soap aside for 2 to 3 days, until it becomes hard.

Notice the colour change, from the time of mixing the lye solution and oil mixture until the soap isready for use.

The reactions continue to occur after moulding, while the soap hardens.

The Soap will be warm, due to the exothermic nature of the reaction.

Do not use the soap till it is fully hard, as it may damage your skin.



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— Troubleshooting

Brittle soap/cracks on the soap - Too much lye or the mixture was too thick when poured into themould. Melt the soap and add oils.

Soap has watery pockets or bubbles - Separation of the lye solution from water, in some areas, asa result of not mixing well. Remelt the soap.

Soap is watery underneath - There was a complete separation of the lye solution. Remelt themixture. Make sure all the liquids are in the utensil and in the right proportion.

Soap is crumbly (only when rubbed) - Didn't mix well, but saponification still occurred. Remeltslowly over a slightly higher heat than before, and mix well before cooling.

Soap is whole but has oily parts - This can happen if there was too much fat, or if the trace was notachieved. Remelt the soap if the oily parts are large.

Soap is streaked - Lack of stirring. Remelt the soap and stir well.

White residue on top - Probably due to hard water or inadequate heat. Use distilled water andensure constant heat.

— Suggested Variations

You can create your own soaprecipe by using different oils andbutter.

You can explore soap colouring byusing various vegetable colours, likebeetroot juice, to colour your soap.

Try different additives. Exfoliants likecrushed oats or aloe vera juice.



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Make designer soaps, by creatingyour own shapes, designs andflavours of soaps. The varieties areonly limited by your creativity.



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Handmade Soap - Amazon Web Services · Select a suitable container, to be used as a mould for your...

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