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 brag to each other about their own masterpieces, 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 further proves the growing need for soap making. Is it so easy to make soap with your own hands?
How is homemade soap better than store-bought soap?
Soap sold in regular stores household chemicals 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. Store-bought products often dry out 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 different colors, with beautiful stains and inclusions of scrubbing elements
What ingredients are used
You can make soap from scratch or from a ready-made base. As the latter, you can also use natural, fragrance-free baby soap. And for the budget-conscious, there are ways to digest the remnants and turn the “waste” into aromatic soap.
It is much easier to work with a ready-made base. It can be transparent and white. Also available for sale organic bases for making natural soap. You can buy them in soap making stores. Working with the base is not difficult, but it still requires some skills. 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 safety precautions when working with alkali.
The amount of ingredients will depend on the method of making the soap and the recipe. Let's look at the list of necessary components for each case.
Ingredients for ready-made soap
All the main ingredients can be bought in a specialty store, and additional ones in a regular supermarket. You'll probably find some in your home. You will need:
- ready base;
- base vegetable oils;
- dyes;
- flavorings;
- 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.
Transparent soap is prepared from a transparent base
Base oils are used to enrich soap; they give it beneficial properties such as moisturizing, nourishing and softening. Without them, the product dries out the skin, and also quickly “dries out,” cracking and flaking. For the same purpose, you can add cream or body milk, cream or pasteurized milk.
Important! Don't overdo it with moisturizing ingredients and oils. If you decide to add fat milk, reduce the amount. Soap oversaturated with fats does not foam well.
Dyes come in liquid and dry form. It is most convenient to use liquid ones, since it is very easy to measure the required number of drops. Dry dyes are pre-mixed with oils or liquid and only then added to the finished mass. Try not to overdo it with dyes, because this will cause the foam to be colored when soaping. To begin with, 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, you can also use natural ones. These can be spices (turmeric, curry), the same base oils (sea buckthorn, pumpkin), various fillers (colored clays, ground coffee, cocoa, strong herbal decoctions). Of course, with their help it will not be possible to achieve bright, rich colors, but the soap will be as environmentally friendly and natural as possible.
For decoration, you can also use pearlescent pigments, glitter and various decor.
Using special dyes you can give soap any shade.
Flavoring agents are responsible for the beautiful aroma. You can use confectionery fragrances, or you can look for special fragrances for home cosmetics. Instead of artificial aromas, essential oils, honey, chocolate, coffee, dried zest, herbs, flowers and petals are used. The disadvantage of essential oils is that they disappear faster. They are usually added at the very end.
Alcohol is also used in soap making. It is used to remove air bubbles from the surface of the soap and connect the layers in multi-layer colored soap. To do this, pour alcohol into a fine spray bottle and spray the surface of the product.
You can add a decoction of medicinal herbs, dried chamomile flowers and natural essential oils to your homemade soap.
In order for the soap to acquire properties such as scrubbing, anti-cellulite effect, smoothing wrinkles, etc., various fillers are added to it. These are ground coffee, nut shell 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 fruits, berries, cucumbers, ginger root and similar ingredients in fresh. 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:
- enameled or stainless steel pan;
- any other saucepan for a water bath;
- plastic or glass container for microwave oven;
- spoon;
- whisk;
- measuring cup;
- kitchen electronic scales;
- alcohol spray;
- soap molds.
Forms can be bought in the same specialized stores or used in pastry shops. silicone molds. Children's plastic molds for playing with sand, containers for yogurt or sour cream, and other small containers made of flexible plastic are also suitable. 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 come in plastic and silicone
As for utensils, you cannot use aluminum pans, cast iron cookware. Stainless steel containers with enamel coating, as well as heat-resistant glass and plastic containers for use in a microwave oven, are suitable for these purposes. To accurately measure the ingredients, you will need a measuring cup and a scale.
What ingredients are used to make soap from scratch?
The soap base is prepared independently using only three components:
- alkali;
- saponification oils;
- liquid - distilled water, herbal decoction, milk.
For making hard soap You will need caustic soda (NaOH). It is sold in the form of flakes or small crystals. Lye is needed to saponify fats, namely base oils.
Caustic soda is also called caustic soda
Making soap from scratch great value has a so-called overfat. Since fats cease to be healthy after reacting with alkali, it is recommended to add additional oils at the end of cooking. This will be overfat. As a rule, valuable and expensive oils are used for it.
Any vegetable oils can be used. Rarely added pork fat. The liquid is needed to pre-dissolve the alkali and prepare it for combining with fats. Using decoctions of medicinal herbs, you will give the soap beneficial properties, as well as a natural aroma and shade.
To improve soap, its coloring and flavoring, the following components are used:
- plasticizers - sugar, sorbitol, fructose, honey;
- acids - lactic, succinic, stearic, citric;
- lanolin;
- glycerol;
- oils for enrichment (superfat);
- dyes;
- flavorings;
- various useful fillers.
The same dyes, flavors and fillers are used. Plasticizers are needed to make soap more plastic and also improve foaming. Acids will make the soap harder and give it bactericidal properties. Lanolin will have a softening effect on too dry and rough skin.
Using 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;
- glass stirring rod or regular spoon;
- container for working with alkali;
- forms.
Important! Tools that were used to make soap cannot then 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 soap different qualities, you will need the appropriate components. Some of them have softening properties, others have moisturizing and nourishing properties, 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. It is not recommended to wash your face with body or hand soap. Also, not all components are suitable for every skin type.
Table: Recommended ingredients for making soap depending on its use
| Components | Hands | Face: skin types | Body | |||
| Normal | Dry | Fat | Problematic | |||
| Base oils | olive cocoa palm jojoba shea (shea) walnut |
olive almond cocoa avocado |
castor evening primrose shea (shea) wheat germ rosehip almond avocado |
sweet almonds apricot kernels peach pits hazelnut |
olive sea buckthorn |
olive cocoa coconut shea (karite) almond sesame etc. |
| any | ylang-ylang lavender geranium jasmine chamomile |
lavender palmarosa neroli ylang-ylang jasmine mint |
lemon cypress geranium rosemary |
juniper fir sandalwood tea tree eucalyptus |
orange grapefruit eucalyptus tea tree etc. |
|
|
Fillers, including scrubbing |
lanolin glycerol beeswax |
cosmetic clay ground coffee chopped herbs milk |
cosmetic clay powdered milk glycerol herbal decoctions chamomile extract, mint, coltsfoot, linden color |
cosmetic clay activated carbon camphor alcohol infusions and decoctions calendula and chamomile propolis tincture |
cosmetic clay activated carbon eucalyptus leaves infusions and decoctions of herbs |
clay loofah honey sea salt ground coffee eucalyptus leaves tar seaweed |
Geranium oil is recommended for aging skin as it helps smooth out wrinkles. Mint will save you from dryness, and juniper will nourish the skin. useful substances. For rough, dry skin, it is recommended to use lanolin. Orange oil, seaweed, loofah and ground coffee have an anti-cellulite effect and make the skin elastic.
Essential oils add a beautiful aroma and also “enrich” soap with beneficial 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 takes longer to melt, but the result is an evenly melted mass. 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.
From soap base
Having prepared all the necessary ingredients and equipment, do the following:
This is a standard algorithm of actions. The amount of ingredients and toppings mainly depends on the recipe.
- base oils - 1/3 tsp;
- essential oils - 3–7 drops;
- flavoring - 3–4 drops;
- liquid dye - 1–7 drops;
- dry pigment - 1/3 tsp.
You can add other additives (herbs, clay, scrubbing components) as desired, as well as in accordance with the recipe.
Important! Esters are added at the very end to the warm, but not hot, “soapy” mass. They are quite volatile, evaporate quickly, and their properties are lost.
Video: How to make soap from ready-made soap base
Cold and hot production from scratch
This is real soap making. You can prepare only the base and use it in the future as a ready-made purchase.
Making soap from scratch is not the safest activity. You have to work with alkali, and as you know, it can leave burns on the body. Therefore, much attention is paid to protective equipment and familiarization with the properties of alkali, its reaction with water, as well as chemical reactions, which occur during the saponification of fats and their transformation into soap.
Alkali, when reacting with water, emits a pungent odor and is very harmful to mucous membranes. Contact of alkali on the skin causes severe burns, so be extremely careful when working with this substance.
Safety rules when working with alkali
- Be sure to use protective equipment: goggles, respirator, rubber gloves.
- Clothes and shoes should be as closed as possible.
- Dishes and tools that are used for making soap are not used for cooking.
- It is best to work with alkali on 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.
- When reacting with water, the alkali becomes very hot as a violent reaction occurs. Make sure the water is as cold as possible, or better yet, with ice cubes.
- The container should be glass, ideally a special container for working with alkali.
This minimal list requirements to keep you safe while preparing soap base. Next follow general rules 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 the inclusion of whole soda crystals.
To make sure that the oils and lye have worked completely and 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 packaging. 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 are already used ready-made recipes or they develop their own using a special soap calculator. The latter can be found on the Internet on many soap-making sites. The trick is that you have to calculate the amount of oils and lye for the correct ratio. This is difficult for beginners to do, so we recommend using ready-made recipes from the Internet.
This is what an online calculator looks like for calculating the amount of ingredients for soap
Soap base is prepared in two ways:
- Cold way. Simpler, but required long time for “ripening” the soap.
- Hot method. More complicated at first, but the soap is ready to use within 24 hours.
Let's look at each of them.
Cold way
- Measure out the required amount of lye.
- Pour ice water into a special container.
- Slowly pour the lye into the water and stir immediately.
The alkali is added to the liquid gradually, stirring gently
- While the mixture is cooling, start adding oils.
- Melt solid oils in a water bath or in the microwave.
Solid oils are heated in a water bath until they are completely melted.
- Mix all the oils until smooth.
- Measure the temperature of the lye and oils - one should be approximately the same and be 37–38 °C (use an electronic thermometer).
- Add an alkaline solution to the oils, while straining it through a strainer.
- Stir gently.
- Turn on the blender and start blending the oil and lye mixture. Alternate beating and stirring in the off mode.
Beat the oils with an alkali solution using a hand blender
- When the mixture becomes viscous, you can start adding various nutrients, dyes and flavors.
- At this stage, superfat, essential oils, and other natural ingredients are added.
When the soap base becomes viscous, you can start adding various fillers and benefits
- Pour the finished mixture into molds and leave to harden.
- Remove the soap after 24 hours and remove from the mold.
- Wrap in film and leave to ripen for at least 4 weeks.
A long maturation stage is necessary for the soap to move from the “trace” stage to the “gel” stage. If we talk in simple words, then during this time it will become what it should be.
Video: Cold process soap from scratch
At the “trace” stage, when the mass begins to thicken, you can stop and leave everything as it is. The frozen mass will become a soap base, which can then be melted and made into aromatic homemade soap.
Hot way
Until the “trace” stage, the soap is prepared in the same way as with the cold method. The fun begins later.
So, the viscous base is ready. Let's proceed to its next processing:
Video: Hot process soap from scratch
As you can see, hot way much more complicated, but has the advantage: the soap can be used almost immediately after its preparation.
Soap recipes
There are a huge number of recipes for cooking different types soaps, differing in their purpose, properties, fillers and appearance. Let's look at several recipes using the base, but if desired, they can also be used when making soap from scratch.
Children's
- organic base - 250 g;
- carrot juice - 1/2 tsp;
- decoction of string and chamomile - 1 tsp;
- almond oil - 8 drops;
- tangerine oil - 1–2 drops;
- funny children's silicone molds in the form of little animals.
It's very simple: melt the base, mix with the rest of the ingredients, pour into molds and leave for 24 hours for the soap to harden.
These cute little bears can be made from soap base and other ingredients
Degtyarnoye
- transparent base - 100 g;
- calendula oil extract - 1/3 tsp;
- birch tar - 1.5 tsp. (sold in a pharmacy);
- essential oil mint - 6–8 drops.
Add the ingredients to the melted and slightly cooled base in the following order: 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.
This is what tar soap made from an opaque natural base will look like
Two-layer colored soap with honey
Using this recipe, you can make beautiful decorative soap from layers of different colors.
First layer:
- transparent base - 50 g;
- yellow food coloring - 3 drops;
- flavoring “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 transparent base, pour it into the mold and sprinkle with alcohol. When the layer has cooled, sprinkle it with alcohol again and cover the prepared white base.
This yellow-white soap has a unique honey aroma.
Using remnants
Agree, sometimes it’s a shame to throw away leftover soap or so-called soap remnants. We offer a simple way to “reanimate” soap remnants and prepare soap from them, which in the end result can even surpass its “original source.” From “soap” residues you can make both solid and liquid soap.
In addition to soap, you will need the following ingredients and equipment:
- soap remnants - 200 g;
- water - 5 tbsp. l.;
- glycerin - 2 tbsp. l.;
- alcohol tincture of calendula - 2 tbsp. l.;
- essential oils and flavorings for fragrance - optional;
- grater for rubbing soap;
- containers for a water bath;
- spoon;
- forms.
You can use a variety of soaps, except, of course, leftovers from laundry soap for washing and various stain removers. You can use any fillers and fragrances. With their help, you will “enrich” the soap, giving it new beneficial properties and aromas.
You can make wonderful soap from colored soaps.
Glycerin is needed to obtain a more viscous consistency, it helps the components dissolve faster and maintains the required moisture. Instead of alcohol tincture For calendula, you can use rubbing alcohol.
You will need to melt the soap in a water bath. This way the contents will heat evenly and melt to the desired consistency.
So, having prepared all the necessary ingredients and tools, get to work:
Using the same method, you can make soap from leftover soap base and baby soap.
Video: How to make solid soap from soap 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 soap remnants, from baby soap, from the remnants of a soap base, or from any solid soap. Let's look at the cooking process.
From remnants
To prepare 1 liter of liquid soap you will need:
- soap remnants - 50 g;
- distilled water - 1 l;
- calendula tincture or medical alcohol - 2 tbsp. l.;
- essential oil - 3 drops;
- liquid food coloring - 3 drops;
- glycerin - 4 tbsp. l.
Place a pan of water on the fire and do the following:
Video: how to make liquid soap from soap 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:
- Grate the soap - the smaller the shavings, the faster it will dissolve.
- Pour the shavings into a stainless steel pan and add water.
- Mix the ingredients and cook over low heat until the chips are completely dissolved.
- Finally, strain the mixture through a sieve and cool slightly.
- Add about 20 drops of essential oil or fragrance.
- Pour the prepared liquid soap into a plastic bottle.
- The concentrated washing gel is ready.
The finished product is stored in a closed container.
Photo gallery: beautiful handmade soap
Soap with loofah has a scrubbing and anti-cellulite effect on the skin 
Soap made with a decoction of herbs is always pleasant to use. 
Extraordinary healing properties pine soap has 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 that is most beneficial for the skin 
Soap in the shape 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 come in a wide variety of shapes and colors.
Soap made at home can be a real masterpiece of handicraft.
Cooking it yourself is not at all difficult, and the process itself is captivating.
In addition, you can add any individually beneficial ingredients, favorite fragrances and desired colors to this soap.
Homemade soap recipes for beginners are simple and fun. And possession certain rules will help you avoid the most common mistakes.
Homemade soap: how it differs from store-bought soap
Homemade soap has a big advantage over what is on supermarket shelves. The composition of purchased soap is often monotonous, and the list on the packaging is always subject to great doubt. As a rule, store-bought soap dries the skin, tightens it, and leaves a residue.
And only home-made soap will have all the qualities required by a certain skin type. Homemade soap recipes for beginners do not require any unusual ingredients. Everything you need for exciting soap making can be purchased in specialized stores.
When preparing soap at home, use it you can add essential oils and herbal decoctions, which will fill it with a lot of useful properties.
So, for example, soap with tea tree oil or calendula decoction Ideal for washing oily skin prone to breakouts. It will have a disinfecting effect.
Fir as part of a soap bar will relieve pustular rashes.
Soap with orange will help in the fight against cellulite and will energize you.
If you add it to soap lavender essential oils, it is ideal for evening hygiene procedures, will calm you down and set you up for pleasant dreams.
When preparing soap at home, you can add any essential oil to it. This will give it both beneficial properties and your favorite aroma. Essential oils do not contain fats that could clog pores. The main thing is not to exceed the permissible number of drops, because this can provoke allergic reactions.
Buying in a store soap-scrub, you often have to doubt that it contains natural particles that will remove dead skin cells. But if the manufacturer replaced them with a synthetic analogue, then the skin will suffer from such chemical exposure. Homemade soap with a scrubbing effect will not only do its job perfectly, but will also heal the skin at the same time. Healthy oatmeal is usually added to such soap as a gentle but effective scrub. Ground coffee in soap will help provide real exfoliation for the body, but will not injure it. You can also add any cosmetic clay and herbal decoctions to the scrub soap.
Soap, to which will be added, can rejuvenate the skin and moisturize it. seaweed during the cooking process. Initially, the soap base can be diluted with milk or herbal infusions, which will also have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.
The recipe for an invigorating, refreshing soap at home for beginners includes menthol. The secret of this soap is to completely dissolve the menthol crystals. To do this on initial stage alcohol is used instead of water. Only alcohol will completely dissolve the menthol, distributing it evenly throughout the soap base.
When thinking about what to give to your family and friends for the next holiday, homemade soap will be one of the best options. After all, it can be made not only extremely useful, but also beautiful. To give beautiful shades, you can use it as natural dyes – coffee, juices of fruits, vegetables, berries. So are dyes sold in specialized stores. In addition, dried flower buds, pieces of chocolate and other healthy and beautiful ingredients that only the imagination is capable of look beautiful in pieces of soap.
Making soap at home (for beginners): what you need for this
Before you begin the exciting cooking process homemade soap, you need to acquire all the ingredients, auxiliary items and utensils:
Soap base - it is sold in specialized stores, it can be white and transparent. But for soap-making beginners, it is better to use simple baby soap;
Water, herbal decoctions, milk - to dilute the soap base;
Base oil – olive, grape, almond, apricot. Any of these and other oils can be purchased at the pharmacy;
Essential oils - they will give the finished product the desired aroma and beneficial properties;
Glycerol;
Additives - they are chosen taking into account the purpose of the future soap: moisturizing, scrubbing, healing, soothing, tonic, etc.;
Dyes - soap can, of course, be transparent, in which herbs, flowers, and citrus zest will be clearly visible. And if not, then dyes are used, purchased in a store or prepared with your own hands from natural materials;
Dishes - containers for setting up a steam bath, as well as various molds for soap, which can be either specialized or any plastic, glass or ceramic forms;
Alcohol is needed to degrease soap molds and get rid of bubbles.
Homemade soap recipe for beginners: ingredients and sequence of steps
The homemade soap recipe for beginners is quite simple and a pleasure to make. When everything you need is already at hand, it’s time to start preparing:
1. Set it up on the stove water bath medium intensity;
2. Rub the baby soap on a coarse grater or cut the soap base into pieces and place in a water bath so that the base melts;
3. In the process of melting the base, you need to add oil to it, which plays a basic role. Take 3 tablespoons per 100 grams of soap base;
4. At the same time, add water, milk or herbal decoctions to the resulting mixture. This must be done gradually to obtain a creamy consistency;
5. Remove the completely melted mixture from the water bath and add essential oils (no more than 5 drops per 100 grams of product), dyes and ingredients as desired, and a teaspoon of glycerin;
6. We pour the future soap in measured doses into molds that have previously been wiped with alcohol;
7. To get rid of bubbles on the surface of the soap, spray it with alcohol from a fine spray bottle;
8. Leave the molds with the mixture in a cool place for several days.
After 2-3 days, the mixture in the molds will harden and dry completely. That's the whole homemade soap recipe for beginners. Already on the first try, you will get an amazing, healthy soap that will delight not only its manufacturer, but also those with whom he shares his masterpiece.
Making soap at home: the main problems for beginners
Making mistakes is common to everyone, and especially in such a creative process as soap making. But in order not to translate ingredients so often, it is useful to know some rules that will help you avoid mistakes.
A homemade soap recipe for beginners should be well studied, and all ingredients should be prepared in advance on hand. But besides this, you need to accurately calculate the dosage of each additive:
The soap mixture can only be prepared in a water bath. If you do this directly in a container on fire, then everything will simply start to burn;
Additional components are added to the slightly cooled mixture;
Do not use a mixer for mixing, this will lead to a lot of bubbles;
For 100 grams of soap base, take no more than 3 tablespoons of base oil. Otherwise, the finished soap will not lather;
No base oil is added if the output is expected to be clear soap;
Essential oils should be added drop by drop, not exceeding total number in 5 drops. Otherwise, it is easy to provoke an allergic reaction caused by an overdose of ethers;
When preparing soap for children, you should not add essential oils at all;
Poorly ground herbs or adding too much of them will scratch your skin unpleasantly. The same applies to coffee, and oatmeal, and everything else that is usually used for scrubbing soap;
Flowers and herbs are added only in dry form;
It is better to add additives for scrub soap when the soap mixture has already been poured into molds. This will allow the particles to linger evenly throughout the soap bar;
If you add salt during the soap-making process, the mixture will break down into its components and the preparation will be interrupted and the product will be spoiled;
Figures can only be made from a still very warm soap mixture. If it cools down, it will begin to disintegrate when you try to twist something out of it;
Of the natural dyes, only beet juice can color the product red;
Colors and smells should not be mixed during the soap making process, as the result may be unpredictable and not the most pleasant;
In the process of preparing multi-layer soap, the surface of each previous layer must be slightly cut and sprinkled with alcohol;
The alcohol must be pure and cannot be replaced with vodka or other alcohol-containing liquids;
Soap molds can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 10 minutes;
Soap molds should not be left to dry in the open sun.
These basic rules will help you avoid the most common soap-making mistakes while guiding homemade soap recipes for beginners. In addition, you should make it a rule to write down every successful recipe and never rely only on memory.
Not every person likes to earn money while sitting in an office or working in a factory. Many people prefer to start a business based on their hobbies. One popular small business movement is making and selling handmade soaps. Why is this business relevant - handmade soap? First of all, soap making is relatively new look art, and even more so earning money. The idea of making homemade handmade soap arose 8-10 years ago, and the idea of selling it on a fairly large scale appeared 3-4 years ago. That is, we can conclude that in most cities the niche has not yet been occupied.
Soap made at home from natural ingredients attracts many buyers because it can cleanse, treat the skin and have a beneficial effect on general condition outer covers. Often it does not cause allergies (depending on the components used), so it is suitable for sensitive skin. Unusual, beautiful soap handmade attracts the attention of buyers. Such a product is in demand if production and sales are properly organized.
Registration of home soap making as a business
Before officially registering a business, you need to find suitable premises and purchase primary necessary materials, make up small . To produce and sell soap, you can register or.
Premises of 40 sq. m. will be quite enough. If you want to save on rent, choose a suburban option. The space should be divided into two parts of different sizes. The larger one will serve directly as a production site, and the smaller one will serve as a warehouse for raw materials and finished products.
Registration of a soap-making business takes place in tax office and doesn't take much time.
Handmade soap production technology
Before you understand the production technology, you need to purchase everything necessary tools, products and components for soap. It’s better if you have a certain amount saved up for this, which will allow you to choose everything you need at once.
Required materials and equipment
Soap base
A product consisting of fatty acids and glycerol. Has transparent or white, usually sold by weight. There is also a liquid soap base (for liquid soap and shampoos). If you plan to produce products in this direction, then a liquid base is also necessary.
Carrier oils
To prevent soap from drying out the skin and causing irritation, various solid and liquid oils are added to it. Basic oils are usually the following: olive, coconut, jojoba. There are other base oils - the choice should depend on the type of soap being made.
Ethers
Essential oils are added to soap for aroma and various effects. The choice here is wide: from aromatic ylang-ylang to simple tea tree. Each of the oils is an antiseptic, which can be an excellent addition to soap against rashes on the face. Esters make soap fragrant.
Dyes
Special dyes will help make the soap bright, varied and achieve originality. The variety of dyes is great - it’s worth purchasing as many colors as possible so as not to limit yourself in creativity. Choose natural dyes: Low cost is not as important as quality and recognition among consumers.
Fillers
Soft gommage components and scrubbing additives (apricot kernels, ground coffee, raspberry seeds, fiber from fruits and berries, synthetic abrasives) can also serve as fillers. You can also add dried flowers, gelatin and other additives to soap.
Fragrances
Essential oils provide a wonderful aroma, but you can’t do without additional fragrances. The assortment of the modern handicraft market allows you to purchase flavors with all kinds of odors.
Forms
Several sets of molds of various modifications will be enough to produce the product various forms and variations.
Basic forms:
- classic (rectangular);
- gift (paired shapes, hearts, holiday options for Easter, New Year and others);
- children's (dolphins, cartoon characters).
Scales
To accurately measure the weight of the finished piece, you need a good scale. Do not buy mechanical ones under any circumstances - they have too much error for such production.
Capacities
Pans without enamel (preferably stainless steel), molds for a water bath, as well as knives and graters for the soap base, pipettes, mixing spatulas, measuring cups and spoons - all this will be needed in the process.
Product promotion
After making trial versions of several types of soap, you can post photos of the product on your personal blog. Due to the development information technology, advertising on the Internet is the most effective.
To sell throughout the country, you can create a group on any social network. Selling using an Instagram account is effective. Attractive photographs play a big role here. It's not a sin if you process them well.
If opportunities allow, creating your own website for promotion will not be superfluous. On it you can create an online store system and accept orders. 
A very good service from soap makers is making custom soap. This could be handmade gift soap, soap with certain additives, etc.
Don't forget to tell your relatives and friends about your business. The so-called “word of mouth” can bring you extra income and new regular customers.
Possible difficulties in this business
Difficulties include low demand for products, force majeure in the production process when producing in large quantities and, as a result, waste of raw materials and time, lack of funds for the purchase of all necessary ingredients.
Sometimes problems may arise with SES without a special certificate. To obtain quality certificates for products, batches must be checked in the laboratory, and a certain amount must be paid to obtain the document.
To avoid any difficulties in organizing this business, you need to think through all expenses, have initial capital, correctly select all the necessary materials and tools, and study the market in your area.
Didn't have time to meet New Year- How to prepare gifts for Christmas. And here it is useful to remember that the best gift is one made with your own hands. But such a gift should not only be pleasant and beautiful, but also useful. And what could be healthier than soap?
When humanity invented soap, the number of diseases associated with unsanitary conditions began to decline. But science and the chemical industry do not stand still, and over time, soap has ceased to be a completely safe product.Soap philosophy
Soap is a chemical product, a mixture of sodium and potassium salts of fatty acids. It is made using the transformation of a variety of acids under the influence of hydroxides. Roughly speaking, ordinary lard is taken, caustic soda is added to it, heated, and soap is obtained.
But not all soap is equally useful. So, soap removes everything from the skin indiscriminately, so you cannot constantly wash with bactericidal soaps every day. In addition, soap can degrease the body.
When choosing soap in a store, you need to carefully study the packaging to know whether it is natural or synthetic. Synthetic ones wash the skin too well and wash away absolutely the entire layer of sebum.
It is also important to avoid all possible reactions to soap - skin, allergic. Allergy sufferers are generally recommended to wash with baby soap. If your skin is oily, you can use any cosmetic or toilet soap. And if on oily skin If you have acne, then it is better to choose sulsen soap for washing.
But the most useful and best soap- made with your own hands, because you know exactly what it consists of. In addition, making soap is a fun and creative process, which makes it possible to obtain a product with the properties that your skin needs.Homemade soap contains a maximum of natural ingredients and the fragrance you like.
How to become a soap maker?
You will need:
- Baby soap or a special soap base, which can be purchased at specialized craft stores. It can be transparent or matte.
- Soap mold.
- Fatty oil (olive oil is fine).
- Flavoring.
- Dye.
- Additives as desired.
Process:
1. Shape. Choose a mold for your future soap. This can be a special plastic mold from a craft store or something you have on hand: children's sand molds, yogurt cups or cardboard boxes milk container, silicone baking dish (most convenient for beginners).
Photo: AiF / Alena Batsman
2. Soap base or baby soap, cut into cubes and melt in a water bath or in the microwave. If you use microwave- be careful, the base heats up very quickly, and it should not boil. It is better to stay near the stove and stir the base periodically.
Photo: AiF / Alena Batsman
3. Fatty oil. Pour 100 grams of soap base into a glass and add 1/3 teaspoon of fatty oil. Don't overdo it because if there is too much oil, the finished soap won't foam.
Photo: AiF / Alena Batsman
4. Color. Dyes can be dry, liquid, pigments, pearls. In addition, color can be given to soap by natural ingredients. For example, chocolate will give soap brown, and the coffee is black.
Dry dyes are very concentrated. They need to be dissolved in water and only then added to the soap with a pipette. If you add too much dye, the soap suds will be colored.
Liquid dyes are already diluted and are very convenient to use. Add 1-10 drops per 100 g of soap. You can mix them together, so all you need to do is buy dyes of the primary colors - red, yellow and blue.
Pigments are insoluble colored powders. Take a third of a teaspoon of pigment per 100 g of soap base, mix in a teaspoon with fatty oil so that there are no lumps. Only then add it to the base. If you choose a pigment, use it at the stage of adding fatty oil to the soap so that you don’t end up with too much of it. Also keep in mind that the pigment clouds the soap base. So, if you use a clear base, after adding pigment the soap will still turn matte.
Mother of pearl is sparkles, glitters. They will make the soap more festive and elegant. Can be used in conjunction with any of the other types of dyes.
Photo: AiF / Alena Batsman
5. Aroma. For a pleasant smell, you can add either essential oil (3-7 drops per 100 g of base) or water-based fragrances (3-4 drops per 100 g) to the soap. Do not mix essential oils and fragrances with each other - the smell will end up unpleasant. But different essential oils in one soap, as well as different fragrances, can be mixed. Consider also the fact that essential oils have additional properties, for example, orange or ginger essential oil invigorates, and lavender essential oil, on the contrary, calms.
6. Cosmetic additives. Additional ingredients can be added to the soap to enrich it and give it additional properties or to make a scrub soap. You can add to soap:
- chocolate or cocoa,
- powdered milk,
- oatmeal,
- coconut flakes,
- cosmetic clay,
- coffee,
- orange or lemon zest.
Photo: AiF / Alena Batsman
7 . When you have added everything you need to the soap, you need it pour into mold and cool in the refrigerator or on the windowsill. You can remove the soap from the mold only when it has completely cooled down. The silicone mold is easily removed, literally turning inside out, so it is optimal for beginners and for those who save time. The plastic one gives more room to imagination, but it’s harder to pull the soap out of it. If you can’t get the soap out of the mold at all, leave it for a few days, it will dry out and it will be easy to get out.
Photo: AiF / Alena Batsman
Recently, soap making at home has overwhelmed those who like to do something with their own hands. This exciting process It quickly becomes a hobby. Yes and benefits natural soap much more than a store-bought one, full of chemical components.
Therefore, we suggest learning how to make soap yourself. Step by step instructions and the accessible explanation that you will find below will certainly help in this fascinating matter. 
Making soap at home: what do you need?
Soap making is one of the areas of modern Hand made, which involves making useful things yourself. What should you stock up on before you start making soap?
1. Basic foundation. There are three basic options.
- Baby soap, which is grated and is the base for all other ingredients. This option is perfect for those who are starting to try themselves in this business. Having filled your hand, you can move on to other materials.
- Special soap base. It is available for sale in handicraft stores and is a ready-made base for work.
- Soap making professionals use oil and lye preparing soap. The consistency of the future soap will depend on the amount of alkali added.
2. Oil included in the base. You can take any mineral or vegetable. The main task of this component is to nourish and moisturize the epidermis. Alternatively, the following oils are suitable:
- almond;
- castor;
- olive;
- cocoa butter, etc.
3. Flavors. Their role is played by essential oils from fruits and herbs.
When choosing such a flavoring, you should pay attention to the needs of the skin, since, for example: orange oil helps to saturate with vitamins and get rid of cellulite, but tea tree copes well with excess oily skin.
4. Pigment (dye). There are two options for coloring soap:
- food coloring or a special dye for coloring soap, sold in the same craft store;
- natural, herbal decoctions, vegetable and fruit juices come to the rescue here.
5. Auxiliary elements. These include:
- liquids for diluting soap base (milk, water, herbal infusions);
- decorative elements (poppy, flowers);
- scrubbing particles (coffee particles, oatmeal);
- vitamin supplements;
- glycerol.
6. Equipment for work. These are the dishes in which the soap mass will be boiled and the molds where it will harden.
Fragrance and color additives for homemade soap
- transparent soap base – 0.5 kg;
- chamomile oil – 5 tsp, it is suitable for sensitive skin (you can take another if desired);
- food coloring, ours is blue;
- black or yellow French clay – 1-2 tsp;
- fragrance: choose any essential oil that you like, but since the soap will have a marine theme, it is better to give preference to fresh ocean scents;
- alcohol, needed to get rid of bubbles;
- pebbles to create decor;
- Soap mold, we have a square silicone one.
Soap is made according to the instructions below:
- Cut the base. You should get small pieces.
- Place them in a 1 liter jar. Place in a saucepan with water and place on the stove. The base is heated for 25–30 minutes. You can’t let it boil, so you need to monitor the combustion process.
- Add chamomile oil and 45-50 drops of your chosen flavoring to the melted base. Now cast the third part of the base for the lower part with clay, and drop 5 drops of dye into the remaining part. The color saturation will depend on how much dye you add.
- Treat the pebbles with alcohol and lower them to the bottom of the silicone mold.
- Pour the colored liquid into the mold with the stones.
- When the base with stones has hardened, remove it from the mold.
- Carefully remove the pebbles from the soap.
- Pour French clay into the previously cast transparent base.
- Return the blue piece without stones to the mold and pour the base with clay on top.
- As soon as a film appears on top, sprinkle clay on the top of the soap.
- After 25 minutes, the base will set and the soap can be taken out. Cut it into pieces and you can wash with pleasure.
Homemade clear soap recipe
To make transparent soap from scratch, we prepare:
- Castor oil – 120 g;
- Coconut oil – 150 g;
- Pork fat – 30 g;
- Glycerin – 210 g;
- Alkali – 45.7 g;
- Water – 90 g.
It is prepared like this:
- Very cold water introduce alkali.
- Melt coconut oil and fat, add castor oil.
- When the oils have cooled well, introduce an alkaline solution into them through a sieve.
- Using a mixer, beat all ingredients until smooth.
- Place the mixture in a water bath. Cover with a lid and, stirring occasionally, simmer for 2 hours.
- After this time, use an indicator strip to measure the pH. It should turn light green.
- Now pour in glycerin. Continue simmering until the soap becomes homogeneous. This will happen in approximately 40 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the mold and leave to harden.
It is not recommended to place clear soap in the refrigerator to harden, as the cold temperature will cause the base to become cloudy.
How to make baby soap at home?
