Soap-Making Process
by Charles Terrell
We use two different, but related, processes to make our soap. Solid soap is made using cold process. Liquid soap comes from hot process. The main difference between the two processes is in how long before the product is ready to use.
Cold process starts by dissolving lye into water. (Sometimes we also add tea, milk, and/or honey.) We add the lye water to a blend of vegetable oils, coloring materials, and botanicals. Then we stir it until the oil and lye react to a pudding consistency. At that point we add fragrance (optional) and pour the mixture into molds.
Somewhere between 1 and 3 days later we remove the soap from the mold, cut it into bars, and place them on a drying rack. After about a week the bars go into a storage container for further curing. The soap is ready to sell when it's about a month old.
Hot process starts the same as cold process. The difference is, after the mixture reaches the pudding stage, we apply a gentle heat to make the reaction go more quickly. Within a few hours it's ready to cool off and use.
For liquid soap we follow this process and then dissolve the finished paste in distilled water. Next, we neutralize any excess lye with citric acid. Finally we add the fragrances and colors.
With either process, the end result is a luxurious soap made in a simple, time-honored way. We hope you enjoy using it.
We use two different, but related, processes to make our soap. Solid soap is made using cold process. Liquid soap comes from hot process. The main difference between the two processes is in how long before the product is ready to use.
Cold process starts by dissolving lye into water. (Sometimes we also add tea, milk, and/or honey.) We add the lye water to a blend of vegetable oils, coloring materials, and botanicals. Then we stir it until the oil and lye react to a pudding consistency. At that point we add fragrance (optional) and pour the mixture into molds.
Somewhere between 1 and 3 days later we remove the soap from the mold, cut it into bars, and place them on a drying rack. After about a week the bars go into a storage container for further curing. The soap is ready to sell when it's about a month old.
Hot process starts the same as cold process. The difference is, after the mixture reaches the pudding stage, we apply a gentle heat to make the reaction go more quickly. Within a few hours it's ready to cool off and use.
For liquid soap we follow this process and then dissolve the finished paste in distilled water. Next, we neutralize any excess lye with citric acid. Finally we add the fragrances and colors.
With either process, the end result is a luxurious soap made in a simple, time-honored way. We hope you enjoy using it.
