How I Make Soap: A Video

This is mostly for my customers who may or may not have an idea of how soap is made. I use the cold-process method, which means there is no heat applied to the soap. The visions most people have of their grandmothers or other people “in olden days” making soap in a huge kettle over an open fire is a hot-process method. Hot-processed soap is ready to use as soon as it cools and hardens. Cold-processed soap must cure for several weeks to complete the saponification process and allow excess moisture to evaporate out of the soap so that it will become hard. However, it also allows the soap to remain more fluid while it’s being made, so it’s easier to create special designs, patterns, and swirls. Cold-processed soap also has a smoother texture than hot-processed soap.

Soapmakers may find this video interesting as well since I will be showing how I make my Dead Sea Spa Bars, swirling the Dead Sea mud soap and white clay soap into the soap pot. I’ve condensed about four hours worth of work into less than 15 minutes. Enjoy!

(Email subscribers will need to click over to the blog post to see it.)

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  1. What a fabulous video! You are very thorough in your explanations. I am just getting into soapmaking and you are an inspiration to me. I met you at the farmer’s market once last year and I bought your clarifying facial soap. I love it! Keep making videos and take care!

  2. Loved your video Amy, really liked how you covered all aspects of soapmaking and the soaps looks so nice, great job! hope you had a wonderful Christmas and hope your year will be a fantastic one:)

  3. Great video, I am thinking of making cp soap again. I used to, then switched to hp. Your video had helpful tips like the ice cubes in the container and I didn’t know, I could add the essential oils in before reaching trace. Thank you!

  4. Hi Amy,
    Loved the video. Thanks so much for posting it. Looking forward to the next one.
    Traci

  5. Great Job Amy! Turned out really good. I love how informative you are! The soap is beautiful! Just let me know if you ever want help again as it was a pleasure.

  6. Wowza ! I love how organized the video it was, how detailed without making us watch all the paint actually dry. I am going to refer it and you to all my buds just getting interested in soap making. And your Eo combo sounds fantastic. Thanks for taking the time to do this!

  7. I am just beginning to learn how to make soap. I love the beautiful swirls in your soaps!

    Right now I’m trying to figure out how to use fixatives for the EOs. It seemed to me that you either added a lot of EOs into your soap or perhaps you have a fixative in there too? May I ask what you have found to work?

    Thanks so much for the video!
    Linda

  8. @Linda – For this batch, I used 0.5 ounces per pound of soap. It’s important to use high quality, undiluted essential oils. Litsea cubeba has been known to help hold citrus scents. Adding base notes can also help hold those top note scents. Patchouli and cedarwood would be examples of base notes…there are others as well.

  9. In calculating the amount of essential oil I’m using at the moment it is low. So, I’ll bump that up in my next batch. To my knowledge the oils I’m using are a high quality and undiluted.

    Hmmm…music and soap. 😉 You have just opened up a new learning curve for me. In looking around the net I’m not seeing which scents to blend to get the lilac sent I’m trying for. Any ideas of how to look something like that up? I’m finding what appears to be some good information over here http://www.essentialoils.co.za/fragrance-notes.htm

    Nice to “meet” a fellow Christian. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
    Linda

  10. @Linda – You won’t be able to create a lilac scent with essential oils. You’ll have to use a synthetic fragrance. That looks like a good list to go by for the notes though.

  11. Thank you so much. I would have wasted time and money trying to figure out a essential oil(s). I’ll start looking into the synthetic fragrances.

    It’s very kind of you to take the time to help a beginner,
    Linda

  12. Fab as usual…Not sure if you answered this, but were the ice cubes in the pitcher part of your total water weight? I’m going to give the in the pot swirl a shot. You make it look so easy/peasy, and your molds are titanic! I haven’t seen a log mold that long before, lol:)

  13. @Patrice – Actually someone asked me the same ? on Twitter. The answer is YES, the ice cubes are part of the total water weight. Oh, and hubby made my molds – that’s why they’re so “unique”.

  14. I’m a little late with this..given the dial-up circumstances I’ve been under..but nonetheless wanted to say: Fantastic video, Amy! So interesting even to any soap maker! Love how you explain each oils property and how well the video is lit. This is certainly among the best soap making videos that I have come across. Thanks for all the work you put into it!

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